They say that things tend to lose steam when they turn 65. But like a fine wine, the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs (NCDVA) just gets better with age.
We marked our 65th anniversary on March 17, but we did so without fanfare. We’ve been too busy assisting an ever-growing population of North Carolina veterans, whose service to our nation is recognized daily by our accredited field representatives.
NCDVA has, of course, undergone much change since it was created in 1945 as the Veterans Affairs Commission by Gov. Robert Cherry, a veteran of World War I. The Commission was broadly supported by the governor and our legislators – many of whom returned from the Great War to find little formal support for their return to civilian life.
In 1958, the Commission became the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1971, amid a reorganization of state agencies, it became a cabinet agency known as the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Six years later, it was reassigned as the Division of Veterans Affairs under the Department of Administration, where it remains today.
I joined the agency in 1971 as a field representative in Kinston, eventually moving in 1988 as Assistant Director to offices in the old Heart of Raleigh Motel – oddly enough, the same place I bunked 20 years before when I reported to the state capital for my U.S. Army enlistment physical exam.
The majority of our staff has seen active service, or has a spouse who has. No matter our age, we remain dedicated to the same essential cause that inspired our establishment 65 years ago: assisting in the economic, health and well-being of our veterans. These people need and deserve our help, and we’re proud to be their advocate.
Gov. Robert Cherry (seated) is joined by Lt. Col. Wiley Pickens (standing, in light suit), first Director of the Veterans Affairs Commission, and other leaders in his office at the State Capitol in 1945.