Posted 28 May 2001
Last Updated 8 May 2006
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Former Prisoners of War (and surviving dependents) are due many benefits.
- A Veteran does not have to be retired from military service to receive Veteran benefits.
- This is not charity, these benefits you have earned through service to your country.
- You do not have to join any organization, and we will not try to sell you anything.
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You will need a copy of your Discharge Papers (today it is called a DD214)
(In 1946 it was a NAVMC 70 - PD)
It is also good to have as many other of your military records as possible.
| For Former POWs |
For Spouse & Children |
 If I'm due this stuff, why doesn't the Government just send it to me?
- They may not know you are still alive.
- They may not know you were a POW.
- They may not know you were in the service.
- They may not even have a copy of your service records.
After all, "they are all just a bunch of snot nosed wet behind the ears kids."
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What if my Spouse/Parent has already died?
- They are still due all their honors and awards.
- And it is a great history lesson for the kid's, grand kid's and great grand kid's, maybe even for you.
- You may be due supplemental benefits.
Required documents required to claim death benefits may include:
- DD 214s
- birth and death certificates
- marriage license and/or divorce decrees
- updated will and letter of instructions
- medical records
- records of nursing home/assisted living care
- financial information and account numbers
- adoption or naturalization documentation
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| What if I can not find my old Discharge Papers and Service Records? |
What if I can not find my Spouse's/Parent's old Discharge Papers and Service Records? |
Is there someone locally who can help me with all this?
- YES!
- You can find your State Veterans Services through the Veterans Administration web site
- On your State Veterans Service web site look for Country Service Offices/Officers
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Is there someone locally who can help me with all this?
- YES!
- You can find your State Veterans Services through the Veterans Administration web site
- On your State Veterans Service web site look for Country Service Offices/Officers
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| What if all my military service records have been lost? (Only Army and Air Force records were lost in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, MO, and not all of them either.)
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What if all my Spouse's/Parent's military service records have been lost? (Only Army and Air Force records were lost in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, MO, and not all of them either.)
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Now that you have proof you were/your spouse was a POW ...
| For Former POWs |
For Spouse & Children |
Metals/Ribbons authorized since you completed your service:
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 POW Ribbon
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 Combat Action Ribbon
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 Purple Heart for wound received during captivity
 Bronze Star- Cold War Recognition Certificate for Honorable Service anytime between 2 September 1945 and 26 December 1991.
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Military Honors due your Spouse/Parent
Metals/Ribbons and Certificates may also be awarded and presented Posthumously.
VA Burial Benefits:
Places you may need to contact after your Sponser's death:
- SSA (Social Security Administration) for $255 death benefit, call 1-800-772-1213
- DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service), if drawing Military Retirement Pay, or call 1-800-321-1080
- If you have a Military Dependent ID (Identity) Card, you will need to have it replaced with a Surviver ID Card. Call 1-800-336-4649, to find the nearest location.
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Did you know ...
- If you haven't contacted the VA in the past 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 years
- You are due a Physical and more.
- You may have a Service Connected Disability you don't know about.
- You may be due a VA Disability Retirement (even if you did not retire from the military).
- Your are due (Navy and USMC) some back pay, maybe a promotion.
- If you should die from a Service Connected Disability (and even some Non-Service Connected Disabilites) your Spouse is due Survivor Benefits.
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Did you know ...
- Is/Was your sponsor in a nursing home (or other like care facility) because of a POW related disease? Did your sponsor die of a POW related illness? Was your sponser evaluated for disability by the VA? You should find out, if you do not already know. If you are paying for care which the VA should be paying, you need to contact them now.
- Spouse's of former POWs are due a widow/widowers pension (Dependent Indemnity Compensation (DIC)) from the VA.
38 CFR (Part 0-17) 3.22 (a)(iii), revised 1 July 2005
Sec. 3.22 DIC benefits for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled at time of death.
(a) Even though a veteran died of non-service-connected causes, VA will pay death benefits to the surviving spouse or children in the same manner as if the veteran's death were service-connected, if:
- (1) The veteran's death was not the result of his or her own willful misconduct, and
- (2) At the time of death, the veteran was receiving, or was entitled to receive, compensation for service-connected disability that was:
- (i) Rated by VA as totally disabling for a continuous period of at least 10 years immediately preceding death;
- (ii) Rated by VA as totally disabling continuously since the veteran's release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately
preceding death; or
- (iii) Rated by VA as totally disabling for a continuous period of not less than one year immediately preceding death, if the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.
DIC is currently a little over $1,200 per month, and tax free.
- Most USN and USMC WWII POWs are due some back pay. Go to Shift Colors and download the WWII POW Back Pay Application. If your Spouse has died, and did not collect it, you can, but you have to get your application in before January 10th, 2007. Then send the application to:
Headquarters, USMC
2 Navy Annex, RFL-F&
Washington, DC 20380-1775
(Sorry kids, nothing for you)
- CHAMP-VA. VA will fill your precriptions, free. Yes, you do have to fill out some more forms, but if you are like us, it's worth it.
- Other benifits are being worked on. Check back from time to time, or visit the VA Website.
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| VA Entitlements Veterans Administration (and other) Forms you may need Veterans Service Organizations |
VA Entitlements Veterans Administration (and other) Forms you may need Veterans Service Organizations |
Copyright © 2001-2008, Jack E. Turner. All rights reserved
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