besides honoring veterans who fought in world war i, what are some other wars veterans fought in?

Veterans have served in many other wars besides World War I, including major U.S. and global conflicts across the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. When honoring veterans, people often recognize service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Major 20th-century wars

Many veterans people meet today (or remember from parents’ and grandparents’ generations) served in large 20th‑century wars.

• World War II (1939–1945), involving global fighting in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific.

• Korean War (1950–1953), fought on the Korean Peninsula after World War II.

• Vietnam War (U.S. involvement mainly 1960s–1970s), a long conflict in Southeast Asia.

Other U.S. wars with veterans

Veterans have also come from earlier American wars long before World War I.

• American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), when the colonies fought for independence from Britain.

• War of 1812 (1812–1815), sometimes called the “second war of independence.”

• Mexican–American War (1846–1848), which changed the U.S.–Mexico border.

• American Civil War (1861–1865), between Union and Confederate states.

• Spanish–American War (1898), fought in places like Cuba and the Philippines.

More recent conflicts with veterans

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, new generations of veterans have served in shorter but intense wars and operations.

• Gulf War (1990–1991), after Iraq invaded Kuwait.

• War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), launched after the September 11 attacks.

• Iraq War (2003–2011 for main U.S. combat operations), with continued operations after.

Smaller operations and interventions

Beyond big, named wars, veterans have also served in many smaller interventions and missions.

• U.S. interventions in places like Somalia, Libya, and Syria in the 2000s and 2010s.

• Ongoing counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations in different regions.

Why this matters when honoring veterans

Remembering veterans from many wars helps show that service spans generations and very different kinds of conflict. Some veterans even fought in more than one war, such as those who served in World War II and later in Korea or Vietnam.

When you honor veterans, you are not just honoring one war, but a long line of people who served in many different times and places.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.