Military Veterans, The PACT Act and your VA benefits.

[Ray-IN]

Veterans might want to share this information with their loves ones about the inevitable.
Details here: https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/
Burial benefits for veterans and their families: https://www.va.gov/SURVIVORS/docs/NCAQuickGuideADA.pdf

 

[Chef Duane]

Good info.
My dad was buried with VA benefits. USAAF WWII. I'm a Vet but my burial site will be next to my wife in the family plot purchased years ago. Preference for me is to be cremated. I think the Vet will pay for my headstone tho.

 

[Oldgator73]

I don’t care what they do with me. I’ll be ded dead!

 

[OldWEB]

I don’t care what they do with me. I’ll be ded dead!

I hope to be screaming what the great John Prine sang....
I signed off on any parts to go where needed... Do not even care if the University has their way with the body.

 

[Domo]

Also a good idea to have the rest of the paperwork ready for an easy transition. We've all heard stories of bank accounts locked in probate because there wan't a properly executed will. They're true and come at a time that is (possibly) devastating already.

But meanwhile, joint ownership of accounts, trusts, property helps skip probate.

And another thing is living will, power of attorney for health care, etc.

We really don't want to send our relatives on wild goose chases when they should be trying to figure out how to spend the money rather than how to get at it. Hmmm... maybe I could have said that better... but you know what I mean.

Thanks @Ray-IN, maybe not the best topic you've started, but a good reminder for all our fellow vets and everyone else...

 

[Ray-IN]

Good info.
My dad was buried with VA benefits. USAAF WWII. I'm a Vet but my burial site will be next to my wife in the family plot purchased years ago. Preference for me is to be cremated. I think the Vet will pay for my headstone tho.

re: headstone. That's explained in the links.

 

[Ray-IN]

Also a good idea to have the rest of the paperwork ready for an easy transition. We've all heard stories of bank accounts locked in probate because there wan't a properly executed will. They're true and come at a time that is (possibly) devastating already.

But meanwhile, joint ownership of accounts, trusts, property helps skip probate.

And another thing is living will, power of attorney for health care, etc.

We really don't want to send our relatives on wild goose chases when they should be trying to figure out how to spend the money rather than how to get at it. Hmmm... maybe I could have said that better... but you know what I mean.

Thanks @Ray-IN, maybe not the best topic you've started, but a good reminder for all our fellow vets and everyone else...

This is a subject no-one wants to discuss, but death is coming eventually.
This began with DW and I discussing our plans for when the other died first. DW said she hadn't a clue who to contact, or what to do, so I began assembling a folder with instructions, references, and other important information about our financial connections. We will be prepaying for funerals and have the headstone already set.
I told her immediately after my funeral to contact the American Legion service officer, who knows all the contacts and steps that must be taken.
BTW, this service officer will work with every survivor to insure the proper steps are accomplished, regardless if the deceased was a member of the AL. Then every county in the U.S.A. also has a veterans service officer that has that same responsibility and works with the AL service officer to insure nothing is forgotten.

 

[Rene T]

This is a subject no-one wants to discuss, but death is coming eventually.
This began with DW and I discussing our plans for when the other died first. DW said she hadn't a clue who to contact, or what to do, so I began assembling a folder with instructions, references, and other important information about our financial connections. We will be prepaying for funerals and have the headstone already set.
I told her immediately after my funeral to contact the American Legion service officer, who knows all the contacts and steps that must be taken.
BTW, this service officer will work with every survivor to insure the proper steps are accomplished, regardless if the deceased was a member of the AL. Then every county in the U.S.A. also has a veterans service officer that has that same responsibility and works with the AL service officer to insure nothing is forgotten.

It just so happens I use the VFW. He is the 1st one to call. I have all the information she will need when I go first. Things like VA applications for a bronze marker for the grave site. Telephone numbers of all the. Entities that need to be contacted along with which ones will need a original death certificates and the ones that only need a copy.