Veterans of Foreign Wars - Wikipedia Veterans of Foreign Wars `` VFW '' redirects here. For other uses, see VFW ( disambiguation ). Veterans of Foreign Wars logo Abbreviation VFW Established September 29, 1899 ; 118 years ago ( 1899 - 09 - 29 ) Founder James C. Putnam Merger of American Veterans of Foreign Service National Society of the Army of the Philippines Type 501 ( c ) ( 19 ) -- U.S. war veterans organization Tax ID no. 44 - 0474290 Legal status 36 U.S.C. 2301 -- U.S. chartered corporation Purpose Fraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable, and educational Headquarters 406 West 34th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 39 ° 04 ′ 01 '' N 94 ° 35 ′ 28 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.0668144 ° N 94.591009 ° W ﻿ / 39.0668144 ; - 94.591009 Region served Worldwide Membership ( 2016 ) 1,234,985 Commander in Chief Keith E. Harman Senior Vice Commander in Chief B.J. Lawrence Junior Vice Commander in Chief William J. Schmitz Board of directors National Council of Administration Publication VFW Magazine Subsidiaries Military Order of the Cootie Sons of the V.F.W. V.F.W. Auxiliary V.F.W. Foundation V.F.W. National Home for Children Affiliations Student Veterans of America Revenue ( 2015 ) $98,724,340 Expenses ( 2015 ) $89,099,521 Employees ( 2014 ) 224 Volunteers ( 2014 ) 3,000 Website vfw.org Formerly called Army of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico The Veterans of Foreign Wars ( officially known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ) is a U.S. war veterans organization established on September 29, 1899, whose membership consists of veterans who, as United States Army soldiers, United States Navy sailors, United States Marines, United States Coast Guard sailors, and / or United States Air Force airmen, served the U.S. in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or hostile waters. Contents 1 History 2 Purpose 3 Programs 3.1 Military Assistance Program 3.2 Adopt - a-Unit 3.3 VFW Unmet Needs 3.4 VFW Operation Uplink 4 Eligibility 5 Great Seal 6 Notable members 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links History The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States resulted from the amalgamation of several societies formed immediately following the Spanish - American War in 1899, little groups of veterans returning from campaigning in Cuba and the Philippine Islands, founded local societies upon that spirit of comradeship, known only to those who have faced the dangers of war side by side. Similar experiences and a common language drew them together. The American Veterans of Foreign Service ( predecessor to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ) was established in Columbus, Ohio, September 29, 1899, by Spanish ‐ American War veteran James C. Putnam. The Colorado Society, Army of the Philippines, was organized in Denver, Colorado, December 12, 1899. Shortly thereafter, a society known as Foreign Service Veterans was born in Pennsylvania. These organizations grew up side by side, increasing in scope and membership until 1913, when at a convention held at Denver, they merged their interests and identities in a national organization now known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Purpose The purpose of the VFW is to speed rehabilitation of the nation 's disabled and needy veterans, assist veterans ' widows and orphans and the dependents of needy or disabled veterans, and promote Americanism by means of education in patriotism and by constructive service to local communities. The organization maintains both its legislative service and central office of its national rehabilitation service in Washington. The latter nationwide program serves disabled veterans of all wars, members and nonmembers alike, in matters of U.S. government compensation and pension claims, hospitalization, civil - service employment preference, and etc. '' Programs See also : Voice of Democracy M60 Main Battle Tank on display in front of C. Robert Arvin Post No. 2408, Veterans of Foreign Wars, at Ypsilanti, Michigan ( 2010 ) Several world - wide VFW troop support programs exist to promote community involvement, communication, and financial support to qualified U.S. service members. Military Assistance program The ' ' Military Assistance Program is the most direct connection between U.S. military units and local VFW posts. Through the program, posts have held going away and welcome home events. In the past several years this program has helped local posts host over one million U.S. military service members and their families. Adopt - a-Unit Adopt - a-Unit also falls under the Military Assistance Program and connects military units around the world with local VFW posts offering resources and support. VFW Unmet Needs VFW Unmet Needs was created through a corporate partnership to assist U.S. military service members and their families who run into unexpected financial difficulties as a result of deployment or other hardships directly related to service. Unmet Needs assists with basic life needs such as mortgage and rent, home and auto repairs, insurance, utilities, food, and clothing. It helps meet unanticipated financial demands on military service members ' families that can not be remedied through existing means and provides service members with the comfort of knowing that their families have additional support stateside. The financial assistance is in the form of up to $5,000 in grants that do not need to be repaid. All grants are paid directly to the `` creditor '' ( such as an electric company ) and not to the individual. Each case is reviewed individually and acceptance determined by a committee. VFW Operation Uplink VFW Operation Uplink connects deployed and hospitalized service members with their families through free phone calls. The VFW provides Free Call Days twice a month to service members deployed abroad. Eligibility Membership in the VFW is restricted to any active or honorably discharged officer or enlisted person who is a citizen of the U.S. and who has served in its armed forces `` in any foreign war, insurrection or expedition, which service shall be recognized by the authorization or the issuance of a U.S. military campaign medal. '' The following is a list of campaign medals, ribbons, and badges used by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to determine membership eligibility. Eligibility Guide Campaign Medal Start Date End Date Navy Expeditionary February 12, 1874 Open Marine Corps Expeditionary February 12, 1874 Open Spanish Campaign April 20, 1898 December 10, 1898 Army of Cuban Occupation July 18, 1898 May 20, 1902 Army of Puerto Rican Occupation August 14, 1898 December 10, 1898 Philippine Campaign February 4, 1899 December 31, 1913 China Relief Expedition April 5, 1900 May 27, 1901 Cuban Pacification September 12, 1906 April 1, 1909 Mexican Service April 12, 1911 June 16, 1919 First Nicaraguan Campaign July 29, 1912 November 14, 1912 Haitian Campaign April 9, 1915 June 15, 1920 Dominican Campaign May 4, 1916 December 5, 1916 World War I Victory ( with battle or service clasp -- including Siberia and European Russia ) April 6, 1917 April 1, 1920 Army of Occupation of Germany November 12, 1918 July 11, 1923 Second Nicaraguan Campaign August 27, 1926 January 2, 1933 Yangtze Service September 3, 1926 December 31, 1932 China Service July 7, 1937 April 1, 1957 American Defense Service ( with foreign service clasp ) September 8, 1939 December 7, 1941 Combat Infantryman Badge December 6, 1941 Open Combat Medical Badge December 6, 1941 Open Navy Combat Action December 6, 1941 Open European -- African -- Middle Eastern Campaign December 7, 1941 November 8, 1945 American Campaign ( 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days of duty outside continental limits of the U.S. ) December 7, 1941 March 2, 1946 Asiatic -- Pacific Campaign December 7, 1941 March 2, 1946 Navy Occupation Service May 8, 1945 October 25, 1955 Army of Occupation ( 30 consecutive days of duty ) May 9, 1945 October 2, 1990 Korean Service June 27, 1950 July 27, 1954 Korea Defense Service July 28, 1954 Open Vietnam Service July 1, 1958 April 30, 1975 Armed Forces Expeditionary July 1, 1958 Open SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia January 21, 1961 Open Coast Guard Combat Action May 1, 1975 Open Southwest Asia Service August 2, 1990 November 30, 1995 Air Force Expeditionary Service ( with gold border ) October 1, 1999 Open Kosovo Campaign March 24, 1999 December 31, 2013 Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary September 11, 2001 Open Afghanistan Campaign September 11, 2001 Open Air Force Combat Action September 11, 2001 Open Combat Action Badge September 18, 2001 Open Iraq Campaign March 19, 2003 December 31, 2011 Inherent Resolve Campaign June 15, 2014 Open Great Seal The Cross of Malta is the VFW 's official emblem. The cross, radiating rays, and Great Seal of the United States together symbolize the character, vows and purposes distinguishing VFW as an order of warriors who have traveled far from home to defend sacred principles. Its eight points represent the beatitudes prescribed in the Sermon on the Mount : Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the pure, the merciful, the peacemakers ; blessed are they who mourn, seek righteousness and are persecuted for righteousness ' sake. The eight - pointed Cross of Malta harks back to the Crusades, launched during the 12th century. Notable members Notable members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States have included : Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States Harry Truman, 33rd President of the United States Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States Lyndon Johnson, 36th President of the United States Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States George Bush, 41st President of the United States Albert Gore, Jr., 45th Vice President of the United States Robert Kennedy, United States Senator from New York Chuck Hagel, 24th United States Secretary of Defense General John Pershing, 10th Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Martin Dempsey, 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Major General Smedley Butler, Two - time Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Audie Murphy, Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Alvin York, Medal of Honor recipient Carl Sandburg, Three - time Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Staubach, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee See also List of veterans organizations References ^ Jump up to : `` Form 990 : Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. '' Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Guidestar. August 31, 2015. Jump up ^ Mason, Jr., Herbert Molloy ( 1999 ). VFW : Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. pp. 29, 39, 92. ISBN 1 - 88611072 - 7. LCCN 99 - 24943. OCLC 777720483 -- via Addax Publishing Group. Jump up ^ Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Congressional Charter, National By - Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual ( 2017 Podium ed. ). Kansas City, Missouri : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. 2016. p. 7. ^ Jump up to : `` Veterans of Foreign Wars ( VFW ) ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Proceedings of the 34th National Encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ( Report ). Milwaukee, Wisconsin : Wisconsin Veteran. 1933. p. 20 -- via Internet Archive. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Jump up ^ Mason, Jr., Herbert Molloy ( 1999 ). VFW : Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. pp. 29, 38 -- 40. ISBN 1 - 88611072 - 7. LCCN 99 - 24943. OCLC 777720483 -- via Addax Publishing Group. ^ Jump up to : `` Programs & Projects '' ( PDF ). Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Retrieved February 17, 2018. Jump up ^ Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Congressional Charter, National By - Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual ( 2018 Podium ed. ). Kansas City, Missouri : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. 2017. pp. 56 -- 61. Jump up ^ Mason, Jr., Herbert Molloy ( 1999 ). VFW : Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. p. 15. ISBN 1 - 88611072 - 7. LCCN 99 - 24943. OCLC 777720483 -- via Addax Publishing Group. Jump up ^ Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Congressional Charter, National By - Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual ( 2018 Podium ed. ). Kansas City, Missouri : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. 2017. p. 44. Jump up ^ Mason, Jr., Herbert Molloy ( 1999 ). VFW : Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas : Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. pp. 9, 16, 47, 90 -- 91, 118, 104, 132, 204. ISBN 1 - 88611072 - 7. LCCN 99 - 24943. OCLC 777720483 -- via Addax Publishing Group. Jump up ^ Ford, Gerald R. ( 1979 ). A Time To Heal : The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford ( 1st ed. ). New York : Harper & Row. p. 62. ISBN 0 - 06 - 011297 - 2. LCCN 78020162. OCLC 4835213. OL 4731652M. Further reading Bottoms, Bill ( 1991 ). The VFW : An Illustrated History of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Foreword by Senator Bob Dole. Rockville, Md. : Woodbine House. ISBN 0933149344. LCCN 89040627. OCLC 22593204. OL 8387800M. Proceedings of the 99th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ( Summary of Minutes ) ( Report ). Washington : GPO. 2000 -- via Internet Archive. Proceedings of the 100th Annual Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States ( Summary of Minutes ) ( Report ). Washington : GPO. 2000 -- via Internet Archive. White, Dean A., ed. ( 1999 ). Watch on the Rhein : A History. Wiesbaden, Germany : Watch on the Rhein Post 27, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. External links Official Official website Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home for Children General information Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War at the United States Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration Program Office Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States at The Online Books Page Veterans of Foreign Wars Politician members at The Political Graveyard World War I Centennial Commission at the United States Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars Portals Access related topics Society portal United States portal War portal Find out more on Wikipedia 's Sister projects Media from Commons Definitions from Wiktionary Data from Wikidata ISNI : 0000 0001 2300 2998 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veterans_of_Foreign_Wars&oldid=826939989 '' Categories : Veterans of Foreign Wars 1899 establishments in Ohio 501 ( c ) ( 19 ) nonprofit organizations Advocacy groups in the United States American veterans ' organizations Lobbying organizations in the United States Magazine publishing companies of the United States Nonpartisan organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Kansas City, Missouri Organizations established in 1899 Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress Title 36 of the United States Code Hidden categories : Use American English from December 2016 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from December 2016 Pages using infobox organization with unsupported parameters Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Edit links This page was last edited on 21 February 2018, at 21 : 10. 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Question: what type of interest group is veterans of foreign wars
Answer: a U.S. war veterans organization