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Updated: 12 January 2010 / 19:13 hrs

Service Assistance Resources

Resources to Help Veterans Maintain and Understand Benefit Claims

Branches of service

Insurance Representatives (For VA issues only)

Philadelphia, PA
Gilbert J. LaVerda, Chief
Insurance Activities
The American Legion
Office of Insurance Activities
c/o Dept. of Veterans Affairs Center
Wissahickon Avenue & Manheim Street
P.O. Box 42938
Philadelphia, PA 19101-2938

Phone:(215)381-3022
Phone:(215)842-2000 ext. 4217
Fax:(215) 381-3183
E-mail: amlglave@vba.va.gov

St. Paul, MN
Julie L. Larsen, Supervisor
The American Legion
Debt Management Service
c/o Dept. of Veterans Affairs
1 Federal Drive
Room 168
St. Paul, MN 55111-4050

Phone:(612)970-5660
Phone:(612)970-5661
Fax(612)970-5799
Email: amljlars@vba.va.gov

Benefits Delivery at Discharge Representative (BDD)

Department Service Officers (DSO) advise and counsel veterans, but the BDD role is to assist and inform veterans on all of their benefits upon discharge.

Hans Michalke PO Box 581900 550 Foothill Blvd Salt Lake City, Utah 84158 Phone:(801)326-2381 Fax:(801)326-2383 Email:Hans.Michalke@vba.va.gov		Lakeisha Bracey 251 MAIN ST RM 103B WINSTON SALEM, NC 27155 PHONE:(336)631-5471 FAX:(336)714-0902 Email:lakeisha.y.bracey@va.gov
	Please Note: For issues concerning American Legion Insurance Plans, please send a message to Member Benefits NOTE: The Philadelphia VA Insurance Center has jurisdiction over all USGLI (K-Prefix), NSLI (V,RS, J prefix) and Service-Disabled (RH prefix) government life insurance policies. The center also has supervisory authority over the Servicemembers and Veterans Group Life Insurance Program (SGLI and VGLI)
The National VA&R office at the St. Paul VA Center assists with all debt cases involving VA's co-located Debt Management Center.

VA Home Loans

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Download brochure

For more information on loan entitlement, contact the Loan Guaranty Officer at the nearest VA Regional Office, or visit the VA web site at www.homeloans.va.gov

Veterans Home Loan Prepayment Protection Act of 2002

The Home Loan Guaranty Program was a critical component of the "Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944", the original GI Bill written by The American Legion. Over the years, 16.5 million veterans have benefited from this visionary program, and both the home building industry and the financial community prospered as well. Clearly, the success of this program is well documented and must be continued for future veterans and their families.

At the outset, The American Legion is pleased with the operation of the Home Loan Guaranty Program. The American Legion believes VA has done its best to keep this program accessible and user friendly, while at the same time keeping the interests of veterans as the primary focus of its decision-making process.

H.R. 4042, entitled the "Veterans Home Loan Prepayment Protection Act of 2002'' proposes to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit additional daily interest charges following prepayment in full of housing loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, according to Section 4-108 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), states allow banks to institute a cutoff hour for processing payments. These cutoff hours range from noon to 2:00 P.M. Payments received later incur interest charges and are credited to the next banking day, thereby allowing the banking institution to reconcile their books at the conclusion of their normal business day.

While this bill provides an obvious benefit for veterans, The American Legion is concerned that it could have an unintentional, detrimental effect. The additional expense incurred by the lender could be passed on to the veteran in the form of higher interest rates or possibly discourage lenders from participating in the VA Home Loan Guarantee Program.

Cold War Certificate Program

In accordance with section 1084 of the Fiscal Year 1998 National Defense Authorization Act, the Secretary of Defense approved awarding Cold War Recognition Certificates to all members of the armed forces and qualified federal government civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served the United States anytime during the Cold War era, which is defined as Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991.

Visit the official Cold War Certificate Program site.

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