Veterans, let’s talk about you, the veteran.

What is a veteran?

I recently had a discussion with a vet who stated, “I’m not a veteran. I never served in a war.”

Folks, this is simply not true and please don’t think this way. You may be cheating yourself out of benefits that the law states you are eligible for. This country has the finest military in the world and if you served in it, whether you served in peace time, during a time of war or in a war zone, you are still a veteran.

For Veterans Affairs or VA purposes, the definition of “veteran” is “a person who served in the active military, naval or air service, and who was discharged or released from the service under conditions other than dishonorable.”

Veterans who entered active duty as an enlisted person after Sept. 7, 1980, or as an officer after Oct. 16, 1981, will probably have to meet a minimum active duty requirement.

There are some advantages for veterans who served in a time of war, but in general there are benefits available to all veterans. In theory, health care is one of them. However, because of budget requirements the VA cannot offer health care to every veteran who meets these basic requirements.

The law contains a complex system of priorities, mostly based on disability, income and age. The law benefits a lot of veterans who live in Eastern Oregon.

The VA home loan guaranty program is another program open to most veterans. It offers advantages that other loan programs do not. The major advantage of the VA home loan program is that most VA loans are made with little or no down payment. Included in this but separate is the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, or ORVET, Home Loans.

ORVET Home Loans are never sold and are managed by ODVA throughout the life of the loan. The current maximum loan amount is $417,000 and interest rates are generally below market.

Employment assistance is also available. Worksource Oregon assists veterans in finding employment in private industry, in federal service and in local government. You may be eligible for veterans preference points for some employment.

Veterans, you earned these benefits. Please use them.

Call me for additional information or to set up an appointment, 541-962-8802. I am located at the Center for Human Development, 2301 Cove Ave., La Grande.

Byron Whipple is the Union County veterans service officer.