My job takes me to a lot of VSOs or Veteran Service Organizations across the United States and I have visited close to 250 from Florida to California and from Texas to Maine. I’ve seen Posts that are active in providing valuable services to the communities (big and small) in which they are located, Posts that support children and the elderly, Posts that feed communities impacted by disasters, Posts that promote continuing service to the Nation and to the local community, Posts that serve as election and debate centers and Posts that help build the bridge between our Veterans, their communities and the Nation they served.
Sadly, I have also seen many that typify the image that many in the public have of Veteran clubs and canteens - cranky old guys, drinking cheap beer at 10am, in a smoky, dingy bar and unwelcoming to new visitors. As the former Commander of VFW Post 1 - I have to sadly this was the image portrayed by this storied Post and many others and it was something I and a few others worked hard to change.
Currently there are more than 20,000 Posts or homes owned by members of the VFW, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, AMVETs, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Polish Legion and a number of others. These organizations provided support to the men and women who’ve served in uniform from the Spanish American War through the current conflicts. These organizations were formed and eventually created homes to provide a sense of camaraderie to those who had served and fight for services in support of those who came home from war - with visible and invisible wounds of war. Unfortunately, after the World Wars, Korea and Vietnam there was a stigma associated with invisible wounds and they were not really addressed. And unfortunately, the typical way Veterans addressed their invisible injuries led to the typical image of these Posts in the public’s eyes.
Today, that has changed considerably with quite a few Posts including my own, yet there are still some out there that need to transform. As I often point out, the Army doesn’t fight on horseback any more - it’s transformed. We as VSOs also need to transform to meet the needs of younger Vets and the new ways of addressing the invisible injuries many of our brothers and sisters carry with them. I’m not saying we need to neglect our traditions and our history. But we can change to make all of us as VSOs more appealing to our newest Vets and provide them with a healthier way to heal. After all, that the one thing that hasn’t changed since 1899- our desire to heal our brothers and sisters.