Some Veterans Can't Get Military Discounts

Connecticut's Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs is calling on Home Depot to honor a military discount for all veterans in the state.

Home Depot restricts the discounts to customers with Department of Defense ID showing they are active duty troops or reserves, disabled veterans, or retired from a career in the military.

"There is another large segment of honorably discharged veterans who served their country and deserve the same recognition, even though they did not make military service a career or receive disabling injuries," Commissioner Linda S. Schwartz said.

Bill Dove, of East Windsor, served four years of active duty in the Marines and 16 years with different branches of the reserves.  His military ID card says he is "Air Force, retired."  Despite that, he was denied the 10-percent discount at Home Depot.

"The clerks have been told in no uncertain terms 'here's the format you go with, here's a visual thing and if you don't see that, ixnay, doesn't work,'" Dove said.

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles is launching a new program in January which will print American flags on veterans' driver's licenses, to help them get discounts at retailers offering military discounts, among other things. 

"They should look at our document," said Melody Currey, DMV Commissioner.  "Because it is verified by the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as DMV that you are who you are." 

However, Home Depot says it wants federal ID, not state ID. 

"We don't have any plans at this time to change our ID policy in CT, primarily because we try to keep our policies consistent across all stores, rather than making exceptions state by state," said Home Depot spokesperson Stephen Holmes in an email.

All veterans can get the discounts three days a year:  Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans' Day, according to Holmes.

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