2019 US Virgin Islands Code
Title 3 - Executive
Chapter 1 - Governor
§ 8a. Office of Veterans Affairs
(a) The Office of Veterans Affairs and all personnel, files, equipment and appropriations relating to same, as heretofore established within the Department of Labor, are transferred to and established within the Office of the Governor. For the purpose of this section, “veteran” means any person honorably discharged from the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy.
(b) The Office of Veterans Affairs shall:
(1) investigate and compile data concerning veterans residing within the United States Virgin Islands, and all activities relating thereto, and recommend to the Governor legislation concerning veterans and their activities, for submission to the Legislature;
(2) cooperate with all departments and agencies of the United States Government and the Government of the Virgin Islands in the interest of veterans' welfare, housing and other benefits;
(3) aid in filing and prosecuting all claims of veterans of this Territory, and their dependents, under federal or territorial laws;
(4) aid in the employment or re-employment of all veterans;
(5) aid in securing hospitalization for any veteran requiring medical care which may be provided by a federal or territorial medical or surgical facility specifically provided for veterans, or any other public hospital;
(6) cooperate with, or advise, the Commissioner of Education with respect to the establishment of vocational courses as may be required by veterans for either day or evening instruction, or both;
(7) aid in the rehabilitation of the injured, wounded or compensable veterans, or other veterans, in educational or vocational training instruction to which they may be eligible by law;
(8) assist in the coordination of activities of other departments administering laws affecting veterans or their dependents;
(9) investigate, compile and maintain complete and accurate data concerning veterans and all territorial activities relating thereto;
(10) compile a record of the burial places within the United States Virgin Islands of deceased servicemen and servicewomen, including their rank, division and length of service, name and location of cemetery, and location of their graves therein, and such other information as may be desirable;
(11) inscribe on the memorials located at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Virgin Islands Veterans’ Memorial Park on St. Thomas and the Verne I. Richards Veterans Memorial Park on St. Croix, the names of deceased military personnel who died while on active duty.
(12) maintain an information center and disseminate regularly to chapters and posts of veterans' organizations such information as it determines, and transmit to the public press and other media of public information such information relative to veterans as should be of public interest;
(13) perform such other duties in connection with veterans which may be referred to it, and serve as a clearinghouse for all veterans' service-connected problems; and
(14) in cooperation with the Commissioner of Finance, administer the provisions of the Veterans Transportation Fund established by the provisions of Title 33, section 3038 of this Code.
