My Grandfather Was a B-24 Tail Gunner and a POW. Here’s How I Say Thank You to Kansas Veterans, Including the Insurance Stuff Nobody Explains.
A family story, one thing every Kansas veteran should know about the VA and their car insurance, and two ways to show up this Saturday.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. For a lot of people, it’s a day off and a flag on social media. For my family, it’s personal.
What Was the Black March? My Grandfather’s WWII Story
On Feb. 6, 1945, the Germans marched roughly 8,000 prisoners out of Stalag Luft IV in one of the coldest winters of the century. They walked about 15 to 20 miles a day. They slept in barns and open fields. Some groups marched for as long as 86 days. It became known as the Black March.
Bud marched for 52 days. He was liberated at Fallingbostel on April 16, 1945.
Why this matters to our agency
My wife works at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center here in Wichita. The Dole VA opened in 1933 as the Wichita Veterans Hospital and now serves veterans in 59 Kansas counties. It just earned its fourth straight 5-star quality rating from CMS. It’s named for Russell’s own Bob Dole, who was badly wounded in Italy in 1945 and earned two Purple Hearts.
And here at the agency, we see the paperwork side of what veterans deal with, like the car accident where the VA sends a bill to the insurance company and nobody saw it coming.
So this year, my thank-you comes with some practical help. No pitch. Just something I wish more vets knew.
1. Does the VA Bill Your Car Insurance After an Accident in Kansas?
Yes, for injuries that aren’t service-connected.
Federal law lets the VA recover the cost of your care from auto insurance in states that require no-fault coverage. Kansas is one of those states. Every Kansas driver has to carry personal injury protection, or PIP. PIP is the part of your own auto policy that pays your medical bills after a crash, no matter who caused it. The Kansas minimum is $4,500 per person for medical expenses.
So if you’re a veteran, you get hurt in a wreck, and the VA treats you, the VA can bill:
✔ Your own PIP: The no-fault medical coverage on your auto policy.
✔ Your UM/UIM: Your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
✔ The at-fault driver’s insurer: If someone else caused the wreck.
✔ Copays still apply: VA billing your insurance doesn’t replace your normal VA copays.
Watch for a VA lien
If you settle with the other driver’s insurance, expect a VA lien. That’s the VA’s claim on part of your settlement to pay back what it spent on your care. A lot of veterans don’t find out about this until the settlement check is already spoken for.
2. What to do after a wreck
- Tell the ER you’re a veteran, and give them your auto insurance information.
- If you’re treated at a non-VA hospital, notify the VA within 48 hours.
- Call your agent to get the PIP claim started.
Here’s my point: even if you get all your care at the VA, your PIP and uninsured motorist limits still matter. The VA will look to them.
3. How Can I Support Veterans and Toys for Tots in Wichita This November?
Saturday, Nov. 7 is a big day. Pick one, or do both.
Go to the parade
The Wichita Veterans Day Parade is Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It starts at Main and Central and ends at Exploration Place, with a celebration afterward. Before the parade, the Young Marines serve a pancake breakfast at American Legion Post 4 from 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Come to War on 54
War on 54 is the Goddard WildCats Jr Football & Cheer tournament. (Not to be confused with Roar on 54, the Goddard vs. Eisenhower high school rivalry game.) Every WildCats team plays in it, and it’s one of my favorite days of the year.
- When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Where: Goddard District Stadium
- Who: Every WildCats age group plays
- Don’t Miss: The Marine Corps color guard takes the field just before the final game at 4:30 p.m.
100% of the gate goes to Toys for Tots
There’s a Toys for Tots drive at the gate too. Last year we raised $7,000 for Toys for Tots, and we’ve raised more than $25,000 total since the WildCats started in 2020. Let’s make this year the biggest one yet. Bring a toy, pay the gate, and cheer on some kids who play their hearts out.
Give to Toys for Tots Wichita
Toys for Tots started in 1947 and is an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. Last year, the Sedgwick County campaign helped 10,675 kids. If your family needs help this year, apply through Operation Holiday by Nov. 30.
If you know a veteran, thank them this week. Not just on social media. In person, or on the phone.
To my grandfather, and to every veteran who carried something heavy so the rest of us didn’t have to: thank you.
Thank a vet. And if you are one, call us.
If you’re a veteran, or the spouse of one, we’ll look at your PIP and uninsured motorist limits and your life insurance setup. No charge, no pitch. It’s the least we can do.
Shook Insurance Agency • 3931 N Ridge Rd, Ste 102, Wichita, KS 67205 • 316-282-8006 • shook-insurance.com
This post is for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Coverage varies by policy and carrier. Sources: Air Mobility Command; U.S. Army; Oregon Air National Guard 142nd Wing; VA Wichita Health Care; VA News; VA State Summary, Kansas; 38 U.S.C. 1729; VA Office of General Counsel; Kansas Legislature PIP testimony; City of Wichita; Toys for Tots Wichita; KSN; U.S. Marine Corps.