Special provisions relating to marriages

§ 103. Special provisions relating to marriages (a) Whenever, in the consideration of any claim filed by a woman as the widow of a veteran for gratuitous death benefits under laws 72 Stat. 1110administered by the Veterans’ Administration, it is established by evidence satisfactory to the Administrator that she, without knowledge of any legal impediment, entered into a marriage with such veteran which, but for a legal impediment, would have been valid, and thereafter cohabitated with him for five or more years immediately before his death, the purported marriage shall be deemed to be a valid marriage, but only if no claim has been filed by a legal widow of such veteran who is found to be entitled to such benefits. No duplicate payments shall be made by virtue of this subsection. (b) Where a widow has been legally married to a veteran more than once, the date of original marriage will be used in determining whether the statutory requirement as to date of marriage has been met. (c) In determining whether or not a woman is or was the wife of a veteran, their marriage shall be proven as valid for the purposes of all laws administered by the Veterans’ Administration according to the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of the marriage or the law of the place where the parties resided when the right to benefits accrued.