Veterans’ sacrifices drive Larson’s excellence in service at PC Office

By Becky Uehling

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

When asked about all of the good things that Perkins County Veterans Service Officer Stephanie Larson does for the veterans of southwest Nebraska and the state as a whole, Perkins County Veteran’s Service Committee Member Ken Potts asked, “where do I start?”

Potts said over the past seven years, Larson has gone “above and beyond” to serve any veteran that comes into her office whether from inside or outside of the county. 

“She truly loves her job,” Potts said, “And it shows.”

A Perkins County resident, and Iraq War veteran, Larson, 36, filled her position in 2015 after Larry Kuskie left the position because of health reasons.

 Larson is originally from Rosemont, Ill., where she graduated high school in 2004. 

Choosing to follow in her father’s footsteps, she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where she was stationed in Camp Pendleton, Calif. 

For six months, she was deployed to Al Anbar Province, Iraq in 2006, where she served as a motor transport vehicle operator during the Iraq War. 

Larson’s battalion was tasked with running supply convoys to numerous bases through the Al Anbar Province. 

Upon her return from Iraq, Larson was promoted to the rank of corporal. After four years of active service and honorable discharge, Larson, and her husband Kris, who is also a Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient, relocated to Colorado in 2008. 

It was shortly after that Kris accepted a job in Perkins County, and the couple has lived here ever since with their two children, Brayden, 13, and Lilah, 10.

Stephanie credits her father’s experience as a Vietnam veteran for leading her desire to pursue the veteran’s service officer position.  

“I saw firsthand the lack of help and information that was given to my dad and other veterans on benefits that they not only qualified for but deserved as well,” she said. 

Helping veterans any way she can has driven Larson over the years to continue her education in various different aspects of veteran’s services, and to welcome any and all veterans into her office who are seeking information and help. Currently, she is serving approximately 300 veterans in some way through her position, with 210 of them having a disability case filed with the Nebraska VA.

Larson has helped veterans and families of veterans, from many counties in her region, and is especially open to serving female service members who have experienced sexual trauma in some way. 

“Veterans can choose which office they can receive services at,” Larson said. “They don’t have to stay in their county or state to do so.”

To be able to serve the veterans who seek services from her the best that she can, Larson is always keeping up on the changes in regulations on the state and national level. 

“She is constantly getting further education,” Potts said. “And she is persistent. If she sends and email and doesn’t get an answer, she will get on the phone and call and keep after it until she does.”

This persistence has paid off. In just the past year alone, Larson has helped area veterans receive $644,000 in disability compensations and pensions, and $1,210,000.00 in healthcare benefits. Although the amount of benefits she has helped secure, and the number of veterans she serves, is quite high, Larson doesn’t like taking all of the credit.

“I don’t claim to know everything, and I don’t,” she said. “But, I will do my best to serve the veterans and their families who come into my office in whatever way I can.”

Larson is also very involved with the Nebraska State Veterans Board, where she has served as vice president and is currently serving as president. She has also served on the education committee for the state veterans board, and will continue to do that once her presidency is over in January. 

Larson said she enjoys being a part of the state organization, and especially being able to give a voice to the small communities in rural Nebraska, which get shorthanded sometimes, she said.

“The accessibility of care looks different in the eastern part of the state than it does here,” she said. “Near Lincoln, there are several options for VA facilities. It isn’t that way here where the nearest VA hospitals and nursing home are further away.”

Larson admits that at times the knowledge it takes to successfully complete her job, and the tasks at hand, do feel a bit overwhelming, but she loves her job, which keeps her pushing through. 

“I love to be able to show my appreciation and thank the veterans by providing an avenue of information and help on benefits and services they qualify for,” she said. “Most of them are so humble about asking for help. They don’t want to take benefits away from others, but it just doesn’t work that way. Every one of the veterans in our country has earned these benefits and are deserving of them because of their service.”

Larson encourages veterans to call her or come see her about any questions they have. Larson’s number at the Perkins County Courthouse in Grant is 308-352-7590.