Because Veterans Day falls on Saturday, the federal holiday will be observed today.

The population of military veterans in the U.S. is more than 18 million. In 1980, veterans made up about 18% of the country’s adult population. Last year, that had declined to 6%. And the decline is projected to continue. The demographic makeup of the veteran population is also projected to shift toward Black, Hispanic and female.

Veterans in New Jersey number 338,012, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of those, 104,572 served in the Gulf War, 109,676 in the Vietnam War, 31,747 in the Korean War, and 9,448 in World War II. Some 311,449 New Jersey veterans are male and 26,362 are female.