VFW Magazine

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) announced today that its fifth annual VFW Day of Service reached a new milestone this May, with 2,693 events taking place in 13 countries and territories around the world. The worldwide effort mobilized VFW and VFW Auxiliary members, veterans, military families and community supporters to address local needs and demonstrate the continued impact of veterans beyond their military service.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This Independence Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) calls upon all Americans to pause and reflect on the profound origins and ongoing significance of our nation as we celebrate a historic 250 years of freedom and democracy. Two and a half centuries ago, courageous acts of defiance and revolution birthed a nation founded on the radical ideals of liberty and freedom.

WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) today reaffirmed its opposition to Section 108 of the proposed Take Care of America's Veterans Act and defended its longstanding tradition of using political satire to advocate for veterans.

VFW Post 1790 leaders surprised a local Vietnam veteran with the Quilt of Valor on April 9 at his home in Valley Stream, New York. Post 1790 Commander Kevin Hill, along with Senior Vice Kyle Carter and Junior Vice Patrick Clayton, presented Army veteran Alfred Bosco with the Post’s first Quilt of Valor. VFW Post 1790 leaders award Alfred Bosco, center, a Quilt of Valor during a ceremony at his home on April 9 in Valley Stream, New York.

For almost a century, Rosie the Riveter, an icon of American pop culture, has represented the strength, determination and resilience of not only women in uniform, but women from all walks of life. On March 21, VFW Department of Texas District 20 launched the inaugural Rosie the Riveter Commemoration Event, where 82 participants gathered at VFW Post 76 in San Antonio, Texas, to celebrate and honor the long history of women veterans.

“I was ready to move on with my life, but I didn’t have money for college,” said Nadine Willits. After high school, Willits, now 59, felt the pull to go out into the world and do something. But, like so many, she lacked the necessary resources. Then, she had an idea. “I decided to join the Army,” she said. “They would train me, pay me, give me a place to live, and best of all, I could jump out of airplanes!” Willits ended up serving in the Army for three years as a field medic.

For decades, disability ratings have been based on medical evidence and the real-world impact of a service-connected condition on a veteran’s life. Section 108 of the introduced Take Care of America’s Veterans Act — House Resolution 9237/Senate Bill 4744, sponsored by senior Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran — would move Congress directly into that process by changing how certain disabilities, including tinnitus and sleep apnea, are evaluated and compensated.

Frank Thomas Vizza Jr., 43, could not help feeling like he had more to give. “I knew I could be doing more for my community, my country and myself. I was meant to do more,” he insisted. “So, I joined the Navy.” After serving as a corpsman from 2013 to 2017, Vizza found himself at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

After returning home from a deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, Army veteran Sam George fell into drug addiction. The discipline, self-reliance and structure he established for himself from his time in service, he felt, had dissipated. According to the VA, more than 2.8 million veterans in 2023 reported having suffered from a substance abuse disorder within the past year. More than half of veterans suffering from PTSD are reported to have substance abuse disorders.

“Growing up, I admired those in uniform,” said Dawn Frazier, “especially my grandfather, who was a Vietnam veteran. It compelled me to follow the same path, and the military ended up giving me more than I expected.” Frazier served in the Army for nine years. She was grateful to learn discipline, resilience and the true meaning of teamwork. But with those life lessons came hardships that left a different kind of impression.