Welcome to the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs

Serving those who served the Commonwealth and this great nation.

KDVA's mission is to ensure Kentucky's 345,000 veterans and their families receive all the benefits and services they have earned.

We provide benefits counseling, skilled nursing care at state veterans centers, dignified interment at state veterans cemeteries, and special programs for women veterans, homeless veterans and others.

Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week

On Monday, February 8, Governor Beshear, along with Comm. Ken Lucas and Deputy Comm. Margaret Plattner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, visited the Lexington Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in honor of Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week.

Read the Governor's Proclamation here.

 

Greenup Cemetery on Target for Fall Dedication

 

Despite wet weather followed by extreme cold weather, construction of Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North East in Greenup County remains on schedule.

 

 

Read the article and view pictures from the Ashland Daily Independent. 

 

Veterans History Project in Greenup

Rep. Tanya Pullin and KDVA Commissioner Ken Lucas thank Vietnam Veteran Randy Reinhardt for sharing his memories of the military in the Veterans History Project in Greenup County.

Read the story and view an audio slide show here. 

 

"Kentucky's Military Treasures" Exhibit Opens
Veterans Can Record Their Memories There

KDVA Commissioner Lucas presented copies of their oral history interviews to three of the veterans who participated in Jefferson County.  From left: Commissioner Lucas, Vietnam Veteran David Dentinger, Vietnam Veteran Marjorie Graves, and KDVA Deputy Commissioner Margaret Plattner, a Navy Veteran. Their histories are now archived at the Kentucky Center for History in Frankfort, and can be heard there.

The exhibit provides space for veterans to record their memories and experiences with the help of a volunteer trained in taking oral histories.  KDVA strongly encourages all veterans of all ages, all war periods and peacetime, to record their memories for posterity.

Read more about the Veterans History Project here.

Week of February 8

National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week

Saturday, March 13

Lexington Children's Theatre Pay-What-You-Can dinner and performance of Red Badge of Courage for veterans and active military families.

Dinner at 6 PM, performance at 7 PM. Lexington Children's Theatre, 418 West Short Street, Lexington. Park in Victorian Square parking garage and street parking.

A block of pay-what-you-can tickets are being held for veterans, active-duty military and their families.  Please reserve your tickets by calling LCT's Box Office at 859.254.4546 ext. 247.

See program flyer here. [PDF 405 KB)

 

Governor Beshear Names EKVC
 for Governor Paul Patton

Read the article in the Hazard Herald here. 

Governor Leads Groundbreaking
 for Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North East

 

From left:
Carlos Pugh of Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Governor Beshear,
Senator Robin Webb,
Frank Salvas Sr. of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
Rep. Tanya Pullin, and KDVA Commissioner Ken Lucas.

 

Read the press release here.

Read the article in the Ashland Daily Independent here. 

See photos here.

See more photos here.

UPDATE: Kentucky's Military Treasures Online Exhibition is now live.  Click here to view more than 5,000 artifacts.

During 2009 and 2010, the Kentucky Historical Society, in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs and the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, will reinvent the way that Kentucky's military history is cherished and shared.

Four initiatives, now underway, will enlighten students, families, active duty personnel, and veterans with a greater knowledge and awareness of the sacrifices of Kentucky servicemen and women.

The initiatives four components are:

 • Restoration of the Old State Arsenal building
 • Creation of The Arsenal Story, a traveling display
 • Development of The Military History Treasures on-line exhibition
 • Production of Kentucky Treasures: The Kentucky Historical Society Military History Collection.

For more details on the initiative, click here to read the full proposal.

View a photo gallery of the Kentucky State Arsenal here.