Veterans Day 2017: What you need to know

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LOS ANGELES - JUNE 6: Former Iraqi war prisoner of war (POW) Shoshana Johnson salutes as she leaves Crenshaw High School June 6, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. Shoshana, the first black female POW, was captured and shot in the ankles during the U.S. invasion of Iraq on March 23 near Nasiriyah along with six other U.S. Army personnel from the El Paso-based 507th Maintenance Company. Johnson was honored at the high school for her service. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 12: U.S. President Barack Obama (R) presents the Medal of Honor to retired Army Captain Florent Groberg during an East Room ceremony at the White House November 12, 2015 in Washington, DC. Born in France and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Groberg received the Medal of Honor for tackling a suicide bomber and saving fellow soldiers' lives in Afghanistan's Kunar Province in August 2012. He was also badly injured in the attack, which killed four people. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Story highlights

Veterans Day honors the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces

18.5 million veterans live in the United States

There are numerous ways to celebrate Veterans Day 2017

Editor’s Note: Parts of this updated story were first published in 2016.

(CNN) —

Veterans Day is celebrated annually on November 11 to honor those who have served in the Armed Forces as well as those who have fallen defending the country.

Military kids thank their parents

Female Marine recruits prepare to fire on the rifle range during boot camp February 25, 2013 at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina.

History of women in the U.S. military

Since this federal holiday falls on a Saturday this year, many workers and students have the day off on Friday November 10. Whether or not this is the case for you, it’s worth taking a moment to learn about the holiday and the veterans who live among us.

Remember your history

Although World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919 when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, fighting between the Allied forces and Germany had already ceased months prior. On the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice went into effect.

Armistice Day was celebrated every year thereafter in the United States until 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed it to Veterans Day to encompass the honoring of veterans of all American wars.

In 1930, the Veterans Administration (VA) was established to “consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans.” It was renamed in 1989 as the Department of Veterans Affairs, continuing to be known as the VA.

Department of Veterans Affairs fast facts

Some key figures

Photos: US military photos from September

A pararescueman from the US Air Force's 48th Rescue Squadron scans the ground Tuesday, September 12, after Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys. The storm caused historic destruction across the state.

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Ryan Callaghan/Moody Air Force Base/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

Sailors prepare an F-35C Lightning II on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday, September 7. The fighter jet is still in the testing phase.

PHOTO: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Josue Escobosa/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

The New York Air National Guard helps American citizens evacuate the Caribbean island of St. Martin on Friday, September 8. St. Martin was among several islands that were devastated by Hurricane Irma.

PHOTO: Col. Richard Goldenberg/New York National Guard/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

An Air Force pilot and crew chief conduct a pre-flight inspection at a base in Krzesiny, Poland, on Monday, September 11.

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder/Department of Defence

Photos: US military photos from September

The US Coast Guard transports people off the Caribbean island of St. Thomas during Hurricane Irma relief efforts on Tuesday, September 12.

PHOTO: U.S. Coast Guard District 7/Departmet of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

Members of the National Disaster Medical Assistance Team help people evacuate St. Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands, on Saturday, September 9. The Department of Defense has been supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help those affected by Hurricane Irma.

PHOTO: Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Taylor King/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

An MH-60S Seahawk takes off from the USS Wasp, which was in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday, September 7. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, helicopters were conducting medical evacuations in the US Virgin Islands.

PHOTO: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Galbreath/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, participates in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon, 16 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

PHOTO: Navy Petty Ofiicer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro/Department of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

Fighter jets from the United States and South Korea fly together during a training exercise in Gangwon-do, South Korea, on Monday, September 18.

PHOTO: Department of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, third from right, visits North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base on Wednesday, September 13. The base is home to many nuclear missiles and bomber planes.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr/ Department of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

Marine Sgt. Colin Deeter plays the trombone at a high school in Surabaya, Indonesia, where troops from the United States and other countries were taking part in annual training exercises on Tuesday, September 12. Deeter is part of a Marine band, assigned to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, that performs throughout the Far East.

PHOTO: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Fulton/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

The USS Oscar Austin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, travels in the Arctic Circle on Thursday, September 5.

PHOTO: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan U. Kledzik/Sipa USA

Photos: US military photos from September

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Philip C. Sackett escorts a US citizen to an evacuation control center at the Douglas-Charles Airport in Dominica on Sunday, September 24. The control center was set up to help people who were stranded on the island after Hurricane Maria.

PHOTO: Sgt. Ian Leones/U.S. Marine Corps/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

Air Force Capts. Bryan Adams, left, and David Wilfong fly a C-17 Globemaster III to Puerto Rico on Saturday, September 9. They were delivering personnel and equipment to help with Hurricane Irma relief efforts.

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Charles Rivezzo/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

Members of the Florida Air National Guard help people at a Jacksonville high school that served as a shelter during Hurricane Irma on Saturday, September 9.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. William Buchanan/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

US Marines participate in a live-fire training exercise near Djibouti on Thursday, September 7.

PHOTO: Cpl. Frank Cordoba/Department of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

On the anniversary of 9/11, a military family based in Qatar honors those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Trevor McBride/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

Sailors drape a flag over the casket of Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Casto during a repatriation ceremony in Honolulu on Thursday, September 14. Casto was aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and his remains were recently identified. He was buried alongside his brother, Richard, who was also aboard the Oklahoma.

PHOTO: Staff Sgt. Matthew Bruch/Department of Defense

Photos: US military photos from September

US Marines drop anchors to support a floating bridge in Blythe, California, on Monday, September 11. During a training exercise, they were tasked with constructing a bridge to span a 120-meter (394-foot) section of the Colorado River.

PHOTO: Lance Cpl. Timothy Shoemaker/Dvids

Photos: US military photos from September

First responders salute a large American flag as it's unfurled over the west side of the Pentagon on Monday, September 11. See US military photos from August

PHOTO: Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro/Department of Defense

There are 18.5 million veterans living in the United States as of 2016, according to the Census Bureau. Of these, 1.6 million veterans are women.

A large proportion of the veteran population, 9.2 million, are aged 65 and older, while 1.6 million are younger than 35.

The American labor force has 7.2 million veterans ages 18 to 65. Of these, 6.8 million are employed. Male and female veterans’ annual median incomes are both higher than their nonveteran counterparts.

Surprising celebrities who served in the U.S. military

Lifting the veil

Despite veterans having an annual holiday celebrating their heroism, troubling stories have emerged in recent years that paint a grim picture for many veterans in America.

In 2013, CNN reported that on average more than 22 veterans commit suicide every day.

The uncounted suicides in military families

In 2014, the Veterans Health Administration was the subject of numerous investigations after reports of negligent handling of a backlog of veterans seeking medical care by VA hospitals went public. Dozens of veterans are reported to have died awaiting treatment.