mobile domain:www.usaa.com
Skip to Content

VETERANS DAY

Because they served, we are free.

More than 41 million men and women have answered the call to protect the promise of America. Because of them, generations of Americans have been free to speak up, pursue new opportunities and build lives of their own.

This Veterans Day, we honor their service for helping shape the course of our nation and protecting the freedoms at the heart of American life. Every era. Every generation. Every veteran.

Where generations of service come together

We built The National Military Monument™ at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to honor our veterans. There, millions of names trace an unbroken history of two and a half centuries of American military service. We celebrate the veteran behind each name and all they gave to our country.

Video player
The National Military Monument | Veterans Day

Video Duration: 1 minute 43 seconds

00:00

[Opens with peaceful music]

[Speaker 1]

This monument honors anyone and everyone who has raised their hand, taken the oath and served this country since the birth of the nation.

00:11

[Speaker 2]

More than 41 million names. Think about that. 41 million stories, 41 million journeys, 41 million Americans and their families dedicated to the service of this country.

00:26

[Speaker 3]

That means he’s here?

[Off-camera voice]

That means he’s here.

[Speaker 3]

That’s really moving.

00:34

[Speaker 4]

Wait a minute. That’s my name right there. Samuel Jones.

[Off-camera voice]

Are you?

[Speaker 4]

Yes, that’s me, Samual Jones. That is absolutely amazing. A lot of us have not seen our name on anything relative to our military service at all.

00:48

[Speaker 5]

I’ll probably never see my name on a monument like this again. So, thank you, USAA.

00:54

[Speaker 6]

There’s fathers and daughters, husbands and wives. They’re all here.

01:00

[Speaker 7]

I’m very touched, and it’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.

01:06

[Speaker 8]

I’m humbled to be a name on there with the legends that served before me.

01:13

[Speaker 9]

It took my breath away. Because not just his name is up there, but everyone who made the same decision he did.

01:22

[Speaker 10]

Here, we are one. Usually, people are memorialized after they’re gone. So, for me to see myself represented here, it’s incredible.

01:33

[Speaker 11]

That’s how you do it. That’s how you honor the military. Never forgetting their names.

01:38

[The words, "The National Memorial Monument™ This Veterans Day, we honor every era. Every generation. Every name.” appear on screen.]

Experience the monument

Search for a name in person or online, whether your own or someone you know who served.

Explore the monument, search for a service members name (Opens new window)

The lasting impact of service

In ways big and small, veterans have protected our freedoms and helped make the lives we enjoy possible. And while thanking them for their service can mean a lot, taking the time to build a genuine connection with the veterans in your life can mean even more. This Veterans Day and throughout the year, we can all show veterans how much they’re valued.

card-pack-authored-content-1

Stories of service

A reminder to reflect

Army veteran Omar wants us all to honor the courage of American service members.

Video player

A Reminder to Pause and Reflect – Veterans Day 2026

Video Duration: 34 seconds

A Reminder to Pause and Reflect – Veterans Day 2026: Elapsed time 0 seconds [0:00]

Veterans Day is, you know, just thanking everybody who has served. People should just take a moment and like, you know, reflect on, on the sacrifices, the commitment, the selfless service, the courage.

I don’t think any veteran served to be thanked, you know. We served because we wanted to serve. Many men and women that have worn the same uniform that I have, you know, for me it means a lot.

Description of visual information [Because of their service, we are free.

Thank you to our veterans and their families.
USAA®
usaa.com/veteransday] End of description.

End: Elapsed time 34 seconds [0:34]

She served to give back

Air Force veteran Cindy was proud to serve the country that became her home.

Video player

She served to give back

Video Duration: 1 minute 20 seconds

00:00

[Peaceful music slowly builds]

[Cindy]

Their actions and their sacrifices and their experiences made this moment possible.

00:07

[The words, "Cindy T. Air Force veteran Mil spouse" appear on screen.]

[Cindy]

So I've been thinking about this question a lot as 250 is, like, all over right now. We're all kind of reflecting on what that means.

00:16

[Cindy]

For me, I think, as an immigrant coming over when I was young, having the military support me, service then became a natural, like, giving back to the country.

00:28

[Cindy]

I think it was those experiences that service members went through from the Revolutionary War all the way through, offered the opportunity for my family to immigrate. Like, it made it possible. I don't know that without that, our family would be here today in the way that it is.

00:45

[Cindy]

To, like, realize that their actions and their sacrifices and their experiences made this moment possible, but also to recognize that our service kind of enables the generations after us.

01:01

[Cindy]

So I hope that my service, our family’s service, makes it possible for another family in the future to have a better life.

01:13

[The words, "Because of their service, we are free. Thank you to our veterans and their families." appear on screen.]

01:19

[The words, "usaa.com/veteransday" appear on screen.]

A bond built on service

Vietnam veterans Lynda and Jean became advocates for women serving with them.

Video player

A bond built on service

Video Duration: 1 minute, 5 seconds

00:00

[Opens with peaceful music]

[The words, "Jean S. Air Force nurse Vietnam veteran. Lynda A. Air Force nurse Vietnam veteran." Appear on screen.]

[Lynda]

Jean and I were in Vietnam at the same time. Didn't know each other, and she was only like, how many miles away?

00:09

[Jean]

Or kilometers.

00:10

[Lynda]

Yeah, kilometers away.

00:12

[Lynda]

We met here in Colorado after we retired. Today it's interesting when someone finds out that one of us was in Vietnam and they go, "I didn't know there were women over there."

00:25

[Lynda]

We didn't really come in contact with wives or many women, just other than our own, you know. We came up with the idea to be advocates for each other, and we're so fortunate to have that.

00:42

[Stirring music builds]

[Lynda]

I think being in the Air Force taught me so much about who I am, what I can do, and what nursing is all about.

00:53

[Lynda]

On Veterans Day, what I think about is how proud I am to have been part of it.

00:58

[The words, "Because of their service, we are free. Thank you to our veterans and their families." appear on screen.]

01:04

[The words, "usaa.com/veteransday" appear on screen.]

The history of Veterans Day

Veterans Day honors the men and women who served in the U.S. military, in wartime and in peacetime. Its roots go back more than a century to the World War I armistice.

Establishing a national observance

November 11, 1918

The armistice that ended the fighting in World War I took effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

1919

President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the first anniversary of the armistice with the first Armistice Day, dedicated to world peace.

1938

Congress officially recognized Armistice Day as a legal public holiday.

Expanding to honor all veterans

1947

Navy veteran Raymond Weeks organized the first Veterans Day celebration in Birmingham, beginning a movement to honor those who served.

1954

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day, broadening the observance to honor all veterans.

1968

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the observance of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October, beginning in 1971.

Returning to its historic roots

1975

President Gerald Ford signed a law returning Veterans Day to Nov. 11. The change took effect in 1978.

November 11, 2026

This Veterans Day, we celebrate generations of American veterans whose service has helped protect our country for 250 years.

On Veterans Day and every day

Honoring veterans is about more than what we say. It's also about how we show up for them throughout the year.

That belief is the heart of Honor Through Action. With a $500 million investment over five years, USAA is working to expand access to meaningful careers, build greater financial security and support the well-being of veterans and their families.

Taking care of the military community is a commitment we live every day.

Learn more on how USAA supports the well-being of veterans and their families.

Related footnotes:

  1. The trademarks, logos and names of other companies, products and services are the property of their respective owners.

  2. USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its affiliates.

NC