- March 5, 2025
There are many good reasons to discuss health care and final arrangement plans with the people you love. Proper planning and communication are not exclusive to veterans and their families, but that’s who I’m trying to reach in this article. At Flagler County Veterans Services, we find that veterans receiving benefits do not always learn all the important details pertaining to their benefits.
Recently, another example of this was seen at our office. The widow of a veteran contacted our office inquiring about survivor benefits, as her veteran husband died of Agent Orange exposure related health conditions. Agent Orange was an herbicide used to eradicate vegetation used by the enemy for concealment during the Vietnam War.
She and her veteran husband had operated an internet-based sales business together. One day after his passing she took a call from a customer. During the call she mentioned her husband had passed. The conversation included details about him dying from his Agent Orange-related diseases. The customer who was in Texas was a veteran himself. He provided valuable advice to the surviving spouse making her aware she might be eligible for survivor benefits. He Googled “veterans services office” for Florida and found the contact information for Flagler County Veterans Services.
Only because of a fortuitous phone call with a random conscientious customer did she know she was eligible for survivor benefits due to her husband’s death. She did come to Flagler County Veterans Services to file a claim, and she will be receiving her survivor benefits for the rest of her life. The moral of this story is to be informed.
The information is out there and available through the Department of Veterans Affairs, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and other service organizations. Admittedly, the information is voluminous and confusing. For instance, it’s been found that some veterans do not inquire about VA benefits because they do not consider themselves veterans.
They are under the misconception that only those who have served in combat can call themselves veterans. That is not correct. Title 38 of the U.S. Code, Section 101(2) provides that a veteran is a person who has served in the active military, naval, air, or space service and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.
This definition includes members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force, as well as certain members of the National Guard and Reserves who were called to active federal duty by presidential order for purposes other than training. For additional information and assistance call Flagler County Veterans Services at 386-313-4014.
