Military Service Requirements

In order to be eligible for M.G.L. c. 115 veterans’ benefits, the person asserting to be a veteran must meet the eligibility requirements contained in M.G.L. c. 115, §§ 1 and 6A for active service in the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard of the United States. Military service also includes service by members of the Merchant Marines who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and August 15, 1945, and who have received discharges from the U.S. Army, Navy or Coast Guard; it does not include active duty for training purposes in the Army or Air National Guard, or active duty for training as a reservist in any branch of the Armed Forces. Discharges must have been under honorable conditions.