Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Americans have a favorable opinion of the U.S. military. That figure is unchanged from last year’s Veterans Day survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports.

Just 11% report an unfavorable opinion of the U.S. military.

The survey was conducted in anticipation of Veterans’ Day which will be celebrated this Saturday. Forty-three percent (43%) rate Veterans’ Day as one of the nation’s most important holidays. Just 6% say it is one of our least important, while 43% say it falls somewhere in between.

One out of three Americans (36%) have close friends or relatives who have given their life while serving in the military. That figure includes 42% of men and 30% of women. It cuts across all age, racial, and income groups among the population.

Half of American adults (48%) plan to do something special to commemorate Veterans Day. Thirty-three percent (33%) report no special plans. Americans under 30 are less likely to do so than their elders.

The day we recognize as Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day. The holiday was named to commemorate the signing of the armistice that marked the end of fighting between the Allies and Germany during World War I. Armistice Day became a national holiday in 1938; its name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to recognize all American veterans.

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Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

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Rasmussen Reports was the nation's most accurate polling firm during the Presidential election and the only one to project both Bush and Kerry's vote total within half a percentage point of the actual outcome.

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Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.