VFW..... Thoughts

[ditrina]

I'm not much of a " Joiner " 'cept here of course

However, I have received my annual renewal to the local VFW post. Never gave my membership much thought until I started going to the VA system. I see the the VFW will act as an advocate, if needed, with an office at the new VA hospital.

My question is, have anyone had the VFW as an advocate and what were the results?

Thoughts, comments are welcome.

Thanks

 

[Old Seabee]

VFW

I have continued my membership because they are one of the largest voting bodies for veterans.
OldSeabee

 

[Joed49]

I'm a Vice Commander at the VFW in my town. My post offers help for Veterans and will put you in touch with organizations that help veterans. You can also go to DAV or in some cases a County Veterans Service.

Since retirement I've gone to work for the County Veterans Service giving rides to veterans to the VA Clinic. The County offers financial assistance or helps file claims. They do a very good job and will assist even if the VA turns you down.

The biggest problem with benefits is getting information. Till I got involved with the VFW I had no idea of what benefits veterans can get.

 

[Whitwabit]

Sadly the VFW's because on their restrictions on entry ( Have fought in a foreign war) they keep a large numbers of veterans like myself from joining ..

I was in the Air Force for 5 years during the Vietnam War but not in a war zone so are restricted from joining !! Have been denied twice ..

 

[Joed49]

Sadly the VFW's because on their restrictions on entry ( Have fought in a foreign war) they keep a large numbers of veterans like myself from joining ..

I was in the Air Force for 5 years during the Vietnam War but not in a war zone so are restricted from joining !! Have been denied twice ..

That is a problem with the VFW and is hurting them in membership. The American Legion and Amvets don't have this restriction of having to have served in a war zone.

I keep waiting for the VFW to change this rule but so far they have resisted.

 

[Whitwabit]

That is a problem with the VFW and is hurting them in membership. The American Legion and Amvets don't have this restriction of having to have served in a war zone.

I keep waiting for the VFW to change this rule but so far they have resisted.

The VFW here in town is down to under 50 members with less then 25 active .. in a building built in 1890's .. yet they won't allow me or about 40 others here in town to join .. I expect the chapter here to fold in the next 10 years ..


Very sad !!!

 

[MORSNO]

VFW Life Member here! Just like the NRA! The VFW advocates at the VA service centers are god sends when you need to file or update a service connected disability, they know the system and will guide you along. For those ex-military who are not eligible for the VFW can join the American Legion, who also has VA advocates that can help. Remember you do not have to be a member to receive their services, but just like the NRA they need our support if you can afford it.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Local VFW post is in a facility shared with an American Legion post, a cost saving measure adopted over 20 years ago because of declining membership. The canteen (bar) has been opened up to the public for about 20 years now, again due to declining membership and revenues not up to supporting operating costs and overhead.

I am happy to share facilities with American Legion members. We are all veterans after all. I do become annoyed when non-members taking advantage of public access create problems (imagine that! Bunch of folks having low priced drinks and problems come up. Who would have thought that could happen?).

Our county's veteran service officer seems to do a pretty good job assisting vets in pursuit of benefit claims. Never had to go that route myself, but I hear good reports from others.

I have a somewhat dim view of the national VFW. Every month I receive the magazine in the mail and much of it seems to be political action stuff, lobbying politicians, demanding or begging for more & more & more. I sometimes wonder if this is altruistic work on behalf of veterans or if it is political pandering by wannabes in the VFW administration. Occasionally a good historical article in the magazine, along with all the advertisements from companies trying to reach into vets' pockets by selling vet-themed merchandise, lift chairs, mobility scooters, and ED products. So, occasionally entertaining and also moderately annoying.

Nuff said for now.

 

[Golddollar]

For the guys in the group who are descended from VFW eligible veterans, you can now join the VFW Auxiliary, formerly the Ladies Auxiliary. As a member of the VFW Auxiliary, you can go to any post in the country instead of being restricted to your home post if you are a social member. The 16 million veterans of World War II should have plenty of descendants eligible to now join the VFW Auxiliary. I am not a veteran, but I hope that since I joined the VFW Auxiliary I now stand in the place of my grandfather who served in France during World War I.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Yep-5 stars. They are the big dog on the porch. I found that until I had put them in charge of my claim(s) I got stonewalled. It is the first step, in my view, to getting VA to move. I suggest a life membership.

 

[yaktamer]

Sadly the VFW's because on their restrictions on entry ( Have fought in a foreign war) they keep a large numbers of veterans like myself from joining ..

I was in the Air Force for 5 years during the Vietnam War but not in a war zone so are restricted from joining !! Have been denied twice ..

It's a little broader than that -- for example 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea, presumably because the war never officially ended. In my case, I'm eligible by virtue of the fact that I earned the Army of Occupation Medal for being assigned to Berlin Brigade in the mid-80s. But I'd never join because I'd feel like a fraud in a club intended for combat vets.

 

[STCM(SW)]

My DD214 does not have the Navy/Marine or Armed forces expeditionary
metals for the blockade of Cuba. So the VFW won't let me in...
The ship I was on is listed for the metals.

 

[7shooter]

The two best that I saw advocating for vets were the VFW and the DAV, They would be filing an appeal before the veteran even knew his claim had been denied.

Tough smart organizations.

 

[7shooter]

My DD214 does not have the Navy/Marine or Armed forces expeditionary
metals for the blockade of Cuba. So the VFW won't let me in...
The ship I was on is listed for the metals.

The medals may be on the DD215. I saw a DD214 with no Purple Hearts but the vet said he had 3. He got the DD215 and it showed 5 Purple Hearts.
Ask your VSO or the DAV to get it for you if the VFW won't.

There was no Combat Action ribbon on my Dad's discharge papers. He was in combat in the north Atlantic , north Africa, Normandy, and Okinawa. The DAV got it updated and the Navy issued the ribbon.

 

[jcelect]

VFW ? !

Hey Sal
Good luck with the VFW ! ! ! I spent 8 yrs in Uncle Sam's canoe club and in 1969, when I was discharged, my disabled WWII vet cousin encouraged me to join the VFW! They denied me(he went ballistic) but the best they would do was a social member! I joined the Legion and am a life member of the AmVets! I feel the Legion supports the vets more then any other organization!
jcelect USN 1961-1969 Sub Vet

 

[onebadvet]

I agree joining the VFW & American Legion are to worthy organizations to support. They will be there for you when you need to deal with the VA, cause I will never understand why in the world they don't support military Vets, when we have issues.

Thank you to all who have served to protect our way of life.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I am a Vietnam era veteran who didn't get sent there. I bitterly recall the treatment Korean and Vietnam vets got from WW I and II vets if they tried to join. It took a long time and declining membership before they started sending letters to us.

I'll never darken their door!

 

[Rustyt1953]

After being discharged in '75, dad took me to his VFW Post to show me off and sign me up as I was eligible. I knew a lot of dad's friends there and drinks were bought, backs were slapped and stories and raucous laughter ensued.

Until several alum drinkers, having scrubbed their filters with alcohol, voiced their displeasure as to the legitimacy of my "war".

Heated arguments ensued with dad tearing up his membership card and throwing his key on the bar. Dad told them: "don't call me---I'm done".

We went to his American Legion Post and signed me up. Dad said: "you do what you want as you've earned it but I would appreciate it if you never went back to the VFW." I never have.

I held no animosity towards the VFW as an organization but the beer at the Legion was just as cheap as theirs and the barstools had better padding. It all worked out.

 

[Jessie]

I am totally confused and disheartened now.
I dislike fighting in the ranks.

 

[labworm]

Had exactly the same experience as Rusty1953 had.

Was discharged in 1969 from the US Army, served 13 months in Vietnam.

Along with two friends we entered the VFW to become members.
Wasn't a very pleasurable experience.

Listened to all the garbage about Vietnam not being a declared war, just a police action.

The drunken fools that decided to harass us were very lucky that day, we could have easily mopped the floor up with all of them.

I am a Life Member of the VFW because they still do a lot for Vets, but you won't ever see me hanging around any of the clubs.

In other words, the heroes inside drove us away many years ago.

 

[Drm50]

The VFW came and organized a post in the little town I live in. The guy who was main push for it was Navy vet of 4yrs during 70s. He had a small restaurant and provided it for temporary post. This town is famous for the
losses KIA in RVn and has a lot of vets. The district rep came and signed up about 30 guys. Came back and handed out membership cards and we
elected Navy guy Co. A week later rep came back because CO was not eligible to join VFW. They tried to transfer members to another post 30mi
away, nobody transferred and VFW here collapsed. I still have my card for
shortest lived VFW post in history, Beallsville Ohio. For the cost of dues both the VFW & Legion are worth it. The Legion has requirements for dates of service also. They allow all vets who served during wars and conflicts membership even if they weren't in combat zones.