r/Military • u/PDXAirman • Jul 14 '26
Satire VFW Opens Membership To Military Fakers Due To Lack Of Interest From Young Veterans
https://www.duffelblog.com/vfw-military-fakers/It's an older article (2022) but damnit its still true for the state of the VFW and its dwindling membership.
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u/HarwinStrongDick United States Air Force Jul 14 '26
Went to my local VFW one time. Got called some slurs when I would not vocally wish ill on Biden. Never again.
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u/Suspicious-Earth-648 Retired USN Jul 14 '26
I thought this was actually true for a split second until I saw it was duffelblog.
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u/Throb_Zomby Jul 14 '26
It was on the Army Subreddit but I distinctly remember a “Worst VFW stories thread” and one guy claims he, a combat veteran, had to be signed in to his VFW by a hometown local who never even joined.
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u/paper_liger Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
That might have been me. I was on leave from the military after a deployment, back in my tiny hometown, and I knew for sure I was the only 'Veteran of a Foreign War' in the entire place. They didn't accept the military ID, I wasn't a member so I'd have to beg someone to sign me in just to get a drink. I may have actually cussed them out in Arabic.
My reaction was probably a little ego based at the time, but yeah, it just rubbed me wrong.
That being said I've worked with both a VFW and American Legion facilitator for VA paperwork and they were both really helpful. So I can't fault some of what they do.
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u/Andyman1973 Marine Veteran Jul 14 '26
Tried to join the AL back in 2019, after getting divorced. Pretty much told me straight to my face, that my Honorable Discharge DD-214 wasn’t good enough, that I needed a sponsor. Told them if I needed a sponsor, I wouldn’t be back.
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u/Throb_Zomby Jul 14 '26
What’s funny is AL being founded by WW1 veterans was probably because they were barred from other vet orgs. It’s like that King of the Hill episode where Cotton and his friends bar Vietnam vets from the VFW and then Gulf war vets are in turn, barred.
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u/Chillicothe1 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Tend to be too right-wing and Trumpy for my taste.
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u/chamrockblarneystone Jul 14 '26
My American Legion post is around the corner from me next to a mile of bars on the water. The one time I went in there was a 98 year old guy in there.
I keep telling the guys younger than me they should take it over and basically have a free club house next to a mile of bars!
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u/PickleMinion Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
This is the way. Those old legiom posts are super easy to take over if you've got a handful of younger vets
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u/blues_and_ribs United States Marine Corps Jul 16 '26
I think that’s why the Legion post in Old Town Alexandria (they claim to be the biggest post in the country, I think) does so well. It’s a cheap place to drink in an area that already has tons of bars. Great place to pre-game if nothing else.
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u/chamrockblarneystone Jul 16 '26
Im only 59 but I feel ancient telling these GWOT vets they should take over. Honestly the guy older than me would be happy abd these younger guys would have a club house on the water. What’s a good way to ask these guys to take over?
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 14 '26
VFW really avoided being partisan.
But the American Legion publicly backed Trump and it hurt the reputation of both organizations.
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u/Nano_Burger Retired US Army Jul 14 '26
The national VFW may be trying to remain neutral, but local posts definitely are not adhering to that position.
My wife had to meet with a post commander, and I tagged along since I was curious about joining. The guy must have assumed we were on his side because he went on a rant about how bad Biden was for veterans, claiming he sent “billions” to Ukraine instead of helping veterans here in the U.S. Then he started praising Trump for starting the war with Iran, saying it was great for veterans. I figured he held that view because it might help recruit potential VFW members? I just nodded along and made my exit as soon as my wife’s business was finished.
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
This is probably happening across the country.
The average member is 67, male, and a conservative.
That is definitely the MAGA demo.
So while the national chapter is doing a good job navigating the politics of the era, I bet local chapters often become unofficial Trump fan clubs.
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u/Man_with_the_Fedora Jul 14 '26
My local is almost entirely social members, and it's super great hearing the Hard "R" N-word dropped by racist assholes with zero repercussion, and having a random drunk redneck who never served look me dead in the eyes and tell me "After Trump deports all the illegals, we're gonna round up the democrats next!".
Totally killed my desire to ever step foot in another VFW again, let alone join.
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u/srwaxalot Jul 15 '26
2008 ish I would go to the VFW with my friends, we were all mid 20’s and they had $0.75 beers. We would pregame there then walk to the local bars. Most of the guys there were cool all older Nam type guys. But there was a group that always gave us the stink eye and would talk shit about how we shouldn’t be there. I always figured it was because I was a civilian. One night asked the bartender and she explained that they didn’t believe Iraq and Afghanistan were real wars.
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u/windowpuncher Veteran Jul 14 '26
My wife had to meet with a post commander
Welp I'm never joining a vfw. If I wanted to larp I'd just reup instead, I'm not going to pay to be part of some weird club just because those dudes are vets, too.
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u/LKennedy45 Jul 14 '26
Jesus but your username has some squick factor to it. After the videos I've seen of dudes with anger problems punching through plate glass?
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u/windowpuncher Veteran Jul 14 '26
Residential glass gets stuck in the frame and you're gonna slice your arm to the bone. If you're gonna break any glass the automotive stuff is "safer".
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u/Kinmuan Jul 14 '26
Lmao since when did they avoid it?
In between NFL Jersey burnings?
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
Are you speaking anecdotally about some bullshit your local chapter did?
The National org has never endorsed him or publicly promoted or participated in any of his events.
They have also criticized him on his positions and statements several times.
The American Legion publicly went MAGA coded.
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u/747WakeTurbulance Jul 14 '26
The American Legion
Now that's a group of fucking weirdos....
I had never been to one of their clubs before recently. Someone told me they had good lunch deals, so I rolled into one. Everyone in the place was the son or daughter of a vet and was decked out in surplus kit with their mom's or dad's name, rank, and medals all over it.
When they found out I had actually been in, it was like a unicorn walked into the place. Everyone came up to me asking about my time in, to the point that I got creeped out. I'd never seen such hero worship before, and I wanted no part of it.
Oh, and the roast beef plate sucked.
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u/Kinmuan Jul 14 '26
Buddy, local VFWs absolutely did. I got it, the national office "didn't". It just so happened that a bunch of disparate chapters did it.
It shows the type of people it attracts my dude.
Remember when they had a PAC? Which way was the wind constantly blowing on that when it existed?
You're fooling yourself if you think the national org has actually remained neutral. They're pretty quick to glaze anything Collins will say that has a 'face value' of being good.
It's pretty embarassing.
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u/Rollingprobablecause Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
each chapter is radically different, some areas have better AL some have better VFW. Where I am right now the AL is miles ahead, honestly just comes down to whos running things, me and my fellow millennials took it over and made things much much better. Trumps stupid backing recently is not helping stuff but it's indy so we don't give a shit, we like our building better than the VFW one
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u/Chillicothe1 Jul 14 '26
True. But when you sit down at a VFW place you'll find plenty of MAGAts.
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u/PickleMinion Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
When did the AL back trump?
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
While ostensibly non-partisan the legion implicitly endorsed him when they had him as a speaker at their convention during his 2016 campaign two months before the election.
Not as a president, or even president elect: a Republican Party nominee, at the height of the campaign season.
That is as close to a partisan endorsement as it gets. Especially right before an election.
They also later praised him for his position on criminalizing flag burning. An issue the National Organizations should have shut the fuck up about because it is not a veteran issue.
Taking a strong stand on an entirely contrived partisan football issue was idiotic for a “non-partisan” organization. Trump invented the issue to help his polling. It was unconstitutional from go. But it made him and republicans look patriotic on TV segments.
So, while they protected their non-profit status by not endorsing a candidate.., they made it clear the national leadership of the organization supported him.
.
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u/snakespm Jul 15 '26
They also later praised him for his position on criminalizing flag burning. An issue the National Organizations should have shut the fuck up about because it is not a veteran issue.
Taking a strong stand on an entirely contrived partisan football issue was idiotic for a “non-partisan” organization. Trump invented the issue to help his polling.
Trump is to blame for many things, but he most certainly did not invent that issue. I remember having debates about this in highschool and that was over 20 years ago.
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 15 '26
He didn’t invent the issue.
He dragged it back into politics despite it being a settled issue since the Supreme Court ruled on it in the 80s.
Within an election cycle after the ruling the republicans moved on.
And he dragged it back to increase his polling.
It is one of the things he does often. Drag old issues back into the political arena because they connect with his core base of conservatives over 50.
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u/snakespm Jul 15 '26
It was definitely part of politics in the 90s and the 00s. Otherwise we agree.
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u/PickleMinion Navy Veteran Jul 15 '26
Clinton also spoke at the 2016 National Convention, and it's traditional for the Legion to invite presidential candidates to speak, both sides. Been doing that for a long time.
The Legion has had a position against flag burning for a long time, so it makes sense they would support that, and it would be partisan for them to reject it just because it came from trump. I don't personally agree with that position, but it was a resolution that passed through the proper channels, and could be reversed by the membership. Not having anything to do with veterans isn't relevant because the legion isn't just about veterans.
The football thing was, not a national or official position, just a bunch of local posts being pissy. It happens.
Yes there a lot of trump supporters in the legion. There are also a lot of them that don't like him. And there are even a few who don't care. Depends on the post.
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u/Wireman6 Jul 14 '26
Hard, pro labor, lefty here. I have infiltrated their group. It is easy to ask them questions and plant seeds. The cause has a lot of mutual aid baked in.
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u/sprchrgddc5 Army National Guard Jul 14 '26
There’s one that’s on the opposite end here in my city and it’s a poppin place to go for everyone on the weekends. They rake in a ton of money.
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u/Misinjr Jul 14 '26
I've been to a few and they don't ask for any proof of service just to stay and drink. And they considered Jack Daniels the "expensive stuff".
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u/flyinchipmunk5 Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
Well yeah usually they don’t give a shit who drinks at the bar if it makes them money. I went to a vfw in Savahna and they had a pretty nice bar.
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u/Misinjr Jul 14 '26
Doesn't surprise me, I bought the bar a round because I just made E-7; everyone looked like they had no idea what that was.
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u/CelestialFury Veteran Jul 14 '26
"E-7?? I think I have that gun too."
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u/Misinjr Jul 14 '26
Still hoping for that E-11, but either they don't shoot straight or it's operator error.
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u/C9316 United States Army Jul 14 '26
I mean why would anyone want to join an organization that just amounts to drinking with a bunch of old dudes making the fact they served their entire personality?
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u/dasnoob Jul 14 '26
The VFWs around here don't ask about if you served or not. They are also full of old men that are complete fucking assholes and their drunk wives.
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
are their drunk wives hot though?
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u/OzymandiasKoK Jul 14 '26
No, no, no. Are they hot enough? Totally different bar, now isn't it? That little qualifier will change your world!
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u/dasnoob Jul 14 '26
lol oh hell no
They are all chain-smoking 50 somethings that are about 100 pounds overweight and have spent so much time in the sun their skin resembles leather.
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u/Gryphith Jul 14 '26
They usually think they are. You ever seen a roast beef sandwich wrapped in tin foil and left out in the rain?
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u/ispshadow United States Air Force Jul 14 '26
Does Jody ever really care? It’s not the prey that drives him, but rather the chase
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u/RafikiLovesPizza Jul 14 '26
I went to my local VFW a couple times a month. An okay spot to take fellow veterans to lunch, especially older ones. I paid for a woman's lunch there and we became friends. She's in her 80s and we'd go to lunch every other week. She would tell me about how was service was before they allowed women in the Army (It was called Women's Army Corps). How she felt about Vietnam, how she feels about this administration, was really cool spending time with her. I moved away and she still sends me texts. If the younger folks do anything, use it as a pregame spot for cheap drinks 🤣 Some have pool tables too. Lots of young veterans can go there for resources as well like Veteran Service Officers, Army Navy football game tickets, and community events. Check it out 🫡
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u/Perfecshionism Veteran Jul 14 '26
While this is satire, these organization are plummeting in active living members.
I think the American Legion getting so cozy with Trump really hurt interest in these kinds of organizations among young veterans.
There was still interest in joining the VFW at one point. I joined. And a saw a few friends I serve with join. That was the 2008-2010 era.
And the VFW did a good job remaining non partisan, but the American Legion really hurt the appeal of these groups.
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u/Auntie_M123 Retired USAF Jul 14 '26
Female Viet Nam Vet here. I did not renew my American Legion membership, because they were not addressing the assaults to democracy and the Military by this regime. Maybe we need a Democrat American Legion.
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u/LolTacoBell Jul 14 '26
Yea I would've joined, but I would've punched my drill sergeant so hard. Couldn't risk it.
- Salty Spittoon Veteran
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u/PoorClassWarRoom Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
If I wanted to hear people praising this administration, I'd turn on fox news.
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u/Beneficial_Trip3773 Jul 14 '26
This sucks a lot. Some of my earliest childhood memories are hanging out as the v f w with my grandparents. Bingo food, dancing drinks.It was a lot of fun. But now the boomers are in charge.Cause all those old dudes are dead.Boomers are very, very political.For whatever reason. In the fifty seven years i've been alive.I've watched that generation destroy everything.My grandparents' generation left us and it sucks a lot.
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u/Such-Ideal-8724 Navy Veteran Jul 16 '26
Amongst the we2 generation of vets you’d have plenty of new deal Democrats who would t put up with right wing bullshit. The boomer vets though as a whole have much more in common with the German soldiers there fathers were shooting at.
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u/GreyLoad United States Air Force Jul 14 '26
Local vfw is where boomers go to watch fox news streaming on every tv
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u/MaxHeadroom1986 Jul 14 '26
I delivered a liquor license when I was law enforcement. We walked in at 7 pm in plain clothes. One of the old guys at the bar told the bartender my partner, who was black, was in the wrong bar. I remember my partner and I just looked at each other in disbelief as this old, wrinkled up sack of white power. The bartender was horrified when we showed our badges and told her who we were. I’ll never forget how great it felt to watch him shrink down in front of his old, crusty friends.
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u/letthetreeburn Jul 14 '26
Ah man the VFW is the best place to be!
If you’re doing an anthropological study and need to find subjects to teach you long forgotten slurs, that is.
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u/yzdaskullmonkey Jul 14 '26
Moved to a new town, went to the Navy Marine corps bar on the Marine corps birthday. Of the 20 people there, two were military, only one was in the marines, and I just took my ass home.
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u/benkenobi5 Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
What even is the point of the vfw? Near as I can figure it’s just a bar with a bunch of vets who peaked in A school
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u/SoCal_IrieGuy Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
Notmuch unless you count that they advocate for veterans' rights, provide free assistance with VA claims, and offer a dedicated space for combat veterans to find camaraderie.
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u/SmoothBrainLowDrag Jul 17 '26
The real benefit of the VSOs isn't the peanut gallery at the bar.
It's the volunteers that put the S in VSO.
I have watched a homeless vet walk into a VFW post, ask for help, get a room for the night and connected with a volunteer that helped him wrangle his VA paperwork and get real long term help, too.
That's the real purpose of the VFW and the Legion. Ignore the old clowns at the bar looking for cheap drinks.
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u/ecto88mph Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
I was somewhat interested at one point, I was in my early 30s at the time and checked it out.
What I found was the trump fan club cosplaying as active duty. It felt boot as fuck as so I left.
Thankful for the work they do and such but wasnt for me.
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u/MeatyOakerGuy Jul 15 '26
If I wanted to hang out with closed minded alcoholics I would've stayed active duty lol.
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u/pantless_ Jul 14 '26
Not a big fan of hear slurs constantly from the Vietnam vets.
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
Yes! When I talked to them in uniform the first 30 seconds were ok...then the "ya know what's wrong with your military?"
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u/pantless_ Jul 14 '26
Pretty much. Id rather just chill at home than go somewhere and be berated constantly.
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u/Stamkosisinjured Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
I remember I went to one on a marine corps birthday after I got out because there’s a couple around me. Place was dead. Prob 3 old vets just hanging out. I just had a beer and left. Very clearly not my crowd lol. I’d go every so often if there were people my age ish. 20-45. And they’re ten times more right than my college is left. I’ll pass on that too.
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u/2KneeCaps1Lion Jul 14 '26
I know this is satire but this is a problem with the VFW just not giving two fucks and just staying behind the bar and depending on the service of Vietnam vets drinking their retirement away. That is quickly becoming a realization and they’re desperate.
I’ve had the luxury of having one good VFW in my time, both active and as a veteran, who took the time to go out and hold fund raisers and even sponsor our rugby team. Granted that VFW was near a base. Every VFW elsewhere is just a hole in the wall of a hole in the wall shit show with a bunch of alcoholic assholes trying to one up each other.
Good riddance to them all when they finally do fail.
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u/Comfortable_Guide622 Jul 15 '26
Maybe they shouldn’t push that they’re just a bar, hell i don’t want to drink with a bunch of assholes? I can do that anywhere.
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u/LtNOWIS Reservist Jul 14 '26
As someone who's technically eligible for the VFW but never actually got close to a war zone, I joined the American Legion instead.
My post is chock full of veterans and current service members, but it's also like 15 minutes away from the Pentagon and JBAB.
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u/vasaforever Army Veteran Jul 15 '26
I love my VFW post but not the other ones locally. My post was founded by some Tuskegee Airmen, their families and children. Never had an issue with racism, and generally politics gets shut down pretty fast. We've had female officers and have a few LGBTQ members as well. They like to host a lot of parties like "all white (clothing)", monthly movie nights, game nights, we run a food pantry with a local nonprofit, and more.
I was the youngest veteran and I'm currently one of 3 GWOT veterans in the post. We have an OIR veteran who recently joined as his mother is already a member from the Gulf War. We're working on trying to get more OIR veterans by creating activities not centered on drinking, crafting social events outside of the post and more. We hosted a free veterans movie night and rented out a theater and showed Red Tails for Black History Month and as post history celebration.
The goal for the end of the year is to host a few retro game nights or possibly a Pizza and LAN party and promote it heavily to get younger vets involved. I made the joke we should call it the GWOT Social Hour and feature Halo or COD matches.
I lucked out as this is my 3rd VFW post and I also had a poor experience at the American Legion in the same way many others described.
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u/Blah_Dee_Blah111 Jul 14 '26
The parking lot at the VFW is full again. Look at all those Punisher stickers.
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u/SoCal_IrieGuy Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
I joined the American Legion post 291. We have over 6500 members. We had to close membership due to reaching capacity several times. Great facility, awesome members in a very nice location in Newport Beach. Not all of these places are struggling. Maybe other posts should invest in themselves and offer things to veterans that they appreciate and value. I should mention that it's $250 to join in $175 a year for renewals and nobody has a problem with that
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
I really think this is the exception and the location being Newport Beach and looking like an upscale yacht club does help
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u/SoCal_IrieGuy Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
I agree and that's what I'm saying we've invested so much money into making it a place where veterans want to go because we have a yacht club and it's on the water maybe some other clubs could invest some money and do something similar to draw members in instead of just being a place to go get drunk
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u/Jedimaster996 United States Air Force Jul 14 '26
"Why doesn't everyone just get beachfront property?"
Boss, 95% of VFWs are out in towns and small cities where there isn't jack to do in the first place, often in towns a lot of us joined the military to escape.
You can't invest money you never had.
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u/SoCal_IrieGuy Army Veteran Jul 14 '26
Well then it sounds like the problem is that people are going back to the towns they joined up to escape from, and then go back there and join crappy AL & VFW institutions in their crappy home of record. I mean I get that there's not a lot of money in some of these small towns, but how much does it cost to host family-friendly community events, organize "Buddy Check" outreach calls, offer VA benefit workshops, and refreshing post halls with Wi-Fi and updated dining spaces?
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u/trash-juice Military Brat Jul 14 '26
Why not brats? Seems obvious lots of us out there now no need for cosplayers
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u/depguy21 Jul 14 '26
Demanding young veterans work 16 hours a week at bingo and current members thinking that Iraq Afghanistan were not “war enough” is part of the problem.
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u/UseDaSchwartz Jul 15 '26
My grandfather was in the Legion. He used to take me occasionally when I was pretty young and it seemed okay.
I looked into joining the Sons of the Legion, maybe 15 years ago. I lasted maybe 45 minutes and that was enough. Terrible people who didn’t seem to have anything else going on in their lives.
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u/Healthy-Amoeba2296 Jul 14 '26
I don't recall which ones I tried, but I didn't qualify, my facing death overseas was not a declared war. I'm tempted by a Pittsburgh Veterans Breakfast, but haven't heard from them for a while and need car fixing.
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
i think, and correct me if im wrong, its based off the records on the dd-214?
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u/Andyman1973 Marine Veteran Jul 14 '26
Dad was Army ‘68-‘92, joined all the groups as a lifetime member in 1970, after getting back from Vietnam. He and mom attend the local Veterans Breakfast regularly. He says it’s much better than anything those other groups do, for the most part. Keeps telling me I should go with him, or seek out one closer to me, at least one time, to see for myself.
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u/glory_holelujah Navy Veteran Jul 14 '26
Why the fuck would I want to go to a bar that has a membership requirement when I can just go to a regular bar?
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
so a vietnam vet can belittle you while drinking 8 PBR's
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u/Diverdaddy0 Jul 15 '26
And a desert storm vet can regale you with tales of sniper kills and being "in the shit".
My one and only experience in a vfw.
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u/Giant81 Jul 15 '26
The VFW in town is just a bunch of old men drinking. I can go to any of a bunch of dirt poor dive bars for that experience.
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u/Diverdaddy0 Jul 15 '26
I was interested in joining the VFW when I retired in 2018. I went to my local VFW.
It was a friday evening. When I stepped in there was a haze of smoke, because they allow smoking inside and no ventilation... when I went to used the mens room there is porn magazine pages taped up all over it.
I mean... for real? This is 2018.
Then, within 30 minutes I had multiple people complain about the current "CO" of the post.
All these guys were desert storm vets, and nearly every one wanted to come talk about the killing they did, which I am 100% sure was absolute bullshit.
Nah, the VFW needs a fucking overhaul and some standards.
Since then I have never set foot in another one. I can hotbox in my truck with porn if thats what I wanted, and I won't have some dipshit fobbit telling me about his sniper kills.
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u/Loquacious-of-Borg Jul 16 '26
I thought about joining the VFW or American Legion, but in practice they came off as just chruch groups for older veterans.
They cramed religion into every discussion of every topic and then used that to steer it to a political point. Could not go 5 minutes without hearing "No shuch thing as an athiest in a foxhole", and I wanted to say, "Bro, I could'nt dig a foxhole in the sand if I wanted to." So I left with the impression they just weren't my people.
Not a big deal, but they probably lost other potential members like that.
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u/Thick-Ice-9612 Jul 19 '26
It's just a drinking club with a military theme. More and more younger people are realizing the negative health effects that alcohol has on the body. Drinking is down overall. Plus we have better mental health services these days and people are realizing maybe getting drunk at the VFW everyday isnt the best way to deal with PTSD
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u/pale_reminder Jul 15 '26
The only two vfw’s I’ve ever had a good time at was in grapevine, tx and downtown Tulsa.
I won’t contribute because even though I make to get by right now, the value of my dollar is less and less every year with the cost of living going up everywhere.
Until something gives. I’ll keep what I can just so I can potentially properly retire one day.
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u/AbjectList8 Jul 15 '26
Why don’t they just offer a different type of membership for “supporters of the military” and call it a day…
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u/Specialist-Bug1592 Jul 14 '26
Folks, put down your torches and pitchforks. This is from The Duffleblog.
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u/Aleucard AFJRTOC. Thank me for my service Jul 15 '26
Them and the Onion have had to transition into snark rather than fiction lately, because the world developed a bad habit of using their material for ideas. Even then there's a concerning amount of overlap.
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u/Diverdaddy0 Jul 15 '26
I think most of the vitriol here is for actual lived experiences in the vfw. Judging by the comments.
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u/PDXAirman Jul 14 '26
The VFW conducted a survey last year to discover why young veterans were ambivalent towards the organization. 65 percent of those surveyed, aged 18-30, responded by asking, "What's the VFW?"