Stephen Scott is a Midwestern kind of guy. Born in Springfield, Missouri, his family (including his parents, five sisters and one brother), moved to Kansas when he was only six months old. After completing his military service and earning a college degree, his career took him back to Missouri, then Wisconsin and Minnesota, where he met and later married his wife. Following his marriage, Stephen’s work transferred him to North Dakota and South Dakota, then back to Minnesota, allowing him to settle down and build a life. Today, he’s an engaged Resident at the Minnesota Veterans Homes - Minneapolis, finding camaraderie and sharing stories with fellow Veterans.

The Military Years

Family military service was part of Stephen’s upbringing. His father served in the Air Force during WWII as an E7 who worked on E29s (planes); however, he didn’t share much about his time in the armed forces, which had taken him to China, the East Indies and Burma.

With that said, Stephen simply got up one day, drove to the Draft Board and said, “I’m ready to go!” He served in the Army for two years between 1969 and 1970, completing Basic Training at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, then being deployed to Vietnam for one year.

As Stephen describes it, he “lived in the field, never really taking R&R or breaks.” An SP4 (Specialist First Class), he worked mainly as a mortarman where his specialty was in Four Deuce. Four Deuce involves heavy mortar activity, commonly used in Vietnam, as it was designed to rapidly saturate areas with high explosives and smoke.

Demonstrating leadership abilities early on, he led his own squad after only one month in Vietnam as a PFC (Private First Class) before becoming an SP4 (a promotion that also occurred quickly after arriving). He opted to turn down a promotion to the rank of Sergeant.

Post-Military Years: Education and Personal/Professional Life

Stephen used the GI Bill to attend Fort Hays Kansas State College (now University) where he majored in business and minored in economics and history. That education set his professional life on a course of assuming business leadership roles in both retail and professional organizations.

He worked at Kmart for 28 years, which included the responsibility of opening the Apple Valley store location. He also was part of the management teams for companies such as TJ Maxx, Michael’s and Steve & Barry’s. Stephen’s significant achievement at Steve & Barry’s was growing his employee team from 40 to approximately 150.

He was also the vice president, then president, of the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce. Stephen notes, “The military gave me more confidence, which helped me in roles offered at the Chamber and throughout retail. I felt comfortable saying what I thought, when maybe I didn’t as much before.”

From a personal perspective, Stephen has been married to his wife Mary for more than 45 years. They have one daughter, Shannon, a professor at St. Thomas University.

Military Recollections

When reflecting on his military experiences and what he would tell today’s youth about serving their country, Stephen shares that it’s the best thing he ever did. “If you’re thinking about going, it’s a great career opportunity that can lead to good jobs and it has good benefits. You definitely grow up!”

Several years ago, he was an active member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion in Kansas; now he’s a member of the Herb Gager American Legion Post 581 at the Minneapolis Veterans Home.

His previous membership with the Kansas VFW afforded him the opportunity to take part in an Honor Flight. Stephen recalls, “It was so meaningful and inspirational; I visited many sites including Ft. McHenry and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. I can’t imagine seeing these things and not being touched by it; you'd have to be pretty hard for it not to!”

Life at the Minneapolis Veterans Home

Stephen has been a Resident for almost two years. He says he chose the Minneapolis Veterans Home for the skilled nursing care he needed because it was a natural progression from the exceptional care he was already receiving at the nearby VA Medical Center.

While Stephen has created a number of great memories at the Home to date, one of his favorites is when he was a member of the New Resident Welcome Group. “I was an ambassador, welcoming new Residents to the campus,” Stephen notes. “In general, I enjoy people and the time I spend visiting with them.” As an ambassador, he was happy to help other Veterans to adjust and feel comfortable more quickly in their new setting.

Stephen also raves about the wide range of activities offered to Residents. “Recreation activities here are so good; I never could have imagined it’d be like this. I enjoy the gym and could live there. And I like attending PD Power classes because the guys that go to that are so determined.” (Note: PD Power is a Rehab department-run group offered for people with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s. Despite not being a part of the target audience, Stephen attends for the camaraderie and to assist peers.)

Christa Tremawan, CTRS, is a Veterans Home Recreation Therapist who knows Stephen well since his arrival. “Stephen keeps his mind and body active; he is always doing something, attending most of our scheduled programming. He enjoys exercising and taking walks. Mostly, Stephen is supportive to peers and a good friend to all. No matter what he does, he shows leadership and makes sure fellow Veteran Residents are getting what they need.”

At this stage of his life, Stephen says he truly enjoys living every day helping others and visiting people because everyone has a story. “I’ve made a lot of good friends here and like doing projects with them. It’s fun to hear people talk about their past.”