Links to National VFW Website

Coming home from Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection many servicemen found they had to provide medical care for themselves. In their distress, some of these veterans joined together to form organizations that would later become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. On September 29, 1899, largely through the efforts of James Romanis, in an attempt to gain medical and financial assistance, the American Veterans of Foreign Service organized as a national body in Columbus, Ohio. J. C. Putnam was elected first Commander-in-Chief. That same year the Colorado Society of the Army of the Philippines was organized by General Irving Hale and became the National Society of the Army of the Philippines. At their Encampment in August 1909, they changed their name to Army of the Philippines. July 10th, 1901 H.O. Kelley organized the Philippine War Veterans in Altoona, Pennsylvania. In October of 1901 the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Philippine War Veterans was organized only to be reorganized as the Foreign Service Veterans in 1902. On June 24th, 1902, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Captain Robert S. Hansbury organized the American Veterans of Philippine and China Wars.

In September 1903 the Philippine War Veterans from Altoona, Philippine War Veterans from Pittsburgh, and American Veterans of the Philippine and China Wars from Philadelphia met together at Altoona, Pennsylvania, and joined to form the Eastern Society of the American Veterans of the Philippines, Cuban, Puerto Rican and China Wars. Later in 1903, the name was changed to American Veterans of Foreign Service. Two years later, in September of 1905, the Eastern Branch of the American Veterans of Foreign Service joined forces with the Columbus, Ohio American Veterans of Foreign Service to become one society known as the American Veterans of Foreign Service.

In August of 1913 the Army of the Philippines and the American Veterans of Foreign Service joined forces under the temporary name of Army of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. During that year, the organization's name was changed by a direct vote in which the entire electorate was invited to accept or refuse the proposal and, by General Order No. 1, became the present-day Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

At the Encampment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1914, the name Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was instituted by all organizations and a constitution was formally adopted. By 1915 membership was 5,000 and by 1936 membership was almost 200,000. On May 28th, 1936 the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States was incorporated by Congressional Charter.

In the early years of the depression, the VFW's overriding concern was to obtain some quick financial relief for the nation's veterans. The VFW fixed on payment of a cash bonus for wartime service as the surest means to this end. In 1924, the government had granted World War I veterans "bonus" certificates that would be redeemable for cash in twenty years. At the time, the VFW had argued that it was senseless to promise a starving man that he would get money for food two decades later. The VFW stepped up its efforts to persuade the government to redeem the certificates early and has been, every since, working, lobbying, and fighting for what service men and women have already earned, and should receive, without a fight, from a grateful nation.

Today the VFW's first concern is Veterans and their benefits. It's a vital part of VA legislation. Plus the VFW advises Congress, The Senate, and the President on Veteran needs. Secondly it follows it's motto of "Honoring the Dead by Helping the Living" by being involved in and at community levels as each individual Post, with the help of it's Auxiliaries and Cooties, participates in community activities.