Search Results

 

2/28/2020 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) celebrates Women’s History Month throughout the month of March. “Women have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to our great nation – many of whom have served in the best military in the world,” said VFW National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz. “From Harriet Tubman to ‘Amazing Grace’ Hopper, women have stamped their mark on our remarkable American history. We salute every woman, most-notably our wo...

2/7/2020 - More than 3,500 service members have earned the nation’s highest military decoration. But of those, only 92 have been black men, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. The Medal of Honor (MOH) is an award that dates back to the Civil War. The first African-American service member who earned the prestigious award was Army Sgt. William H. Carney, a man born a slave in 1840 in Norfolk, Va., according to the Department of Defense. Attached to C Co., 54th Mass...

2/24/2020 - VFW-supported legislation that could recognize veterans who were exposed to burn pits during the Global War on Terrorism was introduced Nov. 22 to the Senate. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) introduced The Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2019 (S. 2950). If made into law, it would recognize that veterans who served in certain countries in southwest Asia and east Africa were exposed to more than 45 toxins, chemicals and airbo...

2/15/2020 - Veterans believe VA health care is getting better, according to results of a VFW study released in September. The VFW report, titled Our Care 2019: A Report Evaluating Veterans Health Care, sampled opinions of 6,902 veterans. Of those, about 96 percent, or 6,762 total veterans, responded that they were eligible for VA care. Of the eligible veterans, more than 78 percent reported that they utilize VA health care. Most veterans who use VA health care said they have “positi...

3/27/2020 - WASHINGTON – Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz called it “despicable” and “inconceivable” that Department of Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits Dr. Paul Lawrence intends to eliminate the accredited veterans service officer (VSO) 48-hour review period for claims effective April 30. “The VFW strongly opposes the repeal of the 48-hour review period in reviewing VA decisions for accuracy, as this is a final quality control check th...

3/5/2020 - Kim Galske has taken the values instilled in her as a Marine and transferred them to the pageant stage. From the moment she donned the crown as Mrs. Wisconsin, it became the “veterans” crown. Kim Galske is a Marine Corps veteran who served from 1996-2001. She was named Mrs. Wisconsin in 2019 and has used that platform to champion veteran causes in the state. Photos courtesy of Kim Galske. ...

3/2/2020 - Today, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) recognizes U.S. Air Force Col. Eileen Collins. After graduating from Syracuse University, Collins was one of four women chosen for Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where she earned her pilot wings and stayed there as a T-38 Talon instructor. She then transitioned to the C-141 Starlifter at Travis Air Force Base, California. U.S. Air Force Col. Eileen Collins...

3/2/2020 - WASHINGTON – More than 500 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its Auxiliary will descend on the nation’s capital March 1-4 to meet with their respective members of Congress to discuss ways to best serve our veterans, service members and military families. VFW National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz will testify March 4 at 10 a.m. (EST) before a special joint hearing of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. “It’s vital that the VFW is pro...

3/3/2020 - WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) tonight proudly presented more than $200,000 in scholarships and awards as it named the national winners of its 2020 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions. The awards were presented during the Parade of Winners ceremony, sponsored by Twisted X, at the VFW’s annual Legislative Conference held in Washington, D.C. (Top) VFW National Commander William “Doc” S...

3/9/2020 - Today, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) recognizes Army Nurse Corps 2nd Lt. Elsie S. Ott. Ott, a native of Smithtown, New York, attended Lenox Hill Hospital School of Nursing after completing high school. After a short stint in nursing at area hospitals, Ott joined the Army Nurse Corps in September 1941. Ott was commissioned to second lieutenant soon after and had multiple stateside assignments prior to deployment to Karachi, India. ...

t

o

p