Veterans Day is a federal holiday that occurs every Nov. 11 to honor the men and women who have served in the armed forces for the United States.

The day's history coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries to celebrate the end of World War I. The date was determined by hostilities during the war ending at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918.

The day is one of two that celebrate those who serve, with Memorial Day in May honoring those who have died in the line of duty while Veterans Day honors all who serve.

Several films over the years have captured the horrors of war and have told wonderful stories about veterans who do serve the country. Whether fact or fiction, they honor the men and women who put their lives on the line to keep everyone else safe.

In honor of this Veterans Day, Enstars has compiled a list of 11 films that capture war and the lives of soldiers and veterans.

1. Saving Private Ryan: 1998 War Drama

Synopsis: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. Soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon and Tom Sizemore; Directed by Steven Spielberg

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: It shows the power behind the brotherhood of men who go to war together. Even in a case like World War II, where many were drafted into fighting, soldiers would come to another soldier's aide without fail.

Film Honors: Five Oscar Wins, Five other nominations including Best Movie 1999; Best Motion Picture-Drama Golden Globe 1999

2. Inglorious Basterds: 2009 War Drama

Synopsis: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi Leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same. Starring Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth; Directed by Quentin Tarantino

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Another WWII set movie, it shows the side of those who serve in a war where the enemy targets specific groups of people. The Western side of the battle in World War II was an attempt to stop Adolf Hitler from taking over all of Europe and exterminating the lives of millions more Jews than had already been killed, but what about those from other countries fighting who were Jewish themselves? No other film had yet to explore the emotional state of the Jewish soldiers who were fighting for the families they left behind. This one showed what a rogue group out to defend the honor of their religion could really do.

Film Honors: One Oscar Win for Christoph Waltz as Best Supporting Actor 2010, Seven other nominations including Best Movie 2010

3. Forrest Gump: 1994 Drama

Synopsis: Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him. Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise; Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

What makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Though this is not a traditional war movie, it is still a classic, and though someone with the same IQ Forrest had in the film traditionally wouldn't pass any screenings before enlisting, it is nice to see when someone who isn't a traditional soldier id given the chance to fight and serve for their country as well (i.e. women who enlisted traditionally did not begin active duty and fighting alongside male counterparts until post-Vietnam, while gay individuals could only serve under a "Don't ask, Don't Tell" policy until it ended in 2011).

Film Honors: Won 6 Oscars in 1995, including Best Picture

4. The Hurt Locker: 2009 War Drama

Synopsis: During the Iraq War, a sergeant assigned to an army bomb squad is put at odds with his squad mates due to his maverick way of handling his work. Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty; Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

What makes it Veterans Day Worthy: It's not every day that units like the one depicted in this film are honored or mentioned in Hollywood. This was also one of the first films to truly depict the types of horrors those who have served during Operation Iraqi Freedom faced.

Film Honors: 6 Oscar Wins including Best Picture 2010

5. Full Metal Jacket: 1987 War Drama

Synopsis: A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue. Starring Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio; Directed By Stanley Kubrick

What Make it Veterans Day Worthy: Up to this point, it was rare for a film to truly capture the psyche of an American Soldier during a bloody and controversial battle no one wanted to enter. This film was revolutionary solely for that reason.

Film Honors: 1 Oscar Nomination for Adapted Screenplay 1988

6. Platoon: 1986 War Drama

Synopsis: A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man. Starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe; Directed by Oliver Stone

What makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Like Full Metal Jacket, it brings an even more controversial side of the Vietnam War to light.

Film Honors: 4 Oscar Wins including Best Picture 1987

7. Pearl Harbor: 2001 War Drama

Synopsis: Pearl Harbor follows the story of two best friends, Rafe and Danny, and their love lives as they go off to join the war. Starring Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett; Directed by Michael Bay

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Often, films had always examined the lives of soldiers on the far more widely popularized side of World War II: The Battle for the West. What some tend to forget about from time to time is the Battle on the East, which included the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as well as the U.S. dropping atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945. Here, we see that side of the battle.

Film Honors: 1 Oscar Win for Sound Editing in 2002

8. Flags of Our Fathers: 2006 War Drama

Synopsis: The life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in WWII. Starring Ryan Phillippe, Barry Pepper, and Joseph Cross; Directed by Clint Eastwood

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Again, this movie deals with the psyche that affects soldiers when they often return home from war and are forever changed. Here, the effects on three survivors who came back from the World War II Battle for the East are examined.

Film Honors: 2 Oscar Nominations 2007

9. Stop-Loss: 2008 War Drama

Synopsis: A Veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army. Starring Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Abbie Cornish; Directed by Kimberly Pierce

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Though it is considered more of a political statement about the "Back-Door Draft" and Stop-Loss Policy of the War in Iraq, it manages to also examine the psyche of three small-town Texas veterans who return from fighting abroad. It's surprisingly moving at these points, as one soldier finds the haunting memories too much too handle, while the other two, best friends, react to their experiences, and their potential stop-loss which puts them right back into it, and how it changes them forever.

Film Honors: Won the Prism Award for a Feature Film about Mental Health in 2009, as well as a Teen Choice Award for Channing Tatum in 2008

10. The Patriot: 2000 War Drama

Synopsis: Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son. Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson; Directed by Roland Emmerich

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: While it is a very safe bet that those who served during the American Revolution are no longer physically here to be honored, it'd be un-American for Hollywood to completely neglect those who served in the war that made us a free country instead of a British territory.

Film Honors: 3 Oscar Nominations 2001

11. Act of Valor: 2012 War Thriller

Synopsis: An elite team of Navy SEALs embark on a covert mission to recover a kidnapped CIAS agent. Starring Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez, Nestor Serrano; Directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh

What Makes it Veterans Day Worthy: Though the film was generally panned, it did deal with the idea of contemporary global-terrorism, a true threat to civilians and our Veterans alike.

Film Honors: Golden Globe Nomination for Best Original Song 2013

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