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Like so many of the men he served alongside, Norm Brown enlisted in the U.S. military to give back and do something meaningful. But unlike most of them, he was not an American. Brown, 83, is from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. “When we got out of high school in 1961, me and my two friends were interested in joining the Marines,” he sai...
On March 27, VFW Post 1647 in Brainerd, Minnesota, hosted its fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Day Celebration. There was standing room only at dinner, as more than 100 Vietnam veterans and their significant others came for the camaraderie and free refreshments. The local Daughters of the American Revolution served apple pie and ice cream, while the P...
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...
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...
On Feb. 11, members of VFW Post 8692 in Albany, New York, hosted their first arts and crafts day for local VA patients suffering from PTSD. The event welcomed more than 15 veterans and their social workers from the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center to paint birdhouses and American stars, followed by lunch prepared by the Post and its Auxiliary memb...
“Helping veterans isn’t a job for me — it’s a calling,” said Jessica King, 45. After serving four years of active duty and a few years in the Reserve, Marine Corps veteran King was denied her own benefits for a decade. She was determined not to let that happen to her fellow service members. “A VFW Accredited Serv...
“I should be the poster boy for Agent Orange,” Michael Lindop often joked. After serving in Vietnam, Lindop suffered from a laundry list of illnesses. But that did not diminish his pride or love for the Marines. “Like they say, ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine,’” said his widow, Franchesca. “Michael enlisted...
Miguel Rodriguez, 37, served in the Navy for eight years. He had several reasons for enlisting. “A strong desire to give back has always dwelled inside me, especially after 9/11,” he said. “On top of that, the costs of attending college made me realize joining the military was the best thing for me.” Today, Rodriguez lives i...
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