Since the earliest days of our country, support of our veterans and their families has been a national concern. In 1636, the Plymouth Colony passed a law that provided lifetime support for any soldier who returned from battle with an injury. In 1778, the first national pension law was enacted for soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. President Lincoln signed legislation in 1862 that authorized national cemeteries. In 1865, the National Home for Volunteer Soldiers was established and other homes for disabled veterans of the Civil War opened in several locations throughout the country. In 1917, the United States Government Life Insurance program was established. In 1930, a major consolidation of veterans service functions took place when President Hoover signed a bill which established the Veterans Administration as an independent Federal agency. During World War II, the Nation’s most far-reaching program for veterans was established with the passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as "The GI Bill of Rights," which offered low interest loans to purchase homes, farms or small businesses; unemployment benefits; financial assistance for schooling; and health care and rehabilitation services.

Just as the history of VA has been evolutionary in nature, we can expect that VA will continue to transform. Today, there are over 25 million living men and women who served in the armed forces. VA currently provides health care and benefit services to millions of veterans as well as eligible survivors and dependents of veterans. The needs of today’s veterans and their families will continue to change. While the veteran population of the next century may be smaller, veterans will live longer and may require additional health care and benefit services.

These words, spoken by Abraham Lincoln during his second inaugural address, reflect the philosophy and principles that guide VA in everything we do.

In today’s environment, President Lincoln’s statement reflects VA’s responsibility to serve America’s veterans and their families with dignity and compassion and be their principal advocate in ensuring they receive medical care, benefits, social support, and lasting memorials. Taken together, these programs promote the health, welfare, and dignity of all veterans in recognition of their service to this Nation.

The statutory mission authority for the Department of Veterans Affairs reflects our Nation’s commitment to veterans as we are tasked as an organization "To administer the laws providing benefits and other services to veterans and their dependents and the beneficiaries of veterans." (38 U.S.C. § 301(b), 1997)

As the Department of Veterans Affairs heads into the 21st century, we will strive to meet the needs of the Nation’s veterans and their families today and tomorrow.

We will become an even more veteran-focused organization, functioning as a single comprehensive provider of seamless service to the men and women who have served our Nation. We will continuously benchmark the quality and delivery of our service with the best in business and use innovative means and high technology to deliver "World-Class Service." We will foster partnerships with veterans and other stakeholders making them part of the decision-making process. We will cultivate a dedicated VA work force of highly skilled employees who understand, believe in, and take pride in our vitally important mission.

VA meets the health care needs of America’s veterans by providing primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services.

VA’s health care education and training programs help to ensure an adequate supply of clinical care providers for veterans and the Nation.

The research program contributes to the Nation’s knowledge about disease and disability.

The compensation program provides monthly payments and ancillary benefits to veterans, in accordance with rates specified by law, in recognition of the average potential loss of earning capacity caused by disability, disease, or injuries incurred in, or aggravated during, active military service. This program also provides monthly payments, as specified by law, to surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents, in recognition of the economic loss caused by the veteran’s death during active military service or, subsequent to discharge from military service, as a result of a service-connected disability.

The pension program provides monthly payments, as specified by law, to needy wartime veterans who are permanently and totally disabled as a result of a disability not related to military service. This program also provides monthly payments, as specified by law, to needy surviving spouses and dependent children of deceased wartime veterans.

The educational assistance program assists veterans and eligible dependents in achieving their educational or vocational goals, to honor and reward them for sacrifices made in service to the Nation.

The vocational rehabilitation and employment program assists veterans with service-connected disabilities to achieve functional independence in daily activities. It provides all services and assistance necessary to enable service-disabled veterans to become employable and to obtain and maintain suitable employment. The performance objective of the vocational rehabilitation program is to place service-disabled veterans in suitable employment or to achieve independence in daily living after completing a program of rehabilitation services.

The housing program helps veterans and active duty personnel purchase and retain homes in recognition of their service to the Nation.

This program provides life insurance benefits to veterans and servicemembers that are not available from the commercial insurance industry due to lost or impaired insurability resulting from military service. Insurance coverage will be available at competitive premium rates and with policy features comparable to those offered by commercial companies. A competitive, secure rate of return will be ensured on investments held on behalf of the insured.

Largely through the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), VA honors veterans with a final resting place and lasting memorials to commemorate their service to the Nation.