“He made every objection from the VA a challenge and literally fought every battle with and for me. Without Adam’s assistance I would have been lost with all the required paperwork,” said Army veteran Robert Charles Bryant. “Adam not only helped me locate the medical records; he ensured that they were sent to the proper departments.”
Bryant’s compliments are for Young County Veteran Service Officer and Marine Corps veteran Adam J. LaVine. With just under a year on the job, having started August 2022, LaVine has made a difference in the lives of Young County veterans and their families.
It sometimes happens in unexpected ways. “I had a surviving spouse come into my office. She was simply bringing by cookies around last year’s Veterans Day. Her husband had passed away in 2016 and was rated 100% P&T at the time. Nobody had ever made her aware of any of the benefits that she is eligible for,” said LaVine. “I was able to sign her up and get her approved for a couple of VA programs, CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs) and Dependent and Indemnity Compensation. So now she receives aid for medical care as well as a monthly stipend from the VA. She comes by quite often with more homemade cookies and always a hug to show her appreciation for changing her life for the better.”
LaVine, pictured, encourages veterans and their family members to be proactive about getting the benefits they’ve earned. “The best piece of advice I have for veterans is to please reach out to whomever their local Veteran Service Officer or VA representative is, as they will have a vast amount of knowledge ready to aid them in whichever direction they need to go. I try my best to offer the whole book of services to veterans, whether it be VHA guidance, VBA assistance or even administrative corrections to personnel records.”
Veterans in the area can connect with him at the Veterans Service Office in Graham, the county seat of Young County, located in a hilly region about a two-hour drive from Fort Worth.
According to Bryant, it’s a connection worth making. “As a result of Mr. LaVine’s assistance my family and I enjoy the Disability Benefit of 100 percent and mental and physical health care I could not afford. Adam is the truest form of a gentleman with the character and virtues of a great leader. I commend you on his selection as Young County’s Veterans Service Officer.”