ANOTHER GROUP GIVEN VET STATUS Another group of civilians civil-ians who engaged in special wartime activity has been given veteran status. Veterans benefits are now abailable to qualified, form -er civilian employees of Pacific Pa-cific area naval bases who participated in the 16 day defense of Wake Island In December 1941. Under a recent military decision, those qualified civilians civ-ilians are to be considered as having performed active military service in the Armed Arm-ed Forces of the U.S. for the purposes of all laws administered ad-ministered by the Veterans Administration. These civilians worked and fought alongside the Wake garrison of 450 Marines Ma-rines and Navy personnel. Seventy civilians were among the 127 Americans killed in the battle. Later, only 800 of the 1,150 civilians ci-vilians emerged alive from 44 months of captivity. The initial step for the former Wake civilian workers work-ers to receive VA benefits Is to obtain DD Form 2168 from the NavalMilitary Personnel Per-sonnel Command, Washington, Washing-ton, CD. 20370.