DEFINITION OF MASSACHUSETTS VETERAN
M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2004

Effective August 30, 2004

ERA of Service

DATES

Requirement for

Veteran Status

WWI

6-Apr-1917 

11-Nov-1918

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

PEACETIME

12-Nov-1918

15-Sep-1940

180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

WWII
(Merchant Marine: one day between 7-Dec-1941 through 31-Dec-1946)

16-Sep-1940

31-Dec-1946

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

PEACETIME

1-Jan-1947

24-Jun-1950

180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

KOREA

25-Jun-1950

31-Jan-1955

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

VIETNAM I
Amended 8/4/04

1-Feb-1955

4-Aug-1964

180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

VIETNAM II

5-Aug-1964

7-May-1975

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

PEACETIME

8-May-1975

1-Aug-1990

180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

 

Lebanon Campaign*

25-Aug-1982

(to be determined later)

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

 

 

Grenada Campaign *

25-Oct-1983

15-Dec-1983

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

 

 

Panama Campaign *

20-Dec-1989

31-Jan-1990

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

 

GULF, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN

2-Aug-1990

(to be determined later)

90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime” and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions.

         

* Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214’s must specify campaign: Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.

 

·         For GUARD MEMBERS to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code   -OR-  Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the above chart.

·         For RESERVISTS to qualify, they must have been called to regular active duty, at which point their eligibility can be determined by the above chart.

Training Duty Exception: Active duty service in the armed forces shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

 

Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability)

It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability, or died in the service under honorable conditions.