Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs

Information

Mission Statement I Directory I History I Directors I Veteran Booklet and Stats

The mission of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is to provide assistance to veterans and their dependents in acquiring state and federal benefits to which they are entitled to by virtue of their service to this country.

Administer state benefit programs for qualified Arkansas veterans and eligible dependents.
Train and supervise 75 County Veterans Service Officers.
Prepare and present appeals on cases for qualified Arkansas veterans and their dependents before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Serve as the state government chief advocate for the veterans’ position on all issues, legislative or otherwise, that impact their benefits, their status or their social well-being.
A State Veteran’s Cemetery has been created in statutes with the objective of operating and maintaining veteran cemeteries in Arkansas.
Maintain two Arkansas Veterans Homes that are professionally managed domiciliary and nursing care facilities for disabled veterans who have honorable service.

Executive Office
Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs
Building 65, Room 119
2200 Fort Roots Drive
North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114
(501) 370-3820
(501) 370-3829 (fax)
Email
Directory for Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs

HISTORY

The agency was first established in 1925 by Act 343. Its original title was Arkansas Service Bureau. Act 234 of 1945 changed the title to Arkansas Veterans Service Office. Thirty-four years later, in 1979, the name was changed to Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs by Act 324.

The Arkansas Confederate Home formally opened on sixty acres of ground, about six miles southeast of Little Rock on December 1, 1890. In 1955 a new Confederate Home was completed but was closed in 1959 and transferred to the Arkansas School for the Blind. In November of 1962 Governor Faubus recommended that the Home be abolished and the remaining five residents be moved to a nursing home. The General Assembly passed legislation transferring the former School for the Blind and Deaf to the Arkansas Veterans Service in 1977. Act 619 appropriated matching funds to renovate the property and designated the Arkansas Veterans Service Office as the supervising agency. The Arkansas State Veterans Home is currently located on West Charles Bussey Avenue in Little Rock.

The Fayetteville Veterans Home broke ground in 2004, accepted its first resident on the morning of June 21, 2006 and was dedicated on October 13, 2006. It is a newly renovated facility located in what was once the 5th and 6th floors of the Washington Regional Medical Center. A new three-story tower was added to accommodate administrative offices.

Act 235 authorized ADVA to establish and operate an Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery system.
On November 11, 2001 the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery was formally dedicated to serve honorably discharged veterans of Arkansas. The cemetery is situated on 82 acres in North Little Rock off of Maryland Avenue. There are currently 27 developed acres.

DIRECTORS

David Fletcher		Feb., 2007 - Present
James Miller		Feb., 2005 - Jan., 2007
Nick Bacon		Apr., 1993 - Feb., 2005
Hershel Gober		Dec., 1987 - Apr., 1993
Grady Brown		Feb., 1983 - Dec., 1987
Orval Faubus		Sep., 1981 - Feb., 1983
Thomas Miller		Mar., 1971 - Sep., 1981
Robert Boggan		Feb., 1967 - Feb., 1971
Freeman Mize		1960 - 1967
Carl Thompson		1955 - 1960
W. D. Kelley		1953 - 1955
W. G. Smith		1950 - 1953
Joe Hearne		1946 - 1950
B. A. Brookes		1942 - 1946
Claude Brown		1938 - 1942
Grady Forgy
John Wilson
John Steward