Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the genesis and growth of soldiers' pensions throughout the nineteenth century, especially in the aftermath of the Civil War. It discusses the bonus experiment after First World War and focuses on the passage and consequences of the GI Bill of Rights. The book also examines the growth of the nation's system of veterans' hospitals. It explores the evolution of veterans' programs during the Cold War and Vietnam. The book also focuses on the contemporary scandals and reform efforts within the veterans' bureaucracy, from its promotion to a cabinet department to malfeasance in the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans' benefits began in earnest in 1818, when Congress enacted landmark legislation providing monthly pensions for veterans of the Continental Army of the Revolution who were then in "reduced circumstances".