The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-11-15
WHO ARE VETERANS
OF FOREIGN WARS

The election just passed, together
with the vetoing of the soldier bonus
bill, has brought attention of the peo-
pie generally to the various organic
atoms of ex-service men. There has
been some confusion among the peo-
PIE as to the differens aims of the
various associations, and especially is
this true of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars is
composed of all those who have
served this country in foreign action,
either in the army. navy O. marines.
It does not confine membership to
those who 2erved only in recent ac-
tions, but extends membership to
all who had honorable service at any
period in any part of the world.
Historically, the Veterans of For
eign Wars as a society had it's be-
ginnings in Columbus, Denver, Pitts
burg, Altoona and Philadelphia. At
Columbus, on September %, 1899,
fourteen veterans of the Spanish
American war who had served over
seas met and organized the Ameri-
can Veterans of Foreign Service.
On October 10 following, this premier
foreign service order was char
tered by the state of Ohio. Posts
were organized in various states and
the society kept up its activities until
1905, when it amalgamated with a
society of similar name formed in
Pennsylvania several years before.
December IL, 1899, there was
formed in Denver the Colorado Soci-
ETY., Army of the Philippines, with
General Irving Hale, who had COM
manded the Colorado volunteers in
the Philippines, as sponsor. The fol-
lowing year the society became ma
tional. Stewart Post No. l is still
flourishing and is now the oldest post
of the v. F. w. Early in 1901 q
, group of foreign service men in AL
toona, Pa, formed a local society,
while a similar group formed a SIM
liar society in Pittsburgh, October Is,
1901. This was first called the So
4 ciety of Philippine War Veterans, but
the name was later changed to For
eign Service Veterans. In the sum-
] mer of 1902 there was formed in
Philadelphia the Society of Ameri-
can Veterans of the Philippine,
{ Cuban and China Vars The fol-
lowing year the three Pennsylvania
groups met in Altoona and formed a
united society, which soon took the
d name of American Veterans of For
t eign Service, and in 1905 increased
its membership by amalgamating
with the Ohio society of the same
name as already mentioned.
The Army of the Philippines and
e the American Veterans Of Foreign
d Service existed side by side, grew in
e power and Importance until 1918,
when at Denver they amalgamated
and formed what was soon thereafter
named the Veterans of Foreign Wars
When the World War broke out the
d following year this united society
was making rapid growth and by the
time the United States entered the
a war Thousands of its members again
d went overseas in various branches
e Of the service. These men served as
missionaries of the cause and wher
lie the first veterans from the battle
L fields of France returned they founC
this experienced society with a grea'
record of accomplishment ready Il
st preceive them. 1t thus became tht
k first, and has remained the only so
j. ciety composed exclusively of veter
ans of more than one war or cam
paign.
The objects of this association ar,
f~raternal, patriotic, historical and ed
r ucational; to preserve and strength
en- comradeship among its members
to assist worthy comrades; to perpet
= ate the memory and history of on
= dead, and to assist their widows AM
orphans; to maintain true allegianc
=, to the government of the Unite
:" States of America, and fidelity t
y. its constitution and laws; to foste
!" true patriotism; to maintain and ex
q tend the institutions of America
~ freedom; and to preserve and defen
III the United States from all her enc
!, mics, whomsoever.
A LETTER OF THANKS