Benefits For Local Vets Trace Back To G.I. Bill

Many of today’s benefits for veterans – including the 293 served in Kimball County – can be traced back to the passage of the G.I. Bill of 1944.

With the realization that World War II was coming to a close, politicians and government officials were fearful of the return of over 16 million American men and women who had been serving during World War II. The returning veterans would be unemployed and this could result in another depression and bring on worldwide economic instability reminiscent of the 1930s.

So the 1944 G. I. Bill offered aid from the federal government to purchase homes, get jobs and pursue an education or training.

By 1956, using the G.I. Bill, educational benefits served over 7 million veterans creating a new educated middle class and a social and economic revolution. Benefits included in addition to the college tuition, low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business or farm, and one year of unemployment benefits.

The original G. I. Bill expired in 1956 but many benefits still considered the G.I. Bill have been available to veterans since the original bill.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 provided veterans with funding for the full cost of any public college in their state. The G.I. Bill was also changed through the passage of the Forever G.I. Bill in 2017.

Nebraska Country Veteran Service Offices were established “To Care For Him Who Shall Have Borne The Battle” after World War II. Each and every county in Nebraska is required by law to have a veterans service officer and a Veterans Service Office to distribute benefits for veterans, military service members and spouses.

In Kimball County, Darcee Wheeland serves as administrative assistant in the VSO’s courthouse office. The officer’s position is open.

County records show that 293 veterans in 2022 received federal and state assistance. County veterans receive $1.8 million yearly.

Benefits from the state vary from the Homestead Exemption, hunting and fishing permits, and park entry permits. State benefits also include special license plates for disabled veterans, ex-prisoner of war, Pearl Harbor survivors, Purple Heart recipients and gold star families.

Veterans are eligible for federal benefits, including education, medical care, disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, special adaptive equipment and homeless assistance. All veteran benefits are tax free.

Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance opened in 2011, and veterans services there include burial or cremation, memorial services, memorial graves and counseling.