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“It won’t happen in my lifetime,” Bob Shearer said as he added his name to the registry of Vietnam veterans diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Shearer was exposed to Agent Orange but never thought service connection to the disease would pass in time. His wife kept pushing though. Bob and Brenda Shearer ...
Not since the Vietnam War has a VFW Post been able to claim as many active-duty members deployed to war zones. Post 8073 in Whiteville, N.C., currently counts nearly 20% of its membership serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. In April 1966, Post 9723 on Okinawa consisted mostly of officers and enlisted men from bases on the island. Membership totaled 2,...
September 29, perhaps better known among VFW members as VFW Day, has gained much deserved recognition, extending far beyond the VFW community. The recently passed resolution, H.Res.483, officially introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives asSupporting the Goals and Ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Daywas first introduced in May of 2009 by ...
VALLEY FALLS, N.Y.— Members of a local VFW hand down their own punishment after a man burns an American flag on their property. We're told the man burned the flag after a bartender at VFW Post 1938 in Valley Falls wouldn't serve him alcohol. "Alcohol does strange things to people," said post commander Nick Normile, "but disgrace to the Amer...
The VFW National Headquarters — courtesy of its Unmet Needs program—is pleased to announce it has now provided more than $3 million in financial assistance to service members and military families that have experienced financial hardship, often times brought on by a deployment. Officially launched June 6, 2004, Unmet Needs has grown to...
WWII veteran and VFW member, George Ciampa, 84, knows first-hand the true cost of freedom. During his stint in the U.S. Army he completed five campaigns in the European Theatre including the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Though both operations made a significant impact on young Ciampa who was 18 at the time, his most culminating...
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s nice to receive a care package from home, whether you’re 100 miles away, or overseas fighting for our country. But, for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, gift cards, instead of care packages, are more practical these days. That’s why VFW Post 1018 out of Dorchester, Mass. held a fundraiser last month t...
WASHINGTON— August unemployment data released today by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics has the new national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. very concerned. The data reflects 185,000 current war veterans as unemployed, an all-time high. "The economic downturn has impacted the entire nation, and nowhere is it more demo...
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Army Sgt. Kelly Keck arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., last September, a week or two after he accidentally stepped on a land mine while serving as a medic in Afghanistan. Keck, 35, lost his right leg below the knee and his left index, ring and pinky fingers in the explosion. After nearly a ye...
This year, Terry Benson, member of Post 7686 and Department Chief of Staff, wanted to help plan an Independence Day to remember in a town that never forgets. Alamogordo, N.M., is home to Holloman Air Force Base and more than 5,000 retired veterans and 3,000 active duty service members, making it a prime location for a patriotic celebration. &ldqu...
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