VFW Press Releases

1. The VFW Enters 127th Year Continuing the Fight for Veterans

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. -On Sept. 29 the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) proudly commemorates VFW Day, marking 127 years of unwavering service to America's veterans, service members, their families and communities. Founded on Sept. 29, 1899, the VFW has stood as the nation's most established major war veterans' service organization, built on the conviction that service to country doesn't end when the uniform comes off.

   What began with a small group of Spanish-American War and Philippine Insurrection veterans has grown into a network of more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary. Today, that network carries forward two enduring commitments: fighting in Washington, D.C., for the benefits veterans have earned and showing up in communities across the country and around the world to give back. For 127 years, the VFW has been a voice for veterans and a force for good. Together we strengthen our communities and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

   That advocacy is on full display this year as Congress considers the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA), a hastily-constructed veterans' omnibus package that includes a dangerous provision to cut future veterans' benefits. While the VFW has supported many of the bill's provisions in the past, the VFW has strongly and publicly opposed a measure that would offset new spending by cutting disability compensation and reducing VA disability ratings for conditions such as tinnitus and sleep apnea. VA estimates that these changes could cost veterans $57 billion over the next decade and affect as many as 1.5 million future veterans. More than 100 VFW advocates from 31 states converged on Washington this summer and worked to have the bill pulled from the House floor. Then, VFW advocates came to Washington again in the fall, successfully pushing the Major Richard Star Act discharge petition forward. The VFW and its advocates won't give up until Congress strips this offset provision from TCAVA and funds the Major Richard Star Act in full from a source that does not come at veterans' expense.

   That same resolve carries into VFW Posts and Auxiliaries nationwide through Still Serving, the organization's year-round reminder that combat boots are not required to serve one's community. In fiscal year 2026 alone, VFW Day of Service brought veterans together for more than 2,570 community service events across all 50 states and 15 countries and territories - a 543% increase in participation since the program began in 2022. From building beds for children in need to preserving historic battlefields and hosting free clinics for military families, veterans are proving daily that their commitment to service continues long after receiving their DD-214.

   The VFW's legacy of advocacy - from helping to establish the Department of Veterans Affairs to championing the GI Bill and expanding VA health care - is what fuels today's fight to ensure veterans transition successfully into civilian life, gain timely access to VA care and are never asked to shoulder the cost of their own earned benefits. As the VFW marks this milestone, Posts and Auxiliaries worldwide are honoring VFW Day with ceremonies, open houses and community service projects, reaffirming a mission that has never changed: to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with every generation of America's veterans for the next 127 years and beyond.

2. The VFW Remembers Our POWs and MIAs

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. -On this National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) solemnly renews its sacred commitment to the Americans who have not returned home. Since World War I, more than 142,000 Americans have endured the unspeakable hardships of captivity as prisoners of war, and less than 81,000 service members remain missing and unaccounted for from conflicts dating back to World War II.

   Our nation's service members have long carried a simple promise into battle: never leave a fallen comrade behind. That promise does not expire with the passing of time, and it cannot be diminished by the distance of decades. Behind every name is a life, a story and a family that has carried the weight of uncertainty for generations. The VFW stands firmly beside the families who continue to wait for answers and remains committed to ensuring America keeps faith with those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.

   The VFW is a steadfast supporter of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and its vital mission to recover, identify and repatriate our missing. But this mission is a race against time. The work is difficult, but every recovery and identification brings one more family a measure of peace and fulfills one more part of our nation's promise.

   That is why the VFW will continue to urge Congress to provide DPAA with the full funding and resources necessary to carry out this sacred mission. We will continue advocating for the diplomatic access, research, recovery operations and partnerships necessary to bring our missing home.

   On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and every day, the more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary will keep the POW/MIA flag flying, the candle of hope burning and our commitment will remain unwavering. We will not rest until they are all accounted for.

3. Happy 79th Birthday, United States Air Force

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. -On Sept. 18, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) joins a grateful nation in celebrating the 79th birthday of the United States Air Force and honoring the generations of airmen whose service and sacrifice have helped defend America at home and around the world.

   Born from the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Air Force was established on Sept. 18, 1947, with the signing of the National Security Act of 1947. In the nearly eight decades since, airmen have built a proud legacy of courage, innovation and excellence while answering the nation's call in times of war and peace.

   From defending America's skies, and delivering troops and supplies across the globe to conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, providing humanitarian assistance and maintaining America's strategic deterrence, the men and women of the Air Force perform critical missions every day.

   Behind every aircraft launched, mission completed and life saved are airmen who have committed themselves to something greater than themselves. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, while others carry with them the visible and unseen costs of service. All are part of a legacy that generations of American airmen have built since 1947.

   The more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary salute our nation's airmen currently serving today and all those who came before them. We are grateful for your courage, your sacrifice and your continued commitment to defending our nation.

   Happy 79th birthday, Air Force!

4. VFW Honors National Hispanic Heritage Month

   KANSAS CITY, Mo. -The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, as we honor the generations of Hispanic American service members and veterans whose courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty have helped defend our nation and preserve our freedoms.

   The legacy of Hispanic Americans in our armed forces stretches back generations. From the earliest chapters of our nation's history through two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and up to our current conflict in the Middle East, Hispanic Americans have answered the call to serve. Across every branch of the military and around the globe, they have fought with distinction, led with courage and made sacrifices that helped shape the fighting force we know today.

   Their record of service is woven into America's military history. Hispanic American service members have distinguished themselves on battlefields, at sea and in the skies, earning our nation's highest military honors for valor, but their legacy is measured by more than medals. It lives in the countless acts of leadership, perseverance and selfless service performed by the women and men who put on our nation's uniform and placed mission and country before themselves.

   That commitment does not end when military service does. Hispanic veterans continue to serve as leaders, mentors, advocates and neighbors, strengthening communities across the country and inspiring new generations to lead lives of service.

   During National Hispanic Heritage Month, the more than 1.3 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary proudly salute our service members and veterans of Hispanic heritage, past and present. We thank you for answering our nation's call, honor the sacrifices you and your families have made and recognize your enduring contributions to not only our military, but our communities and our country.

5. VFW Action Alert: One More Signature Needed for the Major Richard Star Act

   The Major Richard Star Act is now one signature away from an important breakthrough in the House of Representatives.

   Discharge Petition No. 22 has reached 217 signatures. It needs 218. The petition would help clear a path for the House to consider H.R. 2102, the Major Richard Star Act, as a standalone bill.

   Thousands of combat-injured veterans have waited long enough for Congress to end the unfair offset that prevents them from receiving both the military retirement pay and VA disability compensation they earned.

   They need your help right now.

   With the petition just one signature away from 218, every message matters. Call or email your representative today and tell them veterans are counting on their support.

   TAKE ACTION TODAY

   When you take action, your message will reflect where your representative is in the process and what we need them to do next. Depending on what your representative has already done, your message will either:

   • Thank them for signing the discharge petition and ask them to keep working to pass the Major Richard Star Act, or
   • Ask them to sign the petition since they already cosponsored the Major Richard Star Act, or
   • Ask them to cosponsor H.R. 2102 and sign the discharge petition if they have not yet done either.

   One more signature gets the petition to 218.

   Take action today and help move the clean Major Richard Star Act forward.