Our Mission
The mission of the Division of Veterans' Affairs is to be the advocate for the state's 420,968 veterans in all matters that pertain to veterans.
- Inform veterans, families and survivors of benefits
- Initiate and process veterans' claims for benefits
- Manage the South Carolina Free Tuition Program
- Manage the South Carolina State Veterans' Cemetery in Anderson, SC
- Assist in the management of the South Carolina Veterans' nursing homes
- Update and maintain the South Carolina "War Roster"
- Coordinate the South Carolina Veterans Advocacy Council
- Respond to inquiries regarding the veterans' benefits
- Administer the South Carolina Miltiary Family Relief Fund
Program Description
Section 25-11-10 of the SC Code provides that the Division of Veterans' Affairs shall assist all ex-service personnel, regardless of wars in which their service may have been rendered, in filing, presenting and prosecuting to final determination all claims which they have for money compensation, hospitalization, training and insurance benefits under the terms of federal legislation. These services are extended to eligible dependents, including parents, widows, children and orphans of ex-service personnel. The Office administers the Free Tuition Program for certain war Veterans' children. It also must provide administrative support for the Veterans' Trust Fund Board of Trustees. In addition, the Office is mandated to provide trainingfor the forty six County Veterans' Affairs Officers.
Honoring our Fallen Heroes
Staff Sgt. Girard “Jerry” Gass, Jr. - Huger, SC
August 3, 2014
Operation Enduring Freedom
Captain James E. “Ed” Chaffin - West Columbia, SC
April 1, 2014
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Spc. Ember M. Alt - Beech Island, SC
June 18, 2013
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Pfc. Barrett L. Austin - Easley, SC
April 21, 2013
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Curtis S. Reagan - Summerville, SC
March 29, 2013
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Channing B. Hicks - Greer, SC
November 16, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Pfc. Adam C. Ross - Lyman, SC
July 24, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. John D. Meador II - Columbia, SC
June 20, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army 1st Lt. Ryan D. Rawl - Lexington, SC
June 20, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew B. Thomas - Travelers Rest, SC
June 20, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Pfc. Justin M. Whitmire - Easley, SC
December 27, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Dodds Dudley - Tega Cay, SC
July 7, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Ralph E. Pate Jr. - Mullins, SC
June 26, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. 1st Class Alvin A. Boatwright - Lodge, SC
June 18, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Pfc. Cheizray Pressley - North Charleston, SC
May 16, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Pfc. Kalin C. Johnson - Lexington, SC
March 8, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Air Force Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden - Williamston, SC
March 2, 2011
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Lashawn D. Evans - Columbia, SC
February 15, 2011
Operation New Dawn
Marine Lance Cpl. William H. Crouse IV and Cane- Woodruff, SC
December 21, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew S. Bubacz - Dalzell, SC
November 12, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Willie J. Harley Jr. - Aiken, SC
October 1, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Luther W. Rabon Jr. - Lexington, SC
October 1, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. 1st Class John H. Jarrell - Brunson, SC
July 15, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Capt. Michael P. Cassidy - Simpsonville, SC
June 17, 2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Steve M. Theobald - Goose Creek, SC
June 4, 2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Aaron M. Arthur - Lake City, SC
March 8, 2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Geoffrey A. Whitsitt - Taylors, SC
January 13, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Demetrius L. Void - Orangeburg, SC
September 15, 2009
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Fowlkes - Gaffney, SC
September 10, 2009
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Spc. Abraham S. Wheeler III - Columbia, SC
August 28, 2009
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Raphael A. Futrell - Anderson, SC
March 25, 2009
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr. - Mount Pleasant, SC
September 29, 2008
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr. - Conway, SC
September 25, 2008
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor - Charleston, SC
September 20, 2008
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Master Sgt. Danny E. Maybin - Columbia, SC
August 7, 2008
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. David L. Leimbach - Taylors, SC
May 25, 2008
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. James E. Craig - Hollywood, SC
January 28, 2008
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Shawn F. Hill - Wellford, SC
January 2, 2008
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. James D. Bullard - Marion, SC
October 30, 2007
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Edward O. Philpot - Latta, SC
October 23, 2007
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Terry D. Wagoner - Piedmont, SC
September 14, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Zandra T. Walker - Greenville, SC
August 15, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Lance Cpl. David P. Lindsey - Spartanburg, SC
May 25, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Anthony J. White - Columbia, SC
March 25, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Adrian J. Lewis - Mauldin, SC
March 21, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Joey T. Sams II - Spartanburg, SC
March 21, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Shawn M. Dunkin - Columbia, SC
February 19, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason G. Defrenn - Barnwell, SC
February 2, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Douglas L. Tinsley - Chester, SC
December 26, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon - Aiken, SC
December 11, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee - Pendleton, SC
October 2, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Seth A. Hildreth - Myrtle Beach, SC
August 27, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Cpl. David G. Weimortz - Irmo, SC
August 26, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Sgt. John P. Phillips - St. Stephen, SC
August 16, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine 2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald - Lexington, SC
February 21, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Staff Sgt. Jay T. Collado - Columbia, SC
February 20, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Anthony C. Owens - Conway, SC
February 1, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Dustin A. Yancey - Goose Creek, SC
November 4, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Donald D. Furman - Burton, SC
October 12, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Andrew J. Derrick - Columbia, SC
September 23, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Michael R. Lehmiller - Anderson, SC
August 21, 2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Edward R. Heselton - Easley, SC
August 11, 2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Sgt. Anthony G. Jones - Greenville, SC
June 14, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Second Lt. Clifford V. "CC" Gadsden - Red Top, SC
April 29, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Stephen C. High - Spartanburg, SC
April 6, 2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Maj. Edward J. Murphy - Charleston, SC
April 6, 2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Army Spc. Chrystal G. Stout - Travelers Rest, SC
April 6, 2005
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua L. Torrence - Lexington, SC
March 14, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Jason L. Moski - Blackville, SC
February 25, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Katrina L. Bell-Johnson - Orangeburg, SC
February 16, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Chief Warrant Officer Patrick D. Leach - Rock Hill, SC
December 9, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army 1st Lt. Andrew C. Shields - Campobello, SC
December 9, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Lance Cpl. Travis A. Fox - Cowpens, SC
October 30, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Jerome Lemon - North Charleston, SC
October 27, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan E. Gadsden - Charleston, SC
October 22, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes - Walhalla, SC
September 20, 2004
Operation Enduring Freedom
Air Force Airman 1st Class Carl L. Anderson Jr. - Georgetown, SC
August 29, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Marine Pfc. Rodricka A. Youmans - Allendale, SC
July 6, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Thomas D. Caughman - Lexington, SC
June 9, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Melissa J. Hobart - Ladson, SC
June 6, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Esau G. Patterson Jr. - Ridgeland, SC
April 29, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Maj. Michael B. Stack - Lake City, SC
April 11, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Capt. Kimberly N. Hampton - Easley, SC
January 2, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Rian C. Ferguson - Taylors, SC
December 14, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Staff Sgt. Paul M. Neff II - Fort Mill, SC
November 7, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Darius T. Jennings - Cordova, SC
November 2, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pvt. 2 Algernon Adams - Aiken, SC
October 28, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. Anthony O. Thompson - Orangeburg, SC
September 18, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Vorn J. Mack - Orangeburg, SC
August 23, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Michael S. Adams - Spartanburg, SC
August 21, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Spc. Orenthial J. Smith - Allendale, SC
June 22, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Air Force Staff Sgt. Patrick Lee Griffin Jr. - Elgin, SC
May 13, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Sgt. George Edward Buggs - Barnwell, SC
March 23, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks - Jefferson, SC
March 23, 2003
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings - Boiling Springs, SC
March 23, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Army Pfc. Spence A. McNeil - Bennettsville, SC
March 8, 2003
Operation Enduring Freedom
Marine Capt. Daniel G. McCollum - Irmo, SC
January 9, 2002
Operation Enduring Freedom
24-Hour VA Crisis Hotline
1.800.273.TALK (8255)
Request for Military Records
Report fraud, waste, and abuse in state agencies to the Office of the State Inspector General:
1.855.SC.FRAUD | 1.855.723.7283 | OIG@oig.sc.gov | http://oig.sc.gov