WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs launched an investigation today after its inspector general discovered veterans' documents for financial benefits may have been shredded in some regional offices.

The documents, which were not duplicated in government files, could have affected veterans' eligibility for benefits, the VA said.

The VA ordered an immediate freeze on further document shredding while officials determine whether the problem is more widespread. Regional office directors will have to certify that no original copies of key documents from veterans' cases under consideration are being destroyed.

U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawai'i, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said he supported the freeze but it wasn't a long-term solution.

"VA needs an enforced and understood policy which preserves documents relevant to pending claims without leaving veterans' personal information open to identity theft," Akaka said. "Veterans must be able to trust VA to safely keep their records."

The VA inspector general found veterans' documents waiting to be shredded during an audit at some of the VA's 57 regional offices, which process applications for disability pay, VA pensions as well as educational, mortgage and other assistance.

Glen Gardner, national commander of the VFW, said that during a conference call today, the VA acknowledged that the 10 or more of documents were discovered at office in Detroit, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Waco, Texas.

"We have to believe that the VA will right this wrong, but the VA must also establish the internal controls to ensure no other acts of willful destruction will ever happen again," said Gardner, a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas.

VA Secretary James B. Peake said that anyone who violated VA policy on protecting documents will be held accountable.

"It is unacceptable that documents important to a veteran's claim for benefits should be misplaced or destroyed," Peake said.

The VA has had trouble in the past with keeping veterans' records secure.

In May 2006, the VA announced a laptop computer and an external hard drive containing 26.5 million personal records of current and former service members had been stolen. The equipment was recovered in June 2006 and the VA said it was confident that no sensitive information was copied from the laptop.