June 20, 2002 |
2002-R-0598 | |
ADMISSION TO VETERANS' HOMES AND HOSPITALS | ||
By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst | ||
You asked if war service is a criterion for admission to veterans' homes in Connecticut and neighboring states.
Maine, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New Jersey do not require war service as a condition of admission to their veterans' homes.
The following states do: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. In all of them, except Massachusetts, the veteran must have at least 90 days of war service. Massachusetts requires at least 90 days of active service in the Armed Forces, including at least one day of war service. But, a veteran who served in wartime and does not meet the 90-day requirement is eligible if he was separated because of a service-connected disability or received a Purple Heart medal. In both Connecticut and Rhode Island, veterans are eligible for admission to the homes if they failed to meet the 90-day requirement because of a service-connected disability. Also, in Connecticut a veteran is eligible if the military operation lasted less than 90 days and he served for its duration.
Qualifying wars and specified duration for war service vary. Those for Connecticut and Massachusetts are shown below.
Table 1: Wartime Military Service for Admission to
Connecticut Veterans' Home
Military Operation |
Eligible Dates |
Spanish-American War |
April 21, 1898 - August 13, 1898 |
Philippine Insurrection |
August 13, 1898 - July 4, 1902 |
Moro Province Engagement |
August 13, 1898 - July 15, 1903 |
Boxer Rebellion |
June 20, 1900 - May 12, 1901 |
Cuban Pacification |
September 12, 1906 - April 1, 1909 |
Nicaraguan Campaign |
August 28, 1912 - November 2, 1913 |
Haitian Campaign |
July 9, 1915 - December 6, 1915 |
Punitive Expedition to Mexico |
March 10, 1916 - April 6, 1917 |
World War I |
April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918 |
Service in Russia |
April 6, 1917 - April 1, 1920 |
World War II |
December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946 |
Korean Hostilities |
June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1955 |
Lebanon Conflict |
July 1, 1958 - November 1, 1958 |
Vietnam Era |
February 28, 1961 - July 1, 1975 |
Berlin Airlift |
August 14, 1961 - June 1, 1962 |
Lebanon Peace-Keeping Mission |
September 29, 1982 - March 30, 1984* |
Grenada Invasion |
October 25, 1983 - December 15, 1983* |
Operation Earnest Will |
February 1, 1987 - July 23, 1987* |
Panama Invasion |
December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990* |
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm |
August 2, 1990 - June 30, 1994 |
Service in South Korean DMZ |
After February 1, 1955** |
Service in Somalia |
After December 2, 1992** |
Service in Bosnia |
After December 20, 1995** |
*Service must have been in a combat or combat-support role
**Active duty for service
Table 2: Wartime Military Service for Admission to Massachusetts Veterans' Homes
Military Operation |
Eligible Dates |
Spanish-American War |
Dates not shown |
World War I |
April 6, 1917 - November 11, 1918 (March 25, 1917 - Aug. 5, 1917 for guardsmen) |
World War II |
Sept. 16, 1940 - December 31, 1946 |
Korea |
June 25, 1950 - January 31, 1955 |
Vietnam |
Aug. 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975 |
Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission |
Aug. 25, 1982 - Open* |
Grenada Rescue Mission |
October 25, 1983 - December 15, 1983 |
Panama Invasion |
December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990 |
Persian Gulf |
August 2, 1990 - Open** |
* when the President withdraws armed forces from Lebanon
** to be determined by presidential proclamation or executive order of Congress