SwiftVets.com

coldwarvet

Bush 41 on Imus this morning said; "The VFW in 1992 endosed Clinton over me" Any of you VFW guys out their please explain how a man who gets shot down in WWII does not even get the support of the VFW. Since my service was from 11/75 thru 7/79 I do not qualify to join the VFW so I do not have a clue on what is going on with you VFW guys.

CWV
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Defender of the honor of those in harms way keeping us out of harms way.

"Peace is our Profession"
Strategic Air Command - Motto

USAF 75-79 Security Police

A.R. Peter LaFond · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:15 pm Post subject: VFW

I am retired Navy. At one time I was a member of the VFW, but quit when they did not allow Vietnam vets to join. Their reasoning was that the Vietnam conflict was not an officially declared war, but defined by our government as a police action and therefore those that served in Nam were declared not worthy of membership. They were not Veterans of (a) Foreign WAR!

If my memory serves me correctly, more than 50,000 of these unworthy vets died in combat, and God only knows how many of the unworthy are disabled, living in rubber rooms, or homeless still now. And what of those who were truly heros? Unworthy, too!

Eventually, the VFW made what I believe to be a self-serving decision to allow Vietnam vets to join. Their membership was dying off, or like me, quitting.

All of this is largely forgotten now. But not by me. I will never join the VFW, nor will I ever promote their organization.

God Bless The Swift Vets...these men are truly heros!

Pride runs deep!

Mooncusser · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:30 pm Post subject:

I am a member of the VFW and I am not aware of this. I thought that both the VFW and the Legion were non-partisan organizations. But I don't know.

RocketFett · PO3 Joined: 05 Aug 2004 Posts: 292

This makes the fact that so many vets stood and turned their back on kerry, when he spoke at the VFW, if many of the conservative ones have quit because they so disrespected the Vietnam Vets.

Tony · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:31 pm Post subject:

I am a member of the VFW. Not sure they have endorsed anyone - I know who I am voting for. If the VFW would endorse Kerry - they would also have received their last dues payment from me since I wouldn't stand to be part of such an organization. As far as I know - Viet Nam vets are very welcome in the VFW. In fact, I think as long as you were part of an expeditionary force or have received one of the campaign medals (SW Asia, for example) you are eligible to join. Heck - they let me in and I did much less than just about anyone who spent a day in Viet Nam (well - except for maybe those who took home movies for four months).
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Misty · Lieutenant Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 223

The VVA has a clause in their by-laws that they can not endorse or become involved in political campaigns. This is because of their tax status, I think. I would think the same is true of the VFW.
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Misty
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Dad was in the Navy Pacific Fleet
Brother was on the USS Regulus - Vietnam
Husband was AirForce 3rd (34th) Tactical Fighter Wing - Security Police Bien Hoa Vietnam

Doc Farmer · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:43 pm Post subject:

coldwarvet · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject:

zinfella · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 6:33 pm Post subject:

Someone needs to explain the dates mentioned in the Bush 41 quote. His service was from 75 to 79? I don't think so. And since he was a WWII vet, service from some 30 years prior, he would be eligible to join the VFW, so I don't understand that either. Since I didn't hear the Imus show, I don't know where the errors are, but I do know that the posted text does not reconcile with the facts that are known.
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No whiners!

coldwarvet · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 6:45 pm Post subject:

Mongo · Seaman Recruit Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 11 Location: MD

This is straight off the VFW website:

"VFW Doesn't Endorse Presidential Candidates

Washington, D.C., Aug. 27, 2004---Recent appearances in the media by a number of members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States have given an impression that the organization endorses one presidential candidate over another.

"This is a false impression," said John Furgess, a Nashville native who was elected August 20 as the new commander-in-chief of the nation's largest organization of combat veterans. "We are a 501(c)(19) nonprofit veterans' service organization that is prohibited from endorsing political candidates," he said. "We do, however, encourage all 2.4 million members of the VFW and our Ladies Auxiliary to get involved in their communities and to vote for the candidates of choice. That involvement permits the wearing of VFW caps to remind America and all politicians that the freedoms we enjoy today were won by the blood, sweat and sacrifice of military veterans."

The veterans' vote is being heavily courted by President George W. Bush and his Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, both of whom spoke last week at the VFW's national convention in Cincinnati.

"Since the Revolutionary War, more than one million Americans have died fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today," said Furgess. "One of those freedoms is the right to vote, so my message is 'Get out and vote.'""