Each Friday, Taking on Life is turning over its blog page to a new feature that offers answers to your questions about veterans’ benefits. The feature is aimed at not only vets but those who love them  – the wives, husbands, partners, aunts, sisters, cousins and others (especially the women) who look out for them. The questions will be answered by Russell Davis, who has spent the last few years aggressively seeking answers to his own benefit questions. He’ll also use the resources of the Veterans Administration to find the answers.           

Please use the forms below to comment on Russell’s posts and  ask him a question about benefits.          

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Q: My father served in the U. S. Navy and now he has a terminal illness, when the time comes we may not be able to incur all of the burial cost. Can the VA help my family with the expense?

A: Yes, if your father was honorably discharged from the Navy, he is eligible for VA burial and memorial benefits.   Read more.

Q: For years I’ve received service-connected benefits and recently the VA denied my formal request for an increase on those benefits. I would like to appeal that decision. What steps do I take?

A: Veterans and other claimants have one year from the date of notification of a VA decision to file an appeal.  Read more.

Q: I was among soldiers deployed to Grenada in 1983. I recently was a patient at a VA medical facility and overheard a conversation about the differences between wars and conflicts. Which military deployments are recognized as wars and which ones are conflicts?

A: The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines conflict as “to fight or content; do battle” and defines war as “a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations.”  Read more.

Q: I recently attended the funeral of a fellow Vietnam vet. His family said he died of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and had been receiving treatment and monetary benefits from the VA because he had been exposed to Agent Orange. I served in the same unit as he in Vietnam and I worry that I may have been exposed also. Can you tell me about other diseases associated with Agent Orange?

 A: The DOD has prepared information listing locations and dates where herbicides, including Agent Orange, were used in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975.  Read more.

Q: I just got back from the Iraq war, but I don’t want to return to my job. I think it’s time for me to start my own business. What help does the VA offer?

A: The VA can help you form a small business, expand an existing one or get a contract with the agency, according to the 2010 edition of Federal Benefits for Veterans. Read more.

Q: My son recently returned home from Iraq. I’ve noticed that his emotions range from euphoric to outright anger. He’s not getting the proper amount of sleep and he goes out of his way to avoid being with family and friends. He prefers to stay in his room rather than talk to us. It’s obvious something happened in Iraq and it’s troubling him. I’m hoping he does not become suicidal. What services do the VA offer that could help him?

A: There seems to be two issues that need to be addressed – your son’s mental health and your concern that he may become suicidal. Read more.  

Q: My father is an Air Force veteran who recently received a motorized chair through the VA because of a disability. He’s unable to use it in his home because there is no ramp to neither get it into the house nor space to maneuver it within his living quarters – especially the bathroom. Can the VA help him?

A: The VA provides up to $4,100 lifetime benefit for service-connected veterans and up to $1,200 for non-service-connected veterans to make home improvements necessary for the continuation of treatment or for disability access to the home and essential lavatory and sanitary facilities, according to the 2010 edition of “Federal Benefits for Veterans.” Read more.  

Q: After moving to and from several states, I recently discovered that I have lost all of my military records – discharge papers, certificates and medals. I need the records to accompany a claim I wish to file with the VA. How do I replace them? 

A: For VA benefits, it is not necessary to request a duplicate copy of your records. Visit your local VA facility and file the application of choice and furnish from memory information about your service. Then the VA will verify your service in the military. Read more.     

Q: I’ve received an honorable discharge from the U. S. Army more than 20 years ago. Now, I’m having health issues and can’t afford to pay for prescribed tests and examinations required by various physicians. As a veteran, am I entitled to any health-care benefits from the government?      

A:  I, too, was honorably discharged from the Army but was given very little information about benefits I was entitled to as a veteran. I had to find the answers for myself, and I found that I had to answer two questions first to determine if I qualified.  You can answer those questions by going to the VA Health Care Overview page and then filling out the form. Read more.     

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