What is the opinion of younger veterans regarding the VFW? Are you a member? Why or why not?
What about older veterans and current VFW members. What are you seeing at your post with regard to membership?
VFW posts look for boost from
returning soldiers
By Kelsey Cano, Staff Writer
10:14 PM Thursday, November 10, 2011
As more troops return to the U.S. in the upcoming months, local Veterans of Foreign Wars posts don’t expect to see a surge in business.
About 40,000 American troops stationed in Iraq are to be home by years end, but that won’t necessarily lead to higher VFW membership, according to Chuck Hangbers, a former senior commander of VFW Post 7670 in Hamilton.
“When they come home, they try to get away from stuff like this,” he said. “They come back home and have a lot to get settled on. They don’t want to talk about nothing when they first get home.
“We’re struggling like everyone else right now. We’re barely keeping the bills paid, but we’re keeping open so far,” Hangbers said.
While the Hamilton and Middletown posts profit from membership fees - $25 a year for a regular membership - donations, fish fries and renting out its facilities, both said their biggest source of revenue is the canteen, where members come in and drink and eat....
The nanny statists in my state(MN) banned smoking in bars (and VFWs) so smoking is not an issue.
Other than that, most guys are probably busy working 2 or 3 jobs to pay their taxes. (MN still taxes military benefits for retirees)
They endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein over Republican and war veteran LTC Allen West
I’m a veteran but didn’t serve in a theater of war. I’m welcome as a guest at our VFW but not eligible for membership. I’m Sr Vice Commander of our American Legion post, however. Both our Legion and VFW posts have more senior members than young, but both are doing well. We have 45 members in our Legion post, and have recruited 5 this past year. But only 3 are from recent engagements.
One thing that needs to be done is a strong recruitment program. Posts need to form recruitment committees with personnel enthused about talking to people and inviting them to meetings.
Those who say small, dark, smoky (in violation of the CA law, you GO old guys!), and old guys drinking cheap booze have the right of it.
The problem with exclusivity is that of declining membership.
VFW tended to break the link between the WWII generation and the Vietnam era warriors - and now they have almost no link to the new generation of warriors.
My advice is to try to get younger men who are veterans of foreign wars in there. The problem being that younger men tend to want to drink and carouse where there are young women in evidence.
The problem is just not the Service related organizations - it applies to other social groups like the Masons, Elk, Moose, etc - even including Bowling Leagues.
With other entertainment available young folks just aren’t joining those type organizations in the numbers they once did.
I have membership in a few organizations but rarely go to any meetings - no time.
The thought never occurred to me, most likely because:
1. I typically don’t join things.
2. I never linked my self-identity to being a vet.
3. After my time in the military (Corpsman, ‘72-’76, a wee bit of action during the falls of Cambodia and Saigon), the last thing I wanted to do was be reminded of it. My tendency in life has always been to look forward, not back, so I got on with my life.
I didn’t become a member due to time constraints, perceptions as mentioned, etc. even though I qualify as a DS/DS vet.
But that didn’t stop our son from contacting them seeking support for his Eagle Scout project.
While waiting to give his presentation to the members, I noted the apparent ages of veterans present in the bldg. Some old, some young, some in between.
They enthusiastically endorsed his project with cash and offers of assistance.
If nothing else, the VFW should be looked upon as an important community and civic organization that is big into charitable work.
Not just a place to get drunk and trade war stories.
After the reception our son rec’d and the endorsement and support offered to him for his Eagle project, I will be joining.
My perception has been altered by our visit.
A few people know how humble I am about what I did in the service...I like what I did, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat...
I honestly don’t feel worthy to walk into places like that, even though I feel I might be welcome to do so...
Those guys and gals who went before us will still get my respect, I differ to their wisdom and experiences and that is what will keep their sacrifices in my thoughts till I die...
History looks upon a country by the way it treats its veterans, and this country has had its ups and downs in that regard...
I kinda have mixed feelings about affiliating with a local VFW, there is one not far from me near Ellington Field...I guess I’d have to run into one of those folks and talk to them, before I would even consider walking through that door...
Like someone I served with said to me years ago, “What do YOU want??? A medal??? Or a chest to pin it on!!!”
You can probably laugh at that euphamism, but its something that sticks with you before you go thumping your chest in an environment where those that went before you didn’t have to thump their chests about what they did when they served...
Just the way I feel about it...
My story is about the same as all the previous ones.
When I was discharged back in the late 1960s I joined both the American Legion and VFW. The problem was the age differences. I was the first Viet Nam era vet to join, I was just 20 years old. Everyone else was in their late 40s, and higher. We had nothing in common other than being veterans.
Add to that I did not smoke or drink, or play cards, there really was not point.
The only organization I still belong to is the DAV (life time member, and this is just to get the magazine to keep up with what is going on in congress related to veterans).
I don’t think I have ever attended a meeting.
As others have pointed out there just does not seem to be a purpose for the American Legion or VFW to exist. If they want more members they need to find a reason for people to join.
We maintain our membership but dont go to the meetings. How sad to see a lack of attendance at this great pro military organization.
Interesting. IIRC, the VFW was formed when young veterans weren’t allowed to join either of the two major veterans groups in the late 1800’s. One was for Union soldiers (GAR?), and one for Confederates. Those groups merged at some point due to dwindling numbers, but they never allowed in anyone that didn’t serve in the american civil war.
So, the Veterans of *Foreign Wars* was formed, so that those that served in Cuba, etc., could have their own organization. I guess if the VFW has forgotten history, they’ll have to repeat it...
Fletcher J
While I am a veteran and served during the Panama excursion and Desert Shield/Storm, I wasn’t sent into either of those combat zones. So it doesn’t bother me that my veteran status didn’t include actual combat and makes me inelligible for the VFW. The American Legion has tried to get me to sign up. But I have a lot on my plate as it is and don’t see any real benefit of joining at this time.
I had belonged to the Legion but never in the VFW until a few years ago. VFW has the biggest building but membership keeps going down. Leading is work and no one has that time. Newsletters are vital but non-existent. This goes for other organizations also. People don’t want to join. Only children’s organizations prosper ‘for the children’ works.
I’m an OIF II Vet, a female and joined my local VFW. My husband and I quickly got involved with the post and I am now the Adjutant. I like the people at the post and occasionally help out tending bar (and make a little money in the process from the tips!). I can go to the canteen and catch up with the regulars that are there every day. I don’t need to drink alcohol either. I don’t go every day but sometimes I go on Thursdays when they have lunch or when they have the dinners. My husband and I have taken a very active role at our post pitching in bbqing and making food to bring from home. There is no smoking allowed (California) and the smokers go to the back patio to smoke. We have dinners once a month, we had a great superbowl party and New Year’s Eve party. Everyone that is a member participates and brings food and has a really fun time. We’re planning a block party in May, we’re participating in a local car show and planning weekly dinners as the Spring and Summer months approach. We have karaoke nights and we’re putting together a pool league.
As far as the membership of younger members like me, there is a former member who gave us a bad name to the veterans in town and we’re currently trying to recover from that. We used to have a lot of members but since the former member gave us a bad name, we’re having to get our reputation back slowly. I have hope that this year we will be able to get our good reputaion back and have the recently returned local veterans join and participate like I have.
The first step is participation!! You have to participate to get results. One more thing: we don’t sit around reminiscing about our time at war. We talk about what is going on in our lives now. We are a family and if someone needs help or a shoulder to cry on, we’re there for each other.
There is a reason it’s called Veterans of Foreign Wars. You had to have been deployed to a war zone to be a member. But we have an Auxiliary. That is for the family members who either weren’t in the military at all or who weren’t deployed. Also, if you had a family member who was deployed to a war zone (such as your deceased grandparent), you are eligible to join the Auxiliary. Talk to your local post to find out.
Had a VFW tell me the Cold War was no war at all, and therefore not eligible for membership. OK, I had to respond to that. I let them know that my CIC, Republican President Reagan, made sure he didn’t screw up foreign relations and let things lead to war. Theirs did; Democrap FDR, Truman, JFK, and LBJ. All were responsible for getting this country into WWII, Korean, and Vietnam wars.
I’m the commander of post 6790 in Wellton Arizona I personally in the last two months have signed up 10 new members all presently in the US Marines who have served in the gulf war 3 of witch became life members yes some of us are old and some of us do smoke but there are plenty of spaces in all posts where no smoking is allowed all our members are war veterans and a great bunch of men and women who love having fun we have dinners games and karaoke we have a lot of fun and comradeship we also donate to the community to schools support the police, fire,and ambulance service.