Evening star., 1947-11-23
Guide for

By Maj. Thomas M. NioI

A question which has come ur
many times before still troubles the
disabled ex-service world.
In 1914 Congress passed and the
President approved law which out.
lines exactly which veterans are en-
titled to what preference in obtain
ing jobs under the jurisdiction of the
civil service.
One of the points the law makes
it's called the Veterans Preference
Act of 1944-is that disabled vet
Grams are entitled to 10-point pref
erance, and nondisabled get points.
The question is: To be classified
as disabled, does a veteran have to
rate disability compensation? In
other words, does his disability have
to be rated at least 10 per cent in
degree?
In previous columns have said,
"No. the disability (Which must be
service does not have to
be 10 per cent and it does have to
be pensionable for the veteran to
rate his 10 points"
Then F. j. r. Of Waterloo. Iowa
wrote as follows: Il disagree with
your statement. 1 am a disabled vet
eran employed in civil service job
I have a 10-point preference.
ITO get it, had to get a statement
from the chief medical officer of the
State Veterans Administration say
Il ing was drawing compensation for
a service-connected disability Other
wise, the c. S. would not have grant
ed me 10-point preference. This
happened last spring"
| So asked the Civil Service Com
mission. Here's the verbatim reply
I got:
ITO rate 10 points, veteran does
not have to have a pensionable
service-connect disability. All he
has to have is a service connected
disability. ALI he has to do is submit
some kind OF proof that he came out
Of service with a rvice-connected
disability and that he still has it. "
If that's true. and it must be, why
did F. j. r. have to get that state
ment from the chief VA medical
officer? Probably because his en-
ployer figured that would be the
quickest and simplest way for him
to prove that he had a service-c con-
nected disability.
have a feeling though, that some
Federal employers may not be aware
that the 10-point preference does not
depend on a pensionable disability
but rather that it depends on a
service-connected disability regard
less of degree.
So If you should happen to- run
into an employer who's off the beam
and doesn't realize how this thing
works, stick up for your rights and
insist on your 10-point preference.
Query from j. B. L., soddy, Tenn.
II completely lost the use Of my
right hand in the war. Am I entitled
to a car under the cars-for-amputees
law?"
Sorry, no. Only those who lost, or
lost the use of, one or both legs at
or above the ankle are eligible.
From E. w. B., Minooka, Pa:
Il was in service eight months and
one week How many readjustment
allowances can I draw"
You get eight allowances for each
of the first three months served and
four for each other month, up to a
maximum of 50 allowances. So youd d
get Is plus 20 or a total of A allow
ances, provided you were discharged
under conditions other than dis
honorable and provided you were
discharged before July IS, 1947.
From Mrs. A. M. Cumberland,
Md: Are all the parents of sons
killed in the war eligible for death
pension from the VA?"
No. Only those who would be de-
pendent upon the deceased if the
deceased were living.
Maj. Mai and his staff are
equipped to ans,ger any question
from a World War II peteran.
Send your questions to him in
care of this newspaper and in
close selt-addressed, stamped
envelope.
STAMPS AND COINS.
Gald and Silver RnuEht and Sald