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WAUSHARA COUNTY VETERAN'S SERVICE OFFICE
230 West Park Street – North Building
Wautoma, Wisconsin, 54982
920-787-0446
veteran.parkstreet@co.waushara.wi.us
Waushara County Veterans
Service Officer - Fred Kaiser
Administrative Assistant: Dawn DeBraal
The Veterans Service Officer provides counseling and assisting military veterans and their
dependents or survivors in claiming various Federal, State and County entitlements or benefits.
The Veteran Service Officer is in the office Monday thru Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. Veterans
are encouraged to call for an appointment.
The office is also staffed by a full-time administrative assistant who is also available from 8 AM
to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.
The governing committee of three Waushara County supervisors currently meets on the 2nd Monday of each month in the county veterans' service office, with meeting times, subject to change.
Some of the Federal VA veterans benefits include:
- Health Care Benefits
- Pensions
- Compensation (this is related to illness or injury from military service)
- Home Loans
- Education and Training programs
- Burial benefits
- Survivor Benefits
- Headstone or markers
Some of the State (WDVA) veterans benefits include:
- Home Mortgage Loans
- Personal Loan Program
- Home Improvement Loan Program
- Part time Study Grant
- Subsistence Aid Grant
- Health Care Aid Grant
- Veterans Assistance Program
- Retraining Grants
- Wisconsin Veterans Home at King and Union Grove
- State Veteran Memorial Cemeteries
- Military Funeral Honors Program
Any questions, contact Fred Kaiser, Waushara County Veterans Service Officer at 230 W. Park Street,
Wautoma, WI 54982 or telephone – 920-787-0446.
New announcements at 2/22/10
Click here to read the March 2010 Vets Vantage
New announcements at 10/31/08
VA Secretary Establishes ALS as a Presumptive Compensable Illness -
Cites Association between Military Service and Later Development of ALS
WASHINGTON – Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may receive badly-needed
support for themselves and their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with 90 days or more
of continuously active service in the military.
"Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general population, and it was appropriate to
take action," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said.
Secretary Peake based his decision primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy of
Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association between active-duty service and ALS. "We are extremely grateful to Secretary Peake, Congressman Henry Brown and Senator Lindsey Graham
for standing on the side of veterans with ALS across the country," said Gary Leo, president and CEO of The ALS Association. "Thanks to their leadership, veterans with ALS will receive the benefits
and care they need, when they need them. Thanks to their efforts, no veteran with ALS will ever be left behind."
The report, titled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Veterans: Review of the Scientific Literature,
analyzed numerous previous studies on the issue and concluded that "there is limited and suggestive evidence of an association between military service and later development of ALS." "ALS is a
disease that progresses rapidly, once it is diagnosed," the Secretary explained. "There simply isn't time to develop the evidence needed to support compensation claims before many veterans
become seriously ill. My decision will make those claims much easier to process, and for them and their families to receive the compensation they have earned through their service to our
nation."
ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neuromuscular disease that affects about 20,000 to
30,000 people of all races and ethnicities in the United States, is often relentlessly progressive, and is almost always fatal. ALS causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal
cord that leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous muscle activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no effective treatment.
The new interim final regulation applies to all applications for benefits received by VA on or
after September 23, 2008, or that are pending before VA, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, or the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on that date. VA
will work to identify and contact veterans with ALS, including those whose claims for ALS were previously denied, through direct mailings and other outreach programs. To view the entire
regulation published in the Federal Register today, go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-21998_PI.pdf. For more information on VA's disability compensation program, go to
www.va.gov or contact 1-800-827-1000.
For the latest news releases and other information, visit VA on the Internet at
http://www.va.gov/opa.
To receive e-mail copies of news releases, subscribe to VA's list server at: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm.
New announcements at 10/13/08
Monetary Benefits Available for Qualifying Wisconsin Veterans
Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and
services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Two such programs include compensation for a service connected disability and non-service connected disability pension.
These programs are managed by the Veterans Benefits Administration.
VA benefits eligibility is dependent upon individual circumstances. The following is a
general description of how the programs work, however, for specific details it is recommended that you contact the Waushara County Veterans Service Office at (920)787-0446.
Disability compensation
is a monthly monetary benefit paid to veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service, or a service connected disability. Veterans with certain severe disabilities may be eligible for additional special monthly compensation and compensation for dependents if they are over 30% disabled. The benefits are not subject to federal or state income tax.
To be eligible, the service of the veteran must have been terminated through separation or
discharge under conditions other than dishonorable.
Pension
is a monthly payment made to a veteran. Veterans with low incomes who are permanently and totally disabled, or are age 65 and older, may be eligible for monetary support if they have 90 days or more of active military service, at least one day of which was during a period of war. (Veterans who entered active duty on or after Sept. 8, 1980, or officers who entered active duty on or after Oct. 16, 1981, may have to meet a longer minimum period of active duty). The veteran's discharge must have been under conditions other than dishonorable and the disability must be for reasons other than the veteran's own willful misconduct. Payments are made to bring the veteran's total income, including other retirement or Social Security income, to a level set by Congress. Un-reimbursed medical expenses may reduce countable income for VA purposes.
Waushara County Veterans Service Office can assist with obtaining documents, forms and appointing a
representative if so desired.
Information about the compensation and pension programs is available from the following sources:
- Waushara County Veterans Services Office (920)-787-0446
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website at www.va.gov or call the federal VA toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.
- The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) website, at www.WisVets.com, or call the department toll-free at 1-800-WIS-VETS (1-800-947-8387).
New announcements at 10/1/08
FREE ACCESS FOR DISABLED VETERANS TO STATE PARKS AND TRAILS:
The State of Wisconsin will, beginning October 1, 2008, provide free access to Wisconsin
State Parks and Trails for severely disabled veterans and ex-prisoners of war. Following enactment of 2007 Wis. Act 165 (formerly SB 49).
According to the new law, those eligible will include veterans who are residents of Wisconsin who
have been determined by the federal VA to be individually unemployable or who have a combined VA disability rating that is 70 percent or greater. Also eligible will be current and former members of
the U.S. armed services who were held as a prisoner of war during their military service. To qualify, Wisconsin veterans will need to provide documentation verifying their state residency and VA
disability rating or ex-POW status.
The Waushara County Veterans Services Office has obtained the application for the Disabled Veteran
Free State Park/Forest/Trail Pass Application, or the application can be found on line at the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. www.dnr.wi.gov
New announcements at 7/11/08
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