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Not For Profit: Veterans Affairs Office

July 28, 2008 — Trips to St. Thomas can eat up time and money, and St. John veterans can save both by meeting at the Battery with local Veterans Affairs staff on Fridays at the Administrator's Office.
Program coordinator Keishell Daniel is usually the one setting up shop at the office from 10:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Friday.
"We're doing it just to make it easier for veterans on St. John," Morris Moorehead, who heads the Veterans Affairs Office, said.
The local Veterans Affairs Office reimburses St. John veterans, no matter where they joined the service, 100 percent of the transportation costs for medical care at the federal Veterans Affairs facilities on St. Thomas and Puerto Rico. Veterans need to submit receipts.
While the federal Veterans Affairs agency will pay transportation costs for service-related treatment, it won't for non-service related treatment. The local office fills in this gap.
And veterans who need someone to help them get to the St. Thomas or Puerto Rico federal Veterans Affairs facilities will have the transportation costs for the attendant paid for by the local Veterans Affairs office.
Those veterans also get free Health Department ambulance service.
All veterans get a $650 property tax exemption on their primary residence. It comes in addition to the $400 homestead exemption that all property tax payers get for their primary residence. After getting the forms from the Veterans Affairs staff member, apply through the Tax Assessor's Office at the Lieutenant Governor's Office.
All veterans also get a free license plate when the Motor Vehicle Department changes license plates.
Those who joined the service while living in the Virgin Islands get an additional roster of benefits. When the staff member visits St. John, veterans can pick up myriad forms that help them procure those benefits from other local government agencies.
"You must verify that you are a veteran," Moorehead said.
When a veteran who signed up in the Virgin Islands dies, the person who pays for the funeral gets $3,500 for funeral cost.
"Bring a copy of the bill," Moorehead said.
Those veterans also can get $110,000 home loan with 4 percent interest from the local government. They're also eligible for loans up to $40,000 for renovations and $50,000 for land purchases. These programs are run by the V.I. Housing Finance Authority.
Veterans who signed up in the Virgin Islands get free tuition at the University of the Virgin Islands applicable after the tuition benefit from the G.I. Bill runs out. Free veterans' tuition is also available for those taking Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) classes.
The Taxi Commission has set aside two taxi medallions for veterans on each island. Two are available every year.
Reach the Veterans Affairs Office on St. Thomas at 774-6100. On St. Croix, call 773-6663 . On St. John, the Administrator's Office is the building in the middle at the Battery for those looking to meet with local Veterans Affairs staff on Fridays.
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