VA Aid & Attendance: What Does A “War Time” Veteran Mean?

VA Aid & Attendance:  What Does A “War Time Veteran” Mean?

The Veteran Pension — Aid and Attendance — is also called “non service related disability” as the veteran does not need to have been injured while in the service but the veteran does need to be a war time veteran.

So, “What does wartime veteran mean?”

Let’s talk about what it means and what it does not mean.

It DOES mean that the veteran had to be active duty (at least one day) during the time periods recognized by the government as being a time of war.

For example — World War II; Korean War; and the Vietnam War (see dates below).

It DOES NOT mean the veteran had to be in combat.

It does not mean the veteran had to be “in country” in Europe/Asia (World War II) or Korea or Vietnam.

The veteran could have been stationed in Alabama or anywhere else — the critical factor is to simply be active duty during the war.

Those who actually served in combat deserve our special admiration but this benefit will help all veterans who were active duty during a time of war.

So, what are the dates for the wartime periods?

• World War II – December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946.  (If in Service on December 31, 1946 with continuous Service before July 7, 1946, then this qualifies as wartime service.)
• Korean War – June 27, 1950 through January 31, 1955
• Vietnam War – There are two periods:  For veterans who served in the country of Vietnam, the period is February 28, 1961 through May 7, 1975.  This is sometimes called “in country” when the veteran was actually in Vietnam.  For veterans who did not actually go into Vietnam, the time period is August 5, 1964 through May 5, 1975.

(We will talk in a separate article about the Gulf War which is defined as August 2, 1990 to the present.

For the Gulf War, the length of time for active duty is different.  It’s typically 24 months or a full tour of duty.

This is why this will be a separate article.)

There are other requirements that we will cover in our other articles in this series.

Just remember though that the requirement of “wartime veteran” does not mean in combat.

It simply means being a veteran, active duty, while a war occurred.

Remember this benefit can provide up to $2,071 a month in tax free benefits to a veteran with one dependent (a spouse is counted as a “dependent” by the VA).

It also provides benefits to surviving spouses of war time veterans.

This money can be a tremendous help in providing home health care or assisted living care to avoid having to go to a nursing home.

Keep in mind that many veterans who qualify for this never even apply.  

Often this tragedy occurs because they believe one of the big 3 “myths” about getting this Aid & Attendance or Special Pension benefit.

Don’t fall for these myths — instead get with an accredited VA attorney and find out your options and rights as a war time veteran.

Contact Us.

If you live in Alabama you are welcome to set up a call or meeting with us.

Let us know through our contact form.

Or you can pick up the phone and dial 205-879-2447.

We’ll be happy to chat with you!

Have a great day.

-John G. Watts