Veterans Day is observed
on November 11th to honor all the soldiers, living or deceased, who have served our
country. This day honors military veterans and is a day for Americans to
express their gratitude to the ones who put their lives on the line and sacrificed
everything to protect our country. As we celebrate Veterans' Day, we will look
at the Veterans Administration, a federal entity that cares for veterans and their families.
What is the Veterans
Administration (VA)?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or the VA, is a federal organization that is committed to providing assistance to soldiers and their families, along with preparing the nation to respond to events such as disasters, terrorism, national emergencies, etc. The VA has a long-standing tradition that dates back to 1636 when the Plymouth Colony supported disabled soldiers that fought against the Pequot Indians. Support for veterans continued to grow in the 18th and 19th century. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states that the VA's mission and motto is rooted in the promise President Abraham Lincoln made in his second inaugural address: "To care for him who shall have been borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan."
The Veterans Administration was established
in 1930 to consolidate different veterans programs under one entity. The VA
developed numerous benefits to accommodate the large influx of veterans from
WWII. The most well-known bill established
during this time was the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly
referred to as the GI Bill. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law
and the U.S Department
of Veterans Affairs explains that the "VA was responsible for carrying out the
law's key provisions: education and training, loan guaranty for homes, farms or
businesses, and unemployment pay." Education was the primary provision
that the bill focused on as it encouraged veterans to pursue college or other
educational options. "Our
Documents"-
a cooperative effort among National History Day, the National Archives and
Records Administration, and USA Freedom Corps- affirms that the GI Bill
"offered federal aid to help veterans adjust to civilian life.” The VA
continues to provide services and assistance to those who served our country
and the soldiers' dependents.
Overview of the three subdivisions within the VA
The VA is comprised of three different organizations: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration (NHA). These organizations seek to support veterans across a wide array of issues. The Advisory Council on Historical Preservation states the following information: "the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for providing health care services; the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is responsible for burial and memorial benefits and maintenance of all VA cemeteries, and grants funding to develop and maintain Tribal and State veteran cemeteries; and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for the management of programs that provide financial assistance to Veterans."
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) was established in
1865 when President Lincoln signed a law that established services and
institutions to cater to honorably discharged soldiers. These institutions
were national homes for soldiers who fought in the Union Army during the Civil
War; colored troops also had access to these national homes. These national
homes laid the foundation for more veterans' hospitals and homes to emerge in
the future. The VHA exploded after WWI as numerous hospitals were erected to
care for the returning soldiers. WWI displayed a need to provide medical
assistance to those who fought for America. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs declares that the "VA continues to meet
the Veterans' changing medical, surgical and quality-of-life needs." The
VA is the "largest integrated health system in the U.S." and has a
mission to "honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health
care that improves their health and well-being."
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans
Benefits Administration (VBA) helps "veterans and their families buy
homes, earn degrees, start careers, stay healthy, and more." The wide
array of benefits on their website includes the following services/programs:
- Compensation
Service: Compensation for disabled veterans
- Pension and
Fiduciary Service: Provides veterans and their families with a
supplemental income through pensions.
- Insurance
Service: Life insurance for service members, veterans, and their families.
- Education
Service: Provides education and training benefits.
- Loan Guaranty
Service: Guarantees home loans in varying amounts
- Office of
Transition and Economic Development: "Partners with federal agencies
to advance the economic empowerment and independence of service members
through programs that support a transition from military service to
civilian life."
- Veteran Readiness
and Employment (VR&E) Service: Provides assistance to help guide
career paths and employment.
- Office of Field
Operations: "Provides operational oversight to district
offices."
- Appeals
Management Center: "Responsible for implementing the Veteran Appeals
Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017."
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) works to
provide a resting place for eligible veterans and their eligible
family members. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs explains
that in 1862, "Congress passed legislation that allowed the president to
purchase cemetery grounds to be used as national cemeteries for soldiers who
have died in the service of the country." The U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs lists the following purposes of the NCA:
1.
"To provide burial space for Veterans and their eligible
family members."
2.
"To maintain national cemeteries as national
shrines, sacred to the honor and memory of those interred or
memorialized there."
3.
"To mark Veterans' graves with a Government-furnished
headstone, marker or medallion and to provide Presidential Memorial
Certificates in recognition of their service to a grateful nation."
4. "To administer grants for establishing or expanding state and tribal government veterans’ cemeteries."
Open
Data and Statistics at the VA
The
National Center for Veterans Analysis & Statistics is a resource to view
veteran data and statistical reports. The Center states that it "serves as the
authoritative clearinghouse for VA to collect, validate, analyze, and
disseminate key statistics on Veteran population and VA programs to support
planning, analysis, and decision-making activities." This resource covers
a wide array of topics such as Veteran population, reports, state summaries,
maps, expenditures, utilization, surveys, pocket cards, etc.
The Open Data Portal "is
an initiative that seeks to advance government transparency and promote
innovation by making data accessible to the public. Using machine-readable data
that the public can access, use, and share, Federal agencies can promote a more
open and efficient government, identify creative solutions that can address
existing challenges, and spur economic growth." Individuals can find their
data through the data catalog, which uses
the following filters to narrow down the search results: view types (charts,
maps, etc.), VA Organization, Public Access Level, and tags. In addition, the
Data Open Portal contains data stories, visualizations of the data, and enables
individuals to create their own visualizations and maps.
The VA Innovation Center (VIC) has a mission to "develop innovative approaches to testing payment and service delivery models in order to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care furnished by the department." This care and payment innovation is focused on providing excellent quality while keeping costs low.
The VA is a valuable resource and resource to support servicemen, veterans, and families of those who have served. It is imperative that the VA helps veterans transition back into civilian life and to take care of those who have sacrificed so much to fight for freedom. Veterans' services are not overlooked and the VA recognizes the great commitments each service member has performed. The VA honors those who have fought with bravery and integrity.
Additional Information
"Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and
Survivors 2020"
The Edmon Low Library will have a copy of this resource so
that individuals can learn more about the most commonly sought information
concerning Veterans benefits and services. This booklet provides a breakdown of
the various eligibilities based upon the military service of a veteran as well
as personal needs and health requirements, from basic health care to urgent
care.
~Emily Hancz
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