The first Secretary of Veteran's Affairs was Edward Derwinski, who assumed the office in 1989. To date, all six appointees and four acting appointees have been United States military veterans, but that is not a requirement.
Obama's choice for this post is General Eric Shinseki; previously, he served as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army.
Obama's choice for this post is General Eric Shinseki; previously, he served as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army.