wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (05/03/85)
Anyone know why the emphasis on *Foreign* in the name of the organization "The Veterans of Foreign Wars"? Was it so named, maybe back in the late 1800's or whenever it was formed (after the Spanish-American war, mayhap?), to specifically *exclude* Civil War or Indian campaign veterans, or perhaps they had their own organizations and this newly-formed one was trying to distinguish itself from them? Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
wfmans@ihuxb.UUCP (w. mansfield) (05/10/85)
> Anyone know why the emphasis on *Foreign* in the name of the organization > > "The Veterans of Foreign Wars"? > ... > > Will Martin I thought that VFW members had to serve *overseas* during a foreign conflict. (Nam and Korea count. Grenada and Lebanon don't seem to.) The American Legion takes all veterans. -- Bill Mansfield AT&T Information Systems, Naperville, IL {ihnp4!}ihuxb!wfmans
wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (05/15/85)
In article <1019@ihuxb.UUCP> wfmans@ihuxb.UUCP (w. mansfield) writes: >> Anyone know why the emphasis on *Foreign* in the name of the organization >> "The Veterans of Foreign Wars"? >> Will Martin > >I thought that VFW members had to serve *overseas* during a foreign >conflict. (Nam and Korea count. Grenada and Lebanon don't seem to.) >The American Legion takes all veterans. > Bill Mansfield OK, but *why*? That is, what is the motivation behind this being a separate organization? Was there a lot of internal politics being played in the American Legion, and the group that formed the VFW was a splinter of this? Or what? I do see the distinction; I suppose it could be simply explained as those who served in "real shooting wars" don't want to be classed with the people who served their time in the Ft. Bragg motor pool or programming here at ALMSA (an Army activity), but I was hoping to dig up some historical info... Regards, Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
bobn@bmcg.UUCP (Bob Nebert) (05/15/85)
> > Anyone know why the emphasis on *Foreign* in the name of the organization > > > > "The Veterans of Foreign Wars"? > > ... > > > > Will Martin > > I thought that VFW members had to serve *overseas* during a foreign > conflict. (Nam and Korea count. Grenada and Lebanon don't seem to.) > The American Legion takes all veterans. > -- > > Bill Mansfield > AT&T Information Systems, Naperville, IL > {ihnp4!}ihuxb!wfmans >>>>> The rule is that a person has to be in a declared war zone for a certain number of days. I believe 181. While nam and Korea were not declared wars like Grenada and Lebanon, their length forced Congress to make them war zones. I belong to the VFW and I think I made the right pick cause the VFW is the only vets outfit that took the vets view on agent orange. ***IF YOU CUT HERE IT WILL RUIN YOUR CRT***