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While many look forward to Memorial Day weekend as a break and a way to kick off the summer season, the Oneida County Veterans Service Office hopes you’ll take time to remember why you have the day off.
“It’s not a ‘happy Memorial Day’ holiday. So many people say those words. It has nothing to do with those of us veterans who are still alive,” said Tammy Javenkoski, the Oneida County Veterans Service Officer.
She said she’s always surprised how many people don’t understand the meaning of Memorial Day.
“We are honoring the men and women that sacrificed their lives and if people don’t know that I really encourage them to attend a ceremony,” said Javenkoski.
Star Journal Veterans News: Understanding the definition of ‘catastrophically disabled’
Oneida County Veterans Services Officer
Veterans are considered to be catastrophically disabled when they have a severely disabling injury, disorder, or disease that permanently compromises their ability to carry out the activities of daily living. The disability must be of such a degree that the veteran requires personal or mechanical assistance to leave their home or bed or requires constant supervision to avoid physical harm to themselves or others.
Veterans determined to be catastrophically disabled are eligible for VA health care and placed into priority group four unless eligible for a higher priority group placement based on other eligibility criteria. A catastrophically disabled determination may be authorized when a VA clinician determines there is sufficient medical documentation without further evaluation (this would be for veterans a