Should Cold War Veterans be allowed to join the American Legion and the VFW?

YES, I do not think it makes a difenance a warrior is a warrior . We a warriors must think about that in the U.S. Only 1 persent volenter in this country so if you have more than 6 months the yes I think so.

USN 1983 - 1989, Submarine Service

I am eligible for the American Legion, but not for VFW. I think that's appropriate. Closest I ever came to combat was as a "near site witness" to some Udaloys and Sovremmenys performing "hydro-acoustical mapping" off the Kamchatka Peninsula...

An alternative to those organizations would be to join AMVETS. Just my .02

They are welcomed in the Forty and Eight.

Anyone who has the NDSM may join the AL. The VFW is Veteran of Foreign Wars, Foreign Wars being the key part and requirement.

Members of the armed forces that served in Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada and Panama between 1945 to 1991 are eligible for membership in the American Legion.
I do believe that anyone that served during the Cold War years should be eligible for membership.
I also believe that a Cold War Defense medal should be awarded also to all members of the armed forces.
Possibly a Cold War European and Cold War Asian Defence medal should be awarded and recognized by the VFW.

Any veteran can join the American Legion you just have to have a DD214

During my service in West Germany there was a significant amount of Soviet-sponsored probing and violence conducted by groups against both NATO and US installations. The NATO kaserne at which I first served was attacked by supposed "protesters" upset that we were an ASP for tactical nuclear weapons.
While not shot during that incident, I was shot at (along with the rest of us who were mustered to guard the downrange bunker area) before the "protesters" were driven back into the treeline where German and Nederlander forces arrested many. (The German and Netherlands forces provided outer perimeter security while the warheads themselves were only under American command and control.)

We later discovered that the shots fired were from members of the Baader-Meinhof group who had been part of the agitators using the real protesters as cover to get close to the ASP and probe the defenses.

I feel it was an invisible battle that was fought, and there was stress involved with many of our brothers. Some gave all, but we never heard about it. So I feel they should be allowed.

Would like to see the Cold War Defence Medal revived with this administration and President...Maybe even an executive order from the President requiring the services to present one to all Cold War era Veterans that served on active duty. Or even a Cold War Overseas Defense Medal for our Veterans that served around the world during the Cold War...