History of VA and its administrations
What is the history of the Department of Veteran Affairs? The origin story of the modern VA includes several previous entities and names dating as far back as the American colonies. To help understand that legacy, this site serves as the centralized digital location for VA’s history with the focus of educating about the special relationship between the nation and its Veterans, including how that has impacted society. Here there are various stories and exhibits that examine the individuals, institutions and innovations of the last 250 years. There have been multiple agencies that have provided the service and benefits to America’s Veterans, including the Bureau of Pensions, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, National Cemetery System, Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Veterans Bureau, and Veterans Administration, all of which are referenced on the preceding pages.
Eventually, VA’s story will be displayed to the public at the National VA History Center at the Dayton, Ohio VA campus. All information related to that effort will be found here as well.
This site is updated regularly, so check back often or sign up for our monthly newsletter in the sign up box below to have the latest stories in your inbox.
Latest History Posts
Featured Stories
From Double Agent to Veteran Advocate: The Remarkable Journey of Caleb Bruen
In 1959, Revolutionary War soldier Caleb Bruen was lying at rest in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church (also known as the Old Presbyterian Church) in Newark, New Jersey. However, his resting place was facing a disturbance. According to reporting at that time by Nat Brandt in Newark’s Star-Ledger newspaper, church leadership was planning to convert the historic Broad Street cemetery into a parking lot, and reinter those resting there in a new mass plot.
Exhibits and Story Maps
Sellers Boynton Rogers: A Historic Three-Year Journey in the Pacific Campaigns
As part of the Veterans Legacy Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs encourages students and educators to research and share the stories of Veterans interred in national, state, and and tribal Veteran cemeteries. Sellers Boynton Rogers served as a combat medic during World War II and spent three years island hopping in the Pacific Campaigns. Follow his journey and discover his story through this interactive Story Map.
Curator Corner
The Veterans Curation Program at the National VA History Center
In June 2004, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) archaeologist Dr. Michael “Sonny” Trimble led a team investigating nine separate mass graves in Iraq thought to contain victims of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Working closely with forensic experts and military personnel, Dr. Trimble’s crew recovered scientific evidence used to convict Hussein of crimes against humanity. Following the extreme recovery mission and conclusion of the trial, the experience inspired a program that has benefited hundreds of U.S. Veterans across the country.
Featured Stories
Veterans’ Horticultural Pursuits at the Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
Veterans living at the Dayton, Ohio, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS) played an integral role in beautifying the 578-acre campus. Veterans reaped benefits from working on the land including improved physical and mental health, social cohesion, and occupational skills. Most importantly, tending gardens provided Veterans with a sense of purpose and pride for enhancing their facility’s appearance.
Exhibits and Story Maps
A Journey Through the Life and Military Service of Leroy “Ian” Brandon
As part of the Veterans Legacy Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs encourages students and educators to research and share the stories of Veterans interred in national, state, and overseas Veteran cemeteries. Leroy "Ian" Brandon served in the United States Marine Corps during World War I. Follow his journey and discover his story through this interactive Story Map.
History in Depth
A Cultural Geography of the VA Built Environment
“A Cultural Geography of the VA Built Environment” is an interpretive piece intended for all audiences that examines how veterans and federal care for them have shaped VA buildings, structures, and landscapes. It traces the design of VA medical campuses and national cemeteries over time, focusing on the relationship between culture and place from the aftermath of the Civil War to the Post World War II-era. The study focuses on the VA built environment—places and spaces created or modified by people—and how this reflects the standards of veteran care, and how veterans interacted and shaped these facilities.
National VA History Center
The National VA History Center is the forthcoming museum and archival center for the historical collection and records pertaining to the Department of Veterans Affairs and its legacy agencies. It is located at the Dayton VA Medical Center campus, itself a designated National Historic Landmark. While the idea of the history center is not new, recent actions to make it a reality are. Ceremonies marking its official establishment – and the start of renovation work on two historic buildings to house the collection – were held in August 2020. The public opening of the facility isn’t expected for several years, but great work is ongoing behind the scenes. Look for monthly updates in the Curator Corner, illustrating the multi-faceted steps that go into establishing a museum and its collection as well as the archives with its growing amount of records from scratch. This will be the GO-TO home for the History Center.
Archives and Research
The National VA History Center has a growing Archives department that is spearheading the way to provide public access to historical documents related to the Department of Veterans Affairs and its predecessor organizations.
Researchers can access the Records Groups and Finding Aids pertaining to the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration and the National Cemetery Administration on the NVAHC archives page.
History of VA in 100 Objects exhibit
The History of VA in 100 Objects spotlights the objects that illustrate how the nation has honored and cared for Veterans from 1776 to the present. Click on the link below to view all 100 entries or search by topic using the magnifying glass icon on this page. Take the journey through VA’s past, object by object.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 100: Iraq Burn Pit
After returning from Iraq with severe respiratory problems in 2008, Capt. Le Roy Torres and his wife founded Burn Pits 360 to raise awareness of the health hazards of burn pit emissions. Over a decade of persistent advocacy by Burn Pits 360 and other Veterans groups paid off with passage of the historic PACT Act in 2022.
History of VA in 100 Objects
Object 99: Bank Check from Manila Loyalty Room
After World War II, U.S. Army investigators in the Philippines turned over a huge collection of captured Japanese documents to the VA office in Manila. The Manila office stored the collection in the “Loyalty Room,” so named because VA used the records to evaluate the wartime allegiance of Filipino Veterans applying for benefits.
Featured Stories
Our Featured Stories section provides scholarly researched and written content on the people, places, events and innovations that illustrate VA’s remarkable evolution serving Veterans since the start of our nation. These are longer stories, with historical details on the rich lineage of VA and the significant moments in time.
Featured Stories
From Double Agent to Veteran Advocate: The Remarkable Journey of Caleb Bruen
In 1959, Revolutionary War soldier Caleb Bruen was lying at rest in the cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church (also known as the Old Presbyterian Church) in Newark, New Jersey. However, his resting place was facing a disturbance. According to reporting at that time by Nat Brandt in Newark’s Star-Ledger newspaper, church leadership was planning to convert the historic Broad Street cemetery into a parking lot, and reinter those resting there in a new mass plot.
Featured Stories
Veterans’ Horticultural Pursuits at the Dayton National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
Veterans living at the Dayton, Ohio, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS) played an integral role in beautifying the 578-acre campus. Veterans reaped benefits from working on the land including improved physical and mental health, social cohesion, and occupational skills. Most importantly, tending gardens provided Veterans with a sense of purpose and pride for enhancing their facility’s appearance.
Virtual Exhibits and Story Maps
A collection of virtual exhibits and story maps covering various historical aspects of VA, presented with focus on visual images that have been pulled from archives across the nation. Most use an exhibit-host to showcase specific topics with compelling pictures and research that go beyond stories and features.
Exhibits and Story Maps
Sellers Boynton Rogers: A Historic Three-Year Journey in the Pacific Campaigns
As part of the Veterans Legacy Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs encourages students and educators to research and share the stories of Veterans interred in national, state, and and tribal Veteran cemeteries. Sellers Boynton Rogers served as a combat medic during World War II and spent three years island hopping in the Pacific Campaigns. Follow his journey and discover his story through this interactive Story Map.
Exhibits and Story Maps
A Journey Through the Life and Military Service of Leroy “Ian” Brandon
As part of the Veterans Legacy Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs encourages students and educators to research and share the stories of Veterans interred in national, state, and overseas Veteran cemeteries. Leroy "Ian" Brandon served in the United States Marine Corps during World War I. Follow his journey and discover his story through this interactive Story Map.
Curator Corner
While the National VA History Center continues progressing, get a peek inside the growing artifact collection and records archive that will one day be featured in various displays or be accessible and centralized for research. As part of our effort, the Curator Kurt Senn and Senior Archivist Robyn Rodgers will provide insight into the efforts behind the scenes to establish the future museum and archive center that will help show VA’s story. Some of our series include ‘What’s in the box?‘ that will highlight unique items that are literally found in boxes as the team opens them and ‘From the collection,’ which traces the history of items that are stored on site.
Curator Corner
The Veterans Curation Program at the National VA History Center
In June 2004, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) archaeologist Dr. Michael “Sonny” Trimble led a team investigating nine separate mass graves in Iraq thought to contain victims of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Working closely with forensic experts and military personnel, Dr. Trimble’s crew recovered scientific evidence used to convict Hussein of crimes against humanity. Following the extreme recovery mission and conclusion of the trial, the experience inspired a program that has benefited hundreds of U.S. Veterans across the country.
Curator Corner
From the Curator: VAMP with the Assist
As Christmas approaches, we find ourselves thinking about the VA Museum Program (VAMP) and its role in assisting VA facilities by providing technical support to manage their historical collections. Recently, we've been involved in projects like the Tuskegee VA Medical Center's mini-museum renovation and preparations for the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.
