TheHistoryOf.net

When you think about the brutality of war – especially those set many years in the past – you don’t think about the veterans returning home from those wars to a government that really cares about them. Surprisingly, however, the United States has a long tradition of taking care of military veterans extending back to before the country was even founded.

Before the Revolutionary War, the American colonies took care of their veterans. Plymouth, in fact, had a law in 1636 that stated that any injured veteran would be taken care of by the colony for the rest of his life. In 1789, the Continental Congress gave veterans pensions and land grants after their service was over. During the 1800s, there were federal facilities designed to care for veterans and expanded benefits for veterans, their families and survivors.

The Civil War was one of the bloodiest conflicts ever and by the end of it there were literally millions of veterans on both sides. The federal government established the National Home for Disabled Soldiers to help alleviate the harm done to the troops. Sadly, Confederate troops were not recognized as veterans by the federal government until 1958 - much too late for nearly all of them, though some of the southern states had their own state-run veterans facilities and programs.

World War I veterans saw their benefits begin to evolve into something we recognize today. At the end of the war, there were around 5 million veterans in the US. Congress authorized the creation of various agencies to distribute benefits to these veterans, benefits such as vocational rehabilitation, disability compensation, and special insurance. In 1930, the Veterans Administration (VA) was established. The VA eventually evolved into the Department of Veterans Affairs.

World War II saw the return of some 16 million veterans once all was said and done. President Roosevelt signed what is best known as the “GI Bill,” a bill drafted by the American Legion that called for educational benefits, low-interest mortgages, low-interest small business and farm loans, unemployment benefits, and hospitals and vocational rehab centers – all for veterans. Millions of veterans used their benefits, went to college and started farms and small businesses – and the country reaped the benefits.

The Cold War was a peaceful era in many ways, but the conflicts of the time – the Korean War and the Vietnam War – still saw their fair share of veterans. Unfortunately, the nature of these wars – particularly Vietnam – was quite different than wars of the past and the ball was dropped for many of these veterans. The nature of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) was only really understood after the Vietnam War veterans returned home to poor reception. These veterans still have access to VA benefits, but adequate care was often offered far too late for many.

These days, veterans of the Gulf War and current wars are seeing their benefits improved upon almost daily. Our society is much more open about the realities of war and the effects it can have upon the body and mind, so VA benefits have compensated to be more accurate to veterans’ needs. If you are a veteran, make sure that you are getting all the benefits you deserve – just as those that came before you did.

About The Author

Marty Fogarty is the founder of The Heartland Law Firm, Chicago’s expert for VA benefits and holistic Elderlaw planning. Heartland uses the Internet to its fullest to solve certain offline challenges faster by working with trusted online resources. This is why www.VeteransBenefitsGuide.com was created; to give you clarity about your eligibility and certainty about your next step towards success in qualifying for VA benefits.