Page 129 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2018

FIRST RESPONDERS saluting those who served
JACKSON COUNTY
VETERANS SERVICES
GOES EXTRA MILE FOR VETS
story by Lynn Lofton Wphoto by Donn Hupp
ith Jackson County home to 15,000 military veterans — the third largest veteran population
in the state — there is a need for a Veterans Services Department. The department was established by the county in the early 1970s and today
is in good hands with Bob Whipple and Stephen Chambers. Both men are Navy veterans with at least 50 years of active duty between them. Whipple,
a retired master chief, is 80 percent disabled and Chambers, a retired chief, is 40 percent disabled. They know first hand what veterans and their families face.
“We are here to serve veterans
and their families and help them obtain their benefits,” Whipple said. Chambers adds, “We love helping veterans and seeing them happy.”
The two men are proud of the work they did to take three homeless veterans out of the woods near Pascagoula and move them into homes.
This office receives approximately 180 calls a month, files 60 claims with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs each month, and maintains 3,000 active records.
Some of the requests they assist with include:
Service Connected
Non-Service Connected
Increased Rating Additional Dependents
JACKSON COUNTY Veterans Services are in good hands with Bob Whipple, Veterans Officer, and Stephen Chambers, Assistant Veterans Officer.
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Overpayment Waivers Medical Benefits
Home Loans
Notice of Disagreement Appeals
Burial Benefits
Family Member Benefits
Discharge Information
Responses to VA Correspondence
that require additional information or evidence.
“For instance, we deal a lot with disabled veterans who were injured in war or on active duty,” Whipple said. “We check their eligibility and their medical records to make sure it matches their disabilities.”
Under what’s called Dependent Indemnity Compensation, they help
veterans’ widows with pensions if a veteran dies of a service-related health problem. “In this case, the widow gets more than she would with a regular pension,” Chambers said.
Whipple and Chambers go to veterans when needed. The home visit may be to help fill out a claim or just to read a letter from the VA. “We do all that we can to help,” Whipple said.
Their office is open from 7:30 until 4:30 five days a week and is located near Singing River Hospital and the county fairgrounds.
Jackson County Veterans Services
4111 Amonett St., Pascagoula 228.769.3075