4 thoughts on “Post Officers”

1. My 60-year-old husband, a Vietnam vet, decided he would finally join the local VFW…We stopped in to join, as we walked in I saw a group of people that I know have never served in the military…but when my husband asked to join and be served a drink he was told he needed his DD214, which he does not carry with him. However, he had his VA medical benefits card which you can only get by supplying the DD214, a rigorous process to get the medical card. Even though he had this card, it was not good enough for the application and to become a member at the moment…He has now decided to not join. If he had not said anything he would have just been served, but he honestly wanted to join, and was turned away until he came back with a piece of paper that no vet carry’s with them because they have the photo ID medical card…If you want your membership to increase, you might want to become more updated on the process to get an ID and what is acceptable to join the VFW. Lastly, it was offensive to see 4 young people, who have never served sitting there drinking and to have my husband be embarrassed and turned down despite have appropriate VA ID.

2. Dr. Foster;

   I’m sorry you/your husband didn’t have an enjoyable time at our Post. However, allow me to clear up some misconceptions you have about the VFW, which would have helped you going into the situation:

   For starters, like many of the VFWs across the country, our Post is open to Social Members (non-veterans). To become a social member, you put in an application and have a regular (veteran) member vouch for you, and then the regular members vote on allowing them once a month in our regular meetings. We are proud to allow social members at our Post, as we feel they make our Post stronger and many of them help out and volunteer more often than a number of our regular members. Our social members often help recognize and honor our veterans (helping with our chicken BBQs dinners when we serve veterans from the Coatesville VA hospital, cookouts for our adopted Army Reserve members and their families, honoring our fallen members on Memorial Day, etc).

   If your husband “had not said anything,” the bartender still should have asked him for his membership card, as the Post is not open to the public.

   We certainly want our membership to increase, but it is helpful when prospective members take the time to inform themselves on the requirements to join and “what is acceptable to join the VFW” – we are the Veterans *of Foreign Wars.* While the VA Medical Benefits card does require a rigorous process to receive one, it requires members to only be *veterans* – not necessarily veterans *of foreign wars,* which is an important distinction to our organization. Your husband, as a Vietnam Veteran, would absolutely qualify – however, he would have to submit a copy of his DD214 to our officers, which would then be reviewed and approved at our monthly meetings (as well as submitted to our National HQ); the same process every single one of us had to go through.

   Lastly, I’m sorry that you seemed to take offense to people that you “know have never served in the military” being allowed at the Post. However, as I have explained, most of these are our friends, family members and neighbors – the people of this country we once swore to protect – and we are proud to share a drink alongside them. Granted, there are also regular members of the Post that do not look like they have ever served – our Quartermaster especially is a fat, old, bearded guy who definitely looks like he never fit in a set of BDUs.

   If your husband would like to reconsider his application, he can contact our Quartermaster for help in applying at quartermaster@vfwpost7294.org.

   “Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.” –Jean de La Fontaine

3. Re: Two thoughts on “Post Officers”
   Gentlemen:
   I have been a member of the VFW for thirty years, having been a member initially in
   McConnellsberg, PA ,and subsequently transferring to Post7294 . I served with a Marine rifle battalion in Vietnam, and so I am not a social member, nor do I care one bit if the Post accepts non military members.
   Now let me share with you my experience of last Tuesday when Nancy and I dropped by the Post to have an infrequent dinner at the VFW.
   We arrived at 1800 hours, were buzzed in , and I flashed my VFW card to the barkeeper, who, to my amazement said that I couldn’t be served. My card is current and clearly states that I am a member of Post 7294, and yet I was refused admission.
   When I asked what her objection was,all she said was that I would have to either pay a thirty seven dollar charge, or have a member sign me in as his guest.
   Not good treatment of anyone, and certainly not proper treatment of a thirty year member of the VFW with proper identification.
   If you want the membership to increase- all well and good, and I’m all for that, but perhaps you should also make an effort to keep the members you have.

4. Dr. Seventko;

   I’m so sorry you had this experience. I don’t know why the bartender told you that – the only thing you would have needed was a $5 door card. She may have misunderstood your card and thought you were an annual member. I will investigate and find out why the bartender believed this and will correct her.

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