Archives

Oct 11 2019

Treatment Court Graduates 500th Veteran

Wearing a camouflage robe, Judge Wayne Christian presided over the ceremony for the 500th graduate of the Bexar County Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) in San Antonio on May 6. Created by the Bexar County Commissioners and Criminal District Attorney’s Office in 2010, the VTC works to rehabilitate vets instead of having them incarcerated followi...

Oct 11 2019

VFW Wishes Navy a Happy 244th Birthday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Oct. 13, as the U.S. Navy celebrates a 244-year history of service to the nation, the more than 1.6 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliary want to say “thank you.” For more than two centuries, the U.S. Navy has time and again proven to be the most formidable force on the...

Oct 10 2019

VFW Honors Teachers Who Bring Vets to the Classroom

VFW has presented more than 60 educators with its Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Award since 1999. This year’s recipients spoke at the 120th VFW National Convention in Orlando, Fla., thanking VFW for the award and sharing how they bring veterans and their stories into the classroom. Bobbie Schamens | Grade level K-5 | Meadowv...

Oct 09 2019

‘Reward Their Courage’

Since 2015, members of VFW Post 1308 in Alton, Ill., have uplifted sick and terminally ill children — more than 500 in the U.S. and even one in London, England. According to member Wayne Able, the Post presents the Courage Inspiration Determination (CID) Medal to children in hospitals in nearby states. On July 19, Able said “several&rdq...

Oct 08 2019

VFW to Host Facebook Live Event with VA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to team up with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday, Oct. 11, to bring our Facebook followers an opportunity to get their questions answered regarding the latest VA is offering to address barriers to care for rural veterans. During the event, experts will discu...

Oct 07 2019

‘You Have to Bring Younger People into the Conversation’

VFW leadership touted its progression toward community-based events and family friendly environments to a class from Fort Leavenworth’s School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). In April, students from the school, which is roughly 40 miles from VFW National Headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., met with VFW employees to have a conversation abou...

Oct 04 2019

'My Goal is to Spread Positivity'

One day in January 2014, VFW Department of California member Jesse Iwuji decided he wanted to take his career in a new direction. The Navy officer was fresh off a deployment and about to go on another to the Persian Gulf later that year. While sitting in his room that morning, Iwuji said he wrote on a whiteboard, “Jesse, become a professional...

Oct 03 2019

Remembering a Deadly Day at Combat Outpost Keating

On Oct. 3, 2009, the odds were against U.S. troops at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, located just 10 miles from the Pakistan border. Contained between the Landay River and steep mountains, Keating was attacked from multiple directions by 300 enemy fighters. When the battle ended after more than 12 hours, eight U.S....

Oct 02 2019

VFW Patriotic Essay Competition Deadlines Approaching

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is still accepting applications for its popular Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions, as well as its Teacher of the Year award. Inspiring patriotism within our nation’s youth has long been a top priority for the VFW, but with the Oct. 31 de...

Oct 02 2019

VFW Urges Blue Water Veterans to Contact a Service Officer

With the legislative and judicial battles seemingly over for the Vietnam War’s so-called “blue water” Navy veterans, the process for them to receive VA compensation is just beginning. VFW National Veterans Service Director Ryan Gallucci said that contacting a VFW Service Officer should be a common course of action for all blue wat...