With Certain Exceptions, VA No Longer Distributing Apportionments
Effective February 9, 2026, VA will stop making need-based apportionments for compensation, pension, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) awards. Until now, and in limited situations, VA was able to pay a portion of a VA beneficiary’s monetary benefits directly to the beneficiary’s dependent, referred to as an apportionment. To qualify, the dependent could not reside with the beneficiary, had to demonstrate financial need, and the apportionment could not cause financial hardship to the beneficiary. […]
Tennessee BVA Ambassador with Unique Harmonica Talent Offers Free Lessons
David Jones, BVA member and Ambassador from Ooltewah, Tennessee, has offered to share his passion and ability to play the harmonica with any interested BVA member. The lessons can be conducted via Facetime calls or by telephone. According to David, possessing sight is not necessary for successfully playing the harmonica, which consists of four basic holes that can produce eight different sounds. David plays in memory of his father and for his brothers, the latter […]
“Visions of BVA” Features Recent BVA Bulletin, New Episode Releases in Two Weeks
The most recent audio episode of Visions of BVA has been live and accessible since January 1 on all major platforms, most notably the Association’s YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Featured this month is the audio version of the Autumn 2025 BVA Bulletin, the most recent issue of the quarterly publication produced by and for blind and low vision veterans and their families. Host and producer Steve Baskis has converted a written script of […]
Remembering the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The upcoming weekend includes a Monday federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Baptist minister and major leader of the Civil Rights Movement. The holiday recognizes both him and his date of birth, January 15, 1929. Known in large part for his nonviolent resistance to racial inequality and segregation, Dr. King spearheaded major events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington (where he gave his “I Have a Dream” […]
Grants Bolster State Veteran Cemeteries
VA awarded more than $77 million in grants during Fiscal Year 2025 for the expansion and improvement of 20 state veterans cemeteries throughout the nation and one establishment grant for Alaska’s first state veterans cemetery. VA’s National Cemetery Administration reimburses states for the cost of building, improving, or expanding state-run veteran cemeteries. Later, state grants typically fund the construction of pre-placed crypts, columbaria, and improvements required to continue interments and operations. Using the button below, […]
Rowe Family Welcomed at Wreaths Across America
More than 5,600 locations nationwide participated in this year’s Wreaths Across America on December 13. Thousands of Americans descended on cemeteries throughout the country to assist in the laying of holiday wreaths at the grave markers of the nation’s veterans. The cleanup of the wreaths is a work-in-progress that continues in many of the nation’s cemeteries. Among the willing and able participants in the laying of the wreaths at the Alexandria National Cemetery was the […]
Tennessee BVA Ambassador with Unique Harmonica Talent Offers Free Lessons
David Jones, BVA member and Ambassador from Ooltewah, Tennessee, has offered to share his passion and ability to play the harmonica with any interested BVA member. The lessons can be conducted via Facetime calls or by telephone. According to David, possessing sight is not a requirement for playing the harmonica, which consists of four basic holes that can produce eight different sounds. David plays in memory of his father and for his brothers, the latter […]
“Visions of BVA” Podcast Features Latest BVA Bulletin, Watch for February Episode
The most recent audio episode of Visions of BVA, released on January 1, is now live and accessible on all major platforms, most notably the Association’s YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Featured this month is the audio version of the Autumn 2025 BVA Bulletin, the most recent issue of the quarterly publication produced by and for blind and low vision veterans and their families. Host and producer Steve Baskis has converted a written script […]
Louisiana/Mississippi RG Creates Action-Packed Holiday Season on the Bayou
BVA’s Gary Schoerlerman, Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group, asserts that celebrating the holiday season in southern Louisiana requires partaking in a good, spicy Gumbo. Nothing else will do, he said. On December 13, for the third year in a row, the regional group did just that, courtesy of Noah’s Café in the City of Lafayette, Louisiana. The holiday season only got better from there with a couple of additional Braille flag presentations and a special ceremony honoring […]