![[VFW flag]](../images/u/us_vfw.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 7 May 2019
Last modified: 2022-11-26 by rick wyatt
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image by Pete Loeser, 7 May 2019
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The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a federally chartered corporation formed in 1899 by Spanish-American War veterans of the 17th U.S. Infantry. Veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves.
After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum and the VFW has been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, creating various GI Bills, developing a national cemetery system, the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. In 2008, VFW helped pass a GI Bill giving expanded educational benefits to America's active-duty service members, and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The VFW also has fought for improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.
They have helped fund the creation of the national Vietnam, Korean War, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials, and in 2005 became the first veterans' organization to contribute to the building Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial, which opened in November 2010.
Membership in the VFW is restricted to any active or honorably discharged officer or enlisted person who is a citizen of the United States and who has served in its armed forces "in any foreign war, insurrection or expedition, which service shall be recognized by the authorization or the issuance of a military campaign medal."
Today the VFW has over 2.5 million members with over 10,000 posts (local chapters). The Cross of Malta is the VFW's official emblem.
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us^vfw-puy.jpg)
image located by Bill Garrison, 18 October 2022
"Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States" flag of the "Puyallup Valley
Post No. 2223" in Puyallup, Washington state.
Bill Garrison, 18
October 2022
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us_vfwaux.gif)
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us_vfwla.gif)
images by Pete Loeser, 11 May 2016
Established 1914, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary serve U.S. veterans as an auxiliary of the VFW. It is now one of the nation's oldest veterans' service organizations and their members are the relatives of those who have served in overseas combat.
They have 470,000 members in more than 4,000 Auxiliaries nationwide who volunteer and have help to raise millions of dollars for charitable projects that benefit veterans, military service personnel and their families.
Pete Loeser, 11 May 2016
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us_vfw4.jpg)
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us_vfwauxld4.jpg)
![[Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxilliary flag]](../images/u/us_vfwauxld12.jpg)
images from Clayton Horner, 6 August 2016
I picked up a couple of VFW flags this past week. The VFW and VFW Ladies Aux. flags with fringe are approximately 4 inches by 6 inches, and are of fairly recent manufacture. The other flag is older and about 12 inches by 18 inches.
Clayton Horner, 6 August 2016
In 2015, the name of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW was changed to VFW Auxiliary and allowed spouses and eligible male relatives to join the VFW Auxiliary.
source: vfwauxiliary.org
Rick Wyatt, 21 December 2016
![[American Legion Riders of Virginia flag]](../images/u/us_vfwrdrva.gif)
image by Pete Loeser, 7 May 2019
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Motorcycle Clubs are a network of clubs throughout the United States authorized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars to wear the VFW Cross of Malta. They are made up of members of the VFW and VFW Auxiliaries in good standing. They actively support the United States military and U.S. military veterans, and the various programs sponsored by the VFW, its members, and nationally recognized auxiliary components. The flag of the Virginia VFW Riders is an example of one of their chapter.
Pete Loeser, 7 May 2019
