WASHBURN -- With the passing of another Veterans Day honoring past and present military service members across America, people like Todd Schreiner make assisting veterans their life’s work.
Schreiner is McLean County’s Veterans Service Officer (VSO). He and others in his position across North Dakota and the country are the link between veterans of any age, military branch, or military campaign to find, assist, and access medical and support services and other benefits they are due, as well as their dependents and survivors.
The military was part of his family history and as an 18-year-old, Schreiner said he envisioned serving his country by joining the military.
The glitch in that plan, however, was re-occurring high blood pressure preventing him from enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. As the fall college semester approached, he opted to enroll at North Dakota State School of Science to study electronics.
Life’s twists and turns took him to Minot State University, Lake Region State College, and the beginning of an 11-year career as a McLean County Sheriff’s Deputy on Sept. 1, 1989. He was serving the public and his country, “It just wasn’t a military uniform, it was a deputy’s uniform,” he added.
When the county’s combination Emergency Management, 911 Coordinator, and VSO position opened, Schreiner applied. “I was lucky enough to be selected,” he said, and it changed his focus from serving the public to serving veterans.
It became Schreiner’s way of serving his country. Now in his 23rd year, listening to the voices of World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War veterans brought home his love of history.
It led him to assist the N.D. State Historical Society in its project of preserving that history through recorded video and audio interviews with veterans. “I got to visit with those people who landed on the shores of Normandy and the islands… I was not expecting to hear what they were telling me… there were tears from the veterans… there were tears,” his voice tapering off.
Oftentimes, veterans returning from World War II, Korea, or Vietnam simply didn’t talk about what they did or saw. They returned home and tried to adjust to civilian life.
As more is learned about the challenges of making that transition, including issues such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, more is being done to assist veterans with an array of issues, whether it’s attending college, medical needs, financial, or others.
Schreiner admits he loves history, that he’s a “people person”, and that he’s good at listening. Those traits serve him well as he works to assist veterans and their families navigate through their needs. “Just sitting and listening, that’s what’s important. You listen first and then try to move forward to help as much as you can,” he described.
Like many in professions dealing with the public, Schreiner said he has learned to read people’s voices, whether in person or over the phone, and their mannerisms. He is one of the longest tenured VSOs in North Dakota.
Schreiner said he hopes to continue in that role as long as possible. “I am honored to serve the veterans of McLean County and for that matter, all veterans wherever they live,” he said.
It’s Schreiner’s way of serving his country.
