A verification of military service required for veterans to receive their free ID card from the Department of Veterans Affairs can still take up to six months from the time of application for those who separated before 1980, VA officials said recently. Veterans who served after 1980 can be verified through an automated process rolled out late last year, said Curt Cashour, a VA spokesman. But other veterans, primarily those who served before 1980, require manual verification before the ID card can be processed and produced, he added. Read more about the delay and how to get the card on Military.com.