What do you think about the "Veterans of Foreign Wars" (VFW) one day changing their policies to include veterans with no foreign service?

VFW membership requires certain/specific criteria. If your friend does not meet that criteria, then the American Legion is an option. Anyone that served can be in the Legion, but only those that met certain/specific criteria can be a member of the VFW. Should the VFW change their policy? No. They should not.

That's the dumbest question I've heard all year. This must be from the "everybody gets a trophy" generation asking that question.

Their club, their rules.

They’re many of us who deployed but weren’t included in our DD214 because they were places we weren’t supposed legally be. I deployed to Panama where we crossed into Columbia but for drug trafficking; I’m in the process of getting that changed

Any military veteran, regardless of service branch, should be offended by the notion that the VFW would even acknowledge their inclusion. If you didn't serve in foreign wars, you're not in the club. It's pretty simple.

It is not just changing the name or policies. It is killing the VFW organization, with all its special intent, and replacing it with a new one. It is analogous to what happened to the "Boy" Scouts of America when it was no longer limited to boys. It is literally not the same organization. It is also unfortunate, because it is frequently just temporal leadership dependent, and instead of just leaving the organization as is, they follow whatever "vision" they have to be more "inclusive," or whatever is irrelevant to the original intent. Meanwhile, after the death of the original organization, other smaller organizations pop up that fulfill the original intent, as happened with the creation of smaller, local actual BOY scouting organizations.

I would probably quit the VFW if they did this just on principle, and sign up with one of any new organizations that still catered to those who served in actual war.

I have seen little to no other rationale to make such an organization-killing change than increasing numbers (selling out) and "we don't like we can't join your club" envy, not something you would really expect from hardened combat veterans.

I was an in -country Dog Handler in Viet-Nam, 69-70. I had enlisted in the Army on 3 March, 1968. I got out of the military in March of 1971. I became a Police Officer in my hometown of El Paso Texas. I was having issues with the way my country was acting toward the military. I decided to join the VFW for help. I was told that I couldn't join because I had not been in a Foreign War I had been in a Police Action. Next I went to the American Legion and was given the same treatment. There was no Vietnam Veterans Association at the time. I did work my way thru the issues by talking with other officers who had also been in Viet-Nam. Till my dying day I will have nothing to do with either the VFW or American Legion

Not really sure what they actually do for younger veterans when they get out. I joined twice never helped or did a thing for assisting me dealing with an asshole civilian employer. They may lift the restrictions when they need better turn outs for bingo or fish boils.

I joined the VFW in 1969 when I returned from Vietnam. At that time it was run by Veterans from the "real" war (WWII) with a few Korean War vets. At the post where I joined there were 3 Vietnam Vets. I hate to admit it, but the main reason we joined was where we lived, the bars were closed on Sundays and we wanted a place to watch a ball game and enjoy a few beers. I remained a member for a number of years until the started allowing non-members to come in and use the club. That soured me. Especially when we would hear all the excuses as to why they had not served.
I have not been back into a VFW for about 20 years now. Guess I don't really have much to add to the debate. IMO, if the club is not going to be exclusive, then why even have the club?

If they did, it would be against the provisions of their Federal Charter...So whomever has been making it a "topic of discussion" needs to be told to stand down and ease up on the cheap beer.