May I Ask

[AJs Helper]

  Here I go with silly questions. 

1.  My uncle was discharged in 1945.  I have the "Official" discharge papers which you can frame and the "Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge".  Are copies of these two documents sufficient or do I need to request the DD-214?

2.  For the other official documents, are copies of marriage certificates and birth certificates OK or do I need certified copies?

3.  When proving income, will the most current tax return be enough?

Thank any of you for your help.

[VSR]

1.  Official discharge papers are fine as long as they are original or certified.  They do not need to be DD214's

2.  You shouldn't need birth certificates anyway, but copies are fine for everything except of military records.

3.  You shouldn't need to prove income (unless you run into an auditing issue).  Submit monthly and yearly income on the application as listed and it should be fine.  Do not leave any question blank.

[AJs Helper]

Thanks Max.  So copies of certified documents are OK?  That would be great.  I have nearly everything I need to apply.  I'm just waiting for her Dr. to send back the form I mailed to him last week.

[jpez]

"So copies of certified documents are OK? "

No, originals or certified copies of the original. 
In other words an attorney has seen and copied the original and certified that the copy is of the original..

[KarenO]

I sent the VA copies of all of the documents (not originals or certified) and they were accepted without a problem.     

[jpez]

And while I am very happy for you, I can assure you that another 5 people were asked to send in originals of the Discharge. I was a return letter that said "thanks for the copy. We have ordered an original from Records for you."

  That is the source of alot of mine (and other's) frustration.  If the rules were applied evenly - who cares about fairly - and if at least every vet got the same even treatment.