Anderson County Veterans Office
Leon Jaquet, USN (Retired), Director
100 North Main Street, Room 114

Clinton, TN 37716
865-463-6803

Cell - 865-556-0997

Fax - 865-457-6263

The Veterans Service Office is located on the first floor of the Anderson County Courthouse, 100 N. Main Street, Clinton, TN.  The office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Leon served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 until 2003 and is a Desert Storm Veteran.  He served aboard several different classes of ships and with the Seabees.  Leon has been the Anderson County Veterans Service Officer since 2007.

Mission

The mission of the Anderson County Veterans Service Office is to provide Veterans, widows and their dependents  counseling and assistance in filing for Disability Compensation, Pension, Death benefits, Education, Vocational Rehabilitation, Medical and Dental Treatment, Insurance and home loan benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional office located in Nashville, TN.

We help to obtain DD-214, Record of Separation or Discharge, copies of medical records while in the military, acquire replacement medals and provide information on a large variety of topics including but not limited to Agent Orange, Ionized Radiation, PTSD, Veterans Tax Relief and any individual specialty requests.

The County Veterans Service Officer also makes home and hospital visits, nursing home visits, business and school visits to assist veterans and their families in all matters.  He works with the Federal and State Service Officers, Service Organizations and County Service Organizations in support of Veterans matters.  A quarterly report is submitted to the Anderson County Commission for all transactions performed in the office.

Currently there are approximately 7138 veterans in Anderson County with at least a third of them and their dependants being served by the County Veterans Service Officer.  VA expenditures for benefits in Anderson County during the period of July 2009-June 2010 was approximately $5,028,197.00 as reported by the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner in Nashville (figures are derived from information supplies by the US Department of Veterans Affairs).

 Eligibility

Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on discharge from Active military service under other than dishonorable conditions for a minimum period specified by law.  Active service generally means fulltime service as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, the Environmental Services Administration or the National Oceanic ad Atmospheric Administration.  Completion of at least 6 years of Honorable service in the Selected Reserves (including National Guard) also provides for home-loan benefits for those not otherwise eligible.

Wartime Service

Certain VA Benefits and medical care require wartime service.  As specified by law, VA recognizes the following wartime periods:

World War I: April 6, 1916 - November 11, 1918; for veterans who served in Russia: April 6, 1917-April1, 1920, extended through July 1, 1921, for veterans who had at least one day of service between April 6, 1917 and November 11, 1918.

World War II: December 7, 1941-December 31, 1946

Korean War: June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1955

Vietnam Era: August 5, 1964-May 7, 1975 (For those in-country February 28, 1961-May 7, 1975)

Persian Gulf: August 2, 1990 - date to be set by Congress and Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution.

Important Documents to keep

Important papers and copies of public documents that you should save and protect for your future use are:

• DD-214, Report of Transfer or Discharge                                               
• Certificate of Discharge
• Certificate of Service-any papers associated with Active Duty, such as orders to and from active duty, vouchers, warrants, commissions, diplomas, citations, etc.                                                         
• Social Security Information
• Family Records, such as marriage license, birth certificates, death certificates, divorce decree, guardianship or custody evidence, adoption papers, and any other permanent records. 

Important Telephone Numbers

Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs- Nashville (615) 695-6385 or Toll Free 1-800-827-1000

VA Medical Center- Mountain Home, TN  (423) 926-1171

VA Medical Center - Murfreesboro, TN  (615) 893-1360

VA Medical Center - Nashville, TN  (615) 327-4751

VA Outpatient Clinic - Knoxville, TN (865) 545-4592

Vet Center- Knoxville, TN (865) 545-4680

Vet Center - Johnson City, TN (423) 928-8387

Tennessee State Veterans Home - Knoxville (865) 862-8100

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