Here is a look at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Facts:
There are 18.2 million veterans in the United States,
according to the most recent statistics from the US Census.
More than nine million veterans are served each year by the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Health care facilities are made up of 1,074 outpatient sites
and 170 VA Medical Centers.
Timeline:
1789 - The new US government passes legislation ensuring
pensions for disabled Revolutionary War veterans.
1812 - The Naval Home, a facility for disabled veterans,
opens in Philadelphia.
1924 - Congress passes the World War Adjustment Compensation
Act, a system of bonuses for veterans of World War I. Any veteran entitled to
more than $50 is given a certificate payable 20 years in the future and worth
about $1,500.
July 21, 1930 - US President Herbert Hoover signs an
executive order consolidating the Veterans' Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions and
the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers into the Veterans
Administration. The VA has a budget of $786 million and serves 4.6 million
veterans.
1931-1941 - The VA builds 27 new hospitals, bringing the
total to 91.
1932 - During the Great Depression, thousands of World War I
veterans march on Washington to demand payment of their bonuses. After the
marchers are forcibly removed, the VA pays their transportation costs home.
Congress authorizes early payment of the bonuses in 1936.
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