Northern Michigan Veterans Haven: Scott's Story

I grew up in Luther, Michigan, in a family that instilled a strong belief in serving our country. Three of my older brothers served during the Vietnam era, and from a young age, I aspired to wear the uniform myself. 

In 1986, after getting married, I joined the United States Army and embarked on a journey of more than two decades of military service, including active duty and later with the Michigan Army National Guard. Throughout this time, my wife and I raised two daughters while moving from duty station to duty station across the country and even overseas. I was proud to serve, eventually retiring as a Sergeant First Class (E-7). 

However, like many veterans, my hardest battles didn't occur while I was in uniform. During my second deployment to Iraq in 2009, a severe injury left me living with chronic pain. Surgery did not alleviate the issue, and I was prescribed escalating doses of pain medication. Before I knew it, I had become dependent on those medications. When the prescriptions abruptly stopped, I faced painful withdrawal, depression, and thoughts that no veteran should ever experience alone. 

Upon returning home, more challenges awaited. I was medically retired from the Army in 2012, taking multiple medications for pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep issues. Soon after, I began experiencing blackout seizures, which ultimately forced me into an early medical retirement from my civilian career with the United States Postal Service. 

For years, it felt as though I had lost everything I had worked so hard to build. 

Then came a turning point. A civilian neurologist suggested I seek a second opinion. After extensive testing, doctors found that my symptoms were not solely due to epilepsy but were linked to a combination of PTSD, traumatic brain injury, extreme stress, and the medications I had been prescribed. That diagnosis was life-changing. While it didn’t erase the pain, it provided me with the chance to start rebuilding my life. 

As my health gradually improved, I returned to college to study web design, reclaimed my driver's license, and eventually purchased the Luther Grocery Store. Just when the business was thriving, tragedy struck again, and the store was destroyed by fire in 2022. 

Life had knocked me down more than once, but each setback reinforced my belief that giving up was never an option. 

Throughout those years, I engaged with other veterans facing similar struggles. Chronic pain, illness, financial hardship, PTSD, depression—the feeling that no one truly understood. Time and again, I pondered the same question: what if there were a dedicated space where veterans and their families could slow down, reconnect, and share joyful moments together? 

That idea ultimately blossomed into Northern Michigan Veterans Haven, a project focused on providing Michigan veterans resources. Alongside a committed group of fellow veterans, we established Northern Michigan Veterans Haven with a straightforward mission: to create a tranquil destination for veterans and their families to reconnect amidst Northern Michigan’s natural beauty and forge lasting memories. 

Today, we are in the early stages of actualizing this vision. We have secured our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, built a devoted team, and started garnering support throughout our community. Whether our future involves refurbishing an existing lodge like Rockwell Lake Lodge or constructing a new retreat from scratch, our commitment to veteran support programs remains unwavering. 

I understand what it’s like to feel as though you've reached a dead end. I also know the feeling of rediscovering hope. That is why I am passionate about this mission. 

Every challenge I’ve faced—from combat deployments to chronic pain, addiction, seizures, loss of career, and rebuilding my life—has brought me to this calling. Northern Michigan Veterans Haven is more than just another nonprofit; it is my vow that no veteran or their family has to confront life's toughest challenges alone. 

As long as I can, I’ll persevere in creating a space where veterans can reconnect, families can make lasting memories, and future generations will always know they have a place to call home.