American Legion and VFW...

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

I am not a veteran, but I occasionally go to meetings at our local Legion and VFW Posts, as both charter Scout units.

 

Great people.  But there's something so obvious about their membership I have to ask:

 

Where are all the younger veterans??   

 

I'm told that both organizations (at least the local Posts) are hurting for membership.  And indeed, those gentlemen (and a few ladies) I see there are, to be blunt, old tymers.  At the VFW meeting I gave a presentation to last night there was one fella who was likely in his thirties - and after that, I'm pretty sure I was the youngest person there... and I'm pushing 66.  

 

Where is everyone?  

 

And, are most of you veterans here members of one or both?  

[Sedalia Dave]

I couldn't take the smoke from all the cigarettes.

[Perro Del Diablo]

I was years ago but other life events didn't leave much time. I'm going be 50 in October and make an occasional meeting with friends that are members. Raising kids and work make it hard to stay out that late.

[Utah Bob #35998]

We try continuously to bring in the younger vets but there are several problems. Obe is the impression that we are a group of old guys who sit around the bar telling warv stories and drinking. And in some posts that may still be true, but the good posts realize that young blood needs to be brought in. These are the two largest organizations that fight daily for vets' rights. We have obbyists in DC. We have Veterans Service Officers locally to assist with claims and red tape. But the guys getting out now are a different generation. They believe they can get their benefits on line. Unfortunately, we've found that doesn't work well at all. Many have had multiple tours and simply don't want to associate with anything military. It;s hard to convince them that we can understand exactly how they feel. Most are raising families, have jobs and don't think they have the time for us (although a one or two hour monthly meeting isn't very much in my opinion)

I myself did not join the VFW for nearly 40 years because of the WWII domination of the organization at the time.

WE are trying on a national level to get more young vets in but the tresults have been disappointing. It may be that the largest vet organizations eventually wither and die I'm afraid. It seems that people want to start their own clubs. We saw this with the VVA back in the 70s. ut the more small oprganizations you have, the quieter your voice will be.

If there's a solution, we haven't found it yet.

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

BTW, our post does not have a bar. Nor does the one in the neighboring county.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

That's so sad, but understandable.

 

Interesting about the bars.  Both local posts have bars; when they were being chartered to sponsor Scout units, that was brought up as a concern and just about talked to death.  Finally in a display of uncommon common sense, one fella said "...if a kid walks up to the bar and orders a beer, don't give it to 'im and tell 'im to beat it."  

[Barry Sloe]

I keep up my membership with the AL, but rarely go because of all the smoke.

 

BS

[Hoss Carpenter]

I have been a member of both for years, although now only the VFW.  the smoke in the bars kept me away, but the VFW has a very large presence on Capitol Hill,  and makes the Jerks that serve there take notice. We have a great VFW on US 1 close to where I live in FL and I was surprised to see it is Smoke Free!  We do have some younger members from the Sandbox there. Hope more clubs get the smoke out of the Bars and Clubs.

,

Cheers  Hoss C.

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

2 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

BTW, our post does not have a bar. Nor does the one in the neighboring county.

 

Well, there's your answer......

 

Not to make light of the issue, UB, but your problem is the same as most fraternal, religious and cultural groups across the country.   There is a generation gap (remember that term?) that separates the interests (or the perceived interests) of Viet Nam era vets from younger (and older) vets, and it seems that the common interests regarding benefits, VA services, etc. are not enough to bridge the gap.  There has been a ton of social change in the last 40 years, and 20-somethings tend to think that folks in their 60's and 70's have no concept of "what they are going through".  Funny how those gaps seem to shrink as the youngsters age, though.  Heck, SASS has some of the same disease - how do you appeal to young blood?  

 

A couple of summers ago, I set up a digital projector on my front lawn, hooked up my laptop with DVD player and a set of Bose speakers, stretched a white sheet over my front railing, laid out a bunch of lawn chairs and bowls of popcorn and sodas, and invited all the neighborhood kids, most of whom are teenagers.  We watched Tombstone.  Don't let anyone tell you that Westerns are dead; those kids LOVED the flick, and cheered and booed at the appropriate places.  I'm convinced that the difference was largely the technology - if we just played the film on the TV, it would not have held their interest.  To attract these kids, there has to be something edgy, something that incorporates current technology or the impact that it creates.

 

All I know is that I get frequent requests to repeat the show, and I now have zero problems with some marginal delinquents who watched the show.  We're now "cool" people, and no one bothers us.  

 

Maybe you need to find a similar event that grabs the interest of sandbox vets.  Off the top of my head, one of the most compelling presentations I've seen are the interviews with WWII vets, telling their stories.  There's a young fellow travelling the country, who has interviewed 100s of such vets and recorded their interviews.  The stories are unbelievably touching, horrifying and humorous.  They come from the heart, with no exaggeration and often with pure humility.  These are men and women whose experiences parallel those of younger vets, and I can't help but believe that recent vets would feel an immediate bond with these folks.  A place to start talking, perhaps.

 

I wish you success in re-filling your ranks.

 

LL

 

 

 

 

[Utah Bob #35998]

I could outline the community events we've held in an attempt to reach the young vets but suffice to say they have been varied and numerous. But so far we have had very little success. We'll keep trying but as I told some of the post members, in ten years maybe most of these guys will have a change in thought and be more willing to join up. I just don't know if it will be too late. Time will tell. Our building is also a smoke free zone so that's not a deterrent.

[Subdeacon Joe]

2 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

I could outline the community events we've held in an attempt to reach the young vets but suffice to say they have been varied and numerous. But so far we have had very little success. We'll keep trying but as I told some of the post members, in ten years maybe most of these guys will have a change in thought and be more willing to join up. I just don't know if it will be too late. Time will tell. Our building is also a smoke free zone so that's not a deterrent.

 

 

A few years after my step-son got back from Iraq we suggested to him that he get involved with one of the local VFW Posts.  He was pretty blunt, after a few hints from us that it would put him in touch with others who had things in common with him and might be able to help him, that we should just butt out.  He's now active in the CA Air National Guard ( http://www.129rqw.ang.af.mil/ ) and seems to be enjoying it.  Maybe in another 10 or 15 years he will see the value of getting involved with the VFW or AL.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I belong to our local AL Post, but am not a VFW, as I was stateside my whole term. But as was mentioned, all fraternal and like organizations are suffering from most members being olg geezers, the youngsters just don't seem interested.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I tried to join both in 1969 when I got home from 'Nam and both turned me down because "Vietnam isn't really a war."

 

I got tired of arguing with them and decided they could KMA.  Won't go back now for anything.

 

Not bitter, just stubborn.

[Utah Bob #35998]

8 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

I tried to join both in 1969when I got home from 'Nam and both turned me down because "Vietnam isn't really a war."

 

I got tired of arguing with them and decided they could KMA.  Won't go back now for anything.

 

Not bitter, just stubborn.

My experience was the same. That's why I avoided them for 40 years. Those guys are all gone now. VFW is populated primarily by Nam vets these days. We are now seeing Gulf War and Iraq/Afghan guys in the upper ranks of the organization. But we need more.

[Henry T Harrison]

It's not just these two organizations. The big issue is that today's kids just don't join any social networking organizations they just don't fit today's lifestyle 

[Utah Bob #35998]

The thing about the Legion and VFW is that your dues go to help vets, whether or not you ever show up to the post. We have a number of members who have moved outof state but still keep their membership up.

I belong to the NRA but have never been to any of their functions.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

I can only speak for myself and share commentary heard among my West Point classmates.  We graduated in '87, which puts us in our early 50s.

 

As as a whole, we are just as passionate about veterans' issues as any generation. We cut our teeth monitoring the Fulda Gap and the Iron Curtain.  Desert Shield/Storm was our first trial by fire as young lieutenants.  We took companies and battalions through Somalia and Bosnia, and served in senior positions in Afganistan and the Middle East.  Those still on active duty are pinning on second or third stars.

 

Most of us are members of AL and VFW, as well as other veterans organizations.  But I can honestly say that I don't know anybody who makes it a point to seek out the local halls and participate.  Such gatherings are just not a part of our social fabric, and I used "social" specifically. I know there are active local halls like UB's who do more than drink, smoke, and tell war stories.  It's just that I haven't found one yet.

 

But please don't take lack of local participation as a we-don't-care.  We just participate in different ways.

[Trailrider #896]

Part of the problem is that with no draft, there are far fewer younger veterans around to join any organization. Nevertheless,  there are some who prefer to join their own organizations.  The United Veterans Committee of Colorado (UVC) has over 52 separate organizations, most of them except for the VFW and American Legion, small, but composed of members from 'Nam through Iraq and Afghanistan.  The UVC tries to hold meetings at local colleges for  vets who are pursuing degrees, aid to various vets' causes, and strongly advocates at federal (through our congressional reps and senators), state and local levels for vets' benefits, including pushing to get the regional VA hospital operational.  But it is still tough to get many younger vets to join organizations.  In some instances, where an ethnic group comprises about 2% of the population of the United States, but over 5% compared to the overall population,  have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, yet it is tough to get post-WWII, Korea and Viet Nam vets to join the vet's organization or any other.  I wish I knew what the answer is. Just have to keep trying to make contact, I guess.