History

Our History

The Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (NHDVS), colloquially known as the Old Soldiers Home, was established in 1887 with a combined land grant of 600 acres donated from John Percival Jones and Arcadia Bandini de Baker, as well as John Wolfskill.

In the early days, it was a wilderness of treeless slopes and bush-grown gulches; however, according to the Los Angeles Board of Trade, “the location of such an institution in this vicinity would prove not only advantageous in a business point of view, but would also prove a great attraction to the entire neighborhood in the vicinity of the home.”

NHDVS Pacific Branch opened with 500 Veterans in 1888. According to the National Park Service, 1,000 Veterans arrived that same year and stayed in temporary barracks until permanent housing was completed in 1891 and 1893.

Initially, West Los Angeles VA Medical Center functioned primarily as a domiciliary for Veterans who were unable to live independently. Residents lived in wood-frame barracks, each housing 150-200 Veterans governed by a “Captain.”

Separate residences for officers and other staff, a dining hall, multi-denominational chapel, hospital, and streetcar depot were arranged around a large open lawn that served as a parade ground. In 1897, 1,605 Veterans lived at West LA VA Medical Center and in 1917, at the beginning of World War I, there were approximately 2,000 Veterans residing on the property.

Enacted in 1917, Public Law 19 was "the first occasion that medical care to Veterans was specifically addressed by national legislation," expanding benefits from a domiciliary with minimal medical care to medical care related to military service.

Later in 1930, the NHDVS, Pension Bureau, and Veterans’ Bureau were consolidated into a newly formed Veterans Administration. Thereafter, the focus for all NHDVS properties gradually evolved from institutional housing to medical care that allowed Veterans to reintegrate into civilian society.

As early as 1900, Veterans of the Spanish-American War were being admitted to NHDVS branches with new types of health problems. Yellow fever and tuberculosis became serious threats, and the Pacific Branch hospital was continuously remodeled to provide better care, including isolation, for patients with these diseases.

Due to advances in warfare, Veterans suffered from gas attacks, psychological illnesses, including shell shock (also called war neurosis), shrapnel, chemical burns, bullet wounds, and wounds caused by shelling from heavy artillery and aerial bombing. In, 1923 a tuberculosis hospital was constructed and converted to a Neuropsychiatric Hospital in 1936. Between 1937 and 1946, seven neuropsychiatric hospital buildings were constructed at the north end of the campus: Buildings 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210 (specifically designated for female Veterans), 256, and 257. Collectively, the neuropsychiatric buildings were known as Brentwood Hospital.

Medical advances, including rapid evacuations from battlefields, use of drugs, and improved surgical techniques, resulted in greater survival rates for injured combatants. As a result, injured Veterans required specialized care that had not been a part of the VA’s pre-World War II standard program of treatment, including rehabilitation centers for paraplegia.

At the West LA VA Medical Center, construction of post-World War II health care facilities began in 1955 with groundbreaking for a new surgical wing for Wadsworth Hospital (now Building 304). Designed by the architectural firm Pereira & Luckman, the addition provided surgical, clinical, diagnostic, and laboratory facilities, centralized in a single building. Operating rooms included large areas for patient recovery. By 1962, the West LA VA Medical Center was the largest in the country, with more than 6,000 patients and 4,500 staff.

On February 9, 1971, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley near Sylmar. Wadsworth Hospital was demolished in 1972 and groundbreaking for the new facility (later Building 500) took place in July 1973. The new hospital, designed by Charles Luckman & Associates, contained 900,000 square feet of space in six stories.

The $83.7 million building was designed to be an earthquake-resistant, self-contained facility, capable of functioning independently for four days with back-up water, electrical, and sewage systems. The 832-bed hospital was the largest single building in the VA system west of the Mississippi and described as one of the most advanced, with nuclear medical facilities and innovative equipment for brain surgery.

In July 1973, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new ultra-modern, seismically safe medical center to replace the old hospital. The Medical Center was completed in March of 1977.

Research Milestones 

Medical research became an important component of the healthcare provided at West LA VA Medical Center after WWII. This research has resulted in many groundbreaking discoveries throughout the years. VA formed a partnership with the UCLA Medical School in 1947, and four buildings on the north campus were renovated to house research space for VA and UCLA doctors.

In 1950, a team of UCLA and VA clinicians created the first nuclear medical scanner at the West LA VA Medical Center to study thyroid disorders.

In the 1950s and 60s, VAGLAHS neurologist, researcher and Navy Veteran Dr. William Henry Oldendorf (often known as the “Thomas Edison of medical device innovation”) did research that led to the medical imaging technique called the Computed Tomography (CT) scan, a method for making multiple X-ray images of the body or parts of the body. His ideas laid the groundwork for the MRI and the CT scan, originally called computed axial tomography (CAT scan).

Both imaging techniques are among the major scientific advancements of the 20th century. In 1961, Dr. Oldendorf published a landmark paper focused on radiographic tomography. In 1963, he received a U.S. patent for his “radiant energy apparatus for investigating selected areas of interior objects obscured by dense material.”

In another study published in 1984, a UCLA and VA research team, under Dr. Murray E. Jarvik (former VAGLAHS chief of psychopharmacology and researcher), outlined the pharmacokinetics of the transdermal nicotine patch for smoking cessation in humans. In 1988 the team applied for the U.S. patent for the patch, and it was approved in 1990. The patch was first available in the U.S. by prescription in 1992 and was later approved for over-the-counter sale in 1996.

In 1989, VAGLAHS was the first to evaluate the VA pilot ambulatory care and education (PACE) program which became a model for national implementation of team-based primary care. Then, in 1994, VAGLAHS became home to what has become a nationally recognized health services research center, celebrating nearly 30 years of groundbreaking work in testing and implementing new models that improve Veterans’ care.

Chapel

The last original structure – and the oldest located anywhere along Wilshire Boulevard – the Wadsworth Chapel is a rare early American example of a multi-denominational chapel: two chapels under one roof, one for Catholics and the other for Protestants.

U.S. Army Inspector General J.C. Breckinridge in his 1897 report on the NHDVS wrote, “Something more than mere food, shelter, and clothing seems due to these men, and until adequately supplied perhaps these Homes are not all they should.”

Among his recommendations for addressing this nebulous “something more” was the construction of chapels, something that Breckinridge noted Congressional appropriations failed to provide at any of the then seven branches of the National Home system.

“The need for a proper place for divine worship is most felt at the younger Branches, specifically the Pacific; where an unsightly frame, that would make a poor barn at most, is used for the purpose.” At the same time, it wasn’t practical for the federal government to finance separate chapels for both Catholics and Protestants due to cost and land restrictions. Thus, the Congressional committee that approved the funds for the chapel insisted that a way be found to accommodate both faiths.

Two years after Breckinridge’s report, Congress approved $14,000 for the construction of a multi-denominational chapel at the Pacific Branch.

Designed by J. Lee Burton, a Los Angeles architect, and built in 1900, the two chapels are separated by a thick interior wall to allow both denominations to hold services simultaneously so that neither faith could be said to have been given a preferential time slot. While both faiths are Christian, there are several theological differences that are reflected in the interior and exterior designs of their respective chapels in diverse ways. For example, the Catholic side included a confessional booth, an altar, statues and images of saints, and a crucifix; whereas the Protestant side included a chandelier and lacked any images of saints.

The chapel was used for: religious services, weddings, substance abuse counseling, and funeral rites by both Veterans and members of the local community until the Sylmar earthquake of 1971 made the building unsafe for use. Although the chapel has been closed since the 1971 earthquake, the building is still largely intact and contains many of its original elements.

The chapel is an embodiment of the delicate balance between the spiritual needs of our citizens and the separation of church and state insisted upon by our Founding Fathers. It is one of the earliest examples of a religious structure paid for with federal funds and demonstrates the great sensitivity with which our government has approached our nation’s tradition of religious pluralism.

Today, the chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In 2021, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) entered into a lease with the nonprofit Wadsworth Chapel Heritage Partners (WCHP) to renovate and manage the property. The lease calls for WCHP to create a multi-denominational Center for Moral Injury, focused on healing the moral, ethical and spiritual wounds of war, fostering new research, and developing more holistic care. The chapel will also host therapeutic and evidence-based therapies to promote the wellness of Veterans and their families, as well as provide a community venue for events, speakers and spiritual gatherings.

Garden Home

Carefully kept grounds of trees and flowers created a peaceful environment for Veterans and continue to serve that purpose today. The Old Soldiers Home was considered one of the most beautifully arranged and well-kept parks in the country. With trees in full growth, some of the long avenues were delightful and enticing drives and walks. The grounds attracted many visitors and the home was a popular stop for those traveling to the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif.

A large amount of hay and grain were raised on the grounds each year, as were all the vegetables and most of the fruit required. The citrus orchards provided not only food for the home, but considerable shipments were made outside of the home. Cattle, horses and hogs were kept so, in part, the home was self-supporting. In 1903-04 the farm netted $25,000 for the institution.

Squirrels

Soldiers coming to California to find residence at the Old Soldiers Home brought the Eastern fox squirrel, as a “pet,” to California around 1904. To this day, the native Southern California gray squirrels, who help propagate native trees due to their preference for tree nuts, fight for their place while the Eastern fox squirrel eat their way parallel to human development.

Transportation

Two miles from the home was the Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad junction. To provide rail connection with the outer world, the Southern Pacific built a branch line from its Santa Monica line; this branch culminated in a sweeping loop to permit the turning of entire trains. A track ran from this junction to the home. A designated train arrived at the home daily at noon.

Los Angeles Pacific (LAP) first served the home by means of a horse car line up Wilshire Boulevard from Santa Monica. This line entered the property of the home terminating a short distance from the Dining Hall. Then the Westgate Line was built and received the bulk of the LAP patrons. Finally, in 1908, the SP branch was leased by LAP and electrified; it became the LAP Soldiers’ Home Line and local service was provided between the Home and Downtown Sawtelle.

Today, the LA Metro’s Purple (D) Line extension is actively under construction. Scheduled to be completed in 2027, it positions the West LA VA Medical Center as the subway line terminus. This train will mean travel from downtown Los Angeles to the West LA VA Medical Center should take less than 30 minutes, and will offer Veterans, staff and visitors enhanced access and greater opportunities.

Presidential Visits

May 8th, 1901, President McKinley became the first President to visit California. Greeted in Redlands, California, McKinley was met with the La Fiesta Parade between Broadway and Sixth Street in Los Angeles.

Described as “in the land of flowers,” McKinley addressed the Veteran crowd at the Old Soldiers Home, “That government for which you fought, to which you gave the best years of your lives … will see to it that in your declining years you shall not suffer but shall be surrounded with all the comforts and all the blessings which a grateful nation can provide.”

October 12th, 1909, President Taft took the trolley car to the National Soldiers Home from Riverside. According to the papers, thousands of the old Veterans gathered at the station and lined the walkways to cheer the Chief Executive.

From the steps of one of the buildings, Taft spoke to the crowd, “I never stand before an audience like this that I do not long for words to express the gratitude I feel that I have been spared to undergo such an experience and that we have through the country institutions such as this, where those who were exposed to dangers, the wounds, and the sufferings of the great war may rest a time and enjoy their remaining days at the hand of a grateful country.”

Honoring the Past

The former Pacific Branch of the Old Soldiers Home is once again providing shelter and comfort to those who’ve served. As part of its mission to end Veteran homelessness, VA is transforming the West LA VA Medical Center into a fully supportive and connected community for Veterans.

The VA West Los Angeles Campus Master Plan, originally approved in 2016 and updated in 2022, guides VAGLAHS’ multi-year effort to reshape its facilities and capital assets to create a thriving, first-of-its-kind community of and for Veterans at the historic West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

The plan covers a variety of construction, redevelopment, and public-private partnership activities related to VA’s master planning process for one of VA’s largest and most complex integrated healthcare systems.

When the Master Plan implementation is complete, West LA VA Medical Center will provide housing for at least 1,200 formerly homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families, as well as supportive services, a town center and world-class medical care.