World War II

Edith Nourse Rogers was a trailblazing politician and prominent proponent for Veterans benefits. She accomplished much in her decades-long career - to include admitting women into military service and creating a G.I. Bill of Rights.

The creation of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942 allowed women for the first time to serve with the Army in non-nursing roles. Life Magazine reported on the first group of WAAC officer candidates and auxiliaries going through training in a lengthy photo essay that highlighted the women's professionalism and patriotism.

The Don Ce-Sar Hotel has graced the Gulf of Mexico beachfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, for almost a century. Known as the Pink Palace for its rosy hue and castle-like appearance, the property was a playground for the rich and famous during its heyday in the 1930s.

The massive mobilization of industry and manpower with the United States’ entry into World War II lifted the nation out of the Great Depression. But even as the country enjoyed new heights of economic prosperity, American leaders worried about what would happen after the war. In 1942, Roosevelt formed two separate committees to focus specifically on programs to assist returning Veterans and one produced the GI Bill of Rights.

After World War II, the Veterans Administration faced a dire shortage of nurses. During the war, thousands of nurses and doctors left their positions in VA hospitals to join the armed forces. In early 1944 VA Administrator General Frank T. Hines reported a shortfall of roughly 1,000 nurses in 88 of the VA’s 94 hospitals.

As World War II ended and millions of service members returned home, the Veterans Administration faced the major challenge of not just delivering benefits and medical care, but also ensuring broad public awareness of these programs. The VA Public Relations office in Washington took on that challenge. And, so, Here’s To Veterans was born.

The scarcity of presidential appearances at VA cemeteries makes President Clinton’s speech at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, more popularly known as the Punchbowl, on September 2, 1995, particularly noteworthy.

The Dayton Bible highlights the important role that religious faith and chaplains played in the lives of the National Home residents as well as later generations of Veterans.

More than 4.7 million Americans served in the U.S. armed forces in World War I and almost all became eligible after the war for burial in a national cemetery or to receive a government headstone in a private cemetery.

Medgar Evers was a champion of Black Civil Rights in the mid twentieth century. His mission to change racial discrimination in America was fueled by his upbringing and tenure in the military.

While women have served in nearly all of America’s wars, it wasn’t until after World War One that female Veterans achieved access to government health care.

In 1946, Americans were adjusting to life in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Post-war concerns were varied. On November 21, 1946, "The Best Years of Our Lives" opened in movie theaters. The film was praised for its frank portrayal of the transition from military service to Veteran status as seen through the eyes of its three main characters returning to their hometown after the war. The movie poster displayed the cast in their roles.