WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE ABOUT
The organization Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, more commonly referred to as 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. The VFW became a government-chartered non-profit organization by an act of the United States Congress in 1936; as such, it receives no funding from United States tax receipts and is supported by charitable donations. The first VFW was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1899. The current VFW was first formed in 1914 from the merger of two prior veterans organizations which both arose in 1899: the American Veterans of Foreign Service and the National Society of the Army of the Philippines.The former was formed for veterans of the Spanish-American War, while the latter was formed for veterans of the Philippines War.
The VFW, with its Auxiliaries, includes 2.6 million members in approximately 9,000 Posts worldwide. Our accomplishments are many, including lobbying for aGI bill for the 20th century; donating more than $1 million each to the Vietnam, Korean, Women in the Service and World War II memorials; fighting for compensation to veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome; and improving VA medical centers for women veterans.
Annually, VFW members and its Ladies Auxiliary contribute more than 13 million hours of volunteerism in the community, including participation in Make a Difference Day and National Volunteer Week.
From providing $2.5 million in college scholarships to high school students every year, providing free phone cards to our nation's active-duty military personnel, raising money for the World War II memorial, to encouraging elevation of the Veterans Administration to the president's cabinet, the VFW is there-honoring the dead by helping the living.
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