Veterans eligible for special benefits

Dear Editor:

To honor Veterans Day, I'm writing to remind readers that Pennsylvania offers a special one-time payment to honor the service and sacrifice of its veterans who served on active duty in the Persian Gulf Theater of Operations from Aug. 2, 1990 - Aug. 31, 1991.

An estimated 20,000 veterans have yet to apply for this benefit, which pays $75 per month of qualifying active-duty service (up to a $525 maximum). For personnel who died through illness or injury received in the line of duty, an additional payment of $5,000 is available to their surviving family. Service members who were declared prisoners of war may also be eligible for an additional payment of $5,000.

To learn more, visit www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us http://www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us/ , or call, toll-free, 1-866-458-9182, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I invite readers to share this information with friends or family members to help ensure that every Persian Gulf War veteran from Pennsylvania receives this well-deserved benefit.

Brig. Gen. (PA)

Michael Gould

Deputy Adjutant General - Veterans Affairs

PennsylvaniaDepartment of Military

and Veterans Affairs