Pictured from left are Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Chairwoman
Laura Koerner, Young County Veteran Service Officer Adam LaVine ,
Executive Director Tom Palladino and Commissioner Chuck Wright.
Young County Veteran Service Officer and Marine Corps veteran Adam LaVine increased the benefits received by veterans in his county by 41%. He’s worked with the local VA clinic to become an “unofficial patient advocate” to assist veterans with health care issues including billing. He’s worked with area businesses to hire veterans, designate parking spaces for them and for restaurants to offer free meals on Veterans Day. He liaisons with funeral homes to ensure proper burials. He even corrected a tombstone placement error made 50 years ago, personally moving the marker to the proper soldier’s grave in Oklahoma.
For all this and more, LaVine was presented the TVC Excellence Award.
LaVine was nominated for the award by Young County Judge Edwin (Win) S. Graham IV.
“Adam has made a huge impact in getting benefits for our veteran population in Young County,” said Graham in his nomination. “In the two years he has worked for us, he has increased the total benefits received in Young County by 41%, despite our veteran population decreasing by 6%. He has been able to get increased benefits for some and obtained benefits for many who could never access them. He seeks out veterans who he believes are not receiving the benefits they earned. He found ways to help many who had given up on the system.”
The nomination went on to describe LaVine’s desire to assist veterans with health care issues. He took it upon himself to train, with assistance from the Decatur VA Clinic staff, to become an “unofficial patient advocate” to help with health care issues including billing.
LaVine’s work with area businesses was cited in the nomination. This includes encouraging businesses to hire veterans and he has gotten some area businesses to provide designated veteran parking spaces. Also, in a first for his county, Adam got 13 local restaurants to provide free or price discounts on meals to veterans on Veterans Day.
Further, he has developed a relationship with the local Texas Workforce Commission office so that whenever a veteran walks through their doors, LaVine can ensure they received their proper benefits.
LaVine works with local funeral homes to ensure that veterans receive their proper burial. His deep commitment to this was shown by the following example.
“Adam learned that a military tombstone was incorrectly placed in a cemetery in Young County over 50 years ago,” said Graham. “After months of research, it was determined that the solider was buried in Oklahoma and his grave had no recognition of his military service. Adam created a mission to right this wrong.”
He went on to describe how LaVine organized local veterans for a ceremony to relocate the tombstone. After it’s removal from the cemetery in Young County, he drove the marker to Oklahoma at his own expense in his own truck. There, he had arranged for Oklahoma veterans to meet him, place it at the grave of the previously unrecognized solider and then celebrate his service.
All of this takes time to accomplish. His nomination noted that though LaVine is paid for 8 hours service a week, “He puts in 20- 30 hours each week serving our veteran population.” It noted he meets with them after hours, on weekends or during the lunch break from his full time job at the post office. Additionally, LaVine will travel if necessary to see veterans at his own expense. He even assists fellow VCSOs and veterans in neighboring counties, states and even one in the Ukraine.
In helping him get all this done, LaVine credits his wife’s support. “Without my wife Hope’s support through these endeavors, truly none of this would be possible. I love her so much and I am so grateful for her.”
LaVine’s work has inspired his county to upgrade his office. “Adam has been so successful that the county voted to reward him with a brand new, handicap accessible veterans service office so he can even better serve our veteran population,” said Graham. “This new office would never have happened without Adam’s leadership and success.”
Congratulations Adam!
