The Walterboro City Council and Colleton County Council have both proclaimed 29 September 2024 as Veterans of Foreign Wars Day (VFW), the 125th Anniversary of the VFW. What does this proclamation mean? To understand what this proclamation means we must look at the humble beginnings of the VFW.
On 19 September 1899, a small group of veterans of the Spanish-American War met in Columbus, Ohio. The reason they met was because their comrades who had served in Cuba and the Philippines were being discharge from the military, and the only thing the veterans were receiving was their discharge papers, a suit of clothes and a few dollars. Many of these veterans were suffering from tropical diseases from the jungles, or injuries from the battles and some probably suffered from PTSD. Once the military discharged them, they were on their own no matter how seriously they were wounded.
This small group of veterans wanted to do something for these veterans, and the tradition of the comrades of the VFW helping other veterans in their communities. As the VFW moto says, “No One Does More for Veterans”. Today we not only help the veterans in our local communities, but the VFW also advocates for the veterans throughout the US by petitioning and testifying before our representatives in Washington, DC.
What can you do to help us carry out our mission of caring for veterans in communities? It can be as simple as telling a veteran you meet, “Thank-you for your Service!” or offering to buy them a cup of coffee and visiting with him or her; or donating to a veteran’s service organization.
If you are a veteran who served overseas and met the eligibility criteria, join the VFW. Our local post is about service and camaraderie, not about sitting on a bar stool, drinking. We work closely with the Veterans’ Victory House to support the residents, and also the Colleton County Veterans Council to meet the needs of the veterans throughout Colleton County.
If you are interested in joining or donating, please contact the adjutant at adjutant@vfwpost12102.org, or mail donations to PO Box 602, Walterboro, SC 29488.
