eBenefits & Military Appreciation Month

There is a rumor that Spring is in the air and temperatures are rising. Now remember, this is Indiana and it could be snowing next week. As the weather warms up so do request for donations and help from many charities and organizations. Veterans are a very visible group and there are many organizations that claim they want to help them. If you want to reach out and help, there are a number of proven valid groups that you should look into.

May is the start of National Military Appreciation Month. It is a declaration that encourages U.S. citizens to observe the month in a symbol of unity. This month honors the current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom.

There are lots of ways to show your gratitude for our military veterans and active duty members. You can say thank you to veterans and service members. They can be found having breakfast in restaurants, shopping for groceries, or walking down the street. They can often be identified by their ball caps and or jackets with patches of service branches and units.

Active military members, wherever they are, appreciate a letter from home. Or maybe you can send a care package to someone who is deployed overseas. Depending on the contents, make sure you designate male or female. You can volunteer with a local veterans’ group or organization or maybe attend an event. You can also support one of the many great organizations that are serving active and retired members of our military and their families.

For more information about National Military Appreciation Month, go to   https://militarybenefits.info/national-military-appreciation-month/#ixzz5D4nJ2wwi

If you would like to donate to help veterans or maybe help out personally, there is a web site that lists groups and organizations that have been vetted and reviewed. The site is www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=531. Funky looking address but the site holds a wealth of information. The groups are divided into three groups: Wounded Troops Services, Military Social Services and Military Family Support.

A couple examples of each group are as follows. Wounded Troops Services: Hope for Warriors, Adaptive Sports Center, The Gary Sinise Foundation. Military Social Services: Challenged Athletes, Hire Heroes USA, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Military Family Support: Air Force Aid Society, National Veterans Foundation, Our Military Kids.

eBenefits Graphic

Arlington National Cemetery Filling Up & New Medicare Cards

By John J. Guglielmi

Arlington Cemetery Running Out of Space to Bury Iraq, Afghan Veterans

If you are planning on being buried at Arlington Cemetery, you better act soon.

Section 60 of our National Cemetery, where Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are laid to rest, will soon have to close to new burials unless eligibility rules are restricted or the grounds are expanded, Army officials said Thursday. "We are filling up every single day" at the 154-year-old historic site across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., said Karen Durham-Aguilera, executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries.

 "Within the next few years, Section 60, known for the recent wars, will be closed. This is on our mind every day," Durham-Aguilera told a hearing of the House Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel.

Section 60 would be the first to close to new burials. Projections are that the entire cemetery will have to close to above and below ground interments in the 2040s, said Katharine Kelley, the cemetery's superintendent.

Each week about 150 burials take place at Arlington. Last year, there were more than 7,100. The possibilities for expanding the cemetery's grounds are severely limited. Currently, most honorably discharged veterans may request Arlington as their final resting place, but the eligibility rules are lengthy. The rules can be found on these websites: www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Portals/0/Docs/Eligibilty-FactSheet-20170701.pdf   or www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/FuneralInformation/EstablishServices.aspx.

Veterans groups are generally opposed to eligibility restrictions to extend the active life of Arlington that would limit burials to those killed in the line of duty; recipients of the Medal of Honor and other high awards; and prisoners of war.

Forrest Allen, associate director of government relations at the Military Officers Association of America, said current eligibility rules should be maintained while options for expanding the grounds are explored.

Arlington National Cemetery

 "It is important to respect end-of-life plans for currently eligible veterans and take reasonable steps to extend the cemetery for future service members," Allen said.

 More than 400,000 veterans have been interred at Arlington since the Civil War, but "unfortunately, the cemetery is rapidly running out of space. If nothing is done, in a matter of 23 short years, the cemetery will be closed for new burials.

Shiny new Medicare Cards on their way, but not until June.

 Indiana veterans and seniors who are Medicare Recipients will receive new cards after June 2018. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services are removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare cards in order to prevent fraud and identify theft. New cards will be mailed out in phases based on geographic location, with Indiana residents getting their cards sometime after June 2018. There will be no charge for the new cards and the new card will not change your benefits. If your address is up-to-date, you do not need to do anything to receive your card. If you need to update your mailing address, you can call 800-772-1213 or visithttps://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/. You can also update your address in person at your local Social Security office. You can find the address at http://indianapop.org/.

Tax Refunds & Burn Pits Oh My

Over 133,000 Veterans Who Got Military Disability Are Due Tax Refunds

According to an article on Military.com last month, the Department Of Defense started sending notifications to more than 133,000 veterans who may qualify for a refund of federal taxes paid on disability severance pay dating back to January 17, 1991.

Under federal law, veterans who suffer combat-related injuries and who are separated from the military are not supposed to be taxed on the one-time lump sum disability severance payment they got from the military.

For years DOD improperly withheld taxes on these payments from thousands of unsuspecting veterans, who were typically unaware that their benefits were being improperly reduced.

In 2016 Congress passed the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act which directed DOD to identify veterans who have been separated from service for combat-related injuries and had taxes improperly withheld from their severance payments.

The law also required DOD to determine how much these veterans are owed so they can recover the withheld amounts, notify them of their eligibility for a refund, and tell them how to get that refund from the IRS.

Eligible veterans will have a year after they receive the notice from DOD to file a claim for the refund.

Court Determines Military Burn Pits Caused Lung Disease in Troops

A number of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, told me about burn pits that dot the landscape and are used to destroy all sorts of items. One veteran ascribed a burn pit as a Dante’s Inferno. “You name it and it has been thrown into a pit.” the veteran said. “Desks, chairs, ammunition cases, used oil, plastic barrels. I even saw a truck rolled into the pit.” Jet fuel is often used to ignite the pit. If you are not familiar with burn pits, there are a number of videos posted on You Tube that are very informative.

Thousands of U.S. military personnel and private contractors whose health was compromised by the dense black smoke of burn pits -- and who were then denied proper treatment -- may finally be vindicated by a recent court ruling.

A judge under the U.S. Department of Labor's Office for Workers' Compensation Programs decreed last month that open-air burn pits -- where thousands of chemicals were released into the air after trash and other waste were incinerated at American military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan -- are connected to lung disease.

The decision marks a victory for the nearly 64,000 active service members and retirees who have put their names on a Burn Pit Registry created by the Veterans administration (veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home), bringing them one step closer to getting adequate medical coverage, something that has never been guaranteed. Private contractors who were also exposed to the burn pit toxins also have been denied coverage.

"This case has legitimized the disease," former contractor Veronica Landry of Colorado Springs, whose case was a part of the recent ruling, told Fox News. "There are many people out there who are still not getting the treatment they need.”

Soldiers have fallen gravely ill or even died from exposure to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they are not the only ones who have gotten sick. Civilian workers and private contractors like Landry are also suffering an array of maladies including cancer, respiratory problems and blood disorders and, like military victims, they say they are being ignored.

But private employees don't even have the Veterans Administration to lean on. Landry filed her case with the Labor Department for this very reason.

Landry said in her testimony that she was exposed to smoke from the burn pits "every day" while working at Mosul Air Force Base in Iraq for Kellogg, Brown, and Root [KBG], and that "every plastic water bottle that every soldier drank out of was also burned in the burn pits."

Landry was sent home early after developing PTSD and making matters worse, she started to develop problems with her lungs and other ailments such as migraines, chills and dangerously low blood pressure. She has been in out of hospitals for nearly ten years.

Vietnam Memorial exhibit in Middletown, IN

Hanging on the wall in my office are memories of a class trip to Washington D. C. in 1997. Teacher Don Renihan took his 5th grade class from Westwood Elementary School in New Castle, IN to see the sites and visit the war memorials. The photos depict the class visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Korean War memorial and other memorials. The most telling items are framed rubbings of the names of 19 Henry County soldiers that died during the Vietnam War. 

The Vietnam War Memorial is the most visited Memorial in Washington D. C. I had the privilege to see this and other memorials last April. There were a number of Vietnam vets on our Honor Flight. It was very emotional watching them look for and finding the names of their fallen comrades and friends on the wall. When I worked in D. C. in the late 60’s, many of these memorials were not built.  

If you have not seen or visited the Vietnam War Memorial, you will have that chance Sept 27 -30 at Dietrich Memorial Park in Middletown. Circle your calendar. The Wall That Heals exhibition features a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and exhibit will be open 24 hours a day while there. The 24 panels lists the names of the 58,000 men and women who died during the Vietnam War. 

Marty Ballard of Ballard and Sons Funeral Homes in Middletown stated that donations to help defray the cost of bringing the huge exhibit to Henry County would be accepted and appreciated. Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 124, Middletown, IN 47356.

If you need information about VA or Indiana Dept. of Veterans Affairs programs and benefits, you can call me at 765-529-4305. Or email me at jguglielmi@henryco.net. The Veterans Service Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. till noon. It is located on the first floor of the old Henry County Courthouse. For out more information about the exhibit go to www.vvmf.org.

New Year & Maybe Some New Choices

It's the start of a new year, a new administration and a new head of Veterans Affairs. What the coming years will bring is anyone's guess. There are a few changes in the pipeline that could effect veterans and their families.

For Indiana veterans there a couple things you should know. If you have a 10% or higher VA or DOD rated disability you can apply for a tax deduction on your home. If there is any credits left, they can be deducted from your license plates. Note: your home can not be assessed for more that $175,000. The assessment was increased in 2017 from $143,160 to $175,000. If you rent, you can receive a $70 deduction on your license plates.

Effective July 1, 2016, the Military Family Relief Fund is available to all veterans that served on active duty during a national conflict or war time period. The emergency grants may be used by the families for needs such as food, housing, utilities, medical services, transportation and other essential family support expenses which have become difficult to afford. Grants up to $2,500 may be awarded.

Over 33,000 women veterans reside in Indiana. They served in every war period, including World War II, and 1,087 of them are military retirees. Today, there are a few thousand women on active duty not including those serving in the Indiana National Guard or who are members of a Reserve unit. Indiana has established a registry for Hoosier Women's Veterans.  The purpose of the registry is to serve as an informational bridge to connect women veterans to the numerous resources and benefits that are available and that you are entitled to. To register go to www.in.gov/dva/2344.htm. or go to the Veterans Service Office in the Henry County Courthouse.

On the national side, VA seeks to expand the time limit that veterans of the Gulf War may claim disability benefits for the chronic multi symptom illness known as Gulf War Syndrome from December 31, 2016 until December 31, 2021. Gulf War Syndrome is defined by the VA as a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems. Veterans can register to receive a comprehensive health exam. This includes an exposure and medical history, laboratory tests, and a physical exam. A VA health professional will discuss the results face-to-face with the Veteran and in a follow-up letter.

Many veterans want to have an ID card to take advantage of discounts and benefits that are available from many retailers and restaurants. Any veteran who requests such card and is neither entitled to military retired pay nor enrolled in the VA system of patient enrollment. Requires such card, among other things, to: (1) display their name and photograph, and (2) serve as proof that the veteran honorably served in the Armed Forces and has a DD-214 form or other official document in their personnel file that describes their military service. A small fee, as yet defined, will be payable to receive the ID card.

For questions and information you can contact my office at 765-529-4305 or jguglielmi@henryco.net

Gems of Information in a Military Dscharge.

Not a week goes by where someone doesn’t stop in my office asking where they can get military information about their father, uncle, aunt, grandfather, etc. You get the idea. The obvious thing to do, if they are alive, is to ask them. Many older veterans have never talked about their experiences and younger ones are trying to forget. This is very common if they were in combat situations.

If the veteran’s not available, talk with his widow, children or other relatives. The family might even have a box of newspaper clippings, photographs, letters home, discharge papers or medals tucked away in a closet or basement somewhere. Photos can reveal what unit a person was assigned to, what their job was and even where the photo was taken. If there are notes on the back of the photos, all the better.

The crown in this collection would be a discharge. Early discharges had a variety of numbers and letters associated with them. These numbers are on the lower left hand corner. The DD Form 214 has been issued by all military services since January 1, 1950. Before 1950, a variety of designations were used by the military services. If the designation is NG, then the veteran was in the National Guard.

What can a keen observer learn from a discharge? Many things you knew and surprising things you had no idea about. 

Obvious items on most discharges are name, birthdate, place of birth, and social security number. Many are surprised where a veteran was born. “Grandma said grandpa was from Kentucky. I didn’t know he was born in Missouri.” In rural community years ago, many babies were born at home. But a week or two might pass before the birth was recorded with the county. That is why there might be a disparity between actual and recorded birth dates.

The type of discharge a veteran was granted says a lot about their military service. Honorable is the word you want to see. It is often listed in a box titled Character of Service. Some other types of discharges are General, Under Honorable Conditions, Medical and Dishonorable. Some of these can be upgraded but it rarely happens. Depending on the branch, time period and issuing authority, the type of discharge could be anywhere on the form.

The date and place the veteran enlisted or was drafted and when and where they were discharged from the military are listed. What rank they were when discharge and when they obtained that rank. E-3, ADEJ-3, SP-4 are examples of rank. If you don’t understand rank, you can Google and there are sights that will explain ranks for all the services. Being an old Air Force vet, the US Navy ranks are the most mysterious to me. 

If they were assigned oversea, it should tell where they went, how long they were there and when they came back.  WW II discharges often have detailed information as to battles a vet was involved in: North Africa, uam, Philippines, Normandy, Battle of the Bulge, Sicily, etc.

The discharge also lists the schools and training they had. I went to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. for Electronic Intercept Training, as an example. I knew vacuum tubes inside and out, learned to read schematics and could wire a circuit board before the end of class.

A small important section of a discharge is the awards and decorations. Many times I have had people debate what medals their relatives were awarded. “I’m sure he received a purple heart. Or maybe it was a silver star. I know it was pretty fancy” In reality the vet was awarded a good conduct medal and a marksmanship medal. Never saw combat.

Some discharges will describe physical characteristics: height, weight, color of eyes and skin. You might be surprised grandpa Miller was only 5 foot 4 inches tall with blue eyes.

If you didn’t find a discharge in that musty pile of papers, there are a few place you can look. The Recorders office in your county is a good placed to start. The Department of Defense sent copies of WW I and WW II discharges to the county of residence. Many vets dropped off their discharges to be copied and recorded in those same offices. The Indiana Archives in Indianapolis has thousands of records. Phone 1 317 591-5222 and ask for military records. You can submit a request online at www.archives.com and follow the prompts. It usually take three to four weeks to get copies. Happy hunting.

FYI:

Veterans Now Able to Enroll for VA Healthcare by Telephone:  Effective immediately, VA has amended its enrollment regulations to allow veterans to complete enrollment applications for enrollment in VA health care by telephone without the need for a paper signature. By adding this telephone application option to VA’s regulations with this amendment, VA will now offer three ways to enroll for VA health care services. This option provides veterans a convenient third enrollment option in addition to the paper VA Form 10-10 EZ and the online health care application. To apply, call 1-877-222-VETS (8387), Mon-Fri between 8 am and 8 pm, EST.