Lowndes County Veterans” Service Officer Jim Richardson has been aiding local veterans of all service branches for more than 12 years.
Born in Lamar County, Ala., Richardson crossed the state line on his way to New Hope “about two weeks” into his life, the longtime county official explained.
After serving in the Air Force for more than 11 years, Richardson moved from Minnesota to Tennessee and later to Michigan before returning home to the South.
“I”m a part-time employee. I only work 27 hours a week, and my secretary works 12, but it is definitely a full-time job for both of us,” Richardson laughed. “A lot of veterans aren”t aware of some of the benefits that are available to them, and I want to change that.
“I encourage all veterans or their widows to call us if they”ve got questions,” Richardson laughed, noting he can be reached at 662-327-2005.
As the county veterans” service officer, what exactly does your job involve?
It”s a required job by the federal government that every county have someone to assist veterans and their families to help them in getting benefits. My job is to assist veterans in filing claims for compensation, which may be due to an injury or illness in service, or a pension if they served during a wartime period and have a low income.
I also assist the veterans” widows in getting their benefits. Most of those cases are referred to as DIC, which stands for died of a service-connected condition. They are also eligible for pensions if they have a low income and meet certain qualifications.
I also get discharge papers for veterans, which are done through the Internet. That is a big thing; I bet I”ve done four this morning. I also sign eligible veterans up for VA health care, either through Columbus VA clinic, Jackson, Tuscaloosa or Birmingham. VA health care is something that is really in demand now by veterans, because veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan have VA health care for five years after they are discharged.
Veterans who were in service prior to that must have a service-connected condition to be eligible, or have an income that meets certain criteria.
How many veterans do you usually help on a regular basis?
In the last 12 months, I”ve done 343 new cases. I had 2,795 cases that I dealt with last year. Recently, I”ve been averaging 20-25 new cases that I haven”t seen before.
I get a lot of cases out of Columbus Air Force Base, because every airman or woman who is retiring is encouraged to apply for their VA benefits, and they can do that 180 days before they get out. Naturally, a lot of them come to see me because of that.
According to VA, in 2008 we had 4,979 veterans in the county. That does not include the Columbus Air Force Base or anyone who is a veteran but not signed up with VA. We figure we are in the neighborhood here of about 7,000 veterans at least in our immediate area.
What do you like most about your job?
I will say that this is the most enjoyable job I have ever had because I get to help veterans. When you help a veteran who has been told by VA that their benefits are being cut off and you help that person do the appeals, it”s a great reward. Those are the kinds of things that make my day.
Many elderly people, especially widows, may not be aware that there may be a benefit for them. I would encourage them to make contact with me if at all possible.
How has your job changed over the past 12 years?
I”m seeing a lot more veterans now than I used to years ago. With the return of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, we”re finding people who have a lot more injuries that they are not aware of. With the EOD (explosive ordinance disposal) victims that are coming from in and around Iraq and Afghanistan, they are getting a lot of concussions that are causing brain injuries later in life.
The newest thing now is the new G.I. bill that went into effect Aug. 1. This will authorize a veteran to go to school at any of the public schools, and will include books, board and a housing allowance at the E-5 rate. It”s one of the best deals I”ve heard of.
If a veteran decides they don”t need that prior to their discharge, they can transfer that to their children or their spouse. But they must do it before they get out of service. The only basic requirement is that they had to have been in since 9/11.
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