Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to honor the impeccable work of VLB staff and the undeniable impact of the agency's programs on the lives of Texas Veterans on its 78th Anniversary.
"From the first Veterans land loans to the home loans, Texas State Veterans Homes and Cemeteries, and various additional benefits available today, the VLB has always gone above and beyond to care for our Veterans," said Commissioner Buckingham. "Since I became Land Commissioner and VLB Chairwoman, we have helped over 4,100 Veterans and their families with more than $1 billion in loans that allowed them to own their own land, purchase their first homes, adapt their homes to their specific needs, and more. I will never stop advocating for the interests of our Veterans and would like to thank VLB's incredible staff for their tireless work. Their efforts help ensure a better future for those who have selflessly served our nation and the families who sacrifice alongside them."
Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. with VFW Color Guard at dedication ceremony of P-51 C Mustang Replica Aircraft at the Tuskegee Airmen Texas State Veterans Home in Ft Worth, Texas.
The Texas General Land Office's (GLO) support for Texas Veterans and their families began when it offered bounty and donation land grants to pay Military Members or their heirs for fighting in the Texas Revolution. The GLO also granted land to war widows and Veterans in need after the Civil War.
During World War I, GLO Commissioner J.T. Robison suggested that Veterans returning from war could be supported with land. However, his idea did not come to fruition until after the Second World War. History notes that 70 GLO employees left to serve in WWII, and two made the ultimate sacrifice. Commissioner J. Bascom Giles recognized these brave Veterans. He supported a Constitutional Amendment to create a fund to purchase land for resale to Veterans of World War II at very low interest rates and generous repayment schedules. The amendment was extremely popular and was quickly passed, creating a $25 million fund.
On June 6, 1949, the fifth anniversary of D-Day, the VLB was officially appointed to administer the new program. The fund was later increased to $100 million, and its benefits were extended to Veterans who served after 1945 to accommodate Korean and Vietnam War Veterans.
"On behalf of the staff of the Veterans Land Board, we are honored to carry on the 78 year legacy of serving and honoring our Veterans," said Tony Dale, Executive Secretary of the VLB. "For nearly eight decades, we have ensured that Veterans get access to the benefits they so richly deserve for their dedicated service to our country."
The numbers speak for themselves regarding how the VLB supports our Veterans. Since the Texas State Veterans Cemetery program began in 2006, the VLB has buried 31,683 Veterans with honor and dignity in our four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries. Currently, more than 1,260 residents are cared for in our nine Texas State Veterans homes.
For the fiscal year ending in August 2024, the VLB has closed over 1,000 home loans, nearly 1,000 land loans and over 100 home improvement loans totaling over $500,400,000. Since the VLB began its Home, Land, and Home Improvement Loan programs, the agency has closed more than 136,000 land loans, over 7,000 home improvement loans and more than 104,000 home loans for a total of 247,688 loans and more than $16.7 billion.
As the VLB nears 80 years of providing the best benefits in the country to Veterans Military Members, and their families, the agency has modernized its methods of supporting Veterans. Still, its mission has remained the same — to honor the men and woman who fight for our nation and in the name of freedom.