U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald has announced that Dayton will be home to the VA national Archives at the VA Medical Center.
Ohio’s U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown was behind that effort, which he says began long ago.
"This effort has taken more than a couple of years," he said. "I first remember talking about it, I think back with the Bush administration at the end, like in 2008 with Secretary Principi [Anthony], and then with Secretary Shinseki [Eric] during Obama’s first term."
Brown added that "It’s an exciting day for the Miami Valley,” and said the Miami Valley, home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base—one of the largest in the country, and the Dayton VA—one of the original U.S. veteran’s facilities, makes Dayton the perfect place to house the archives.
Historic military records and artifacts from before the Revolutionary War to modern times are currently housed in Washington and some 150 facilities across the country. Secretary McDonald says following some facility upgrades, the Dayton VA will house the archives that will eventually be opened to the public.
