 Charles Robert Forbes ( February 14 , 1878 – April 10 , 1952 ) was appointed the first Director of the Veterans ' Bureau by President Warren G. Harding on August 9 , 1921 and served until February 28 , 1923 . Caught for army desertion in 1900 , he returned to the military and was a decorated World War I veteran . He first became active in politics in the Pacific Northwest . In 1912 , Forbes moved to Hawaii and served as chairman on various federal commissions . While Senator Warren G. Harding was on vacation in Hawaii the two met by chance and became friends . After the 1920 U.S. Presidential election , President Harding appointed Forbes director to the newly created Veterans ' Bureau , a powerful position in charge of millions of dollars in government expenditures and supplies . 
