In 1971, Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, became a federal holiday observed annually on the last Monday in May. To mourn and honor the loss of U.S. military personnel who served during the American Civil War, observances sprung up from various states following the Civil War in the late 1860s. The day is commemorated by speeches, raising the American flag to half-staff, and a long-standing tradition of placing flowers and American flags on the graves of fallen soldiers. Today, Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial start of summer.
As we honor Americans lost in battle, please see information on Veteran-owned businesses below.
- In 2019, Veterans owned 1,955,191 businesses.
- In 2019, Veteran-owned businesses employed 5,450,860 Americans.
- In 2019, the annual payroll for Veteran-owned businesses was $256 billion.
Advocacy Outreach and Resources: