Cass County Veteran Services

Cass County's Department of Veterans Services serves what the county calls North Dakota's largest veteran population, "over 11,000 Veterans". The office is on the first floor, south wing, of the Cass County Courthouse at 211 Ninth Street South, Fargo, ND 58103, phone (701) 241-5756, fax (701) 239-6751. The Veterans Service Director is Christopher Deery, appointed February 1, 2020; the representatives are Shelia Hoffer, Anthony Baker and Charles Boschee, and the administrative assistant is Allyse Blaufuss. The county's own hours are appointments only, Mondays 12 to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with "Walk-ins are welcome every Monday from 8:30-11:30, Tuesday if Monday is a holiday" and anything else seen case by case. The office prepares and submits VA claims, follows them to decision, and certifies discharge papers. It maintains all discharges, "including those that were previously registered by the Cass County Clerk of Courts", and supplies copies free to the veteran or to a next of kin: an unremarried surviving spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, sister or brother. The county's code of ethics page says the officer will not "under any circumstances, accept remuneration in cash or other form for services rendered" and will not serve as a fiduciary for anyone receiving VA benefits. An online intake form promises a representative will respond within 3 business days. The county's commission keeps the office funded and busy. At the July 2026 budget hearings the commission approved the 2027 preliminary budget for the office as presented, Director Deery having reported that "over the past year the VSO has worked on over 500 claims and sees over 100 veterans per month", and separately approved $30,000 for the Veterans Honor Flight of ND/MN. The 2025 records show the office's conference and training travel to the state and national county veterans service officers associations paid from the veterans service fund. Two routes worth asking the office about. The county links veterans to the Hyperbarics for Veterans grant for hyperbaric treatment expenses and, as of 2025, runs an annual Community Veteran Stand Down; the second annual event was held September 11, 2025 at Broadway Square in Fargo. The county also maintains a county heroes memorial page and a page of business discounts, which it cautions are "at the discretion of the business". Section 37-14-18 requires the county to employ a veterans' service officer; Cass employs a department of them. Nothing the office does costs the veteran anything.