6 minute read
ODVA Turns 75
By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine
A look back at the history of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, founded in the wake of victory in World War II in 1945
As early as 1865, it was President Abraham Lincoln who first began to lay the groundwork for how a deeply wounded and divided nation might heal in the aftermath of a devastating civil war, by caring for the wounded veterans and their families left behind — from both sides of the conflict.
And, though he may not have known it at the time, he was also laying the foundation for the establishment of a new role of federal and state government, one which would ensure that all who served their country with honor would be taken care of, and would have access to the benefits they earned.
The bill authorizing the creation of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA)was signed into law by then-Gov. Earl Snell on March 12, 1945.
Snell, who had supported the bill from its initial proposal as a way to honor World War II service members, called the formation of this department “an important step in Oregon’s determination to provide every possible service and assistance to our returning veterans.
“Followed by other enactments, including education assistance and real estate loan measures, Oregon will occupy a foremost position among all states of the union in discharging its obligation to the brave men and women who have served our country so gloriously during this terrible conflict,” Snell said.
Also established was a loan fund for the purchase of homes and farms by those who served in World War II. A nine-member Veterans’ Advisory Committee was also created to provide advice and guidance to the director and remains a vital part of ODVA’s operations to this day.
Since those days, the size and scope of the loan program have grown tremendously. Constitutional and statutory changes broadened loan eligibility to veterans of more recent wars and conflicts, provided loans for other purposes, and allowed individuals to obtain multiple home or farm purchase loans. ODVA was also given greater flexibility in the methods of funding and loan repayment.
Originally intended only for the purchase of a home or farm, expansions to the programs over the decades allowed funds to be issued for mobile homes, RVs, and even houseboats, alternative energy upgrades, and general home improvement projects.
As the eligibility grew and expanded so did the number of veterans using their earned benefits.
In the 1960s a home loan to Gene Dowler for $16,500 pushed the Oregon veterans’ loan program over the half-billion-dollar mark. The 55,680 loans granted in the program’s first 20 years would have provided homes for what was then the population of Salem, Eugene, Medford, Klamath Falls, and Pendleton combined.
In the 1970s, the program continued to grow and even ranked among the largest mortgage-originating institutions for single-family homes in the nation. In 1976, ODVA ranked 12th among institutions that make direct loans to buyers but was tops in the nation for single-family home mortgages (the only kind of loan the agency makes). The state agency had more than 83,000 outstanding loans at that time, with a portfolio valued at over $1.55 billion.
ODVA’s offerings of programs and services has grown over the years, with an increasing focus on caring for veterans who have unique needs as a result of their service.
In 1949, the state authorized ODVA to provide social services and rehabilitative support to veterans, their families, and survivors. Known as veteran service officers, or VSOs, the statewide network helped veterans in applying for their state and federal earned benefits.
In 1964, the Legislative Assembly authorized the Conservatorship program to manage the financial affairs of veterans who were unable to oversee their own affairs and had no other recourse.
One of the most significant expansions of services in ODVA’s history was the inception of the Oregon Veterans’ Homes, which provide compassionate skilled nursing and other long-term care services to honored veteran residents and their spouses.
In the 1980s steps had been taken to study the feasibility and determine the state’s needs for a veteran’s home. Funding was secured through the Oregon Housing Fund, and a suitable site was located in The Dalles, nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, on the banks of the mighty Columbia.
The first Oregon Veterans’ Home opened in the fall of 1997 and quickly became a leader in the field of skilled nursing care. The facility has received every industry award, and in 2014, was the first and only state veterans’ home nationally to ever earn the Gold – Excellence in Quality Award for superior performance in the long-term and post-acute care profession.
The 1995 Legislative Assembly laid the groundwork for establishing a second Veteran’s Home, though it would be almost 20 years before the seeds of these labors would come to fruition with the opening of the Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon in 2014.
At the start of the new millennium, ODVA was an agency in transition. For the first time in its history, it would be asked to serve four distinct generations of veterans, each with unique places in history, unique experiences, unique challenges, and unique needs. And all at very different stages in life.
More than 50 years earlier, ODVA had been established to primarily serve the needs of a single generation of veterans: those newly returned from the battlefields of World War II. No longer would they have that luxury. By the year 2000, the World War II generation was still a vital part of the Oregon veteran population — but their needs had changed dramatically.
Then, there were the Korean War veterans, those of the “Forgotten War.” Also included were the Vietnam veterans, who were not welcomed home as they should have been, but who had risen to become the largest demographic of the Oregon veteran population, followed by those who served during the Cold War, and an unusually prolonged period of peace in our nation’s history.
And, finally, a brand-new generation of veterans, whose service would span years to come.
In 2008, the Oregon Legislature helped kick-start this transition by establishing the Veterans Services Task Force, the findings of which prompted further work in three key areas: transportation, women’s health care, and reintegration.
This work led to a slew of program expansions and streamlined operations as ODVA was carefully reconfigured into an agency that would best serve the changing needs of the Oregon veteran population.
With the help of legislative partners and partnerships with federal, state, and local entities, ODVA helped establish and strengthen robust networks of resources aimed at serving aging veterans, student veterans, women veterans, military families and caregivers, veterans of color, LGBTQ veterans, and rural veterans.
The historic passage of Measure 96 in 2016 by an overwhelming margin of Oregonian voters helped ensure the sustainability of these efforts for many years to come.
Cover Photo: Huge crowds gathered in Times Square in New York City, and across the globe, to celebrate Victory in Japan Day, also known as V-J Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in 1945. Prompted by the advocacy of many veterans in the World War I generation, the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs was founded that same year to serve the needs of recently returning service members from the European and Pacific fronts.
