Do you think the American Legion and the VFW need to adapt to the time?

I'd say that RallyPoint is the digital version.

It depends on the Post and area. My Post, VFW 9770 is all of 63 members and we have a young lady who is a quite capable Quartermaster. We also have several other young members involved.

https://www.facebook.com/VfwPost9770

We welcome all qualified members to our Post. We don't care on age or gender. Hell my 25 yr old son is a member of the Post...... In our District we have several active female members.

So again, it is based on each area!

I would imagine American Legions vary from post to post. Served as a commander for 2 terms. I couldn't lead the post away from the Bar... Everything seem to focus on the canteen. I haven't volunteered since then. Between having to purge members of those who shouldn't of been members to constant bickering, it wasn't worth my time. I have had a better experience with a Non Chartered Veterans group in Chicago called the Windy City Veterans. We got things done, less talk, more action, we got more done for the Veterans. The Legion on the National level appear to be focused on Veteran issues, but locally some posts get lost in the Bar....

I was told that if you served in theater, you can join the VFW... I never served in theater, so I never looked into them anymore.

I would say yes. Unfortunately the American Legion has their membership dates set by the Government.The Cold War needs to be included in both the VFW and the American Legion.Both organizations have declining numbers.

Yeah, they need to. At my local VFW, there's a bunch of great guys, but they are all Vietnam vets or older. The whole place centers on the bar, and about the only reason I ever go is to have a place to play pool.

I think the solution is for OIF/OEF veterans to join the VFW and the Legion in droves so that the organization has no choice BUT to adapt.

I totally felt that way. The men wanted me to be in the Legion Auxiliary when I was a Vet. It was a good old boys club. This was a post in IL in the far west Chicago suburbs. The younger guys accepted me but not the older ones. I ended up quitting, because the men didn't seem to want me, and the women in the auxiliary definitely didn't want me either.

Ol boys abound and we don’t need your kind around here

When I returned from Viet Nam an got out of the Army in 1971, My dad who was a ww2 vet signed me up for the VFW. I never felt very welcome there, It was alweys my dad's generation there, although I went anyway sometimes. Now it's the Afganistan, Iraq bunch. I'm a life member now and the VFW does a lot of good for vets and the community but I still don't feel welcome.

I belong to both the VFW, and AL, and I've transferred through several Posts as I've traveled, an moved. Once thing I can say is that each post has its own flavor and character. Much depends upon the era the current post leadership has served in. Most of the WWII era leadership has passed on and the batons have shifted, Even the Korean War Vets are fewer in number. What You have are mostly Vietnam Era, and Cold War Era Vets such as myself. One thing I've seen over the last 20 years is a realization that the status quo can not stand, and the VOs must change and adapt. It takes the younger more energetic members to really bring about the changes needed, and ironically it is the younger members who are still in the services, or who have family obligations that really don't have the time to participate and guide changes. The VFW and AL also suffer from the stereotype of old people who sit in the lounge getting drunk, yes, we have that image, and it is a difficult one to dispel. Even the time I have to give to the VFW and AL is limited by life events so pushing for changes becomes challenging.

For my current VFW post, we have corps members who support the VA Hospital's Community Living Center, and work programs to assist the at risk veterans' community, our sister VA post has eliminated smoking and is actively looking to engage Active Duty Service Members at a Training Bse with Air Force, Navy, And Marine Cadre and Trainees. The local American Legionhosts events for the wider community at large to include the County's Special Needs Organization (developmentally challenged). As for myself, I often perform missions with the VFW's Honor Guard at the National Cemetery in Biloxi Miss and regionally for Deceased Veterans and families. But as for how the VOs are currently, they are slowly changing to become more accommodating to the newer Veterans. But it takes the younger generation to be active for those changes to begin.


Older members may be the guardians of older traditions, but the younger members are the Pathfinders moving us forward.