What would make American Legions and Veteran of Foreign War posts more appealing to join for you?

Make the posts more family oriented, not dark, smoky places where too many vets are drinking. Also, stop the politics, FFS!! I've heard of posts that have become overly political. It becomes a place where if you don't support politician XYZ, you're nothing but a communist/socialist/fascist. Not a great way to build camaraderie or represent the military services and the US Constitution. I'm a member of both the American Legion and VFW but don't visit the local posts for this very reason.

I join last year and I pulled out withheld a week. Both men in charge were head-strong and didn't feel at ease with either one of them.It was like a power trip being in-charge.Sad but true.One was older and the other was a combat vet whom had be wounded/injured.

When I retired from the AF in 1995, the VFW sent me mailers all but begging me to join, claiming that my Korean service qualified me for VFW membership. But when I called up the local VFW post, I was told that I wasn't eligible (wait for it) because I hadn't served in the "real" Korean War. (I asked them when the truce had been signed, but that went over their heads.) BUT I COULD JOIN THE WOMEN'S AUXILIARY!
I thought about filing a complaint with National, but decided that there were just too many good organizations out there that WANTED me to join them, so why bother with these losers? So when the VFW complains that they're losing membership, all I can say is that if they keep giving prospective members the "bum's rush," they'll get what they deserve.
BTW, I'd frequented American Legion Post 435 since childhood (our neighbor was a vet), so I joined them instead and have always been made welcome. It's a totally different atmosphere. Too bad it's in my home town and not where I live, so I don't get there often. But one of our local VFWs folded and the other is clear on the other side of town, so I'd never use it. I just continue to support my hometown American Legion.

Lt. Col Charlie Brown has me blocked but I want to support her on this. Why do you guys hate female veterans is beyond my understanding? Why do you automatically assume a woman has never served? Why do you look down on them? Why are you disrespectful towards them? Why do you belittle them? Why do you see them as objects?


Now don't say you don't do this. I lived on that side of the fence for over 40 years and I know how you talk when women are not around. I saw you get happy when you learned you were going on TDY which gave you a chance to cheat on your Spouse/girlfriend.

The day the American Legion and the VFW treat Women and LGBT Veterans as EQUALS then they have a chance at survival. If not then fuckbthrmvand hopefully they go bankrupt and close their doors forever.

Every Woman and LGBT Veteran
Took the same oath.
Gave the US Government that blank check to do with them as it saw fit.

Women Served and some never came back.
LGBT members served and some never came back.
Many came back broken but not from the Enemy but by the Very People They SERVED With. Think about that for a moment guys especially those of you who were in position to stop these attacks on your fellow service members but turned a blind eye to and chose to be ignorant of what was happening.

My combat veteran husband and I discussed joining when we got out. I called the legion post and they were excited to ask about my husband. I asked about my joining, and I was told the girls in the kitchen could always use help. Nuff said.

My unit was providing static displays for a memorial to a deceased former commander of a local American Legion post. For all our effort, my troops were made to feel like "peons" by the membership. Further adding insult, when we were done, I went to the bar to by a couple rounds for my volunteers. The bar maid made it a point to ignore us and the members repeated cut in front of my boys. When I had enough and confronted the next line cutter, he acted like his former rank of captain meant something to me.
We were there for them. I promise it hasn't happened since, and won't! I will never join a group like that and I doubt neither will any of those soldiers involved. If that post closes down the road, I say "GOOD RIDDANCE!".

I'm now "in charge" of the entertainment at my post, but it's still nearly impossible to get people out of their old ways. Same bands, same events, year in and year out. It gets boring fast. Not to mention everyone in there is up to their heads in drama form the past 30 years. All this he said, she said flying around as soon as you walk in. I've ignored it as I only joined to assist with the honor guard, but there's no recruitment. Thanks to covid and age, we've lost a lot of members past couple years. At events, I ask members to show up and try to recruit younger vets, but they're all older and say that they don't want to attend their events. There were 5 members at the largest fundraising event and I had a dozen OIF OEF guys there. Nobody talked to them about membership, and nobody helped. The SAL and AUX run everything mostly. I know we can do better, however my officer position doesn't give me the ability to do anything!

I live in Florida, where the majority of Veterans are over 65, so finding younger Veterans to recruit is difficult at best.

I have approached my local VFW and AL by inviting them to come to a local baseball or hockey game in my town Allentown, PA. This is a good ice breaker.

The VFW posts I've known were just bars. I don't drink, so that wouldn't appeal to me. Yet I'm an old codger and my kids are grown up, so I don't know if I'd fit in with a family environment. One aspect I miss about the military is the atmosphere of athletics and competition.