Because American soldiers in Iraq are paying the ultimate price for
our country every day, this Veterans Day is particularly poignant. As
we remain concerned for the safety of our loved ones overseas, we can
also honor those soldiers who have served in wars past, and continue to
show our appreciation.
West Virginia leads the nation in the percentage of men and women who
have chosen military service, including the Reserves. It’s something to
be extremely proud of, but that honor has come at a great cost to many families in our state.
We’ve all heard the statistics, but they are humbling – and well worth
repeating. West Virginia lost 6,965 soldiers to World War I, World War
II, Korea and Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, 20.3 percent of West
Virginia men participated, while 16.2 percent of our men fought in the
Korean War. We had the fourth highest participation rate during World
War II.
The West Virginia Legislature remains committed to providing needed
care and services to West Virginia veterans and their families. In our
area, a 120-bed nursing home project in Beckley is being planned.
And our congressional delegation, including Sen. Robert Byrd, are
continuing to work to secure the future of the Backley VA Medical
Center, which currently enrolls 15,000 veterans and serves an area
where about 40,000 veterans live.
The following is a list of other programs and benefits for West Virginia veterans.
* The state provides for a waiver of tuition and registration fees in a
state supported college or university for children between the ages of
sixteen and twenty-three whose veteran parent served and died during
World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, or Vietnam Conflict.
* The Legislature also provides tuition assistance to those veterans
who need a new vocation due to dislocation or
unemployment.
* The Legislature approved special veteran license plates for honorably
discharged veterans, which are to be offered without fee to any veteran
in receipt of an auto grant or who is permanently and totally disabled
due to service-connected causes. There is a former POW Tag as certified
by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and recent legislation
provides for Purple Heart Tags for those wounded in action and Pearl
Harbor Survivors Tags for West Virginia veterans who were at Pearl
Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941.
* Veterans who are 100 percent service connected can receive free hunting and fishing privileges.
* In addition to the Beckley hospital, there are several other veterans
homes and hospitals in West Virginia, including a new, $20 million
veterans nursing home currently being built in Clarksburg. Eight new
vans have been acquired by the West Virginia Veterans Transportation
Program and are being leased to veterans hospitals for the transport of
patients.
* Under the West Virginia Civil Service System all veterans who have
served under honorable conditions in the armed forces of the United
States during World War II, Korea Conflict, Vietnam Era or during
hostile conflict shall have five (5) points added to a final passing
score. An additional five (5) points are added to the score of a
veteran who has received the Purple Heart or has a compensable
service-connected disability.
* Over the years, the Legislature approved four separate bonus programs
for payment to veterans of World War I and World War II, Korean
Conflict, the Vietnam Era and veterans of conflicts in Lebanon, Panama,
Granada, and Desert Storm.
* A homestead exemption is available for certain eligible veterans.
Specific information is available through the local County Assessor’s
Office.
For more information on any of these programs and benefits, contact the
West Virginia Division of Veterans’ Affairs at 1-888-838-2332 or e-mail
to wvvetaff@aol.com. The division’s web address is www.state.wv.us/va.
I welcome and appreciate your input on these issues, or any other
legislative matter. Please call me at (304)340-3106 or write to
Delegate Virginia Mahan, 215-E, Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV
25305.