Featured Stories

"There was chaos in the streets when I made my way to the hospital on the morning of April 30, 1975. In a place of order, there was now great confusion. The director and vice director of the hospital were gone, making me, the chief of medicine, the highest-ranking medical officer."

The Perryville National Cemetery is the only national cemetery to be constructed, dismantled, reestablished on a different site without any burials, and finally transferred to a state government. What is its legacy and story?

Leadership change is something that happens constantly, whether it’s due to promotion, health, or other circumstances. At the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Northern Arizona Medical Center (formally known as Whipple VA Hospital) in Prescott, Arizona, directors have stayed in their position on average, three to five years. The shortest stint was 22 months, the longest was 16 years and two months. Most former directors moved on and retired elsewhere. However, two former directors, Paul N. Schmoll and Virgil I. McIntyre, either returned to or stayed in Prescott following their retirement. Both men are laid to rest at local cemeteries in the Prescott, Arizona, area.

December 1999 was a tumultuous time for the world. The threat of the Year 2000 “Y2K” bug was a serious concern for the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies as 2000 approached. However, [...]

In 1941, Dr. Margaret Craighill left her post as dean to serve in WWII, becoming the first woman doctor commissioned in the military and later a VA consultant.

In 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. While this will be the Department of Veterans Affairs’ first national centennial since becoming a cabinet-level department in 1989, its predecessor organizations, including the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, the Pension Bureau, the Veterans Bureau, and the Veterans Administration, routinely participated in national centennial commemorations. Each served to honor the contributions of American Veterans in preserving freedom.

After World War I and the establishment of the Veterans Bureau, one of the key focuses was developing a research program.

The intent was to have the necessary statistical studies and research information to help the Bureau treat Veterans not just from World War I but all future conflicts.

The man chosen to lead this task was Dr. Philip Matz, and his work was groundbreaking in the future of Veteran healthcare.

U.S. Marine Corps Veteran John Philip Sousa was crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner on Christmas Day 1896 when the tune for “Stars and Stripes Forever” popped into his head. Within months, Sousa had composed what would become the defining song for the American flag and patriotism, a testament to how Veterans love their nation and think of home during the holidays.

Ever wonder where some historic street names come from? That's the question that pops up at the VA Medical Center in Prescott, Arizona. Multiples names are displayed on white signs, such as Holmberg, Allee and Whipple. Who are they? Dive in and find out.

Native Americans have served the United States with honor, loyalty, and bravery since the Revolutionary War. Despite facing discrimination, many Native American Veterans volunteered for service throughout the centuries, making significant contributions on the battlefield. Some saw it as fighting not only to protect the United States, but also their ancestral land. For their sacrifice, the VA hospital in Muskogee has led the charge in providing exceptional care for Native American Veterans for 100 years.

As a historian, connecting the present day with past events is a process fundamental to the profession. Researchers typically rely on information contained in archives and databases, but sometimes the most relevant details are provided by people. This was the case as a newly arrived historian at the Tuskegee VA Hospital attempted to ascertain details surrounding the life and career of Dr. Ivy Brooks, former director of radiology.

Have you ever wondered where do historians, curators and archivists find all the information that goes into museum exhibits, books, and documentaries? One place is government reports. The National VA History Center preserves the history of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers as a predecessor of the modern VA. We do a lot of research related to objects from the Home and we write about what life was like for those who lived and worked there. The Annual Reports that were provided to congress are a great place to look for this information. These reports provide a great deal of information, and you don’t have to travel to an archive, can do it from your computer. See the link at the bottom to access the reports.