§ 13-a. Armed forces of the United States. "Armed forces of the United
States" means the army, navy, marine corps, air force and coast guard
including all components thereof, and the national guard when in the
service of the United States pursuant to call as provided by law.
Pursuant to this definition no person shall be considered a member or
veteran of the armed forces of the United States unless his or her
service therein is or was on a full-time active duty basis, other than
active duty for training or he or she was employed by the War Shipping
Administration or Office of Defense Transportation or their agents as a
merchant seaman documented by the United States Coast Guard or
Department of Commerce, or as a civil servant employed by the United
States Army Transport Service (later redesignated as the United States
Army Transportation Corps, Water Division) or the Naval Transportation
Service; and who served satisfactorily as a crew member during the
period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred forty-one,
to August fifteenth, nineteen hundred forty-five, aboard merchant
vessels in oceangoing, i.e., foreign, intercoastal, or coastwise service
as such terms are defined under federal law (46 USCA 10301 & 10501) and
further to include "near foreign" voyages between the United States and
Canada, Mexico, or the West Indies via ocean routes, or public vessels
in oceangoing service or foreign waters and who has received a
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and a discharge
certificate, or an Honorable Service Certificate/Report of Casualty,
from the Department of Defense or he or she served as a United States
civilian employed by the American Field Service and served overseas
under United States Armies and United States Army Groups in world war II
during the period of armed conflict, December seventh, nineteen hundred
forty-one through May eighth, nineteen hundred forty-five, and (i) was
discharged or released therefrom under honorable conditions, or (ii) has
a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veterans'
services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or
dishonorable from such service, or (iii) is a discharged LGBT veteran,
as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
service, or he or she served as a United States civilian Flight Crew and
Aviation Ground Support Employee of Pan American World Airways or one of
its subsidiaries or its affiliates and served overseas as a result of
Pan American's contract with Air Transport Command or Naval Air
Transport Service during the period of armed conflict, December
fourteenth, nineteen hundred forty-one through August fourteenth,
nineteen hundred forty-five, and (iv) was discharged or released
therefrom under honorable conditions, or (v) has a qualifying condition,
as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
service, or (vi) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section one
of the veterans' services law, and has received a discharge other than
bad conduct or dishonorable from such service.