A Voice for Veterans: Horry veterans can now make an appointment with the Veterans Affairs Office

The staff of the Horry County Veterans Affairs office would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the veterans, their spouses and dependents who live in the Horry County area.

The men and women who chose to serve this great community, state and nation are responsible for our freedom and for that we are truly thankful. We are proud to announce some outstanding changes at the Horry County Veterans Affairs Office. We ask your patience as we make changes that we believe will benefit all those we serve. In an effort to streamline operations and reduce waiting times, veterans, dependents and spouses can now schedule appointments with the Veterans Affairs staff.

Appointments can be made by calling or emailing any of the below:

Telephone: (843) 915-5480 or email: elvisro@horrycounty.org, williamk@horrycounty.org, glovert@horrycounty.org, barfielt@horrycounty.org, martinju@horrycounty.org or joynerj@horrycounty.org.

Appointments are strongly encouraged. Those who walk-in will still be seen, but on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Horry County Veterans Affairs office also has a new website. The new address to the website is www.horrycounty.org/departments/veterans affairs. The website is currently operational, but visitors can expect new information to be added weekly. In the very near future, veterans, dependents and spouses will be able to schedule appointments with the VA staff through the website.

There will also be an "ask a question" feature that veterans, dependents and spouses can use to make sure they have all the appropriate documents before making an appointment.

Again, we would like to thank all those who have worn a military uniform in the service of our nation, as well as their spouses and dependents. Please continue to look for this column in future editions as we will post relevant news and changes that affect our veterans.

"Good to Know"

Not every veteran who served is eligible for compensation or pension benefits. At a minimum, to qualify for compensation, a veteran must have an "Honorable" discharge; must have a disability or condition that was diagnosed while in service and must be receiving medical treatment now for that disability.