"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthli nk.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me
how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

I thought *all* vets were eligible for medical care no matter when they
served.

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:52:53 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
. ..

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf
with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have
been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is
tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.


I qualified for a Vietnam bonus that I never applied for.
(Harry would love to know why I didn't)

I wonder if I could still apply and get it, plus interest.
Nah.

Was that the Frank Sergeant "bonus" when he was governor of MA?

If I remember, it was $50 or something like that.


No, but that's another one. I think that was a state bonus of $500 but
could be wrong. Maybe it was less.
Haven't thought about this for a long time.

Eisboch

"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
m...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthl ink.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me
how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of
a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k
a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf
with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have
been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is
tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

I thought *all* vets were eligible for medical care no matter when they
served.


Nope.
Retired and/or disabled.
Retired meaning a minimum of 20 years of active duty service. (unless that
has changed)

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
om...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earth link.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me
how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and
remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of
a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k
a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf
with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have
been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is
tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

I thought *all* vets were eligible for medical care no matter when they
served.


Nope.
Retired and/or disabled.
Retired meaning a minimum of 20 years of active duty service. (unless
that has changed)

Eisboch

Just for my own curiosity I did a little Googling. Looks like you need a
Philadelphia lawyer to figure out if one meets the eligibility requirements.

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/...ligibility.asp

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:31:39 -0500, BAR wrote:

Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:08:16 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:45:59 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:58:19 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
m...
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.
Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.

Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214. Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.

What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh
In other words, don't bother.
Hey! That could add about seventeen cents a month to your SS check. Nothing
to sneeze at!

You know, I don't even know if I qualify for SS. Never looked into
it.

Don't you get a statement every two years from the SSA? My wife looks at
mine, looks at my insurance policy and gets a sparkle in her eye and a
sly grin on her face. I have trouble sleeping that night.

LOL!!

Yep...

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:25:06 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:


"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
news:52qni4lc8prvg1qe30gbadr53kdo9jkemp@4ax. com...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@eart hlink.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me
how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and
remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of
a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k
a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf
with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have
been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is
tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

I thought *all* vets were eligible for medical care no matter when they
served.


Nope.
Retired and/or disabled.
Retired meaning a minimum of 20 years of active duty service. (unless
that has changed)

Eisboch

Just for my own curiosity I did a little Googling. Looks like you need a
Philadelphia lawyer to figure out if one meets the eligibility requirements.

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/...ligibility.asp

Or a sympathetic Congresscritter.

"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
. ..
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthlin k.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Eisboch


Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.
--
A Harry Krause truism:

"It's not a *baby* kicking, beautiful bride, it's just a fetus!"

My brother is an agent orange person. He gets medical via the VA even
though he did not retire from the Navy

Eisboch wrote:
"JohnH" wrote in message
...
You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.


I qualified for a Vietnam bonus that I never applied for.
(Harry would love to know why I didn't)

I wonder if I could still apply and get it, plus interest.
Nah.

Eisboch



Have you ever thought about when Harry went to Viet Nam? He stated he
graduated from college, then went to work for Kansas City newspaper,
then went to Yale, then worked as a Union organizer in Chicago. I guess
he must have done Viet Nam after high school before college. Army
Generals prefer to hire kids just out of high school.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:14:32 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthli nk.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214. Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

Absolutely! That's where I get these free $2000 hearing aids!

Get thee to thy nearest VA office and get yourself a VA ID card. Take your
proof of injury and make sure the card says "SERVICE CONNECTED" on the
front. You'll be given a physical for your first appointment. I don't use
them for anything but hearing, because like you, I'm on my wife's
insurance.

Did you apply for CSRS yet? Are you getting any VA benefits?
--
A Harry Krause truism:

"It's not a *baby* kicking, beautiful bride, it's just a fetus!"

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:06:31 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:47:25 -0500, JohnH wrote:

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:27:43 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
m...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:51:50 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Calif Bill" wrote in message
news:xbadnTX2lowlsLbUnZ2dnUVZ_vudnZ2d@earthl ink.com...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:18:11 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

I tell you, it was like being in hell.
Waited at 2 different stations, maybe an hour in total.
Seemed like 17 hours.

Too late now but you can do it all on the telephone.


Not really. I did it via wesite and they wanted to see the dd214.
Went
down and maybe 15 minutes, guy said not really needed, and told me
how
much money you working stiffs were going to send me each month.


What does your DD 214 have to do with SS?

Eisboch

They can explain better than I:

http://tinyurl.com/2rc6sh


Thanks. I am still a few years away from SS, but I'll save and remember
your link.
Apparently, there are many little known and often unused benefits
available for vets and/or surviving spouses. My sister, as a result of a
lot of digging, found an obscure benefit that now provides an extra $1k a
month in addition to her SS to help pay for assisted living costs.

Well, I didn't qualify for this one.

You are right with your statement. A retired Air Force Colonel I golf with
was in Vietnam. He has diabetes and various other ailments which have been
associated with Agent Orange. About a year ago I mentioned the Agent
Orange
program the military has been conducting. He knew nothing.

He's now getting almost double his retirement pay, and half of that is tax
free. It pays to keep up with the benefits.

Being retired, did you keep your VA medical?

I have 20% disability because of war related injuries and I'm entitled
to VA care, but I've never used the VA medical system because I
haven't needed to. I still don't because we have a private policy for
me and Mrs. Wave is covered by her employer.

I thought *all* vets were eligible for medical care no matter when they
served.


No.
--
A Harry Krause truism:

"It's not a *baby* kicking, beautiful bride, it's just a fetus!"