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.

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.

TMI VA Claim Denied - McDonald Gives Second Chance

VA Secretary Provides Relief for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald has granted equitable relief to more than 24,000 Veterans following a national review of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) medical examinations conducted in connection with disability compensation claims processed between 2007 and 2015. This action by the Secretary allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer new TBI examinations to Veterans whose initial examination for TBI was not conducted by one of four designated medical specialists and provides them with the opportunity to have their claims reprocessed. Equitable relief is a unique legal remedy that allows the Secretary to correct an injustice to a claimant where VA is not otherwise authorized to do so within the scope of the law. “Traumatic Brain Injury is a signature injury in Veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and VA is proud to be an organization that sets the bar high for supporting these, and all, Veterans,” said Secretary McDonald. “Providing support for Veterans suffering from a TBI is a priority and a privilege, and we must make certain they receive a just and fair rating for their disabilities.” To ensure that TBI is properly evaluated for disability compensation purposes, VA developed a policy in 2007 requiring that one of four specialists – a psychiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon or neurologist – complete TBI exams when VA does not have a prior diagnosis. Since 2007, medicine around TBI has been a rapidly evolving science. VA designated particular specialists to conduct initial TBI exams because they have the most experience with the symptoms and effects of TBI. As more research became available, VA issued a number of guidance documents that may have created confusion regarding the policy. VA has confirmed that its TBI policy guidance is now clear and being followed. “We let these Veterans down,” Secretary McDonald said. “That is why we are taking every step necessary to grant equitable relief to those affected to ensure they receive the full benefits to which they are entitled.” VA understands the importance of an accurate exam to support Veterans’ disability claims. The Secretary’s decision to grant relief will enable VA to take action on any new examinations without requiring Veterans to submit new claims. If additional benefits are due, VA will award an effective date as early as the date of the initial TBI claim. VA will contact Veterans identified as part of this national TBI review to offer them an opportunity to receive a new examination and have their claims reprocessed. More than 13,000 of these affected Veterans are already receiving service-connected compensation benefits for TBI at a 10-percent disability evaluation or higher, which means that the diagnosis has already been established.

Decades Later, Agent Orange Catches Up with Vietnam Veterans

Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, KY | Feb 28, 2016 | by Don Wilkins

Snow fell outside the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 696 as its members held their monthly meeting Feb. 9.

Although attendance was down, most of those present were Vietnam veterans receiving some percentage of disability benefits from their exposure to Agent Orange -- a herbicide sprayed by the United States military during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971.

Among them were Billy Milan, Lou Drawdy and Terry Stinson.

They were like thousands of other Vietnam vets who returned home unaware that they had been exposed to the same toxic dioxin that was meant to combat their enemies -- the Viet Cong guerrillas and the North Vietnamese Army, known as "Charlie" to US forces.

Now, decades later, Agent Orange is catching up with Vietnam veterans, leading to debilitating and deadly health problems that range from heart disease to various forms of cancer.

The three men said they were proud veterans but, like many of their comrades, struggle with their Vietnam experience because they live every day with a multitude of illnesses stemming from Agent Orange exposure.

"It was bad enough that you were over there, and Charlie didn't like you," said Drawdy, 73, who served as a Marine and whose diabetes has been attributed to Agent Orange. "... Then you find that all of the hazards that you were exposed to, that maybe, the US government didn't like you."

Stinson, 64, served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971 as an Air Force aircraft mechanic, working and flying on planes that sprayed Agent Orange.

"I started showing signs when I was 26 years old," said Stinson, who is a severe diabetic due to his exposure. "...Now, here I am 64 years old and I'm taking seven insulin shots a day. ... I can't feel my feet anymore."

Milan, 73, served several tours in Vietnam as part of the Army's Special Forces, 173rd and 101st Infantry Divisions. His first tour was in 1962 and his last in 1971.

"I thought I was a resident of Vietnam," said Milan, who receives 100 percent service-connected disability benefits for high blood pressure, an irregular heart beat and post traumatic stress disorder. "... I knew something was wrong because when the planes flew over to spray for mosquitoes and (the foliage) there was a different smell to it. ...So I had a taste of the Agent Orange."

Lasting Agent Orange Effects

It wasn't until 1991 that Congress passed the Agent Orange Act that gave the Department of Veterans Affairs the power to declare certain health conditions as "presumptive" to dioxin exposure.

The VA, however, doesn't have an accurate count of how many Vietnam veterans suffer from Agent Orange exposure.

"I can't get the Agent Orange statistics because it's not a general diagnosis," said Beth Lamb, Marion, Illinois VA public affairs spokeswoman.

In Daviess County, there is no shortage of Vietnam veterans who are either suffering or dying from exposure to the herbicide.

John Yates used to be involved with local veterans organizations such as the VFW, but his health has declined to the point that he rarely leaves his Cedar Hills home.

He now draws 100 percent disability benefits from his service-connected congestive heart failure and diabetes.

He served in Vietnam as a Navy hospital corpsman with the Third Marine Division from 1968 to 1969.

"I was out in the bush all the time," Yates, 71, recalled. "...I slept on the ground and drank from the streams. The Agent Orange was all over."

He now functions by taking a daily regimen of medications used to control his plethora of health problems he says were caused by his exposure.

"The medications help, but you still hurt and you still suffer," said Yates, whose calendar is filled with doctors' appointments.

To help flag any changes in her husband's condition, Cecelia Yates tracks his medical information by recording it in a notebook daily.

The Yateses blame the Agent Orange effects for John Yates' early retirement from his job as an educator in 2007.

"He's frustrated and angry because he feels like he was robbed," Cecilia Yates said. "He loved teaching, and that just broke his heart when he had to quit."

Agent Orange -- named for the color of the metal drums in which the chemical was stored -- was the main herbicide the US Air Force used to reduce the jungle canopies as part of "Operation Ranch Hand."

An estimated 19 million gallons were sprayed over 20 percent of Vietnam in an attempt to uncover roads and trails used by the Viet Cong.

Sharon Westerfield watched her late husband, Larry Westerfield, struggle with the effects of Agent Orange for the last seven years of his life. Larry Westerfield died in 2012 at age 63 of congestive heart failure.

He served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 as a member of the Army's 14th Engineer Battalion.

"After they sprayed the Agent Orange, he went in with a dozer and knocked down the foliage," Sharon Westerfield said. "So it was all over him."

According to Sharon Westerfield, it wasn't until 2005 that her husband discovered that there was something wrong.

"He had stubbed his big toe," she said. "...And one morning about 3 o'clock, he said, 'I think you're going to have to take me to the hospital.' So when I looked at his toe, it was black. ...They were able to save his leg but they took his big toe and part of his foot. He had trouble with that forever. He was at the wound center all the way up to the day he died."

Sharon Westerfield said her husband was then diagnosed with diabetes and learned through an Internet search that Agent Orange exposure was a related cause.

"It was like a domino effect," said Westerfield after her husband's diabetes diagnosis.

Larry Westerfield underwent open heart surgery for five bypasses in 2006, followed by bladder failure in 2009 and skin cancer in 2010.

Before dying two years later, Sharon Westerfield said her husband's congestive heart failure would cause fluid to build up throughout his body.

"His was so bad that his legs would swell up, and water would seep out," she said. "He couldn't sleep in a bed from 2005 until he passed. He slept in a recliner because he was unable to lie down."

Disabled American Veterans Aiding Vietnam Vets

It's through local Disabled American Veterans organizations that Vietnam veterans are finding help with medical and financial coverage for their illnesses associated with Agent Orange. The DAV aids veterans in filling out their disability claims to the VA.

Ross Jewell, a volunteer service officer for the Owensboro DAV, said there are many Vietnam veterans out there suffering but are only now coming forward.

"... I just helped a (Vietnam) veteran who's had heart problems since he was 28," Jewell said. "And he just passed away in January a week after receiving his (financial) award from the VA. The one thing he wanted was to make sure that his wife was taken care of."

Jewell said there are still Vietnam veterans who are unaware of what the DAV can do for them and others who have been disheartened from previous denials from the VA.

"The people who come in here tell me the stories they're not willing to tell their doctors or their families," Jewell said.

Jewell recommended that any veteran who has an illness or injury that could be service-related should visit their local DAV.

The Owensboro DAV can be contacted at 270-684-6790 and is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon at 1809 Grimes Ave. -- the former Chautauqua Park caretaker's home.

"The majority of the people who come through here today are Vietnam-era veterans," said Jewell about those who are filing VA disability claims. "...It's a painless process with a lot of painful memories."

Diseases recognized by the VA as Agent Orange related:

• --AL amyloidosis: A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs.
• --Chronic B-cell leukemias: A type of cancer that affects white blood cells.
• --Chloracne (or similar acneiform disease): A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under the VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• --Diabetes mellitus type 2: A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body's inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin.
• --Hodgkin's disease: A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen and by progressive anemia.
• --Ischemic heart disease: A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain.
• --Multiple myeloma: A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow.
• --Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.
• --Parkinson's disease: A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement.
• --Peripheral neuropathy, early-onset: A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling and motor weakness. Under the VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure.
• --Porphyria cutanea tarda: A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under the VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.
• --Prostate cancer: Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men.
• --Respiratory cancers (includes lung cancer): Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea and bronchus.
• --Soft tissue sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma): A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels and connective tissues.

Source: The US Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans ID Cards - You Will Have To Wait

New veterans ID cards won't be available until 2017

By Leo Shane III, Military Times– January 26, 2016

   Congress passed legislation for a new veterans ID card last summer, but it will likely be another year before any are issued.

   The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun drafting regulations for production and issuing of the ID cards, designed to give veterans easy proof of their military service for non-federal activities.

   Legislation authorizing the cards, sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., passed through Congress without objection last July. He argued that veterans needed the option for a veterans ID to help individuals who have to carry around copies of their discharge paperwork to get discounts or services at a host of private businesses.

   Veterans requesting the IDs would have to pay a small, yet-to-be-determined fee, to cover production costs.

This is just a sample of what the ID Cards might look like.

   But Veterans Affairs officials said it will likely still be months before anyone gets the new cards. The rule-making process is expected to take at least another year, with production and issuing times still to be decided.

  “This is a lengthy process that requires time for a public comment period as well as approval from the Office of Management and Budget,” officials said in a statement this week. “VA currently estimates the program will be implemented in 2017.”

   That’s a disappointment for veterans who had hoped to ditch their DD-214s for the next trip to the hardware store or for local restaurant deals. Advocates have complained that practice is both inconvenient and unsafe, given the personal information included on official military documents.

   No veterans will be required to get the IDs, and the cards will not replace medical IDs or official defense retiree cards.

   Supporters called it a simple way to honor veterans’ service.

Deer Hunting Vets - Free Magazine Offer

Whitetail Magazine Free for Vets

Week of January 13, 2014

Western Whitetail Magazine, the leading authority for Western  White-tailed deer hunting, is proud to offer all military members (past and present) a free subscription to their digital magazine. WTM covers whitetail deer hunting from Mexico to Canada and from the far Midwest to the Pacific Northwest. The free subscription offer is WTM's way of saying thank you for your service, which ensures the freedom all hunters enjoy. To subscribe, visit the White Tail Magazine website for more details.

Housing Market Heating Up - Check Out VA Home Loans

What does the VA Have To Offer Veterans

The VA helps Service members, Veterans, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. As part of their mission to serve, the VA provides home loan guaranty benefit and other housing-related programs to help you buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home for your own personal occupancy.

VA Home Loans are provided by private lenders, such as banks and mortgage companies. VA guarantees a portion of the loan, enabling the lender to provide you with more favorable terms.

Two things you must have to start the process are a copy of your DD-214 (discharge) and a COE (certificate of eligibility). You can apply online or contact your county Veteran Service Office for help.

For a certificate of eligibility go to:
 http://benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/purchaseco_certificate.asp 

For a copy of your discharge go to:

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

Types of Loans

Purchase Loans help you purchase a home at a competitive interest rate often without requiring a down payment or private mortgage insurance. Cash Out Refinance loans allow you to take cash out of your home equity to take care of concerns like paying off debt, funding school, or making home improvements. Learn More

Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL): also called the Streamline Refinance Loan can help you obtain a lower interest rate by refinancing your existing VA loan. Learn More

Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Program: helps eligible Native American Veterans finance the purchase, construction, or improvement of homes on Federal Trust Land, or reduce the interest rate on a VA loan.Learn More

Adapted Housing Grants: help Veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability purchase or build an adapted home or to modify an existing home to account for their disability. Learn More

Other Resources: many states offer resources to Veterans, including property tax reductions to certain Veterans. Check with your states Veteran Affairs Office.

Eligibility Requirements

The length of your service or service commitment and/or duty status may determine your eligibility for specific home loan benefits.

Purchase Loans and Cash-Out Refinance:VA-guaranteed loans are available for homes for your own personal occupancy. To be eligible, you must have a good credit score, sufficient income, a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE), and meet certain service requirements. Learn More

Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL): The IRRRL is a "VA to VA" loan, meaning it can only be applied to refinance an existing VA loan. An IRRRL can be done only if you have already used your eligibility for a VA loan on the property you intend to refinance. Learn More

Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Program: The NADL program helps Native American Veterans purchase, construct, improve, or re-finance a home on Native American trust lands. Your tribal organization must participate in the VA direct loan program. You must have a valid Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and meet certain service requirements. Learn More

Adapted Housing Grants: VA helps Veterans with certain total and permanent disabilities related to your military service obtain suitable housing with either a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) or Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) grant. 

How to Apply

Purchase Loan & Cash-Out Refinance: VA loans are obtained through a lender of your choice once you obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You can obtain a COE through eBenefits, by mail, and often through you lender. Learn More

Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan: A new Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is not required. You may take your Certificate of Eligibility to show the prior use of your entitlement or your lender may use our e-mail confirmation procedure in lieu of a certificate of eligibility. Learn More

Native American Direct Loan (NADL) Program: First, confirm that your tribal organization participates in the VA direct loan program. NADL loans are obtained through a lender of your choice once you obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). You can obtain a COE through eBenefits, by mail, and often through you lender. Learn More

Adapted Housing Grants: You can apply for an SAH or SHA grant by either downloading and completing VA Form 26-4555 (PDF) and submitting it to your nearest Regional Loan Center, or completing the online application.Learn More

1. Veterans United Network
 
2. Veteran Life

6 Famous Musicians Who Served in the Military

by Jonathan Pharr Published: November 14, 2013 No Comments Yet

Music and the military have an undeniable link. From Reveille to Taps, music is in plenty of everyday experiences for service men and women.
With that in mind, it makes sense that the same respect for music sticks with service members after they leave the military. It’s no coincidence that the military has produced some of the most impressive musical minds in recent history.
Here’s a list of six famous musicians who served in the military.

John Coltrane

Also known as “Trane,” this jazz saxophonist opened the floodgates for modern jazz, and served as a huge influence to both mainstream and avant-garde musicians. In his decades-long career, he recorded 45 studio albums and 10 live albums, and his “Blue Train” and “A Love Supreme” records remain some of the best-selling and most revered albums in jazz history.

Coltrane was born in 1926, and his father sparked his interest in music, and, by high school, he excelled at the saxophone. In 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves, and performed with the U.S. Navy band in Hawaii.
Playing alto saxophone and clarinet with the “Melody Masters,” a big band composed of more than a dozen different musicians, he mastered the chops needed to become one of jazz’s all-time greats.

Johnny Cash

Before he was “the man in black,” Johnny Cash was a man in blue – U.S. Air Force blue, that is.

The son of an Arkansas sharecropper, Cash grew up in an extremely poor but musical family. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1950, where he was assigned as a Morse code operator in Landsberg, Germany, where he was the first American to receive the news of Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953.
In the Air Force, he taught himself to play guitar, which ultimately led to a decades-long career as a pioneering country musician, with more than 55 albums recorded before his death in 2003.

Elvis Presley

Often given credit as the godfather of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it, Elvis Presley took off his blue suede shoes to put on combat boots when he served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960.

Early in his career, Presley’s performances were viewed as lewd and lascivious by many Americans. When Presley turned 21 in 1956, he was eligible to be drafted – and he was. Rather than negotiate an “easy” tour in the Army, Presley insisted to enlist as a regular soldier to win over older fans.
He was stationed with the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany. In 1960, he would earn the rank of Sergeant, and, later that year, was discharged from active duty.

Kris Kristofferson

Well known for his country music – even singing with fellow veteran Johnny Cash in The Highwaymen – and on-screen experience, Kris Kristofferson also served a sucessful stint in the Army.

Kristofferson’s father, a U.S. Army Air Corps officer, encouraged him to join the military at an early age. After graduating from Pomona College in 1958, he earned a scholarship to Oxford, but at his family’s insistance, he turned it down to join the Army. He attained the rank of Captain, and was offered a teaching position at West Point, but decided to pursue music instead. He has received dozens of awards in his career, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.
He has also acted in movies such as “Blade” and “He’s Just Not That Into You.”

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, is as New York City as they come, though he may have left his heart in San Francisco.

Hailing from Queens, this musician took the world by storm with 17 Grammy Awards, over 50 million records sold and recorded over 70 albums. Even more astounding than his musical career is his military career.
Bennett was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, where he was thrown into the final stages of World War II. Serving with the 63rd Infantry Division, he moved across France and into Germany in what was, as he referred to in his book “The Good Life,” “a front-row seat in hell.”
He studied voice with his GI Bill benefits and became the crooner we still love today.

MC Hammer

Before winning fame for his rap music in the 1990s, MC Hammer (born Stanley Burrell) used the U.S. Navy to launch a successful career.

Born to a poor family in Oakland, Calif., Burrell was a bat boy for the Oakland Athletics and dreamed of being a professional baseball player, but couldn’t make the cut. Instead, he joined the U.S. Navy and served as an Aviation Storekeeper 3rd Class while stationed in Mountain View, Calif. before his honorable discharge.

What other musicians do you know that served in the military? Leave us comment below.

Headstones and Markers for Deceased Veterans

   When a Veteran passes away, there are benefits that the VA, your state and service organizations offer. The funeral home should have the necessary forms to apply for burial benefits and markers: VA Form 40-1330, Application for Standard Government Headstone or Marker
  The county where the Veteran lived might also offer a stipend to help with burial expenses. As ask the funeral home or at your county offices. Below is information from the www.va.gov website about what they offer.

   

     The Department of Veterans Affairs will furnish upon request and at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the  unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death.

    For eligible veterans that died on or after Nov. 1, 1990 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone, VA may also furnish a headstone or marker to supplement the graves or a Medallion to be affixed to a privately purchased headstone.

   Flat markers in granite, marble, and bronze and upright headstones in granite and marble are available. Bronze niche markers are also available to mark columbaria used for internment of cremated remains. The style chosen must be permitted by the officials in charge of the private cemetery where it will be placed.

    When burial or moralization is in a national cemetery, state Veterans' cemetery, or military post/base cemetery, a headstone or marker will be ordered by the cemetery officials based on inscription information provided by the next of kin or authorized representative.

   When burial or moralization is in a national cemetery, state Veterans' cemetery, or military post/base cemetery, a headstone or marker will be ordered by the cemetery officials based on inscription information provided by the next of kin or authorized representative.

   Spouses and dependents are not eligible for a Government-furnished headstone or marker unless they are buried in a national cemetery, state Veteran's cemetery, or military post/base cemetery.

   Note: There is no charge for the headstone or marker itself, however arrangements for placing it in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibility and all setting fees are at private expense.

Henry County, Indiana Veterans Information

Veterans of Henry County, Indiana have access to information and benefits they might be eligible for through the Veterans office located in the Henry County Courthouse Room 114. I, John Guglielmi, am the Veterans Service Officer for Henry County. My position is to help Veterans research information, file claims and help them fill out the many forms that are required when working with any federal and state entity.


The Veterans Administration in Washington, D. C. can be found at http://www.va.gov/ and is a wealth of information and updates about what is going on with and for Veterans. The state of Indiana has a comprehensive site at www.in.gov/dva.


The Veterans is open Tuesday thur Friday from 7:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. My email is jguglielmi@henryco.net and phone is 765 529-4305.