DeSoto County keeps two veteran services offices, in Hernando and Olive Branch, staffed by county veterans benefits specialists who help veterans, service members, surviving spouses and families claim federal and state benefits by appointment.
DeSoto County Veteran Services is, in the county's words, a public resource for veterans, service members, surviving spouses, and veterans' families. The office's stated primary goal is to assist these residents in receiving any and all federal and state benefits for which they are eligible, with federal claims handled through VA and state benefits approved by the Mississippi State Veterans Affairs Board.
Two offices. The Hernando office is at 365 Losher Road, Suite 200, Hernando, MS 38632, phone (662) 449-2811, open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The county lists two veterans benefits specialists there, Bill Walkner and Marcus Richardson; appointments are made by email or by phone. An Olive Branch office serves the county's north end at 6569 Highway 305 N., Olive Branch, MS 38654, phone (662) 404-6598; the county's senior veteran services page gives that address, while Mississippi Veterans Affairs' county list records the same office as the Maxwell Building, Suite B, 6595 Highway 305 N., so the street number differs between the two official sources. The phone matches; confirm the suite on arrival.
What the office helps with. The county's page names federal claims including compensation, death pension, housebound assistance, and aid and attendance, all subject to VA eligibility and approval, and names the PACT Act as a law the office points veterans toward, expanding VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. On the state side it names concealed carry permit benefits, veteran license plates, and burial benefits among what it helps veterans claim.
A county veterans service officer under Section 35-3-3 must be certified annually by Mississippi Veterans Affairs. The office is free.
Homestead and tags. Homestead applications are taken by the county tax assessor between January 1 and April 1 (see the DeSoto homestead entry); the one-dollar disabled veteran plates are issued by the tax collector under Section 27-19-53; and the chancery clerk records discharges without cost under Section 35-3-13.
Thresholds
Thresholds for DeSoto County Veteran Services
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Veterans, service members, surviving spouses and families
The office assists veterans, service members, surviving spouses, and veterans’ families with federal and state benefit claims. No rating is required, so the rating filter never hides this benefit.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.