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If Ekow Aidoo, 40, could give his fellow veterans one piece of advice, it would be this: “Don’t wait for the ‘perfect time.'" Instead, Aidoo believes in taking action to set yourself up for success, just as he did when he joined the military to build better skills and habits. “I wanted a purposeful career grounded in discipl...
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce the selection of the national top three teachers in its annual 2026 Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Awardcontest. Established in 1999 and named after former VFW National Commander John Smart and retired VFW Quartermaster General Larry Maher, the ...
PHILADELPHIA – Earlier today the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) proudly named the national winners of its 2025-2026 Voice of Democracy® and Patriot’s Pen® youth scholarship competitions as it presented more than $176,000 in national scholarships and awards. For the first time in two decades, the national winners were announced a...
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – April 11 marks the 35th anniversary of the formal end to the Persian Gulf War. On this milestone date, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) honors the nearly 700,000 military men and women who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. On April 11, 1991, less than 90 days after the U.S.-led campaign known as Operati...
Growing up in foster care as a child, Stefani Stephens didn’t have a lot of stability in her life. After a divorce and being the mom of two young children, she was looking for security. Stephens says she had “always felt an affinity for the military,” and at age 23, she joined the U.S. Army. A deployment to Iraq and tours in Korea...
The question became a challenge for Gerald Decker. In May 2024, he was asked by North Carolina State Sen. Bill Rabon why his VFW Post in Leland, North Carolina, had no creative arts program. As Post 12196 Commander, Decker had represented his Post at Arts Day in Raleigh, North Carolina, about 140 miles north of Leland. There, he met with Rabon whil...
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce the fifth annual VFW Day of Service — a dedicated day of service led by veterans throughout the country and the world — will kick off the first Saturday in May (May 2), marking the start of veteran-led community service projects to take place throughout the...
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is set to conclude its 79th annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions this Saturday, April 11, with its highly-anticipated, annual Parade of Winners ceremony. The event is being hosted in a city that serves as the “birthplace of America” a...
WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the second of the two airmen flying the downed F-15E fighter jet over Iran was recovered from enemy territory by U.S. military rescue personnel, displaying tremendous resolve and commitment to our ethos of never leaving fellow service members behind. This recovery came on the heels of the initial rescue on Friday of th...
In December, VA Secretary Doug Collins and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost signaled their alignment on reforming the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) structure, a decision for which VFW has long advocated. With the current VHA comprising 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), VFW representatives beli...
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