<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of the Army Times</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------</div><div><p align="justify"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span class="abody"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="maintitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;">Lesbian widow of soldier</span><span class="maintitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"> to get full VA benefits</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">The gay widow of a soldier killed in Afghanistan has received word from the Veterans Affairs Department that she will receive the same full benefits given to heterosexual widows and widowers.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Even more significant, said Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Tracy Dice Johnson, the benefits will be retroactive to her wife’s death in October 2012, before the Supreme Court overturned parts of the Defense of Marriage Act.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">“It was a long, drawn-out process, but at the end of the day, hearts and minds prevailed,” Johnson said.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">With VA’s recognition that she is the legal spouse of the late Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson, she is entitled to, among other benefits, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, generally paid to spouses and children and some parents of troops who die on active duty.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody">The monthly DIC rate for 2014 is $1,233.23. Johnson, who changed her name legally after her wife</span><span class="abody"> died, will also receive medical, education and other benefits.</span></div><span class="abody"><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Donna Johnson, 29, was one of three soldiers killed Oct. 1, 2012, in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. As far as is known, Tracy Dice and Donna Johnson are the first same-sex married military couple to have suffered a casualty after the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” They married Feb. 14, 2012, before Johnson’s deployment.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Tracy Dice Johnson announced VA’s decision May17 at the inaugural National Gala Dinner of the American Military Partner Association, which presented her with its 2014 Community Hero Award.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Stephen Peters, association president, said there is still “a great amount of uncertainty” surrounding federal law regarding benefits for legally married gay veterans. “But for the sake of our families, we hope this is signaling a change in policy by VA,” he said.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Peters noted that AMPA has accomplished much in the five years since partners of gay troops began coalescing into a support group.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div></span><span class="abody"><div style="text-align: start;">“Tonight is about recognizing you for your sacrifices and your service,” Peters told the group of more than 300 people packed into the Liaison Hotel in Washington, D.C.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Challenges remain, he said, such as lack of access to in-state tuition for spouses, and burdens for gay couples who want to adopt.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">“It’s clear we have a long journey ahead of us, but it’s also clear we’ve come a very long way,” Peters said.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Rosemary Williams, deputy assistant defense secretary for military community and family policy, praised the group for its work, noting that its input helped guide DoD in implementing benefits for samesex military couples.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;">Johnson said her most important goal has yet to be accomplished — getting the Army to change Donna Johnson’s death certificate to recognize their marriage.</div><div style="text-align: start;"><br></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody">The certificate says Johnson was single.</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody">--------------------</span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: start;"><span class="abody"><img src="cid:E2AB4DEC-A085-40A8-A07F-4CDAD76869B8" alt="image.jpeg" id="E2AB4DEC-A085-40A8-A07F-4CDAD76869B8" width="320" height="224"></span></div></span><p></p></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------<br><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares"</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>