VA serves a population of 26 million Veterans and their spouses, survivors, and dependents.

• Nearly three-quarters of living Veterans served during a war or period of conflict.
• Vietnam Veterans account for the largest group of all Veterans. World War II Veterans make up the next largest group.
• VA serves a growing number of women Veterans. Currently there are 1.7 million women Veterans, or 7 percent of the total population of Veterans.
• About one-quarter of the Nation's population is potentially eligible for VA benefits. VA's responsibility to care for those who serve can last a lifetime... or far beyond a lifetime.
• The last dependent of a Revolutionary War Veteran died in 1911.
• The last Veteran of the Spanish-American War died in 1992; 152 children and widows of the Spanish-American War still receive VA compensation or pension benefits.
• Five children of Civil War Veterans still receive VA benefits.

"In Their Own Words":

(Veterans talking about their experience with VA)

After serving the country for 25 years, the VA has always been there for me.

The main service that VA offers that's most important to me would be the health care.

The information that I received from the VA actually helped me obtain housing, education...

So it's nice to know that the VA medical center is there if I need to utilize their services.

Well I bought my first home under VA's home-loan guarantee program. I didn't have to put any money down. I also received my degree under the G.I. Bill.

I guess in some ways you could say that I ended up living the American Dream largely through the benefits that VA provides.

The home-loan program afforded me, as a single person, to attain my dream of home ownership.

VA employees are great! You look in their eyes and they have a passion to care for Veterans. You're a Veteran, they're helping Veterans, and so everyone's there and you feel very comfortable.

The level of service provided to me from the VA employees on a scale of 1 to 10 has been a 10.