Veterans Benefits are not taken by many US veterans who need and who qualify for them.
We have a large Veterans group here at Village at Deaton Creek, a Del Webb community in North Georgia. I attended the Veterans Day Ceremony last year and have learned we have hundreds of fellow veterans living in our community. I suspect most Active Adult Communities also have many veterans, as those of us now in retirement are of the age to be Korea and Vietnam era veterans.
I was informed recently by Captain Ron and Neil from our Veterans Group about veterans benefits. I went to the Gainesville office of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and found them helpful. The stipulation was that I inform other veterans of these benefits.
I now have a Veterans drivers license and a Veterans tag. I made a claim for Tinnitus, a ringing in the ears condition that has been bothering me for some time. A few months ago, I wrote about how sensitive my ears have been and getting acoustic ear plugs to help.
Veterans Benefits
There are too many veterans benefits for me to cover in this post, but I have a recommendation below of how to find out which benefits are available to you. It’s worth your time. You and your spouse may qualify for long term care benefits through the VA. That’s a big one.
Why Veterans Do Not Apply for Veterans Benefits
Many Veterans are reluctant to apply for available benefits for many reasons including:
1) They do not know about the benefits they have earned. I would highly recommend to any veterans to visit their state’s Department of Veterans Services. They are not the VA but are there to assist you in finding out about your benefits. I found them to be extremely helpful. Just take your form DD214 and get to their office early. It is not bad and you will be glad you went.
The Georgia Department of Veterans Service is an agency of state government created for the purpose of advising, counseling, and assisting Georgia’s veterans and their families in receiving their rightful benefits under the vast and complex framework of veterans’ laws.
You can search google for your state’s Department of Veterans Services. They are easy to find. Here are some popular states: California department of veterans affairs, Florida department of veterans affairs, Arizona department of veterans’ services. Each state has one.
2) They do not want the hassle of filling out all of the paperwork and chances of getting turned down. I would again refer you to your state’s Department of Veterans Service. They pretty much fill the applications out for you. They are in your corner, advocating for you.
3) They do not want a handout or government assistance. Veterans if you were active duty, then you qualify. If you were drafted for two years like I was, you qualify. This is not a handout. Many veterans are suffering ailments that are now just showing up that were service related, now that we are in our 60’s and beyond. Many veteran benefits are not service related but are there because you did your service to the country.
Captain Ron in his email to me said it best:
Best Regards,
CapnRon ??⚓️?
In Summary
From what I know, the best and simplest advice for anyone who severed on active duty with an honorable discharge would be:
1. Get your DD214 and go down in person to your state’s Department of Veterans Services. Just tell them about your service and ask what benefits are available.
2. Just do it. Don’t wait. Don’t get bogged down in research, it will overwhelm you. See step one above. Benefits accrue from the time of application.
Also Read my post about Veterans Cruise Discount
Robert Fowler