President Donald Trump promised the Department of Veterans Affairs would extend veterans’ deadlines for disability benefits and postpone any debt collections as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s an outpouring of support from the community,” Veterans Services Commissioner Robert Santiago told the Herald on Friday. “It just warms my heart to see how much people want to connect with veterans.”

The risk coronavirus poses to people with underlying medical conditions has added a new level of stress for caregivers helping their veteran loved ones.

When William "Bill" Lapschies celebrated his 104th birthday with his family over chocolate cake and his favorite pizza on Wednesday, he was also celebrating a full recovery from the novel coronavirus as one of the oldest-known survivors of COVID-19 in the U.S.

Bill Withers, a three-time Grammy Award winner who wrote and sang such hits as “ Lean On Me, ” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has died from heart complications. He was 81.

John R. Weiler and other artillerymen didn’t get the glory of some other World War II veterans. But the shells his unit fired from as far as 10 miles away softened up the enemy and allowed those who were at the front to do their jobs.

Charges claim that Dr. Jonathan Yates deprived a 42-year-old Army veteran at the VA Medical Center in Beckley of his constitutional right to bodily integrity during a February 2019 examination. The patient became incapacitated when Yates cracked his neck in a locked examination room, an FBI agent said.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Russian prison authorities denied protective health gear for Michigan's Paul Whelan, who remains in solitary confinement in Moscow as his espionage trial is delayed, his family said.

William Lapschies, among the first Oregonians known to have the disease, has been declared free of the virus, said daughter Carolee Brown. “He is fully recovered. He is very perky,” Brown said. “And he is very excited.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs is ending a decades-old practice of allowing veterans service representatives to review benefits decisions for accuracy before those decisions are finalized and sent to veterans.

Bloch, Philadelphia native and World War II Army Air Corps veteran who later became a television engineer, died Monday, March 9, of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Count Sarasota's 2019 Female Veteran of the Year among tens of thousands of Americans stranded overseas due to the coronavirus outbreak. In Kendra Simpkins' case, it means being grounded in the world's most complete and total lockdown.

Government inspectors have confirmed that the problem has spread to medical centers serving the nation’s veterans, including the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in St. Petersburg and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa. Leaders at the two centers reported concerns about having enough COVID-19 testing supplies and personal protective equipment for staff.

The Department of Veterans Affairs also suggested its facilities could see critical shortages of personal protective equipment for medical staff, hospital beds, ventilators and morgue space.

Over the weekend, the department reported deaths in the Bronx, N.Y.; Shreveport, La.; Fargo, N.D.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; San Francisco; Minneapolis; Detroit; Washington, D.C.; and Nashville. The VA reported two new deaths in Indianapolis, two in Brooklyn and five in New Orleans.

“Iwo Jima is a testament to what America was willing to endure to defend freedom and our way of life,” said Marine Corps History Division director Edward Nevgloski.

The New Orleans VA Medical Center had tested 258 positive cases of the virus Tuesday, more than triple the number reported by the New York Harbor Healthcare System, which had the next-largest number ofcases. New York Harbor serves Manhattan and Brooklyn and reported 72 cases Tuesday.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would get $19.6 billion to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic under a sweeping $2 trillion measure the Senate passed Wednesday night.

An online forum brings together veterans from all over the country for fun, video games and untangling the stresses of life during the coronavirus.

Bob Otto flew 56 combat missions from the cockpit of a Douglas B-26 Invader during the Korean War. He died Thursday at his California home.

Six 32-foot tall bronze giants adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., have helped ensure Americans never forget World War II Battle of Iwo Jima.

The department determined opening beds to non-veterans would not negatively affect veteran care. “VA is proud to assist the City of New York while continuing its primary mission of caring for our nation’s veterans,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement.

Albert Johnson Trousdale died early March 26 at Huntsville Hospital, just five days after he was diagnosed with a confirmed case of COVID-19, his family announced on a Facebook page updating his battle with and effort to recover from the disease.

As of Monday afternoon, the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in Massachussetts has had 11 resident deaths. Five of the veterans who died have tested positive for COVID-19 and test results are pending for five others. The cause of one death is unknown.

The VA had 204 cases across 50 locations Monday. Behind New Orleans, the locations with the most cases were Atlanta with 17, and New York City with 10.

U.S. Army Air Force 2nd Lt. George McCullen Johnson was the co-pilot on a B-24J bomber that took off from the Gilbrt Islands on Jan. 21, 1944, and crashed into Tarawa lagoon.

Both veterans were being treated at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in New York — one at the New York Harbor Healthcare System and the other at the Bronx VA Medical Center.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., implored members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to activate the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide backup medical care for civilian hospitals.

“Completing non-urgent and routine health care appointments to meet access standards put veterans at risk of contracting COVID-19,” the agency wrote to lawmakers.

Although the coronavirus crisis has forced the postponement of Medal of Honor Day activities in the Washington, D.C., area to a later date, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society has announced the recipients of its annual Citizen Honors Awards.

Milton Eatchel, a 90-year-old Korean War veteran, couldn’t celebrate his birthday with a party because of coronavirus social distancing, so neighbors threw him a kind of reverse parade.

The House approved and President Trump signed into law a sweeping $2 trillion measure Friday that includes $19.6 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs to help respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The crisis line, a suicide prevention tool for veterans and their families, has experienced a 12% increase in call volume, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told veterans organizations on a call Sunday. About 20% of recent calls to the hotline were related to the pandemic, the VA press secretary confirmed.

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans is urging Congress to approve $200 million in emergency funding to temporarily house homeless veterans in hotel rooms and secure coronavirus tests for those who get sick.

"We're very appreciative of the prayers and support from people, frankly, from around the country. We're hopeful for the best, but realistic as well," said Bennie Adkins' son, Keith.

How did a trunk that once belonged to a decorated Montford Point Marine from New Jersey who fought at Iwo Jima end up in Connecticut? The mystery has the family of Gilmon D. Brooks scratching their heads.

Life and death are themes forever present at hospices, places where people are cared for and comforted through the final chapter of their lives as painlessly as possible. But in these uncertain times, this is a story of light for all of us.

The Shelter to Service Dog program, a joint effort by two Florida non-profit organizations, seeks to connect shelter dogs with veterans in need of service animals.

Dr. Raquel Bono’s first job in the military was at a field hospital in Saudi Arabia, providing urgent care for troops wounded in the Gulf War. Her last military job was in Washington, D.C., consolidating the management of hospitals and clinics previously run by the Army, Navy and Air Force.

GI Bill recipients rely on monthly stipends from the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for housing, food and other bills. Those payments are higher for students who attend physical classes as opposed to online coursework.

The VA health care system had 44,131 staff vacancies during the first quarter of 2020, with the most vacancies were nurses, medical support assistants and medical officers.

“I had to really fight for the test,” Navy veteran Marlies Craley, 50, said. “I had to fight, but [the doctor] listened to me and advocated for me.” Craley is one of over 80 veterans across the VA health care system with a confirmed case of the virus.

As of Wednesday, the VA had 46 positive cases of coronavirus across its health care system. It had administered 322 tests as of Tuesday night, and it had 3,000 tests on hand.

After nearly 70 years listed as missing in action, Korean War veteran Army Cpl. Arthur Contreras Ramirez’s remains were laid to rest before family, friends and veterans on Thursday.

GALLERY

The remains of Seaman 2nd Class Hubert P. Hall had once been among the estimated 388 individuals buried in graves of the unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific — all taken from the USS Oklahoma after it was destroyed during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Federal unions that represent Department of Veterans Affairs health care workers are calling on VA officials to better protect employees following reports that some have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Student veterans will continue to receive their monthly housing payments uninterrupted, despite courses going online to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The church is calling for volunteers to recite each name, civilian and military, of those the prefecture recognizes as having perished due to the fighting. The readings will be preceded by prayer and a ceremonial bell ringing.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has at least 11 coronavirus patients in its care, with 9 of them waiting for official confirmation that they have contracted the illness, a VA official confirmed Thursday.

President Donald Trump called on the Syrian government to release U.S. Marine veteran Austin Tice, buoying the family’s hopes for the return of the Texan, who was abducted while working as a freelance photojournalist near Damascus in 2012.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would not comment on the specifics for stripping each school of their GI Bill eligibility. Yet some for-profit schools have a long track record of conning service members and veterans.

Rick Cain tells impressionable students that a military career can do for them what it did for him: instill maturity, discipline and a purpose while allowing one to see the world. But Cain has not shied away from talking at his alma mater about what happened on May 8, 2005, the day he shot and killed two people in combat in Ubaydi, Iraq, near the Syrian border.

The bills were introduced as a growing number of colleges and universities announced that they will hold only online courses to limit the spread of the virus, ushering in uncertainty for GI Bill recipients who rely on monthly housing stipends to attend school.

A 70-year-old man was the first patient at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility – and the first person in Oregon – to die from coronavirus, according to the VA and the Oregon Health Authority.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has at least six coronavirus patients in its care, with five of them waiting for official confirmation, a VA official said Tuesday.

Days after a Taliban sniper’s shot left Staff Sgt. Kevin Flike bedridden and awaiting what would become six separate surgeries, he made himself a promise: he’d recover and he’d finish a marathon. It took nearly nine years for Flike, 35, to get to where he could make good on that promise, but now that's on hold.

The Cleveland VA is the flagship of a VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System that serves more than 112,000 veterans annually.

Georgia House members voted Thursday night to compensate three former soldiers for the 25 years they lost in prison before their murder convictions were overturned.

House lawmakers urged Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie on Wednesday to provide daily briefings about the agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

At Miramar, Fort Rosecrans and America's other 140 national cemeteries — the final resting places for military veterans and their spouses — grieving families are being asked to invite no more than 10 mourners. Solace in numbers is giving way to social distancing amid an expanding effort to control the virus' spread.

The veteran, one of ten patients who have been tested by the Miami VA for infection by the coronavirus, was admitted to the hospital for treatment this week.

For the second time in two days, Brockton, Mass. police officers and firefighters attended a funeral service for an Army veteran with no known relatives, a coincidence that has led the town to establish a formal policy for honoring former members of the military who die alone.

The Honor Flight Network, which brings veterans from across the country to see the war memorials in Washington, D.C, canceled trips through April, citing concerns about the coronavirus.

A dozen senators squeezed the Department of Veterans Affairs for more information Friday about how the agency has prepared for its “fourth mission”: to provide emergency medical care for all Americans in times of crises.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is the second-largest federal agency, behind the DOD in size and budget — and there has been little pushback on the 14% boost in funding requested for 2021. So why are veterans still killing themselves at an alarming rate?

Department of Veterans Affairs’ facilities in Phoenix, New Hampshire and Washington state are each limiting visitors to curtail the spread of illness as federal and state governments scramble to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Half of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ patients are older than 65, which is the most at-risk demographic for the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rather than telling veterans with other-than-honorable discharges to fill out applications for health care, sending a written denial and informing them about their options to appeal, VA staff often rejects them on the spot, a new report says.

Dozens of VA hospitals from across the country have been cracking down on visitations to quell the threat of a coronavirus outbreak in the department’s facilities. More than half of VA patients are older than 65, which is an especially vulnerable population to the disease.

The Department of Veterans Affairs published new rules Friday for its caregiver support program, putting the agency one step closer to expanding benefits to more veteran caregivers after months of delays.

Master Sgt. John A. Chapman as posthumously awarded the military’s highest decoration for combat bravery for his actions during the March 2002 Battle of Takur Ghar in Afghanistan. He was the first airman to earn the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

It is impossible to say exactly how many people falsely claim military service or honors. But the problem is widespread enough that even those within the military sometimes get caught lying about their service. Unlike civilians or veterans, current military members can be punished for lying about their military records.

Nathaniel Marshall, a 94-year-old World War II veteran died alone in his apartment on Feb. 9, leaving first responders scrambling for clues as to who knew him and could give him a proper burial.

Legislation passed by the House Veterans Affairs Committee would allow veterans to continue receiving federally provided health care even after enrolling in state medical marijuana programs.

Donald Ashcraft arrived at Dallas VA in January seeking help "for psychiatric issues” and was seen holding a knife. When he tried to walk away, VA officers followed him, trying multiple times to disarm him before Ashcraft was fatally shot

The Texas Veterans Parade recently announced Medal of Honor recipient Donald E. Ballard as Grand Marshal of 2020 Texas Veterans Parade.

The March event was about women in the military in honor of Women's History Month, and it was part of a program hosted on the first Saturday of each month with the goal of connecting veterans to each other and to area services.

Jack Keane, a retired four-star general and former vice chief of staff for the U.S. Army, served as a paratrooper in the Vietnam War and later commanded American troops around the globe, including in Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia.

New Mexico will allow local school boards to award diplomas to veterans whose entry to military service occurred before graduating from high schools in the state.

The 31st annual Bataan Memorial Death March around the desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico is still on for this Sunday, even as fears over COVID-19 have caused other mass gatherings to be canceled.

The massive Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally staged in Washington each Memorial Day weekend had its final ride last year, but the roar of engines isn't going away.

House Democrats on Wednesday blasted the Department of Veterans Affairs for requesting a large budget increase for 2021, calling the proposed boost in spending at the expense of cutting other agencies a political stunt.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is caring for a veteran diagnosed with coronavirus, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told House lawmakers on Wednesday.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said Monday that socialism could mean the end of the VA, which is funded with more than $220 billion and tasked with caring for more than nine million current and former service members.

Earlier this month, Stephen J. Weiss, a World War II soldier, traveled to Paris for a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe honoring the veterans of the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the CIA, with which he briefly served during the war.