# **Benefits for Merchant Marines**

> On January 19, 1988, the Secretary of the Air Force declared certain
> Merchant Marine service as qualifying for Veterans benefits. Merchant
> seamen who served in active oceangoing service from December 7, 1941
> to August 15, 1945 are considered to be veterans. Also eligible are
> Civil Service crewmembers serving aboard U.S. Army Transport Service
> and Naval Transportation Service vessels in oceangoing service. **If
> you wish to be considered for VA benefits, you should apply for a
> discharge certificate (DD Form 214) by completing DD Form 2168
> (Application For Discharge of Member or Survivor of Member of Group
> Certified To Have Performed Active Duty With the Armed Services of the
> United States) and sending it to:**

**USCG -- National Maritime Center**

**(NMC-421)**

**ATTN: WWII**

**100 Forbes Drive**

**Martinsburg, WV 25404**

**Main Inquiry Line: 1-888-I-ASK-NMC (1-888-427-5662)**

**Alternate Line: 1-304-433-3400**

The discharge certificate issued by the Coast Guard will reflect dates
of all wartime voyages. The remark section will show inclusive dates of
each voyage. Each voyage will be considered a separate period of active
service in determining eligibility for benefits and services.

**In general, merchant marine veterans who obtain discharge certificates
and their survivors may be eligible for the following benefits from the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):**

**Disability Compensation** -- The VA pays compensation for disabilities
incurred or aggravated during military service. It is of primary
importance to list information on the application form showing dates and
places of medical treatment received in service which relate to the
condition for which you are claiming service connection. If medical
records are available, please include them with your application. If
not, the VA will make every effort to obtain the records. **Use VA Form
21-526 to apply.**

**Dependency and Indemnity Compensation** -- Payments are authorized for
surviving spouses, unmarried children under 18 (as well as certain
helpless children and those between 18 and 23 if attending a VA-approved
school) and certain parents of veterans who died from service connected
disabilities. Surviving spouses and children **use** **VA Form 21-534 to
apply. Dependent parents use VA Form 21-535.**

**Disability Pension** -- For wartime veterans, surviving spouses and
children with limited incomes. Veterans who are permanently and totally
disabled because of nonservice-connected disability may be eligible.
Veterans **use** **VA Form 21-526 to apply**; survivors **use VA Form
21-534.**

**Medical Care --** The VA provides hospital care covering the full
range of medical services for all service-connected conditions, to
veterans in receipt of VA pension or those eligible for Medicaid.
Outpatient treatment is available to veterans with service-connected
conditions. Hospital care may be provided on a space-available basis to
nonservice-connected veterans with incomes within certain limitations.
Veterans with incomes more than these limitations may be furnished
hospital care on a space-available basis if they agree to make a
co-payment to the VA. Application should be made to the VA Medical
Center on **VA Form 10-10EZ.**

**Dental Treatment** -- Treatment is available for veterans with dental
disabilities resulting from combat wounds or service injuries.

**Home Loan Guaranty** -- The VA will guarantee your loan for the
purchase of a home, manufactured home or condominium. **Apply for a
certificate of eligibility on VA Form 26-1880.**

**Burial Benefits** -- The VA provides certain burial benefits,
including interment in a national cemetery, a headstone or marker,
partial reimbursement for burial expenses and a burial flag. Postmortem
requests for burial in a national cemetery should be made to the
director of the cemetery in which burial is desired. **Application for
the burial allowance should be made on VA Form 21-530, for a headstone
or marker on VA Form 40-1330, and for a burial flag on VA Form
21-2008.**

**GI Insurance** -- Life insurance (up to \$10,000) is available for
veterans with service-connected disabilities.

**Vocational Rehabilitation** -- In limited circumstances, eligibility
for vocational rehabilitation may be established. Basic eligibility
requires a service-connected disability rated by VA at 20%, however
there are certain exceptions and eligibility will be determined on the
merits of individual cases. If eligibility is established, the VA will
pay tuition, books, tools or other expenses and provide a monthly living
allowance. Employment assistance is also available to help a
rehabilitated veteran get a job. **Use VA Form 28-1900 to apply**.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Section 402 of P.L. 105-368 , "Veterans Programs
Enhancement Act of 1998", amended title 46, United States Code, by
adding chapter 112, which provides that the "qualified service" of
certain merchant mariners between August 16, 1945, and December 31,
1946, would be deemed active duty service for purposes of benefits
eligibility under chapters 23 (Burial Benefits) and 24 (National
Cemeteries and Memorials) of title 38, United States Code. Depending on
the type of merchant marine service, certification of "qualified
service" must come from the Department of Transportation or the
Department of Defense.

Basic eligibility has thus been extended to covered merchant mariners
for the following benefits: burial flags, burial allowance for certain
indigent wartime veterans, plot allowance payable to a State for burial
in certain "state owned" cemeteries or cemetery sections, headstones and
markers, internment in national cemeteries, markers in memorial areas of
national cemeteries, and markers in memorial areas of Arlington National
Cemetery. In general, benefits may be

provided only for deaths occurring after November 11, 1998. However, in
the case of an initial burial or columbarium placement in a national
cemetery after November 11, 1998, benefits incident to burial and the
provision of a headstone or marker are authorized regardless of the date
of death.

For further information, please consult the following list of VA
toll-free numbers for the number which applies to your specific needs or
circumstances:

Nationwide 1-800-827-1000

VA Life Insurance 1-800-669-8477

Telecommunications

Device for Deaf 1-800-829-4833

Health Benefits 1-877-222-8387

Or you may visit us at our web site: [www.va.gov](http://www.va.gov/)

You may also apply for benefits on-line at:
[http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov](http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/)

Application forms may be downloaded at:
<http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms1.htm>