GROVETON — Just three years ago, Marine Corps veteran Mikala Peters was living without running water or electricity, and unaware that help was available.
“I didn’t know that TVC was a thing, and I didn’t know that there were offices like a VCSO,” said Peters in an interview with KTRE TV in Lufkin.
Today, Peters serves as the Trinity County Veterans Service Officer and is committed to helping veterans receive the VA benefits they have earned and connecting them with local resources. She has made her office into a resource hub for veterans and their families.
Working with the county’s grant office, Peters applied for TVC Fund for Veterans’ Assistance grants. Her office was awarded a $189,000 grant to provide financial assistance to local veterans and their families, as well as a $100,000 Housing for Texas Heroes grant to fund home modifications for veterans.
“It is truly my passion to share with veterans and their families what resources are available even in rural areas like ours,” said Peters.
Peters noted that asking for and accepting assistance can be a stumbling block for veterans as well as understanding that their military service earned benefits specifically for them.
“So many veterans feel like someone else deserves it more than they do. Many wait years to seek any sort of VA benefits. Others feel like they should be able to figure it out on their own.”
Peters encourages veterans not to wait to claim VA benefits such as disability compensation. Because the VA process and paperwork is complex, she recommends that veterans to team up with an accredited VSO to file for VA benefits.
“When veterans sit across from me, they are my only focus in that moment,” said Peters.
While she has helped many veterans secure successful VA claims since becoming Trinity County VSO in June 2025, it’s helping get a grave marker for a veteran that really stands out in her memory.
“A Vietnam vet came to me one day needing a favor. He wanted me to look into getting a grave marker from the VA for his cousin, also a veteran and in an unmarked grave in Tennessee since 2009. The aging veteran, with tears in his eyes, which was very uncommon for him, explained he had been working at this for years, had nearly given up and wasn’t sure he’d be able to see it done before he died.”
Peters had only been the Trinity County VSO for six months. “I had no idea where to begin.”
Ultimately, Peters was successful and had a marker placed within a few months. The veteran was able to visit the gravesite and see it in person.
“Veterans really want someone to hear them and really care,” said Peters. “I am an advocate for the veteran and military community of Trinity County. My office creates a space that feels welcoming, nonjudgmental, and as if when they sit across from me, they are my only focus in that moment. It is so important to me that they feel heard, that they know that they matter, and that their sacrifices are not forgotten.”
Veterans can contact the Trinity County Veterans Service Office by phone at (936) 594-8067 or by email at veteransofficer@co.trinity.tx.us.
