The VFW is 125 years old in 2024!!
On September 29, 1899, the American Veterans of Foreign Service was formed by 13 veterans of the Spanish-American War who gathered in a small tailor shop in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss how they could assist their fellow veterans and the dependents of their fallen comrades. This was the start of what we now know as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and they have been known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States since August 1, 1914. They established their first headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1914.
Following World War I in 1918, the VFW National Headquarters relocated to New York. By 1930, VFW National Headquarters had relocated to its current home in Kansas City, Missouri.
There are nearly 6,000 VFW Posts worldwide!
Did you know there were 8 U.S. presidents who were members of the VFW?
They were:
Theodore Roosevelt,
Harry S. Truman,
Dwight D. Eisenhower,
John F. Kennedy,
Lyndon B. Johnson,
Richard M. Nixon,
Gerald R. Ford and
George H. W. Bush
What is the difference between the VFW and the American Legion?
The American Legion came 20 years after the VFW.
An American Legion usually accepts Veterans of the U.S. Military no matter where they served.
The VFW only accepts Veterans of the U.S. Military who served overseas in a combat zone and were honorably or generally discharged, or received hostile fire pay.
Please feel free to stop in the VFW Post 8185 and grab a refreshing drink. They are open to the public and a strong supporter of the Port Deposit Heritage Corporation.