Four Reasons Veterans Don't Get Their Benefits

I had a wonderful conversation on Thursday with the local Veterans Service Officer ("VSO"), who's the sole point of contact for 11,000 veterans in the local area, and 34,000 family members, total.  We had a great and wide-ranging discussion, about many things that concern veterans, but one point he made really stood out.  He said something pretty remarkable about why veterans don't take more advantage of the benefits they're entitled to.  (This veterans service officer says the population he serves is composed of WWII veterans, and those from the Vietnam War, the Korean War, peacetime, and the Gulf War -- which includes OIF/OEF veterans -- in that order, rather than predominantly OIF/OEF veterans.  But still, it's illustrative...)  He says the top four reasons veterans don't take advantage of the benefits -- health, educational and otherwise -- that they're entitled to are that:

1. They don't know that the benefits exist;
2. They don't think they'd qualify;
3. They don't know how to apply for the benefits, or assume that applying would be a real "pain in the butt";
4. They rationalize that there are others "worse off than me."  He says he hears that about once a week.  Very noble, truly, but not great when it comes to getting the benefits that service has entitled them to.  As the officer said, enthusiastically, "The veterans have EARNED those benefits!  The sacrifices they've made...!"

More about this conversation later...