Search Results

2/15/2011 - WASHINGTON — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is appreciative of the funding increase President Obama proposed Monday for the Department of Veterans Affairs, but he has some serious concerns about proposed reductions in programs ranging from construction and infrastructure to medical and prosthetic research. "The VFW appreciates the proposed increase because it recognizes that the proper care and treatment of wounded and disabled vetera...

2/17/2011 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the second year in a row, VFW will stream live video from the 2011 VFW Legislative Conference in Washington D.C., March 5-9, on www.vfw.org. Streaming will begin with the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen Parade of Winners at 6:00 p.m. (EST) on March 6. We’ll pick it back up with the Conference’s Opening Session, set to begin at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, featuring guest speakers Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki andGeneral Cartw...

12/17/2010 - By Rodney Richey, The Herald Bulletin ANDERSON, Ind. — Melvin E. “Bud” Biddle, the soft-spoken Anderson native who went on to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in World War II’s infamous Battle of the Bulge, died Thursday at Saint John’s Medical Center. He was 87. Gov. Mitch Daniels, upon hearing the news, issued a statement saying, “We call them the Greatest Generation for a reason, and in Melvin Biddle we have just lost one of the greatest of t...

12/22/2010 - ‘Tis the season of love, hope and peace. But, the fact is the world is not yet at peace and as a direct result, thousands of America’s best men and women will not spend this holiday season with their families. These are the brave souls who believe in something greater than themselves; something that extends far beyond the holiday season and well into the future. The selflessness and sacrifice that we embrace this time of year are ideas that our service members and th...

2/18/2011 - The Veterans of Foreign Wars is proud to announce the Department winners of the 2010-2011 Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition. This year's theme is "Does My Generation Have a Role in America's Future?" The following students are competing for a chance to win up to $30,000 in college scholarships and other incentives. Click here to check out the winner from your area!

12/22/2010 - Several weeks ago, we inadvertently posted an email message headquarters received regarding an organization called Veterans Affairs Services (VAS). Subsequently we discovered the origin and information contained in the email was bogus. If you receive any further emails regarding VAS, please be sure to double check the source before passing along the information to others. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

2/18/2011 - A little known but potentially decisive story developing in Afghanistan is the "surge of Afghans," that is, how Afghan men and women have swelled the ranks of the Afghan National Security Forces to levels more than double the U.S. surge. Since Dec. 1, 2009, when President Barack Obama announced the surge of 30,000 U.S. troops, more than 79,000 Afghans have committed to serve their country. Over the past year, these young Afghans have put their lives at risk volunteering ...

12/8/2010 - Retired E-7 Charles Gilkey from Clarksville, Tenn., never thought life would throw him such a curve ball. That is, until age 42 when he faced serious health problems. Gilkey worked patrol in Iraq and also served in Bosnia and Panama. In a nasty fall in Iraq, Gilkey severely injured his back and tore his rotator cuff. On top of the extreme pain from these injuries, Gilkey suffered from glaucoma, arthritis and tinnitus. “After I separated from the military, I just wanted ...

12/1/2010 - VFW National Military Services Update Sgt. Todd Plybon was serving in Afghanistan when a plumbing leak threatened to ruin his family’s home. The leak was so severe it caused significant damage to the floor supports under the kitchen. Todd’s wife, Tara, recalled there being a "literal hill from the sink to the kitchen table. If you dropped a marble on the floor, it rolled downhill." Unfortunately, the Plybons’ situation would only get worse. Todd returned from Afghanis...

2/24/2011 - Twenty years ago today, on February 24, 1991, after 6 weeks of intensive bombing against Iraq and its army, the massive ground war in Kuwait, lasting only 100 hours, began. By the end, the Iraq army had been defeated; thousands of its troops had either surrendered or weretaken as prisoners. After 4 days, Kuwait was liberated from its Iraqi neighbor. On February 28th, President George Bush declared a cease-fire, ending the Persian Gulf War. May we never forget those 12...