The department is overseen by a secretary who is appointed by the governor after consulting with at least six Wisconsin veterans organizations.
[1] The secretary is advised by a nine-member citizen advisory Board of Veterans Affairs.
[2] In 1919, the state of Wisconsin issued a wartime bonus to service members who served in World War I.
[1] After World War II, the state legislature decided that instead of issuing a wartime bonus, they would create programs to provide a better benefit to the veterans.
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum opened across the street from the state capitol in 1993.