The Veterans Recognition Board was created under Chapter 443, Laws of 1943, with responsibilities for rehabilitation and hospitalization of returning Wisconsin World War II veterans through provision of emergency aid. The Veterans Recognition Board worked closely with other veterans organizations in Wisconsin to create services for the veteran population.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) was created by Chapter 580, Laws of 1945, consolidating the duties of the Veterans Recognition Board and the Graves Registration Division of the Adjunct General with responsibility for the Wisconsin Veterans Home.
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs is comprised of several entities including the Secretary and Board of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of the Department is responsible for carrying out all administrative duties. The Board of Veterans Affairs is the agency that oversees all department activity and creates policy on behalf of the veterans.
The function of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs remains to create policies that give benefits, services, and funds to eligible Wisconsin veterans and their families. This includes economic aid, hospital care, educational grants, and home loans through the management of trust funds. The department also oversees the Wisconsin veterans homes at King and Union Grove, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison, the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Union Grove, the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery near Spooner, and the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery at King. All of these functions are documented in the meeting minutes of the Board of Veterans Affairs and the minutes of the subsequent committees and councils. The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs also maintains several publications, such as The Bugle, The Courier, Old Abe the War Eagle, USS Wisconsin, WDVA Update, Wisconsin in the Civil War, and Wisconsin's Warriors.
