Veterans of Foreign Wars: What Happens at the VFW

VFW stands for Veterans of Foreign Wars. According to the VFW website, the organization began in 1899 when groups of veterans banded together to secure benefits. By 1936, their members totaled nearly 200,000.

Many of us think of the VFW as a bar where old soldiers go to drink and trade war stories. There is much more to it than that. The VFW motto is “to honor the dead by helping the living.”

The VFW is involved in efforts to secure benefits for veterans. Their efforts aided the creation of the VA, the GI bill, and many more services to aid veterans. The VFW continues to support benefits to the veterans. Currently, the VFW supports increased funding for the VA, increased pay for soldiers, protecting the veteran’s preference, and more.

The VFW has aided in the construction of many memorials and monuments dedicated to honoring those who were killed in service of their country. In 2005, the VFW contributed to building a memorial for soldiers who have been disabled.

The VFW also takes positions on foreign policy issues and other military issues. The VFW supports efforts to account for all soldiers who are MIA (Missing In Action). The VFW supports providing the necessary supplies and materials to the soldiers to allow them to complete their missions.

The VFW supports full funding for homeless veterans programs and more effective job training.

According to the VFW website, their members put in more than 13 million hours of volunteer service. The VFW also provides $2.5 million in scholarships.

The next time someone mentions the VFW, think of what they do. They are more than just a building for former soldiers to sit and drink. They do a lot for our community and our soldiers.

For more information about the VFW visit their web site at http://www.vfw.org

Sources:

The Official Site of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of The United States visited 08/16/2006

VFW Magazine Nov-Dec 2004 Issue online version visited 08/16/2006