Most Veterans are unaware of the programs and benefits afforded to them for their faithful and honorable service to our country. If you were honorably discharged (and in some case other than honorable) or you have a service-connected disability you may be entitled to a program or benefit that you were not aware of. This can possibly help you monetarily, employability or medically. Feel free to contact our Post Service Officer or seek the assistance of your County Veterans Service Officer for more information; it will only cost you time to find out if you qualify or to file your claim.
Member Discount Programs
All veterans who serve their country are entitled to certain benefits, but those who join The American Legion have additional benefits and programs available to them. Legionnaires qualify for a variety of services and special offers, ranging from health-care aid to discounts on computers and electronics.
Click this link to find out more about the American Legion benefits.
Florida DVA Benefits
Are you a veteran looking for assistance with your claim? Are you looking for assistance with benefits for your spouse and/or children? Contact our Post Service Officer for contact information on where you can get assistance. You can also go the FDVA website for direct assistance from the Florida Dept of Veteran Affairs. Every VA Hospital and Nursing home has either a FDVA representative onsite or available for your assistance.
Operation Outdoor Freedom
Operation Outdoor Freedom provides recreational and rehabilitative opportunities to wounded veterans on state forests, agricultural lands and private lands throughout Florida at no cost. Since its inception in 2009, Operation Outdoor Freedom has hosted more than 500 events and served approximately 4,100 wounded veterans.. Participants must be Florida residents (as defined in s. 379.101(30)(b)) who are honorably discharged military veterans with either a service-connected disability rating of 30% or greater from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs or be a Purple Heart recipient.
VA Benefits
VA to start processing disability claims for certain conditions related to particulate matter
If you need assistance in dealing with the Veterans Administration contact one of our County Veterans Service Officers. They can review your case, answer your questions and assist with the proper filing of your claim.
Additionally, there are so many programs and benefits via the VA for veterans that our County Veteran Service Officer can review with you and find the program or benefit that will help you and your family.
The VA Sunshine Health Network is available to veterans under VA care. If you fall ill and cannot get to the VA you can call the 800 number and either a RN or Dr will conduct phone triage with you. If medication is necessary they will place an order with the closest pharmacy, VA does cover the cost.
Homelessness is at epidemic proportions and our veterans are no exceptions. Halifax Urban Ministries operates The Barracks of Hope. Barracks of Hope provides transitional housing for up to 9 months to male and female veterans who have struggled with homelessness, addiction, and mental health. Single occupancy rooms are provided, along with mental health counseling, case management, and three meals per day. In 2019, Barracks of Hope served 52 veterans and helped move 28 into permanent housing.
Attn Disabled Vets, if you have mobility problems (cant get out of tub or you may slip and fall while using the shower), the VA will pay for grab bars to be installed in both of your bathrooms. FREE! Very good quality, local plumber comes to your home-fast and easy! If you worry about falling, please talk to your VA primary care doctor and ask for this service.
Here are some important links to help you find your way:
VA Electronic Benefits GI Bill VA Forms Certificate of Eligibility Volusia County VSO
What to do when a Veteran Passes Away
Burial With Your Spouse in a National Cemetery: Here’s What to Know
Your spouse served 20 years in the military. You assumed you’d be buried together in a national cemetery when the time comes. Then a friend mentioned that her sister couldn’t be buried with her veteran husband because she remarried after he died.
That’s not true. But confusion about national cemetery eligibility keeps families from accessing benefits they’ve earned.
Who Qualifies for Burial
Any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable qualifies for burial in a Department of Veterans Affairs national cemetery. That includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone and burial flag at no cost to the family.
Spouses qualify for burial with the veteran even if the spouse remarried after the veteran’s death. That detail surprises many people. A surviving spouse who remarries doesn’t lose eligibility for burial in a national cemetery. The remarriage doesn’t matter.
Minor dependent children qualify. Unmarried adult children with disabilities that began before age 21 also qualify under certain conditions. These family members can be buried in the national cemetery even if they die before the veteran.
Former spouses whose marriage ended in divorce or annulment don’t qualify unless they’re also veterans with their own service-connected eligibility.
The VA operates 156 national cemeteries in 42 states and Puerto Rico. Burial benefits include a gravesite with a grave liner, opening and closing of the grave, a headstone or marker and perpetual care. Eligible spouses qualify for all these.
For veterans, benefits also include a burial flag and military funeral honors arranged through the Department of Defense.
The spouse or dependent’s name and dates are inscribed on the veteran’s headstone at no cost. If the spouse or dependent dies first, their information gets added to the headstone. Then when the veteran dies later, burial happens in the same gravesite.
Cremated remains receive the same treatment as casketed remains. The VA maintains columbarium niches for cremated remains at many cemeteries. Some cemeteries offer scatter gardens specifically for cremated remains.
Presidential Memorial Certificates are available for any honorably discharged veteran. Family members can request the certificate, which is signed by the current president, to honor the veteran’s service.
You can apply years in advance to confirm eligibility. The pre-need determination process lets veterans and family members find out if they qualify before anyone dies. This eliminates uncertainty and speeds up arrangements when death occurs.
Apply online at va.gov or submit VA Form 40-10007 by mail or fax. You’ll need the veteran’s Social Security number, date and place of birth, military status and service history. A DD214 or other discharge documents help but aren’t required. The VA will search for records if you don’t have them.
If approved, you receive a pre-need decision letter. Keep it with important documents, and tell your family where it’s located. When death occurs, the family or funeral director calls the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 to schedule the burial. Having the pre-need letter speeds up the process significantly.
The pre-need application doesn’t obligate anyone to burial in a VA cemetery. Families can change their minds and arrange burial elsewhere. The letter just confirms eligibility if you choose national cemetery burial.
You can indicate a preferred cemetery on the application, but the VA can’t guarantee burial in a specific location. Cemeteries close to new burials when they run out of space. The VA assigns gravesites in cemeteries with available space at the time of death.
Many states operate their own veterans cemeteries separate from the VA system. Eligibility is similar to VA national cemeteries but may include residency requirements. Most states provide free burial and a headstone for the veteran. Many charge a fee under $1,000 for eligible spouses and dependents.
The VA provides grants to states for establishing and improving state veterans cemeteries. Currently 120 state, tribal and territorial veterans cemeteries receive VA funding.
Only 16 percent of veterans choose burial in a national cemetery, according to VA estimates. Many don’t know they’re eligible. Others never get around to planning.
The pre-need application takes about 15 minutes online. Processing typically takes a few weeks. The decision letter gives you and your family certainty about eligibility and simplifies arrangements during a difficult time.
National cemetery burial is an earned benefit. Veterans who served honorably and their families have the right to burial in a national shrine maintained in perpetuity. The application process removes guesswork and ensures families can access the benefit when needed.
Talk to your family about your wishes. Complete the pre-need application. Keep the decision letter accessible. These simple steps provide peace of mind and honor service to the nation.
Sources: VA, “Eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery,” “Burial and Memorial Benefits,” “Pre-need eligibility for burial in a VA cemetery,” “Burial and memorial benefits for family members” and “VA National Cemetery Burial Eligibility.” Military.com, “VA National Cemetery Burial Eligibility,” (2024). The American Legion, “Plan ahead for burial in a VA national cemetery,” (2025). MOAA, “Surviving Spouse Corner: What to Know About National Cemetery Burials,” (2025). Stay on Top of Your Military Benefits
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