KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City hosted a panel Thursday on veterans benefits.

There are nearly 18 million U.S. Veterans eligible for benefits ranging from healthcare, to home loans to education. Lt. Col (Ret.) Nikki Dean says veterans don’t always take advantage of the benefits they’ve earned.

“Taking and claiming benefits you aren’t taking it from somebody else, what you are doing is ensuring that you are able to make a successful transition out,” Dean said.

The panel examined the myths and misconceptions concerning Veterans benefits and all the red tape that can make the process overwhelming.

Throughout the event names of organizations available to help were displayed across the screen.

“It can be daunting and it can be very frustrating and I have the stories of a lot of veterans that have said they have given up just because of that reason. That’s one of the main reasons we are in place to help with that red tape to take that frustration away from them,” Ron Cherry, VFW National Veteran Service Associate Director, said.