Mar 18, 2022
Stacy Whitmore, 54, served in the Air Force for four years and the Army National Guard for 18. Her reasons for enlisting were many.
“I joined because my dad was in the Army. I was a military brat. Because of that, after high school, I wanted to make a difference,” she said. “As an adult, I wanted to travel and show my husband and children the world so they could experience different cultures like I did.”
Now retired, Whitmore and her husband Jeff, also a veteran, live in Lewiston, Idaho, and have seven children (and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren): Matthew, 36, Joshua, 33, Steven, 31, Evan, 28, Hunter, 12, Sasha, 11, and Makana, 9.
Today, as a VFW-Accredited Service Officer, Whitmore helps veterans file claims and receive earned benefits.
“Helping them is very satisfying. I feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile,” she said.
Whitmore’s journey to her current post began in 2010 when she was asked to take over for a retiring County Veteran Service Officer across the state in Fremont County. Despite little knowledge of what the position entailed, she was intent on serving her fellow veterans to the best of her ability.
“When I was asked if I’d be willing to take over, I didn’t even have to think about it,” she recalled. “I said ‘yes,’ and the county commissioner hired me that month.”
“I had no idea what I was getting myself into,” she admitted. “But I sat in my office reading everything I could get my hands on so I could help veterans. I was determined to do the best job I could.”
After the first claim Whitmore worked on was approved, she was ‘hooked’ and fully invested, explaining, “I even went to college and became a paralegal because I was sure it would make me a better service officer.”
In 2016, Whitmore moved back to Lewiston and knew her next step. After earning her accreditation from the VFW in 2018, Whitmore achieved her goal of becoming a VFW-Accredited Service Officer for the state of Idaho.
Now, three years in, she begins each day reviewing her agenda, eager to learn who she will be helping and grateful for the opportunity to do so.
“I’ve filed hundreds of claims. Some are denied, a lot more are granted,” she said. “This is the most amazing job. I get to help veterans and their families. There’s no better feeling in the world.”