Question:

I was stationed off the coast of Vietnam in from 1973 to 1975 on an aircraft carrier. Do I qualify for VA health care?

Jim's Reply:

You may or you may not be eligible for care. The rules have changed often over the years. I served not too long before you and I registered for and used VA care not too long after discharge. I also qualified for a 10% disability rating and each of those has kept me eligible to this day.
 

Vietnam era veterans were generally allowed VA care back in the day. As the forever wars came upon us and continued raging on producing newly disabled vets, the VA had limited resources and decided that if you weren't already registered, rated with a disabling condition or otherwise a relatively recent vet, you probably weren't eligible for VA care.
 

It gets complex from there. I advise that anyone who may want to use VA care today and who isn't already eligible go ahead and apply https://www.va.gov/Vaforms/medical/pdf/10-10EZ-fillable.pdf  It doesn't take long and it's the only starting point for you.
 

You're also allowed to wander in to your local VA health care facility and ask to apply for care. That's barring any pandemic restrictions, of course. If you aren't immediately eligible, keep trying. VA benefits aren't always within easy reach but they're usually worth a little extra effort. Good luck!