Custer County Veterans Service Office (also serving Blaine and Loup Counties)

The office. The Custer County Veterans Service Office is in the courthouse West Annex, 431 S. 10th, Broken Bow, NE 68822, phone (308) 872-2071, [email protected], open Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Veterans Service Officer is Emory Haynes, with secretary Teena Zoerb, per the State's directory (updated October 26, 2026); the Board re-appointed him for 2025 and 2026. What the county lists. The county's page names county veterans aid (see that entry); a bronze grave flag holder reflecting the veteran's wartime era, inventoried each year and replaced when damaged; registration of DD-214s, with certified copies "from any where in the world"; homestead help, the office obtaining each year a letter from the VA Regional Office naming eligible veterans and widows for the Assessor; and grave registration, with a Presidential Memorial Certificate ordered for the family of every deceased county veteran. It also lists the State and federal benefits the office files, from the Nebraska Veterans' Aid fund and dependents' tuition waiver to compensation, pensions, VA health care and long-term care. The County Clerk records a DD 214 brought to the office. Three counties. The State's directory lists Mr. Haynes and Ms. Zoerb as the officers for Blaine and Loup Counties too, at the Broken Bow office. Custer County's budget carries salary lines paid for Loup and Blaine County work ($1,350.00 each for the officer and $1,099.92 each for clerical help in 2024-2025) and lists an interlocal agreement for veteran services "until terminated"; on December 24, 2025 the Board approved Mr. Haynes's memorandum of understanding between the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs and Custer, Blaine and Loup Counties for January 2026 to December 2028. Blaine County's side. Blaine County's Veterans Services page lists Mr. Haynes, 431 South 10th, Broken Bow, 308-872-2071, and Blaine County keeps no office of its own. Its filed 2025-2026 budget lists the "Custer County VSO" among its interlocal agreements (dated July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 in the report for 2024-2025) and pays $3,000.00 a year from its own Veterans Service Officer budget (0100-803), booked as the official's salary, in 2023-2024, 2024-2025 and 2025-2026. Blaine County posts no Board minutes; see the Blaine County aid entry for Blaine County's own fund. Loup County's side. Loup County's Veterans Services Officer page lists Emory Haynes, 431 S 10th Ave, Broken Bow, (308) 872-2071, and Loup County keeps no office of its own. Its filed 2025-2026 budget lists a "Custer County/Loup County" agreement for the Veterans Service Officer (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2025 in the report for 2024-2025) and budgets $3,000.00 a year in its own Veterans Service Officer line (0100-803) as professional fees, spent in full in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. The Board pays the sum once a year in a claim made out to "Emory Haynes, Veterans Service Officer" ($3,000.00 on September 10, 2025 and September 9, 2026), retains Mr. Haynes as its officer each June (June 11, 2025 and June 10, 2026) and hears his Loup County annual report (July 9, 2025, when the minutes record "no changes to the amount of funds requested from the county for the Interlocal agreement", and September 9, 2026). It reappointed Eugene Thoene (to June 30, 2030) and Phillip Hart (to June 30, 2031) to its Veterans Service Committee. Loup County keeps no veterans aid fund; see the Loup County aid entry. The Board's year. Mr. Haynes presents an annual report to the Board (June 30, 2025 and September 15, 2026). On June 10, 2025 the Board appointed Lyle D. Runyan to the Veteran's Service Committee to June 30, 2030 after Jack Steinback resigned. On April 28, 2026 the Board discussed moving the office into the old board room in the basement; Mr. Haynes opposed it, saying accessibility alone was reason enough and the office "works perfectly as intended", and a veteran said the building's privacy and not having to use the elevator helped veterans with PTSD or claustrophobia. The Board tabled the move to look for grants to update the building. The money. The filed 2025-2026 budget gives the office (0100-803 Vet. Service) $98,984.65, against $93,696.89 spent in 2024-2025, including $1,600.00 for grave markers.