2021 National Veterans Day Poster Contest

*Updated with the 2021 winner. You can download your own copy of the winning image.

On November 11, 1921 the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery, as an unknown service member from WWI was buried. For the past 100 years many unknowns have been laid to rest in the tomb, which has come to serve as a memorial to the bravery, sacrifice, and determination of our nation’s soldiers. To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Tomb, the Veterans Day National Committee has chosen the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as the subject of this year’s National Veterans Day Poster Contest.

Every year the Committee publishes a Veterans Day poster selected from a pool of submissions from artists across the nation. The winning Veterans Day poster is distributed to VA facilities, military installations across the globe, and throughout American cities and towns. It also serves as the cover of the official program for the Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery.

In addition to the specific submission guidelines included below, the Committee asks artists to create a design that “evokes elements of history, legacy, and the meaning of the Tomb during its centennial anniversary.” Artists are free to interpret this in any way they like as long as their submission honors the Tomb and recognizes its importance in American culture.

National Veterans Day Poster Contest Submission Guidelines:

Submission must be 18”x24” at 300 dots per inch, scaled to 9”x12.”
Include a modified, simpler design (or a simple submission that can be scaled) to be used on a 1”x1.5” lapel pin.
Submission must be representative of all Veterans who have served their country.
Submission must include the words “Veterans Day,” “November 11, 2021,” and “Honoring all who served.”
Include information to adequately prove that the image is the work of the artist and not otherwise copyrighted.
Submit electronic versions as JPG images to vetsday@va.gov or send copies on CD to:

National Veterans Day Committee (002D)

Department of Veterans Affairs

810 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20420

Submissions must be received by April 1, 2021.

View all previous winners here. For more information regarding the National Veterans Day Poster Contest, visit the VA’s contest site or contact the coordinator at vetsday@va.gov