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MyFootHurts Huge Member
Joined: 22 Nov 2011 Posts: 912 | TRs | Pics Location: Kekistan |
Starting tomorrow.
That 3 years I did in the Army back in the 90s is now saving me $80/year.
https://kutv.com/news/local/veterans-gold-star-families-can-get-free-admission-to-national-parks-for-life
KUTV — U.S. military veterans and Gold Star Families will be granted free access to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior, the Trump administration announced Tuesday.
The offer begins on Wednesday, Veterans Day, this year, and every day onward.
For the program, a veteran is identified as a person who has served in the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, and can present one of the following forms of identification:
Department of Defense Identification Card
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
Veteran ID Card
Veterans designation on a state-issued U.S. driver’s license or identification card
Here's how to get a veterans ID card if you don't have one yet.
https://www.va.gov/records/get-veteran-id-cards/vic/
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nordique Member
Joined: 04 May 2008 Posts: 1086 | TRs | Pics
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nordique
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Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:38 pm
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Thanks, will have to look into that! I had not heard that announcement. I've been buying passes for decades now, except for the old age pass I use often. I also enjoyed the benefit of going to grad school on the GI Bill but I'd trade all that for not having been drafted in the first place! The first of my nine right leg surgeries was in Saigon in 1968, after my right tibia was shattered from knee to ankle by an AK-47 sniper round. The rest of my right leg surgeries were covered by my generous employer medical insurance.
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meck Member
Joined: 31 Dec 2010 Posts: 920 | TRs | Pics
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meck
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Tue Nov 10, 2020 6:18 pm
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Very cool MyFootHurts! Thank you for posting this (I know I will be looking into this). Here is the NPS link (same info you already posted)
*Just say NO to Rent-Seeking, don't give up the concept of "ownership"*
*Just say NO to Rent-Seeking, don't give up the concept of "ownership"*
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Cyclopath Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 7744 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Tue Nov 10, 2020 6:30 pm
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williswall poser
Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 1968 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
nordique wrote: | Thanks, will have to look into that! |
Well, you could have acquired a lifetime pass for $10 (now $80) once you turned 62....surely you knew that?
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Felpudo Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2018 Posts: 40 | TRs | Pics
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Felpudo
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Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:28 pm
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Dang Nordique. Thanks for your service. I think I would have given up on hiking after a half dozen leg surgeries.
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9513 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
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Tue Nov 10, 2020 10:31 pm
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Thanks for your service. It seems like the least we can do for folks that serve their country and put themselves in harms way.
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whitebark Member
Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 1864 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
Not to be a party pooper (we all love veterans), but this seems to be a big loss of revenue for the parks and forests. How is that loss going to be made up for?
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altasnob Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2007 Posts: 1408 | TRs | Pics Location: Tacoma |
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altasnob
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Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:09 am
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I agree with the sentiments above and so does my Dad, who was drafted and served in combat in Vietnam (also drafted after grad school). This is not to disrespect Veterans. I don't understand the logic in free passes for old people as well. If you want to compensate Veterans more for their service, then compensate them more. Don't dupe everyone into thinking you care about Veterans' compensation by giving them $80 a year at the expense of federal lands funding.
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9513 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
Snarky Member
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Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:46 pm
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whitebark wrote: | Not to be a party pooper (we all love veterans), but this seems to be a big loss of revenue for the parks and forests. How is that loss going to be made up for? |
Access fees are IMHO the boondoggle -- Congress is able to prioritize spending billions to buy aircraft, tanks, etc that the pentagon didn't request and to give trillions of tax cuts to people and corporations with more than $500,000 / year in income.
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Cyclopath Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 7744 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:14 pm
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Anyway it's great a lot of people have one less thing standing between them and the great outdoors.
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schifferj Member
Joined: 07 Mar 2015 Posts: 224 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
Cyclopath wrote: | Anyway it's great a lot of people have one less thing standing between them and the great outdoors. |
Although I have some thoughts I'm not going to go into the politics of this issue. One problem I do see is how does one for example park their car at the trailhead of 8 mile lake and take advantage of this. With the NW Forest Pass, The Golden Eagle Pass etc you hang the pass on the window and the "ticketing agency" knows you're good to go. Will they be trained to recognize a military ID lying on your dashboard? Will you feel safe leaving your military ID lying on your dashboard?
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zephyr aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics Location: West Seattle |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
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Sun Nov 15, 2020 12:06 pm
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schifferj wrote: | Will you feel safe leaving your military ID lying on your dashboard? |
Don't do this. Not a good idea at all. Always keep your i.d. on your person or in a secure location. I don't even feel comfortable leaving my Senior Pass on the dash. ~z
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Dante Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 2815 | TRs | Pics
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Dante
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Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:34 pm
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I have a December 10 appointment at the Department of Licensing to:
1. Get an Enhanced Drivers License
2. Add the Veteran Designation to my Drivers License, and
3. Get my corrective lenses restriction removed
I already have a Veteran ID Card from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but I try to minimize the number of cards I carry.
UPDATE: The Washington Post says veterans may get an America the Beautiful Pass for free by presenting a Veteran Health Identification Card, Veteran ID card or a Veteran-designated state ID. Don't use your veteran ID as a pass.
"Veterans, including those who served in the National Guard and Reserve, can claim a free America the Beautiful Pass by presenting a valid Department of Defense Identification Card, Veteran Health Identification Card, Veteran ID card or a Veteran-designated state ID."
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9513 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
Snarky Member
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Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:44 pm
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FWIW: There is a "Military America The Beautiful" pass. Getting one of those and leaving it on the dash in places where a parking permit is required seems like a better way to go than leaving your ID on the dash.
https://store.usgs.gov/faq#US-Military
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