On March 4, 1865, just weeks before his assassination, President Abraham Lincoln took his second oath of office and in his inaugural address spoke of the need to heal a divided nation. The last paragraph of that speech, calling for the nation to bind up its wounds, care for those who had borne the battle and for their widows and orphans, and achieve a just and lasting peace, came to embody the commitment of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to those who serve in the United States military. In 1930, a new government agency was established to consolidate and coordinate government activities affecting veterans. Today, three VA administrations provide health, benefits, and memorial services to veterans and their families.