Our Mission
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, with its
Auxiliaries, includes 2.2 million members in approximately 8,100 Posts
worldwide.
Its mission is to "honor the dead by helping the living" through veterans' service, community service, national security and a strong national defense.
The
VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American
War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local
organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many
arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans'
pension for them,and they were left to care for themselves.
In
their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed
organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign
Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado
and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. By 1915,
membership grew to 5,000; by 1936, membership was almost 200,000.
Since
then, the VFW's voice had been instrumental in establishing the
Veterans Administration, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the
development of the national cemetery system and the fight for
compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans
diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. In 2008, VFW won a long-fought
victory with the passing of a GI Bill for the 21st Century, giving
expanded educational benefits to America's active-duty servicemembers,
and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The VFW also has fought for improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.