An increased number of veterans and surviving spouses filing for benefits as evolving federal legislation and a growing regional population fuel a surge in claims.
Putnam County Veteran Service Officer Mark Harris said the 2022 PACT Act expanded the medical conditions and geographic areas qualifying veterans for service-connected benefits.
“We’re seeing more of the Vietnam veterans because when they first separated from service, they wanted nothing to do with the government,” Harris said. “And so they kind of just disappeared in the sense for a period of time.”
Overton County VFW Post 5062 Adjutant Ron Conner said Vietnam veterans are helping younger generations assume leadership roles in local service organizations. Conner said their efforts also helped establish a more accessible benefits system for veterans who served after September 11.
“I give a lot of the Vietnam guys a lot of credit,” Conner said. “We wouldn’t have what we have today if it wasn’t for them. And because of them, the respect and the processes that they set up, the post-9/11 guys are having a much easier time getting the benefits they’ve earned.”
Harris said many older veterans delayed filing claims because they believed other service members needed the assistance more. Harris said the PACT Act has also helped veterans whose medical conditions were never documented during service by expanding the conditions presumed to be service-connected.
The legislation also expanded qualifying conditions for Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans, including illnesses associated with toxic exposures, Harris said. Additionally, surviving spouses may qualify for benefits if a veteran died from a presumptive service-connected condition, even if the veteran never received disability payments.
Conner said transportation remains a major challenge for aging veterans in rural communities, particularly those who can no longer drive. Conner said some must travel up to two hours to reach medical appointments in Cookeville or Murfreesboro.
Harris said a new VA clinic in Putnam County and a planned state veterans cemetery in White County will expand regional services. Harris said continued migration of veterans into the Upper Cumberland could quickly fill the additional capacity.
Harris encouraged veterans to secure their DD-214 discharge paperwork so their families can access necessary records when seeking assistance. Conner said veterans should also educate themselves about available benefits rather than be intimidated by the application process.
“I think the biggest thing they can do is start educating themselves, not be intimidated by the process, what it takes to get into the VA system, and just do it,” Conner said. “They’re there, they’re just sitting there waiting for you come take it.”
Harris said groundbreaking for the new state veterans cemetery in White County is scheduled for January 11.