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

I guess this is for the political boy to decide.

I am a member of both organizations and I certainly believe they should all be eligible to at least join the Legion, Interesting enough I have a brother in law who was a Green Beret yet didn't served during recognized periods of service so is a member of The Son of the American Legion.

They have invited me. I'm a Vietnam Era cold warrior. Only served overseas in Alaska.

Yes

If your eligible to be in the VFW, you should be able to join the Legion also! But that is not true!!! Legion does not recognize service in Korea, except for the actual Korean War 1950 to 1955!!!! And that is it! I know people who are in the VFW and can NOT join the Legion!!!!!!

Depends on how you define cold war veterans. In most cases they can join the Legion. They have a bunch of dates; but you don't need to have gone overseas and you only need 1 day inside those dates You do not need to be overseas for that. VFW requires you have been in specific overseas campaigns; that's a tradition that they don't want to compromise and what makes them unique from other vet organizations. I'm not even eligible-with 28 years reserve duty including 3 years active states. Question now is should VFW open it ranks to more; perhaps if they have an overseas cold war assignment (ie Germany) they should accept that.

Really....

I like the language used to describe the VFW...The Hallow Halls? LOL!!!

Only if "hallow halls" is defined as smoke filled bar with drunk veteran's. Wasn't impressed. Can see why so many are closing down. Plus, they're not changing to meet the needs and desires of the younger combat veterans.

I think it depends. Yes if you are in direct contact with the enemy during the Cold War, then of course you should be allowed to join.for example the bombing in the night club in Germany in the eighties. Whatever soldier was in that nightclub received purple hearts we had one in my unit that had one.
Just like today with the operations, you should not be allowed to join VFW unless it is a support role such as the auxiliary.
as far as I know, you are allowed to join the American Legionjoin

I believe all vets should be permitted to join the American Legion and anyone stationed outside CONUS should be permitted to join the VFW.

I am a combat vet but I went to war with my unit that I had been in since 86 in Germany, we had been pulling border duty on the East German Border, some ETS'ed in the 10 months between the wall falling and the Invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

They are all brothers...(I was combat arms, we had no females, to explain the lack of "sisters")