Benefits Eligibility

Eligibility Requirements

*Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214s must specify campaign: Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.
Era of Service	Dates	Requirements for Veteran Status
Grenada Campaign*	October 25, 1983 - December 15, 1983	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Korea	June 25, 1950 - January 31, 1955	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Korean Defense Service Medal	July 28, 1954 - To Be Determined	90 days of active duty service, last discharge or release under honorable conditions and the Korean Defense Service Medal.
Lebanon Campaign*	August 25,1982 - To Be Determined	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Peace Time	May 8, 1975 - August 1, 1990	180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Peace Time	July 26, 1947 - June 24, 1950	180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Peace Time	November 12, 1918 - September 15, 1940	180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Panama Campaign*	December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Persian Gulf	August 2, 1990 - To Be Determined	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Vietnam I	February 1, 1955 - August 04, 1964	180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
Vietnam II	August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
WW I	April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.
WW II (Merchant Marine: December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946)	September 16, 1918 - July 25, 1947	90 days of active duty service, one (1) day during "wartime" and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

Eligibility Notes

For Guard Members to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code -OR - Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the above chart.

For Reservists to qualify, they must have been called to regular active duty, at which point their eligibility can be determined by the above chart.

Exceptions

Training Duty Exception

Active duty service in the armed forces shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability)

It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability per the Discharge Certificate, or died in the service under honorable conditions.

Eligible Dependents

The following categories of persons may qualify as dependents eligible to receive veterans' benefits:

Spouse of the veteran.
Widow or widower of the veteran.
Dependent parent of the veteran.
Any person who acted as a parent to the veteran for five years immediately preceding the commencement of the veteran's wartime service.
Child of the veteran until his or her 19th birthday.
Child of the veteran between 19 years and 23 years of age while the child is attending high school, an institution of higher learning or some other accredited educational institution provided that the applicant is in receipt of benefits under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 115.
Child of the veteran 19 years of age or older who is mentally or physically unable to support himself or herself and was affected by the disability prior to his or her 18th birthday.
Legally adopted children of the veteran.

Who is Not Eligible?

None of the following shall be deemed to be a veteran:

Any person, who at the time of entering into the armed forces of the United States, had declared his/her intention to become a subject or citizen of the United States and withdrew his/her intention under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918.
Any person who was discharged from the said armed forces on his/her own application or solicitation by reason of his/her being an enemy alien.
Any person who has been proved guilty of willful desertion.
Any person whose only service in the armed forces of the United States consists of his/her service as a member of the Coast Guard auxiliary or as a temporary member of the Coast Guard Reserve, or both.
Any person whose last discharge or release from the armed forces is dishonorable.

Additional Information

For additional information regarding eligibility as a veteran, please contact your local Director of Veterans' Services/Veterans' Agent at the City of Lowell located at:
Senior Center
276 Broadway Street
2nd Floor
Lowell, MA 01852

Or please call the office directly at 978-674-4066.