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Wartime Bonuses for WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf — Still Payable, Decades On

The Treasurer still pays bonuses for service in the earlier statutory windows: WWII 16 Sept 1940 – 25 July 1947, Korea 25 June 1950 – 31 Jan 1955, Vietnam 1 July 1958 – 17 May 1975, and the Persian Gulf 2 Aug 1990 – 10 April 1991. Amounts run $100–$300 for the first three depending on where and how long you served, and $500 for in-theatre Gulf service with the Southwest Asia Service Medal or $300 for Guard and Reserve members activated elsewhere. There is no published cut-off date, so a bonus from a war fifty years ago can still be claimed — and where the veteran has died, the family may claim in their place.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

The Treasurer still pays bonuses for service in the earlier statutory windows: WWII 16 Sept 1940 – 25 July 1947, Korea 25 June 1950 – 31 Jan 1955, Vietnam 1 July 1958 – 17 May 1975, and the Persian Gulf 2 Aug 1990 – 10 April 1991. Amounts run $100–$300 for the first three depending on where and how long you served, and $500 for in-theatre Gulf service with the Southwest Asia Service Medal or $300 for Guard and Reserve members activated elsewhere. There is no published cut-off date, so a bonus from a war fifty years ago can still be claimed — and where the veteran has died, the family may claim in their place.

What it's worth: $100–$300 for WWII, Korea or Vietnam; $300–$500 for the 1990–91 Gulf

  • WWII: 16 September 1940 – 25 July 1947.
  • Korea: 25 June 1950 – 31 January 1955.
  • Vietnam: 1 July 1958 – 17 May 1975, with at least six months' active duty.
  • Persian Gulf: 2 August 1990 – 10 April 1991.
  • WWII, Korea and Vietnam amounts run $100–$300 according to where you served and for how long.
  • Persian Gulf: $500 for in-theatre service evidenced by the Southwest Asia Service Medal; $300 for Guard or Reserve members activated and serving elsewhere.
  • Where the veteran has died, the family may claim.
  • No cut-off date is published. Age of service is not by itself a reason not to apply.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are in one of the groups the bonus reaches.
  • Your discharge was under honorable conditions.
  • You served in a wartime period.
  • You lived in Massachusetts before entering service.
  • Massachusetts pays this bonus.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Apply to the Veterans' Bonus Division at the Office of the State Treasurer.
  2. 2Find the DD214 or, for WWII and Korea service, the discharge certificate. Many were recorded with the city or town clerk at the time and can be recovered there.
  3. 3For a Gulf claim, look for the Southwest Asia Service Medal on the discharge paperwork — it separates the $500 rate from the $300 rate.
  4. 4If the veteran has died, apply as the family. The bonus does not lapse with the veteran.
  5. 5If the discharge paperwork is lost, request it from the National Archives before assuming the claim is closed.
Form
Veterans' bonus application, Veterans' Bonus Division
File with
Office of the State Treasurer, Veterans' Bonus Division
Documents you will need
dd214
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingThe wartime bonuses and the post-9/11 Welcome Home Bonus are separate programmes with separate amounts. A veteran with service in more than one window should ask about each.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.