Blog – Page 2 – SOVO

1611 Virginia Ave., Ste 212, Box 406, North Bend , Oregon 97459 Hours: By Appointment Only sovo4vets@gmail.com 541-756-8718 (Office) 541-756-8758 (Fax)

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VA Secretary Robert Wilkie Delivers Address Honors Veterans

from the US Department of Veterans Affairs

I’m Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie.

On Veterans Day in 1988, Ronald Reagan said …”We remember those who were called upon to give all a person can give, and we remember those who were prepared to make that sacrifice if it were demanded of them in the line of duty. . . Most of all, we remember the devotion and gallantry with which all of them ennobled their nation as they became champions of a noble cause.”

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Veterans’ Day Virtual Celebration

from ODVA

Join the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs as we honor, remember and celebrate all veterans in our first-ever Virtual Statewide Veterans’ Day Celebration. Streaming on the ODVA Facebook page at 11 a.m. Nov 11.

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How to replace lost documents

Credit to KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

Many folks have lost important documents through natural disasters, moves, or simply misplacing them. In the wake of the recent disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management came together to produce this list to obtain copies of lost documents.

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VA has completed nearly half of all Blue Water disability claims received in 2020

Press Release
US Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has decided more than 34,000 Blue Water Navy disability claims, under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, effective Jan. 1, — which extends the presumption of exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange to Veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

As of Sept. 30, VA has processed 34,415 (48%) of 69,570 claims received, of which 24,328 (71%) have been granted — awarding more than $664 million in retroactive benefits to eligible Veterans and families.

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ODVA Veterans Advisory Committee issues Annual Report

The Advisory Committee’s quarterly meeting slated for September 9, 2020 was canceled due to wildfires, but they still managed to issue the FY 2019-2020 Annual Report.

The 20-page report covers the Veteran Landscape, Core Operations, Key Accomplishments, Partnerships, Return on Investment of Federal Veteran Benefits and Strategic Planning for the future. Read More

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New site offers Veterans, family members VA benefits, services information

from VA.gov

VA’s new website landing page makes it easier for Veterans and family members to access VA benefits and services information. The website, www.va.gov/getstarted, provides two newly updated booklets on information about VA benefits and services, as well as how to apply for them.

The first booklet is the 2020 Federal Benefits Handbook for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors. The handbook contains a comprehensive listing of VA benefits and services with direct links to contact. To download a .pdf copy of the booklet, click here.

The second resource booklet, the VA Welcome Kit, complements the handbook with easy-to-understand words and graphics to better navigate VA’s many benefits.

This booklet is structured on the idea that no two Veterans are the same, and not all experience major life events and moments in the same order.

Based on where a Veteran is in his or her life, VA serves Veterans in different ways. This resource includes a journey map to help explore how VA supports Veterans both now and in the future. To download a .pdf copy of the VA Welcome Kit, click here.

To read more, about the new resource, click here.

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VA finishes digitizing deck logs for blue water Vietnam veterans, should speed disability claims

from ODVA

In a move that should speed up disability claims for some Vietnam veterans, officials announced Monday they have completed digitizing thousands of deck logs from ships stationed offshore during that war, enabling researchers to better determine where troops served and what toxins they may have encountered.

Completion of the project is the culmination of more than a year of work between Veterans Affairs and National Archives and Records Administration officials. The move was prompted by legislation passed in summer 2019 mandating VA award presumptive benefits status to veterans who served in the waters off Vietnam during the war there five decades ago.

To read the full story in the Military Times, click here.

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Veterans Should Check Their VA Billing Before the End of the Year

from ODVA

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs wants to remind Oregon veterans who are enrolled in the VA Health Care System that they may still be accruing copays and other regular expenses even though they are not receiving bills.

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WWII Veteran Celebrates 100th Birthday with Help of SOVO Volunteers

Charles Evans, WWII Veteran celebrates his 100th birthday at Inland Point Retirement Community. (photo courtesy of Inland Point).

Charles Evans celebrated his 100th birthday at Inland Point this past week with a drive-by parade of his supporters. SOVO volunteers were part of the celebration honoring this WWII veteran. See other pictures below.

Thomas Benz, SOVO Board Director and Treasurer, extends his well-wishes to Charles Evans, WWII Veteran on Evans’ 100 birthday.

Fellow veterans and well-wishers join the drive-by birthday celebration at Inland Point Retirement Community for WWII Veteran Charles Evans on his 100th birthday.

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Introducing new Director on SOVO Board

Krystal Hopper is the newest member of the SOVO Board of Directors. Krystal is the proud daughter of a military family and a strong advocate for Veterans. She serves as co-lead of the annual North Bend Veterans Stand Down and the South Coast Veterans Assistance Network (SCVAN). She serves on the Board for the Oregon Coast Military Museum and is a member of the Oregon South Coast Patriot Guard Riders. She facilitated the founding of the Women Veterans of the Oregon Coast and was instrumental in the founding of SWOCC Student Veteran Organization, where she was a vocal advocate for the current Veterans Center on campus. Krystal has served as the Director of Communications for Operation Rebuild Hope, currently serves as an Alumni Board Member, and has volunteered many hours towards their Veteran Housing projects, which include the Timberwolves Den and Bryan’s Home.