Times of crisis are often the times of the most significant innovation. The October 1929 stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression created unparalleled unemployment and economic adversity for every American.

World War I – the “War to End All Wars” – had concluded 12 years earlier, creating nearly five million Veterans. Over 204,000 were disabled by weaponry that had never been seen before this war.

Despite the challenging times facing the country, President Herbert Hoover acted.

On July 21, 1930, Hoover signed Executive Order 5398, consolidating three agencies administering Veterans benefits programs into a single entity called the Veterans Administration. The action changed how the federal government and the public perceived Veterans’ compensation and other benefits. 

Source: Veterans Administration Website