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10/22/2025 - Ever since I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a Marine. On my 18th birthday, I went into the local recruiting station and tried to enlist in the Marine Corps. They took one look at me, laughed, and sent me away. At 4’11-3/4” I was too short. Heartbroken, I forgot about military service and went on with my life, getting married at age 19 and starting a career in administration. Besides, the attitude of the time among the general population was that a woman who enlisted in ...

11/4/2025 - The 2025 VFW Washington Conference was held March 2-6, 2025, in Washington, D.C. For nearly 75 years, the VFW's annual Washington Conference has provided an opportunity for VFW leaders from each state to personally lobby their respective lawmakers and watch as the VFW's current Commander-in-Chief testifies on Capitol Hill before the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees on behalf of veterans. Guest speakers are invited to address conference delegates, an...

11/28/2017 - As we reflect on National Family Caregivers Month, it’s important to remember that elevating the veteran voice doesn’t just include veterans, it also includes caregivers, the Hidden Heroes of the military community. PatientsLikeMe, a VFW Mental Wellness Campaign partner, recently kicked off a video series asking members to share the roles they play outside of being a patient or caregiver. One story we heard was from Emery, spouse of and caregiver to an Operation Iraqi Fr...

11/8/2017 - PatientsLikeMe, a member of the VFW’s Mental Wellness Campaign, recently kicked off a new video series that asked patients, “What are all the roles you play in life beyond ‘patient’?” One of the many stories we heard was from Darryl, a member of the PatientsLikeMe veteran community. Darryl is a veterans’ advocate, a State Officer in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and is living with PTSD. He's also a father and a grandfather, and he owns an embroidery business, "It helps ...

3/30/2017 - Since the birth of our nation, many veterans have gone on to greatness in a variety of fields. From U.S. presidents to well-known authors, athletes and actors, WWI is no exception. Here is a look at some of those famous vets from the “Great War.” Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) b. Lamar, Mo. 33rd President Ranked No. 7 (a “near great”) among U.S. presidents, Harry Truman (1945-1953) brought the war in the Pacific to a swift end in 1945. He also launched the Truman Doctri...

2/13/2017 - When Seth Napel returned from Afghanistan, he realized he was “going to have a hard time adjusting to civilian life.” “I was on this euphoria coming off deployment, and it was not jiving with how the rest of the world worked,” said Napel, who served from 2009-10 in Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan, with the 2nd Bn., 121st Inf. Regt., of the Georgia National Guard as a radio operator. Seth Napel, a member of VFW Post 2521 in Santa Maria, Calif., uses endurance events and ...

1/13/2014 - Mike, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He spent years keeping his combat-related emotions locked up—and depression, anger, and stress kept building in him. A hunting trip with fellow Veterans spent talking about combat experiences finally prompted him to reach out for help. Through counseling and with assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Mike was able to overcome his challenge...

7/6/2017 - KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Make sure to have your electronic devices ready as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States begins streaming live from its 118th VFW National Convention in New Orleans starting July 23. More than 10,000 VFW and VFW Auxiliary members are expected to attend the weeklong convention at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in downtown New Orleans, July 22-26. Livestreaming begins with the annual memorial service on July 23 at 8:30 a.m. (CDT), and...

11/12/2014 - November 2004’s decisive Battle of Fallujah was the deadliest sustained urban fighting for U.S. troops in the Iraq War. American forces rooted out 3,000 terrorists. By Tim Dyhouse This article appears in the November/December 2014 issue of VFW magazine Fighting a fanatical, dug-in enemy in the mazelike infrastructure of his own city has proved disastrous to armies in past wars. But the November 2004 Battle of Fallujah could be considered a textbook urban assaul...

4/30/2013 - ‘Wanted Them Alive’ Mike Chamberlain didn’t have to wait long to bring down his pronghorn antelope. Before lunch on the first day of Montana’s antelope season last October, Chamberlain, of Post 9536 in Mercer, Wis., had already bagged his limit. “I was done with my hunt by 10 a.m.,” said the 67-year-old Vietnam War veteran. “The antelope’s horns measured 14 inches, and I think it was the smallest of the group.” It was all a small token of appreciation from VFW for ...