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County introducing veterans ID cards

The Herald - 7/16/2018

July 16--MERCER -- Mercer County veterans could soon receive tangible recognition for their service.

The county Department of Veterans Affairs and the Recorder's Office will cooperate to create a veterans' identification card program, with cardholders eligible for discounts at businesses throughout Mercer County.

Recorder Dee Dee Zickar and Jodi Fitchko, assistant director of Veterans Affairs, said they hoped to have the program running by Nov. 11 -- Veterans' Day.

"It's about thanking them in a small way," Zickar said.

Mercer County's veterans' ID program is based on a similar arrangement in Lawrence County, which began its system in 2016. As it turned out, Mercer County veterans were more familiar with the discounts than county officials were.

"We get veterans coming in almost daily asking for veterans ID cards," said Fitchko, who served in the Air Force.

Zickar and Fitchko met with Lawrence County Register and Recorder Jan Kalajainen to discuss the process for starting Mercer County's effort. The duty of administering veterans' ID programs falls to county recorder's officials like Zickar and Kalajainen because that office files military discharge papers, officially known as DD-214 documents.

The DD-214 includes such information as date of entry into the military, date of discharge, rank at time of discharge, medals and awards earned and separation status -- honorable, dishonorable, or other than honorable.

Veterans can present their DD-214 papers to their county recorder's office, which place the document on file. Unlike all other records filed with the recorder, military discharge papers are private documents, not open to the public.

Fitchko said all veterans should file their documents with the county recorder to ensure preservation of the records.

"You will always have access to it," she said. "So many vets misplace their discharge papers or have a house fire."

And then there are the discounts.

When the program is operational, any veteran with a DD-214 on file with the county will receive a laminated card that will entitle them to perks throughout with area businesses.

Fitchko said she and Zickar will start with reaching out to veterans organizations in the county to solicit funds for the hardware and software to make the cards. Zickar said the estimated cost will be about $9,000, which also will include window clings for businesses that offer discounts to card holders.

They also will go through chambers of commerce and recruit businesses to offer veterans' perks. More than 60 Lawrence County businesses -- including funeral homes, restaurants, attorneys, contractors and Hess Ice Rink -- offer breaks to card-carrying veterans.

County Commissioner Tim McGonigle, who owns a business in Lawrence County, said he's familiar with the program.

"They're not looking for a large discount, just a discount," he said.

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