Veterans Administration Created 86 years ago: President Hoover, in his 1929 State of the Union message, proposed consolidating agencies administrating veterans’ benefits. The following year Congress created the Veterans Administration by uniting three bureaus: the previously independent Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. President Hoover signed the executive order establishing the VA on July 21, 1930. The new agency was responsible for medical services for war veterans; disability compensation and allowances for World War I veterans; life insurance; bonus certificates; retirement payments for emergency officers; Army and Navy pensions; and retirement payments for civilian employees. During the next decade, from 1931 to 1941, VA hospitals would increase from 64 to 91, and the number of beds would rise from 33,669 to 61,849. And the rest is history.
Senate Hearing on Pending Legislation: On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing to consider 18 veterans’ bills, including legislation to expand disability compensation benefits to veterans who participated in classified mustard gas experiments, to reimburse veterans who have been defrauded by their fiduciaries, and to expand USERRA rights for Guardsmen and Reservists. VFW Deputy Legislative Director Carlos Fuentes offered the VFW’s support for most of the bills and made recommendations to improve others. Committee members discussed VA’s opposition to expansion of benefits for veterans exposed to mustard gas and veterans who were involved in the cleanup of atomic waste in Enewetak Atoll. To view a webcast of the hearing, visit www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings.
MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced one burial update and the identification of remains of one sailor and one soldier who died fighting in World War II and Korea. Being returned home for burial with full military honors are:
— Army Chief Warrant Officer Adolphus Nava, of Queens, N.Y., was declared missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950, while fighting in North Korea. It would be later learned he had been captured but died in a POW camp on May 31, 1951. He was assigned to Battery B, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division. Burial details have yet to be announced.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
