VFW at Work

  • 'Interest Seemed to Skyrocket'
    What started as an idea to hold a Mother's Day event at VFW Post 5290 in Conyers, Ga., turned into an event Post members believe was the "best event the Post had ever hosted." Three Gold Star families in June attended a luncheon hosted at VFW Post 5290, which Senior Vice Commander Jim Closs said was difficult to put together. But he also said, "It […]
  • 'It Really Does Take A Community'
    Members of VFW Post 3378 in Yuma, Colorado, hosted their third-annual dinner gettogether for as many local veterans as they could afford on June 28. In a community of about 3,400 residents, Post 3378 members welcomed more than 75 veterans, which also included spouses or significant others, into their Post for grilled hotdogs and hamburgers, side dishes, chilled soft drinks and dessert. Born out of […]
  • 'This Job Gives Me Purpose'
    Nathan Metz spent a total of 11 years in the military with five years of active service in the Army, and another six years in the Ohio National Guard. After enlisting in 1991, he was immediately stationed in Germany for three years, followed by another two years at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. When asked why he joined the military, Metz said he wasn't sure […]
  • 'America Inspires Me to Dream Big'
    Members of VFW Post 10417 Harrison, Arkansas, have been busy the past few months. On April 13, the Post's annual celebration banquet was held to honor several individuals for their time and talents throughout the year. Three middle-school students were recognized for winning top spots in the Patriot's Pen essay contest. Kayden Ann Loveday claimed first place with an essay that captures the essence of […]
  • 'We Have an Amazing Community Here'
    This month, VFW magazine continues its "Destination Post Series." The series will feature 125 VFW Posts located in sought-after tourist destinations. Featured VFW Posts are those that make a real difference in the communities in which the Posts are located. This month's article takes VFW magazine readers to the Memphis, Tennessee, area. Overlooking the "Mighty Mississippi River," Memphis is known as the home of the […]
  • 'That Is What Matters To Us'
    On the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Tarawa, three members of the VFW Department of Montana participated in bringing home the remains of an unidentified Marine killed in action at the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands more than 2,000 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor. VFW Post 10010 member Tim Sowa of East Helena joined Post 276 members Mike Pryor and Fred Hamilton from […]
  • WWII Vet Honored
    In a special ceremony on April 20 at Post 1333 in Neptune, New Jersey, World War II veteran Stanley Dubroff, 97, was awarded this year's Neptune Township/VFW Hometown Heroes Award. Nominated by Post 1333, where he serves as the oldest living member, Dubroff was selected by the Neptune Township Veterans Committee as its annual Hometown Hero for continued activity in assisting his Post reach its […]
  • Thanking Vietnam War Vets
    VFW Post 10904 in Manchester, Tennessee, hosted its annual Vietnam-era Veterans Honors Dinner on March 28. Now in its seventh year, the dinner's purpose is to recognize Vietnam veterans and to treat them as they should have been treated when they returned home from Vietnam. The Vietnam-era veterans in attendance were told: -"Thank you for your service;" -"Your cause was just;" and -"Welcome home." The […]
  • 'We Are Going to be Here Until the Families Don't Need Us Anymore'
    A VFW Post in San Diego accepted help from its community when it needed a new refrigerator after the Post's had broken. When the original stopped, volunteers at the Post were in the process of cooking hundreds of meals for displaced flood victims. During an interview with CBS 8 in April, volunteers told the news station that the Post's main industrial refrigerator stopped working and […]
  • Honor the Fallen
    On March 18, VFW Post 637 Operations Manager and VFW Auxiliary Department of Virginia Guard Cara Buckley led a ceremony paying tribute to 12 fallen female war heroes at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, which has more than 12,000 names on its wall. The ceremony hosted several dignitaries, which included VFW Department of Virginia Commander Gary Adams, as well as Virginia's Auxiliary President Victoria […]
  • A 'Beacon of Hope' for Veterans
    Over the past five years, a VFW District in Virginia has made it its mission to support a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a haven for veterans with PTSD and their families. Virginia's District 11, based in the heart of the commonwealth, has donated a total of $215,000 to the Boulder Crest Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers programs free of charge to veterans who […]
  • Family Day
    Through the VFW's National Military Assistance Program (MAP), members of VFW Post 8273 in Frisco, Texas, helped feed more than 2,500 active-duty troops and their families on March 3. The Post co-sponsored a "Family Day" event in honor of the 301st Fighter Wing at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, supplying 11 pallets filled with a variety of drinks, snacks […]
  • 'We Are Honored to Render the Proper Respect to All American Flags'
    Being heralded for years as the primary place for the retirement of U.S. flags in the county, members of VFW Post 2391 in St. Augustine, Florida, wanted to upgrade its site and ceremony. Under the direction of Post 2391 Quartermaster Bob Bewsee, who oversees the Post's Honor Guard and more than 1,000 flag-retirement events a month, design plans for a new beautification project began in […]
  • Third Annual VFW Day of Service is Coming Soon
    VFW Posts around the country are amping up for the third annual VFW Day of Service on May 4. That date kicks off a month of veteran-led community service projects. The Day of Service is an outgrowth of the VFW's #StillServing initiative that launched in 2020 and has since brought recognition to how much U.S. military veterans continue to serve in their communities after they […]
  • Prison Inmates Donate to VFW
    When VFW Post 7168 in Sanger, California, struggled financially five years ago, Jim Anderson found help in the unlikeliest of places. Anderson, who had transferred to Post 7168 to help it stay open, brought this up to a group of incarcerated veterans he sponsored and met with weekly at the Avenal State Prison in Avenal, California. "Since I started doing a little bit of counseling […]
  • 'We Know How to Do This'
    Since the VFW's inception nearly 125 years ago, its members' pursuance to help communities ravaged by natural disasters remains undeterred. Under the VFW mantle, veterans from across the country annually carry out missions to combat the harsh aftermath of floods, wildfires, typhoons or hurricanes ravaging communities. Most recently, in early August, when wildfires ravaged portions of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands, VFW members worked together […]
  • VFW's Day of Service Sees Increase in Participating Posts
    VFW members around the world delved into VFW's second annual Day of Service this year, an initiative to engage veterans, service members and local advocates in a widespread attempt to make a meaningful impact in their communities. This year's Day of Service built on the success of its inaugural event last year, growing its total number of grassroots events by more than 20 percent. VFW […]
  • 'It's Amazing to See How Grateful They Are'
    A VFW Post in San Antonio is doing their part when it comes to fighting food insecurity in its community. Since July, VFW Post 8397 in San Antonio has distributed about 43,000 pounds of groceries to food-insecure families in the San Antonio area. In partnership with Humana, the Post holds a food distribution drive for needy families on the second Saturday of each month. Cris […]
  • 'We Try to Be There for All of Them'
    Long before becoming commander of the first VFW Post established on an active-duty U.S. military installation last year, Willie Keller had seen the possibilities with a credulous eye. Joined by other founding members of Post 12209 on Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) near Killeen, Texas, Keller set out to serve as an example of how a VFW Post on an active military installation can help […]
  • 'Having Veterans Around Makes Me Feel Good'
    Fabian Lee Martinez served in the Navy from 2001 to 2012 to pursue two of his goals. "I wanted to serve my country and be a firefighter," he said. "I was able to do both by joining." Today, Martinez is #StillServing in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, as a member of VFW Post 2466. He also works at Texas Tech University as a school certifying […]