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Veterans' Notes: Who Can Get What (says the V.A.)

By VVAW

DISCHARGES; HOME LOANS; COUNSELLING

VETS NOTES carries some of the new laws, V.A. regulations, Congressional activities and court decisions of particular importance to vets. One of the problems with all these things is that vets--except those who work in the middle of the V.A or on other vets activities--are likely never to hear about them. So here are some of the most recent activities of the government concerning veterans.

UPGRADING OF DISCHARGES: According to a ruling by U.S. District Court, all Vietnam--era veterans given bad discharges after being forced to undergo testing for drug abuse will have their discharges raised to "honorable." About 10,000 Army vets are involved.

The judge ordered the Army to begin a search for those affected--those who went through the compulsory urinalysis testing ordered by deposed President Nixon in 1971. The Army must also issue a press and mail honorable discharge certificates to those vets it can find.

Ten thousand is a good chunk of bad discharges to be dealt with at one time, but most vets who got bad paper 6, 7, 8 years ago have already been screwed over--and have mostly learned to live with it. There's no way the change in policy can change their lives and the years that have survived with the bad discharges. But for some of these vets, the ruling opens up a shot at the GI Bill and various other benefits previously denied to them.

If you:

1. Got a general or undesirable discharge as a "drug abuser," and were found out because of the Army's urinalysis program, you qualify for this program.
2. Although the Army is supposed to send you the certificate, it's safe to guess they aren't going to try too hard to find you, particularly if you've moved from your home of record at the time of discharge.
3. The Vets Education Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (which represented vets in the case) have a toll-free number for information. That number is (800) 424-5402. Part of the judges order is that the military keep the lawyers informed about their progress in getting out the discharges, making the ACLU lawyers a kind of watchdog in the case. So if you get messed around trying to get the discharge changed, they are the people to call.

HOME LOANS: (This information comes from the Michigan Association of Concerned Veterans) Interest rates on home loans are so huge that the bottom has fallen out of the market--rates are up to 14 and 15%. V.A. loan guarantees are available at 11 1/2% and the seller is required by law to pay the difference between the V.A. loan rate and your mortgage company's rate. A V.A. loan guarantee will insure up to a $100,000 mortgage. Payments on the loan should be approximately $100 per $10,000 borrowed. And everyone should be clear that the V.A. isn't giving us anything--it's merely guaranteeing the loan.

Because of the state of the housing market, changes for getting a V.A. guaranteed loan are better than they have been for some time in the past. It's even reached the point where real estate brokers are looking for business from vets. As the MA CV Newsletter puts it, if you have the money and are interested, "contact a couple of real estate agents and get them to fight for your business...we spent some time, I recall, fighting for theirs."

GI BILL: The V.A. says it will "go all the way to the President, if necessary, " to get a 10% GI Bill hike in the next budget. Of course there was a raise in October of 1977 and inflation is only rising at about 12% a year...

RECALL: Plans are underway to give pre-assignment orders to selected military retirees before October, 1980. That would allow them to move quickly to their assignments in the case of a national emergency.

Right now the program's aimed at real, live retirees--officers and senior NCO's. First on the list will be Regular Army retirees who are less than five years out of the military. And who comes a little further down the line?

VIETNAM VET COUNSELING: A new program counseling for Vietnam--era vets with re-adjustment problems was officially started on October 1, 1979.

Vietnam--era vets must request such assistance within two years after discharge or before the 1st of October, 1981.