The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs is a governmental agency of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

that is responsible for veterans programs. The department is overseen by a secretary who is appointed by the governor after consulting with at least six Wisconsin veterans organizations. The secretary is advised by a nine-member citizen advisory Board of Veterans Affairs. The current Secretary is Mary M. Kolar.

History

In 1919, the state of Wisconsin issued a wartime bonus to service members who served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the state legislature decided that instead of issuing a wartime bonus, they would create programs to provide a better benefit to the veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs was created in 1945 to oversee these programs, which included: *The Grand Army Home (now Wisconsin Veterans Home) in King, Wisconsin *The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial in the state capitol *Economic and education assistance *The Veterans Trust Fund In 1989, the state legislature authorized the Department of Veterans Affairs to build a new museum dedicated to Wisconsin veterans. The

Wisconsin Veterans Museum The Wisconsin Veterans Museum, located on Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, is dedicated to telling the stories of the veterans of the state of Wisconsin. The museum is composed of two galleries that chronicle the history of Wis ...

opened across the street from the state capitol in 1993. In 2001, the Department of Veterans Affairs opened a new veterans home at

Union Grove, Wisconsin Union Grove is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2020 census. History Governor Henry Dodge named the area that became Union Grove, combining the word “Union” with “Grove” because of the ...

. In 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs opened a new veterans home at

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as a city in 1869, it is the county seat of Chippewa Cou ...

at a cost of $20 million, with the ability to house 72 veterans.

State veteran cemeteries

The Department of Veterans Affairs maintains three veteran cemeteries: *Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located near

Spooner, Wisconsin Spooner is a city in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,573 at the 2020 census. The city is located mostly within the southwest corner of the Town of Spooner, with a small portion extending into the Town of Beaver ...

. The cemetery was officially dedicated on June 10, 2001. *Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. The cemetery was opened in 1888. *Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery is located near Union Grove, Wisconsin. The cemetery was officially dedicated on May 31, 1998.

References

External links

Official websiteWisconsin Veterans Homes

Veterans Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...

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