VFW National Commander Visits Iraq

'This war is nearing its end'

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009 — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. returned home after spending almost four days visiting American troops stationed in Iraq. His overall assessment: "This war is nearing its end, which has our troops pumped with anticipation and the Iraqi people increasingly hopeful for their future."

Glen M. Gardner Jr., a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas, entered Iraq on Sunday with the leaders of four other veterans' service organizations for a first-hand view of the progress that has occurred in Iraq. He is the fourth consecutive VFW national commander to visit Iraq.

"Iraq is a different country today because of the tremendous effort of our military to make the surge work," he said. "The assessment that everything is on target for the upcoming handover of the cities was made by everyone I met, from Multi-National Force-Iraq Commanding Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to his officers and enlisted soldiers, all of whom have served multiple tours in-country."

Gardner's trip comes a full year after the conclusion of a three-prong surge strategy that focused on security, the economy and political reconciliation. He said the changes on the ground were most noticeable in the eyes of six amputee veterans who returned to Iraq for the first time since being wounded. Their trip was sponsored by the Troops First Foundation, which has a program that allows wounded troops to return to where they were stationed to help close the loop on their wartime service. Gardner called the program "a great initiative, because departing a warzone strapped to a stretcher is not the last memory anyone should have to carry for a lifetime."

The VFW national commander also visited two 1st Cavalry Division outposts near Baghdad, as well as met with a senior British officer in charge of training Iraqi national police, and an Italian unit that has trained a good portion of those 5,000 police. MNF-I officials said their focus right now continues to be on the proper training of Iraq's military and police, because on Tuesday, U.S. forces are set to depart Iraq's major cities.

Gardner, who had just visited a California National Guard peacekeeping force in Kosovo before heading into Iraq, is very optimistic that all signs are pointing towards a successful ending of U.S. involvement in Iraq.

"What helped to end the war in the Balkans was that the people grew tired of the violence and destruction. This same awakening is occurring in Iraq, too," he said. "Our forces are witnessing the rebirth of a nation because the surge worked. The Iraqi economy is rebounding, attitudes have changed, and with each election, the people are gaining more faith in their elected government.

"One message General Odierno wanted me to carry back was 'We will be successful,'" said Gardner. "I wholeheartedly agree, and hope all America joins the VFW in welcoming home a new generation of warriors — as well as their families — for their service, their sacrifice, and for their unwavering commitment to each other and to their mission."

Pledge of Allegiance recognized 67 years ago today

It was on this day back in 1942 when America’s Pledge of Allegiance was officially recognized by Congress as the national pledge.

The original draft of the pledge is said to have been written in 1892 by James B. Upham, a magazine publisher in Boston. The first version was: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In 1939, the U.S. Flag Association concluded the pledge's author was Francis Bellamy.

At the first National Flag Conference in 1923 in Washington, D.C., delegates from patriotic societies, civic and other organizations substituted the words "the flag of the United States" for "my flag." The change was made because it was thought that the foreign-born might have in mind the flag of their native land when they said "my flag." Another change was made at the second National Flag Conference in 1924 when the words "of America" were added.

For 30 years the version was: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." In 1954 Congress added the words "under God" to the pledge.

We now recite: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The pledge of allegiance should be rendered while standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform people should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Members of the armed forces in uniform should remain silent, face the flag and render the military salute.

Scam Artist Hits VFW Posts

A con artist has been preying on the generosity of sympathetic veterans and has managed to bilk numerous VFW Posts around the country out of as much as $400 each by posing as either a veteran who has “filled out an application” to join a specific Post or as a current VFW member.

The scammer has used a couple of different approaches when he calls a Post asking for a specific Post Officer by name for financial assistance, usually alleging to be experiencing some sort of car trouble and has even gone as far as to claim to be the parent of an Iraq veteran on his “way to the funeral for his son killed in Iraq.” He has also used a bogus story about how he recently visited a Post while introducing his son, “just back from Iraq” to various Post members. The swindler apparently goes on-line beforehand and obtains information about the Post in order to include details about the Post to help lend credibility to his story.

According to information received by VFW national headquarters, VFW Posts in AL, OK, WV, TX, KS and MO have responded by wiring money to the man who promises to repay the cash as soon as he returns home. So far, the sum being requested is in the $200- $500 range. Western Union doesn’t require identification for sums under $1000.

RUMOR CONTROL: THE VA IS NOT DISARMING VETERANS

Viral email makes astoundingly stupid claim that the VA is trying to take guns away from veterans.

by Larry Scott, VA Watchdog dot Org

Sometimes I wonder if people just make up this crap: "Hey, Merle. Hold my beer while I hit the keyboard and start a rumor to scare veterans."

The latest email making the rounds has the VA setting up vets to take away their weapons. Nonsense! Not just nonsense ... an out-and-out lie!

Here is the basic content of this completely bogus email:

U.S. Military Vets being disarmed!

The U.S. Veterans Administration has been instructed by the Department of Homeland Security to ask military vets 3 questions when they come in for any kind of medical check-up or problem. Answering "Yes" to any single question will result in the vet being disarmed by the government.

The following e-mail was sent to the [blank] by a Vietnam Veteran. His identity is being concealed to prevent reprisals.

I had a doctors appointment at the local VA clinic yesterday and found something very interesting I would like to pass along.. While going through triage before seeing the doctor, I was asked at the end of the exam, three questions.
(1. Did I feel stressed?)
(2. Did I feel threatened?)
(3. Did I feel like doing harm to someone?)
The nurse then informed me, if I had answered yes to any of the questions, I would have lost my concealed carry permit as it would have gone into my medical records and the VA would have reported it to Homeland Security.
I am a Viet Nam vet and 15 year cc permit holder. Looks like they are going after us vets." Be forewarned and be aware. If you are a veteran, you've been warned.

Let's look at the stupidity here.

First, there is no "Veterans Administration" ... it is the Department of Veterans' Affairs. This has to tell you something about the intellect of the person who wrote this.

Second, Homeland Security didn't tell the VA to ask the questions. These are standard questions used in a pre-appointment interview. A nurse usually asks these questions. It is the VA's responsibility to monitor all health issues, including mental health. I have been asked these questions many times. And, I have answered "yes" to the stress question, and still have my weapons and a carry permit.

Third, the VA doesn't report anything to Homeland Security.

Fourth, carry permits are issued by states, counties or municipalities ... not Homeland Security. Again ... this person doesn't even know the laws of the land.

Fifth, there are only two reasons (defined by the Department of Justice) that would allow the VA to report a veteran and get them on the NICS "no buy" list for weapons: 1. The veteran is adjudicated as an incompetent. 2. The veteran is involuntarily committed to a mental institution (including a VA psychiatric ward ... "flight deck").

Shame on the person who wrote this email.

Shame on anyone who forwards it.

And, to anyone who believes it, maybe you should answer "yes" to the question about feeling threatened.

Information about the concealed carry and veterans topic:
http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/06/va_screening_gun_permits/
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfjun09/nf060409-4.htm

Army celebrates 234th birthday at Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 15, 2009) - The Army kicked off the celebrations of its 234th birthday at the Pentagon June 12 with senior leaders praising the noncommissioned officer corps, a cake-cutting, Program Executive Office Soldier demonstration and a display of antique Army vehicles which are participating in the reenactment of the 1919 Army transcontinental convoy from Washington to San Francisco.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., broke open the festivities saying that the Army had been a force for peace and justice in the world since the beginning of the republic and that the Army would always be serving in that role because the American Soldier brings security, stability and hope to troubled people everywhere.

"As we reflect over the course of the week on the sacrifices of our predecessors, and we celebrate their service and honor the brave men and women who are serving today as well as our families and Army civilians, it's important for all of us to remember that our history is indeed a very proud one," he said.

"At its heart, the Army story is of ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things for this great country," Casey said. "It's the story of personal courage, selfless service and sacrifice by the more than 30 million men and women who have served in the Army of the United States selflessly over the last 234 years.

"As we celebrate this birthday, we also commemorate 2009 as the year of the noncommissioned officer," Casey added. "Through these great noncommissioned officers we honor the service of our predecessors and strive to continue their proud legacy as members of the greatest armed forces on earth

Secretary of the Army Pete Geren followed Casey at the lectern remarking that it was important to stop and think how different the history of the U.S. would be if it weren't for the Army and how different the history of the world would be.

"It's important to reflect on the tie that binds these Soldiers with the Soldiers in Desert Storm and those who fought in Vietnam, those who fought in Korea, those who stormed the beach at Normandy all the way back to those Soldiers who stood at Lexington and Concord.," he said.

Guest speaker Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III said the focus for this year's birthday was on the contributions of the noncommissioned officers. He said NCOs were the backbone of the Army and responsible for the safety, training, discipline and well-being of each servicemember in their charge.

"They know the ground truth of what is going on with our men and women in uniform - they're the foundation of the force; they're the critical element of what makes this Army great," he said. "As we celebrate the Army's 234th birthday, we're really celebrating you; our volunteer Soldiers, our noncommissioned officers, our Army families. Without you, we would not be able to accomplish the task before us."

Following Lynn's remarks, Sgt. Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston inducted Soldiers from all Army components stationed in the metro Washington area into the ranks of the NCO corps by having them recite the NCO oath.

Not your grandfather's VFW

by Daniel Lambert
June 10, 2009
Medill Reports--Washington

WASHINGTON -- A fish fry with a group of men over 60. Not the type of get-together a 20-something guy is likely to view as an appealing way to spend the evening. But the Veterans of Foreign Wars wants to attract exactly those young men as new members. The VFW believes switching from old-fashioned socials to social networking Web sites is the answer.

The 110-year-old organization whose VFW posts are a common site in towns across the country, is branching out through blogs and Web sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The efforts hope to offset declining membership due to dwindling numbers of World War II and Korean War generations and difficulties attracting the new generations of Afghanistan, Iraq and even Gulf War vets.

The VFW created a feed on Twitter, which allows a user to post 140-character messages with links that other Twitter subscribers can then “follow,” or subscribe, to read.

“You have to go where they go,” said Jerry Newbury, communications director for the VFW. “This generation is very computer-savvy so some of the old tradition ways don’t work.”

The VFW Twitter feed is updated with messages alerting followers to upcoming events, official statements and links to advocacy causes. It is also a reminder that the VFW is more than a social group or provider of a cheap place to host a party. The organization is dedicated to advocating for military members and their families while supporting overseas troops.

But to advocate you need numbers, and to get numbers you need new members.

“Strength is in numbers,” Newbury said. “We can’t accomplish the things we want to do unless we have the numbers.”

The decline in VFW membership might not have anything to do with stereotypes or a lack of young blood. It might simply be a matter of demographics. There were more veterans coming out of World War II and the Korean War, once the draft and the Vietnam War ended, fewer enlisted in the military.

Since 2001, 1.8 million veterans have become eligible for VFW membership. Of those, about 10 percent became members. That is a recruitment rate higher than for veterans of Vietnam, Korea or World War II, said Newbury.

But the VFW leadership wants to increase its reach among young vets and to make up for the difference.

“The stereotype might be there,” Newbury said. “The old-style posts are going by the wayside and they are adapting to change and becoming centers of communities. They are providing child care, Internet cafes and computer gaming rooms. It’s a slow transition. The VFW had been around for 110 years and this is not the first time we have had to adapt.”

In a true sign of adaptation, Newbury said national VFW leaders soon will be equipped with mobile devices when they are on official trips. This will allow them to take pictures and record video, then transmit those images instantaneously to members across the country.

For some new members, the draw isn’t the latest technology but the older tradition of responsibility to those still in uniform.

Michael Finley joined the Marines at age 20 and served a tour of duty in Iraq before leaving active duty at age 25 for the reserves. He now is starting his own business, but found time to join the VFW post in Orland Park, Ill.

“When I was overseas we got a lot of support from the VFW, and, honestly, I think it is a responsibility to give back to the troops,” Finley said.

There is also a definite sense of camaraderie that exists between veterans who have seen combat.

“I feel like they are interested in what we have to say,” Finley said. “A lot of them are very accepting.”

That acceptance and understanding is the result of overlapping experiences, according to Roger Barton, club manager of Finley’s post, VFW Post 2791. Barton served in the Army and fought in Vietnam. He said Vietnam vets have a deeper understanding of what troops who recently returned home have experienced.

“You didn’t always know who the enemy was,” Barton said.

That shared experience of a complicated war where the enemy could be the guy standing next to you in a marketplace makes Vietnam veterans especially interested in hearing about the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Barton said.

The Orland Park post is unusual in that it has seen its membership grow every year for the past 23 years, Barton said.

He said the post is able to attract new members by reaching out to active-duty service members from the area and sending care packages to them overseas that often include VFW membership forms.

The VFW is banking on the combination of new media and traditional outreach to continue its traditional mission with a new generation of veterans.

The true meaning of the Veterans of Foreign Wars

The following letter to the editor was posted at http://www.marshallindependent.com.

POSTED: June 11, 2009

To the editor:

I am a relatively young veteran at the age of 46 and really wasn't active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars till about six years ago. I now realize the importance of Veteran organizations as well as being a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is more than a place where you can go drink a beer and it is not a good old boys club either. I get tired of hearing that as the Veterans of Foreign Wars is much bigger then life.

It amazes me that some people in this community don't even know what the letters VFW represent and that is the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I have heard comments that isn't that the American Legion and I always have to explain to them it is not.

With that all said I would like to point out what the Veterans of Foreign Wars really stands for and that is community service. This means not only service to our veterans but the community at large.

We sponsor youth activities through baseball, hockey, scouting activities.

Every year we conduct firearm safety, snowmobile safety and defensive driving and have drug abuse safety clinics for not only the adults in our communities but the youth also.

We donate blood regularly as well as sponsoring veterans and helping them to get their claims filed through county and state Veteran Administration Facilities all over Minnesota.

Scholarships are offered through our programs that are the Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen. And our post here in Marshall does offer scholarships at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Did you know that the state of Minnesota leads in community service as well as money donated for cancer and heart research. And the Veterans of Foreign Wars has continually supported our troops that are now serving overseas through care packages, family assistance groups for families of deployed spouses, as well as donating computers to units so service members can communicate with their families back home.

There are many more programs that we do each year as the list goes on. But I hope you get the point. It is as simple as that. We honor the dead by serving the living.

I truly believe in my heart and soul and with my dieing breath when I become older that this organization is the best organization in the whole world.

Wayne R. Heiselman

Mike Pound: VFW working to reach out to younger generation

By Mike Pound
Globe columnist
mpound@joplinglobe.com

I spent some time Monday afternoon sitting in the Carthage Veterans of Foreign Wars building talking to Jay and Mary Gordon, and Dick Frink.

Jay is the commander of the Carthage VFW, and is a veteran of the Vietnam War and the first Gulf War. Dick is a veteran of World War II.

Jay, Mary and Dick are working on a event scheduled for Sunday that they hope will raise some money for a couple of area charities and perhaps garner additional support for their organization. As we talked, I mentioned that it would be nice sometime in the future if there wasn’t a need for the VFW. No more wars, no more war veterans, I said.

Those at the table nodded their heads. Then Dick said he didn’t see that happening anytime soon. We all nodded our heads.
Jay said the VFW is changing a bit. The organization is losing members from the World War II and Korean War eras every day. It’s time for the veterans group to reach out to a younger generation, he said. It’s time to reach out to the generation of veterans created by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also time to get folks involved in the women’s and men’s auxiliary groups, he said.
“We want to get families involved,” Jay said. “We want them to know that this isn’t just a place to get together, drink beer and tell war stories.”

So for the second year in a row, the VFW is sponsoring what the group is calling “A Community Appreciation Day.” The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Carthage VFW, just off Highway 171 at the Oak Street exit.

Members of the VFW will be serving up free hamburgers and hot dogs all day long, and snow cones and cotton candy will be available. Live music will be provided by at least three area bands, and there will be a host of activities for kids.
In addition, Jay said, the VFW will open up its horseshoe pits, and folks can take shots at him in a dunk tank.
“The bingo players will like that,” Jay said.

See, Jay does the calling at the group’s Friday night bingo games. Sometimes folks tend to blame the caller if he doesn’t holler out the right number.

Jay said that with the exception of the dunk tank, all the events Sunday are free. Donations will be accepted, and any contributions will be turned over to the Children’s Haven and the Carthage Humane Society. Last year, the VFW collected $375 for the Lafayette House in Joplin, Jay said.
Jay said a number of area merchants have donated prizes that will be given away Sunday.

“Every merchant I approached gave us something,” he said.
Jay and Dick are aware that despite their best efforts, some people will continue to see the VFW the way Jay described it: a place to drink beer and tell war stories. But they want folks to know that the VFW’s main function is to help the spouses and children of troops killed in action, and to continue to fight for veterans’ benefits.

“We work to make sure the guys in (the service) now will get their benefits,” he said.

While we talked, Dick and Jay took me on a tour of the VFW building. It’s a neat place. One of the neatest things in the building is the wall containing hundreds of photos of veterans. Many of the photos are the standard military portraits common at the time they were taken. Other pictures are more casual, family-type snapshots. Looking at the pictures, I was struck by how young and how carefree the men in them were. I also was struck by the many photos that had black ribbons on them. The ribbons indicate that the person in the picture has passed away.

I’m pretty sure that all the people on that wall of honor at the Carthage VFW hoped that the war in which they fought would be the last war anyone would have to fight. I’m pretty sure that they hoped they would be the last generation of VFW members.

I’m pretty sure that the folks fighting today in Iraq and Afghanistan are hoping the same thing.

VFW News Alert

As a patriotic American, you should know about a battle underway that jeopardizes the very future of our nation’s war memorials.

In 1934, World War I veterans erected a simple memorial in the shape of a cross to honor 53,000 Americans who died in battle.

See the Mojave Desert War Memorial Cross.

This year, the U.S. Supreme Court will determine whether the cross violates the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state. This is because the memorial resides on federal property in California's Mojave National Preserve.

More is at stake, however, than just the fate of a 7-foot-tall white cross currently covered with a plywood box by lower court order. The real issue behind Salazar v. Buono is whether the use of religious symbolism in veterans’ memorials on public property violates the Establishment Clause.

If the High Court rules in favor of the plaintiff,
every such memorial across the land could be torn down.

Sign the petition and let the Supreme Court know that veterans’ memorials deserve our protection!

Without memorials, our nation’s story cannot be told properly, and the service and sacrifice of more than one million Americans who have died in uniform will be forgotten.

This Week on The National Defense...

For more than 68 years the USO has been providing morale-boosting programs and services to enhance the quality of life and provide a home away from home for the military and their family members. USO President Sloan Gibson joins us. Listen now!

Next, we discuss the tough situation GM is facing. We also speak with Joe Meadors, the Director of Operations of the USS Liberty Veterans Association about the anniversary of the "covered up" attack on the USS Liberty. Listen now!

On Memorial Day, VFW Post 5180 placed more than 7,000 poppies on fallen soldiers' graves at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery in Alabama. We speak with this week's Outstanding Post's commander, Mike Craig, about the many projects they have going on in their local community. Listen now!

LifeLock Teams Up with VFW to Help Protect Veterans’ Good Names

TEMPE, AZ – (June 2, 2009) For more than a century, the men and women of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) have given selflessly to defend those throughout the world who could not fight for themselves. True heroes, these veterans have earned their good names through great sacrifice, but their honorable deeds are of no consequence to identity thieves ready to tarnish their credit histories, perpetrate fraud and leave behind mountains of debt.

LifeLock is honored to partner with the VFW to help foreign war veterans protect themselves from another battle, the fight against identity theft. Many veterans are vulnerable to having personal information stolen as their social security number is their unique identifier to all military installations. The use of personally identifiable information of military men and women is more accessible as the information is listed on all documents as well as on individual dog tags. This new partnership offers VFW’s more than 2.2 million members a discount on LifeLock services, which work proactively to help protect members from identity theft. LifeLock joins VFW’s extensive list of benefits that aim to give support to veterans and their families.

“These veterans have fought hard to protect us, and now LifeLock can show our gratitude to help protect them from identity theft,” said LifeLock CEO Todd Davis. “As identity thieves are attacking consumers in various ways, we are honored to partner with the VFW to help them protect the good names of our service men and women.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans' service organization composed of combat veterans and those who currently serve on active duty or in the Guard and Reserves. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and is one of its oldest veterans' organizations. With 2.2 million members located in 7,800 VFW Posts worldwide, the VFW and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to "honor the dead by helping the living" through veterans service, legislative initiatives, youth scholarships, Buddy Poppy and national military service programs. Annually, the VFW and its Auxiliaries contribute more than 13 million hours of community service to the nation. For more information or to join, visit the organization's Web site at www.vfw.org.

Identity theft is costing Americans more than $1.8 billion annually, according to the Federal Trade Commission, and the latest FTC report on identity theft shows the number of identity theft complaints has grown by 21 percent from 2007 to 2008.

“We are pleased with the opportunity to team with LifeLock in providing identity theft protection to VFW members,” said VFW Adjutant General Allen “Gunner” Kent. “ Thousands of veterans are at risk, including older veterans who may not fully understand the ramifications of identity theft and fraud, and with the families of our troops, especially those with loved ones deployed in harm’s way.”

About LifeLock®
LifeLock is a proactive identity theft protection service providing consumers with confidence and control as an answer for their good faith suspicion of becoming the next victim. LifeLock (www.lifelock.com) leads the charge against the crime by educating consumers, working with law enforcement, and developing leading services/products, and doing what it should for members.

Older vets ready to support others in uniform

By Kenneth Fine - News-Argus of Goldsboro

GOLDSBORO, N.C. — Thomas Marlow hasn't stepped into his military uniform in decades.

Bill Carr no longer carries a government-issued weapon.

And it has been years since the last time Theodore Ivey fixed the radar on a fighter jet.

But within places like the American Legion Post 11 headquarters — an aging construct tucked off U.S. 117 within earshot of the Wayne County Fairgrounds — their rank and experiences still matter.

Mike Burris straightens his back before saluting the men who showed up for a meeting of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"We've got a long history," he said. "We don't need to let the past die."

The News-Argus of Goldsboro reported that the men in the room bow their heads and say a prayer — for those who graced that building long before; for those who will be left to fill their seats when they, too, are gone.

As veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Korea grow older, many think about the fate of organizations like the VFW.

And they scoff at the notion that when they die, so, too, will veterans' needs for fellowship and a sympathetic ear.

"It helps your mind," Ivey said, looking down the line at the other men who fought in Vietnam. "I won't tell you what I did in Vietnam, what happened in Vietnam, but I'll tell him and him."

And that, he says, is why the young men and women currently fighting in two war theaters will one day fill the ranks of veterans' groups.

Bill Graham agrees.

"I could never talk about (Vietnam) with friends, family or anybody until I got associated with these groups," he said. "Until I found people who were in the same situation I was, I was closed off to everyone."

But the former commander of the local Disabled American Veterans chapter doesn't expect to see membership numbers spike for years.

"It takes a while for it to all settle in. It took me 25 years before I recognized the fact that I needed to be around you guys," he said. "So these young people coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, we might not talk about it in public, but we know the feelings — what they are going through. We know these people coming back are going to have them, so we'll be here to reach out to them when they come back."

Some of those who fought in Operation Desert Storm are already joining their ranks.

Like Robyn Golphin, one of the VFW's newest members.

"The VFW can't die. It really can't," he said. "We're still here to serve our country and to serve each other."

They serve each other by fighting for a better quality of life for all veterans — filing disability claims and lobbying politicians to vote in support of the nation's armed forces.

But their most important mission, being there for each other, is often much more difficult.

They still find it painful to relive those fire fights in Europe, the jungle and desert.

And certain things — like the smell of kerosene or passing by a window — still provoke reactions.

"If that was a glass wall right there, my back wouldn't be to it. If we go to a restaurant, we sit facing the front door," Graham said. "You'll walk down the street and constantly look behind you."

But they know no one else would understand.

"So you sit there and talk about it," Graham said. "And when you're able to do that, it brings things to the top that have been suppressed for years. And it helps."

So don't expect Luby Hines to give up on the men and women currently at war.

"To me, they are my brothers," the retired medic said. "We'll stand by their side."

And don't tell Graham the day veterans' organizations are rendered obsolete will come any time soon.

"As long as there are wars, there will be men like us," he said. "And we'll be manning the forts in our organizations and keep them going for when the people fighting come home."

Veterans, they say, just like members of America's current fighting force, will never back down from a comrade in need.

It's the same promise those who fought in two world wars upheld for them.

"As older guys, we have to make sure the younger people, the ones serving today, know we're here for them," Golphin said. "One day, they will have to take our places."

"And when they come home, we are going to be here," Burris added. "Whenever they need us."