VA Weighs Ditching Lincoln Quote for Motto That's Inclusive of Women and Minorities

BONUS-FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

VA Weighs Ditching Lincoln Quote for Motto That's Inclusive of Women and Minorities

Pedestrians walk in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building.
Pedestrians walk in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, Friday, June 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
8 Sep 2022
Military.com | By Patricia Kime

A change could be coming this year to the Department of Veterans Affairs' motto, a quote from Abraham Lincoln that critics say is not inclusive of women, people of color and LGBTQ veterans.

VA officials have been consulting with veterans to get their feedback and proposals to make the motto more inclusive, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. The current motto, taken from Lincoln’s second inaugural address and was adopted in 1959, pledges the department will "care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan."

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