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

I've said it before and I will say it again. Anytime your service/training deaths exceed combat deaths per year for other periods you know it was an intense time. Unknown to most having this "cold war" discussion we lost more military personal per year to training and service deaths in the 70's and 80's per year than during the GWOT per year. This is 100 percent true. Some of these deaths are hostile, but most are classified as service/training deaths. Do you think the pressure was on to kill Ivan if needed?

MSgt Mike Mikulski - That is just wrong!

1st Lt. Annala you said everything there is to say about cold war veterans.
It was a long 46 years and much of what went on during the cold war will
never be known by American citizens. Thank you for your service.
NATO Site #107 ( North Point )
Kriegsfeld, Federal Republic of Germany ( 1969-1971)

I agree and served during the 80s in Germany... lots went on that isn't talked about.

I'm an AL member. This is really because we wanted to stand up an American Legion Riders group in Brussels but not important. One of the things I found most interesting was that the Auxiliary is a women's group. This led me to ask if you had to be a man to serve in the AL! Of course you don't and they do have a male version of the Auxiliary but I really think it time to change that.

Thanks for the update! We're standing up an auxiliary at the moment so we can sponsor a girl to Girls' State as well as give some credit to our wives and daughters who do so much here. Ride On!

The "men's auxiliary" of the American Legion is the Sons of the American Legion, for male descendants.

As a footnote, I did clarify my reason for entering, became a member and attended several events. However, I would like to add I would happily serve my fellow veterans as a waitress. Serving those who serve is a privilege. By the time I asked for an application, the position had been filled so I stuck with my full time job as a nurse.

How about the airmen who served in missile silos here in North Dakota? How about the soldiers who trained in the U.S.A. with Tactical Nuclear Rounds at Ft. Sill, OK in the event they would be called up.? I knew exactly where I was going into the Fulda Gap if the crap hit the fan. I knew my chances for survival were next to nothing but I was ready and trained to the best of my ability.

I too served in the Fulda Gap. I was stationed in Wildflecken Germany with the 54th Combat Engineers from 76 to 79.

SGT Mark Sullivan we were discussing American Legion not VFW. But you are correct about VFW membership. I am eligible for both memberships.

MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILTY in the American Legion is based on honorable service with the U. S. Armed Forces between:

(April 6, 1917 -November 11, 1918) World War I
(December 7, 1941 - December 31, 1946) World War II
(June 25, 1950 - January 31, 1955) Korean War
(February 28, 1961 - May 7, 1975) Vietnam War
(August 24, 1982 - July 31,1984) Lebanon/Grenada
(December 20, 1989 - January 31, 1990) Operation Just Cause
(August 2, 1990 - Today)* Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm

Because eligibility dates remain open, all members of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to join The American Legion at this time, until the date of the end of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States.

Must have served at least one day of active military duty during one of the dates below and honorably discharged or still serving honorably. :

I fall into those cracks, but the reason why, according to what the American Legion shares in its literature, Congress mandated these time periods by law. Now, whether or not to address whatever law is at issue is another pursuit worth doing, in my opinion. And yet the Cold War was indeed a war, with plenty of American blood and others flowing as a result.

I am also a subscriber to a Biblical principle that I believe should could: Service is service, and should be respected. Yes, more honor for those in combat, but denying benefits and such to someone who still served? That should not be, or deemed less than significant. Military life changes all of us forever, we can never be different once we have served. Here is the Scripture reference for consideration:


1 Samuel 30:22-25 Common English Bible (CEB)

22 But then all the evil and despicable individuals who had accompanied David said, “We won’t share any of the plunder we rescued with them because they didn’t go with us. Each of them can take his wife and children and go—but that’s it.”

23 “Brothers!” David said. “Don’t act that way with the things the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the raiding party that had attacked us.

24 How could anyone agree with you on this plan? The share of those who went into battle and the share of those who stayed with the supplies will be divided equally.”

25 So from that day forward, David made that a regulation and a law in Israel, which remains in place even now.

I will be interested to see the response this passage generates.... :-) O:)

Actually you had to serve during certain periods for the AL. But the dates have never been closed since Desert Storm started. So if you served in the last 24 years you are eligible

I have to admit, VFW does not know how to recruit. At my college PPCC here in Colorado springs, we have all kinds of veterans using at college. All kinds of business and organizations set up shop to recruit in the cafe area...why doesn't VFW do the same thing?

thank you col. I agree im a member of amvets post #25 carl j woods post named after a local airman who died shot down in vetnam. we have all three vfw/amercan ligion and amvets under one roof up here in Bottineau north Dakota. many of us wear al three caps. we get along great. we also have the auxilerys and county vso in the building. we see it as we all are vetrans . their is no such thing as a one man army. team work is what it takes. you take on one of us here you take on all three as it where. we stick together . we have guys up to 94yrs old an we all think the same.if we stand together we cant be broken. but devided we surely will be broke and fall. thank you for your service col an all my respct to you.

SPC Marc M - Great to hear that you all get along. The VFW and the Legion in my town can't stand each other. So much bickering between the clubs.

I was Granada then Beirut. Thank you Sgt Dykes for remembering. The 80's cost some
of us more then most know. Back then they just kicked you out the door and said you were unfit for duty. There goes the rest of your life.

The operative word at the end of phrase is "war"... just because we didn't openly battle, does not mean we didn't battle at all! That is ludicrous to believe anything else, other than the fact I am sure some money-hugging bureaucrats in D.C. do not want to open a floodgate of financial liability to handle the claims that would likely follow.

Recent history of this is illustrated in the Fort Hood terrorist attack by Nidal Hassan, and by officially calling it a "workplace incident" despite the radical assertion of him yelling "Allahu Ahkbar", and later "repenting" of serving an infidel army that was fighting his Islamic "brothers"...

Meanwhile, those who suffered, died, etc., from that attack, are denied combat-related benefits or further assistance because of the designation that attack was given. Never mind the fact that since 2001, we have been engaged in a global "WAR On Terror, and that such an asymmetrical manner of warfare has been the standard ever since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Had Obama been in office in 2001, would he have labeled that even a "Workplace Incident," since 3 of the 4 places of attack involved buildings where people worked, regardless of whether or not they were civilian or military?

Much more to say, but I believe I have covered the conventional mindset that is ensconced in D.C., which needs to be addressed firmly. That said, looking at the aging population of VFW and American Legion posts, etc., something needs to be done, rather than leaving those of us who served during a VERY asymmetrical and clandestine war spanning about 45 years since the end of WWII...

MD :-)

PO3 Jason Melito, welcome to the "cold war."

I was in intel in what was known as West Germany in the 80s.

Ray, I spent 13 years in Korea between 83-00. In the 80s was with the Cav and up on the Z quite a bit. 91 we turned the American Sector over to the ROKs!

Ran 37 combat patrols alone! Not bunker/guard duty, ranges, and so forth! :-)

It did also through the 70s and 80s! Then you get the idiots who never served up on the DMZ and/or over there at all. He say nothing every happen in Korea!

Bridge of No Return and Freedom Bridge!

I had two tours in Korea, Army Aviation, supported ROK Special Forces and flew to locations throughout the DMZ area. 89-91 and 94-95, depending upon the unit you were in, there were many things going on then, that most folks have no clue about, even during those tours. Yes, I know of the Cheese Dicks that state nothing happens in Korea, they were usually REMF's

Exactly Mark!

She is right, no war time service or some kind of combat like Grenada, and its a no-go. At least at the one by me. I know some VFW require deployment to a combat zone and some just require war time service. Maybe the American Legion is the same way?

Yep, Veteran's of Foreign Wars requires combat activity I believe.

VFW requires service in a foreign combat zone (since there was no peace treaty in Korea, it's still technically a combat zone).

Hell Camp Greaves from what I heard is being turned into Tourist Resort of some type I guess! But they been doing tourist tours to JSA/Panmunjom for years!

All my times up on the Z were for patrols, GPs, and some training in the 80s. 90s I went to several Repatriation Ceremonies of Korean War Remains.