by Cody Jones
Folks in the Sooner State are generous and service-oriented. Perhaps this is why Oklahoma is ranked 11th-highest among states for its share of the veteran population. As of 2022, approximately 245,000 veterans resided in Oklahoma.
Due to its affordability, location and number of veterans, Oklahoma is one of the top two states in the number of Veterans Homes. Six homes provide intermediate to skilled nursing care for its veterans. The newest facility in Sallisaw will open in January of 2025. To find out more about these homes, you can reach out to Candice McIntire, State Homes Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, at 405-523-4092 or Candice.mcintire@odva.ok.gov.
Virtual health care tools are also available to veterans at mobile.va.gov/Appstore. Links are provided to tools for insomnia, monitoring of kidney health, weight loss, counseling and other health services.
In addition to long-term care at a state Veterans Homes and mobile services, a myriad of benefits are available to veterans and their survivors. Depending on a veteran’s disability rating, a veteran may be eligible for the following: (1) free drivers license and car tags, (2) medical care at the VA for medical issues and conditions with no co-pay, (3) lifetime Oklahoma hunting and fishing license, and (4) a tax-free card exempting the veteran from sales tax, excise tax, and property tax. To find out more about potential services and benefits available, you can reach out to Joshua Houston, Claims and Benefits Administrator, at 405-523-4000 or joshua.houston@odva.ok.gov.
A veteran also has cemetery and burial options. Veterans services may include a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, maintenance, headstone, and burial flag. Oklahoma has several veterans cemeteries, such as Seaman First Class Billy Turner Veterans Cemetery in Ardmore, Oklahoma. More information can be found at www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/docs/VAsurvivorsKit.pdf.
Lastly, survivor’s benefits may be available for eligible family members. The survivor will need the veteran’s discharge papers (DD214 or equivalent), death certificate, and proof of relationship (such as marriage or birth certificate). Such benefits may include interment in a national cemetery, financial burial benefits, VA home loan benefits, financial counseling, bereavement counseling, medical care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), and additional financial assistance through the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). More information is located at www.va.gov/survivors. The Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation in Norman is also helpful in assisting survivors with available services and benefits.
