MIRECC / CoE
List of U.S. Presidents who served in the Armed Forces and Secretaries of VA
U.S. Presidents who were Veterans
Highest rank held by Presidents in uniformed service.
- George Washington
- General and Commander in Chief, Continental Army
1775-1783 - Thomas Jefferson
- Colonel, Virginia Militia
1770-1779 - James Madison
- Colonel, Virginia Militia
1775-1781 - James Monroe
- Major, Continental Army
1775-1778 - Andrew Jackson
- Major General, U.S. Army
1814-1821 - William Henry Harrison
- Major General, Kentucky Militia
1812-1814 - John Tyler
- Captain, Virginia Militia
1812 - James K. Polk
- Colonel, Tennessee Militia
1821 - Zachary Taylor
- Major General, U.S. Army
1805-1815, 1816-1849 - Millard Fillmore
- Major, Union Continentals (home guard)
1861 - Franklin Pierce
- Brigadier General, New Hampshire Militia
1846-1848 - James Buchanan
- Private, Pennsylvania Militia
1814 - Abraham Lincoln
- Captain, Illinois Militia
1832 - Andrew Johnson
- Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
1862-1865 - Ulysses S. Grant
- General, U.S. Army
1866-1869 - Rutherford B. Hayes
- Major General, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
1861-1865 - James A. Garfield
- Major General, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
1861-1863 - Chester A. Arthur
- Brigadier General, New York Militia
1858-1863 - Benjamin Harrison
- Brevet Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
1862-1865 - William McKinley
- Brevet Major, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
1861-1865 - Theodore Roosevelt
- Colonel, U.S. Army (Volunteers)
Medal of Honor
1898 - Harry S. Truman
- Colonel, Army Officer Reserve Corps
1919-1945 - Dwight D. Eisenhower
- General of the Army, U.S. Army
1915-1948, 1951-1952 - John F. Kennedy
- Lieutenant, U.S. Naval Reserve
Purple Heart
1941-1945 - Lyndon B. Johnson
- Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve
1940-1964
Richard M. Nixon- Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve
1942-1966
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.- Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve
1942-1946 - James Earl Carter, Jr.
- Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
1946-1953 - Ronald Reagan
- Captain, U.S. Army
1942-1945 - George Herbert Walker Bush
- Lieutenant (junior grade), U.S. Navy
Distinguished Flying Cross
1942-1945 - George W. Bush
- First Lieutenant, Texas Air National Guard
1968-1973
You can read about all the Presidents on the White House website.
Secretaries of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
| Name | Dates |
|---|---|
| Ed Derwinski | March 15, 1989 – September 26, 1992 |
| Jesse Brown | January 22, 1993 – July 3, 1997 |
| Togo D. West Jr. | January 2, 1998 – July 25, 2000 |
| Anthony Principi | January 23, 2001 – January 26, 2005 |
| Jim Nicholson | January 26, 2005 – October 1, 2007 |
| Retired Lt. Gen. James Peake | December 20, 2007 – January 20, 2009 |
| Retired Gen. Eric Shinseki | January 20, 2009 – May 30, 2014 |
| Robert A. McDonald | July 30, 2014 – January 20, 2017 |
| David Shulkin | February 14, 2017 – March 28, 2018 |
| Robert Wilkie | July 30, 2018 – January 20, 2021 |
| Denis McDonough | February 8, 2021 – Present |
Today's VHA - the largest of the three administrations that comprise the VA - continues to meet Veterans' changing medical, surgical, and quality-of-life needs. VHA is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. There are 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) in VHA operating as regional systems of care to better meet local health care needs and provides greater access to care. In the Pacific Northwest, VISN 20 serves Veterans in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, most of Idaho, and one county each in California and Montana. Spanning 23% of the US land mass, VISN 20 is the largest geographic region of VA. Operating across three time zones over 817,417 square miles, VISN 20 is home to 273 federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes. According to DoD, American Indians and Alaska Natives have one of the highest representations in the United States Armed Forces. VA consults with American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments to develop partnerships that enhance access to services and benefits by Veterans and their families. VA is committed to ensuring that Native American Veterans and their families are able to utilize all benefits and services they are entitled to receive. As of the end of FY2023, 42.2% of VISN 20 enrollees and 39.7% of VISN 20 patients resided in rural or highly rural areas. Veterans may be eligible to receive care from a community provider when VA cannot provide the care needed. Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) provides health care for Veterans from providers in the local community. VCCP includes General Community Care, Urgent Care, Emergency Care, Foreign Medical Care, Home Health and Hospice Care, Indian and Tribal Health Services, In Vitro Fertilization, State Veterans Home, and Flu Shots.
VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) serves Veterans from a five-state area in the Pacific Northwest with two main divisions: American Lake VA Medical Center and Seattle VA Medical Center. Veterans Medical Centers are also located in Spokane, Vancouver, and Walla Walla. VA Outpatient Clinics and Vet Centers are located in Bellingham, Bellevue, Bremerton, Chehalis, Edmunds, Everett, Federal Way, Lacey, Mount Vernon, Olympia, Port Angeles, Puyallup, Richland, Renton, Silverdale, Seattle, Spokane, Union Gap, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, and Yakima.
VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) serves Veterans in Oregon and Southwest Washington with two main divisions: Portland VA Medical Center and Vancouver VA Medical Center. Veterans Medical Centers are also located in Roseburg, White City, and Vancouver, Washington. VA Outpatient Clinics and Vet Centers are located in Astoria, Bend, Boardman, Brookings, Enterprise, Eugene, Fairview, Grants Pass, Hines, Hillsboro, Klamath Falls, LaGrande, Lincoln City, Newport, Portland, Salem, The Dalles, and West Linn.
VA Regional Offices
The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) helps service members transition out of military service, and assists with Veterans with education, home loans, life insurance and much more. Service members, Veterans, their families, and Survivors are invited to request information on VA Benefits including disability compensation, pension, fiduciary, education, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), Home Loans, and Insurance. In addition to information on VA Benefits Veterans may initiate an intent to file and request assistance with filing compensation and pension claims. Visit regional office websites to learn about the services the regional office provides, directions to the facility, hours of operation, and the leadership team that serves the regional office.
Find out if you can get VA health care as a Veteran
The following four categories of Veterans are not required to enroll but are urged to do so to permit better planning of health resources:
- Veterans with a service-connected (SC) disability rated at 50% or more.
- Veterans seeking care for a disability the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, but which VA has not yet rated, within 12 months of discharge.
- Veterans seeking care for a SC disability only or under a special treatment authority.
- Veterans seeking registry examinations (ionizing radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) depleted uranium, airborne hazards, and Open Burn Pit Registry).
Find out how to apply for VA health care benefits as a Veteran or service member. For other mental health services, contact a VA medical center for information on eligibility and treatment options.
Vet Centers in VISN 20
Vet Centers in the VISN 20 Health Care Network are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. 1-877-WAR-VETS is an around the clock confidential call center where Veterans, service members and their families can talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in transitioning after military service or trauma and get connected to their nearest Vet Center.
| Anchorage Vet Center (Anchorage, AK) |
| Bellingham Vet Center (Bellingham, WA) |
| Boise Vet Center (Boise, ID) |
| Central Oregon Vet Center (Bend, OR) |
| Eugene Vet Center (Eugene, OR) |
| Everett Vet Center (Everett, WA) |
| Fairbanks Vet Center (Fairbanks, AK) |
| Federal Way Vet Center (Federal Way, WA) |
| Grants Pass Vet Center (Grants Pass, OR) |
| Kenai Vet Center Outstation (Soldotna, AK) |
| Lacey Vet Center Outstation (Lacey, WA) |
| Portland, OR Vet Center (Portland, OR) |
| Salem Vet Center (Salem, OR) |
| Seattle Vet Center (Seattle, WA) |
| Spokane Vet Center (Spokane, WA) |
| Tacoma Vet Center (Tacoma, WA) |
| Walla Walla Vet Center (Walla Walla, WA) |
| Wasilla Vet Center (Wasilla, AK) |
| Yakima Valley Vet Center (Yakima, WA) |
Plan your trip to VA
In 1946, Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) was established by law to provide comfort and well-being to America’s Veterans. With our many retail stores, cafés and coffee shops across the country, we serve those who have served our country. We are a self-sustaining entity providing merchandise and services to Veterans enrolled in VA’s healthcare system, their families, caregivers, VA employees, volunteers and visitors. We are honored to give back to the VA community through many programs established for the health and well-being of our nation’s heroes. Revenues generated from VCS are used to support a variety of programs, such as VA’s Rehabilitation Games, Fisher Houses, Poly-Trauma Centers for OIF/OEF/OND Veterans, disaster relief efforts, Substance Abuse Cessation, VA’s Homelessness initiatives, Women Veterans, Veteran Suicide Prevention and other activities.
VCS operates over 200 Patriot Stores in Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Centers nationwide. Many of our stores have been recently updated and expanded to provide our customers with a modern, clean and comfortable shopping experience. Our stores welcome our customers with wider aisles, wood-like floors, enhanced lighting and directional signage. PatriotStores have expanded hours of operation to provide service for customers on weekends at most locations.
The Patriot Cafe is the best place in the VA Medical Center to enjoy delicious, freshly prepared breakfast or lunch served hot or cold each weekday. Providing Veterans, their families, VA employees, volunteers and visitors a place to relax and enjoy a meal or take-out for their convenience. With a wide variety of food from traditional comfort food, specialized menu selections and a large assortment of healthy choices; there is something for everyone's taste buds.
Hospital Service Directory
To find out whether there is a van near you use the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Hospital Service Coordinator Directory to contact your nearest HSC for information or assistance. Please remember that the DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it is unable to cover every community.
