This year the National Veterans organization, the Veterans of Foreign Wars is celebrating 110 years of it's founding.

Started
as an organization of Spanish-American War veterans in 1898, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars is the world's largest Combat Veterans Service
organization with over 2.2 million men & women veterans and over
8,000 VFW Posts worldwide.

Since the organization's founding,
the VFW has provided services at no cost for Veterans and their family
such as disability claims service, education & community service
projects and legislative services which have resulted in concrete
results dealing with Agent Orange health claims as well as a brand new
21st Century Post 9/11 GI Bill to assists our returning Iraq &
Afghanistan Veterans achieve educational goals.

The days of the
VFW being a men's club and lounge mentality are long passed. The VFW
currently assists servicemen & servicewomen with Operation Uplink
phone cards while deployed overseas to maintain the contact with their
families as well as a Military Assistance Program that helps families
in need while military family members are deployed.

In addition,
VFW Posts and their members of the Ladies Auxiliary contribute over 13
million hours to Volunteerism and Hospital Service programs as well as
Voice of Democracy and Patriot Pen essay programs which directly result
in Middle & High School students receiving awards which provide a
much needed boost in scholarship programs when planning their future
education.

New Veterans are always welcomed as well as veterans
of all eras. There is place for you, at your local Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post.

Timothy C. Smith

Massachusetts VFW Public Affairs Officer

(617) 727-2612