Nearly 80 years after Imperial Japan's surrender ended World War II, the number of American veterans who served in the conflict has fallen to around 66,000, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The estimate, from the VA's 2024 projection data, is likely to be lower as many of the survivors are approaching or exceeding 100 years old.

Why It Matters

Around 16 million Americans served in World War II, with troops stationed around the globe, including in both the European and Pacific theaters. Many of those who served were very young men suddenly thrust into a brutal war that killed more than 400,000 American troops.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (V-J) Day, observed in the U.S. on September 2—the day in 1945 when Japan formally signed its surre

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