Our History
The Veterans Service Commission
In May 1886, after the Civil War was over and reconstruction was well along, the Ohio Legislatures enacted 83 Ohio Law 232. This law provided for a Soldier’s Relief Commission of three members to be appointed for each of the 88 counties in the state. The state legislature has seen a need to repay the debt owed Ohio’s Civil War veterans along with concerns for their families formulated this set of laws to provide financial assistance for Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines and their dependents or survivors.
The Soldier’s Relief Commission functioned for nearly 60 years, providing for the needs of Ohio veterans, with little change. Each Soldier’s Relief Commission acting as a separate entity. To oversee the operation of the Veteran’s Service Office; to provide temporary financial assistance to veterans, spouses, dependent children, and surviving spouses.