Military Service, Education, and Mortality Across Cohorts from World War II to the Post-Vietnam Era

Service in the military has meant different things during different eras. As illustrations, veterans of earlier conflicts, such as World War II, were afforded educational access at the end of service that outmatched access among the general population during this time period. In contrast, veterans of the Vietnam War returned home to fewer benefits and fewer accolades for their service. People who served in both eras were more likely to be exposed to risks of combat, including mental and physical wounds, than were those who served during peacetime. These differences may lead to cohort-specific mortality risks and protections for veterans compared to non-veterans. We use 11 years of the National Health Interview Survey (1986–1997) linked to 30 years of prospective mortality status to examine the mortality risks for veteran and non-veteran men across cohorts stretching from before World War II to the post-Vietnam War era. We focus on how these risks are associated with education. In support of our General cohort hypothesis, we find that after controlling for confounding factors, veterans faced heightened risks of mortality compared to non-veterans, particularly those in earlier cohorts. We find conflicting evidence related to turning point narratives of military service, namely that an increased mortality risk among veterans with lower levels of education further widens the veteran/non-veteran mortality gap among cohorts who came of age in the middle of the twentieth century. The conclusions vary somewhat depending on how cohorts are defined. Contrary to expectations, the association is not shaped by educational attainment.