{"id":62247,"date":"2016-07-18T20:58:58","date_gmt":"2016-07-18T20:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2016\/07\/18\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:16:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:16:31","slug":"vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2016\/07\/18\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision for a new VFW: To see the future, look to the past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you want to know about the future of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Corps <\/span>\u200bveteran John Holland will take you to a graveyard.<br\/><br\/>In south Denver\u2019s sprawling Fairmount Cemetery, there sits a plot of some 90 gravestones arranged in neat, concentric circles around a tall pedestal where the life-sized statue of a soldier stands guard with his rifle.<br\/><br\/>&#8220;Soldier rest, thy warfare o\u2019er, on fame\u2019s eternal camping ground,&#8221; Holland reads from the engraved stone below the statue, &#8220;their silent tents are spread, and glory guards with solemn sound, the bivouac of the dead.&#8221;<br\/><br\/>A Vietnam veteran, and recent national chaplain of the VFW, he reads the words with a certain reverence. Some of his friends are buried here, or nearby in family plots. One day he might be as well.<br\/><br\/>Every weekend you\u2019ll find him at the local VA hospital, pushing the wheelchairs of the infirm.<br\/><br\/><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few years ago he was ordained as a nondenominational pastor so he could officiate funerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;What I do is bury my friends and in some cases marry them,&#8221; he says. So far he\u2019s buried more than a hundred of his friends<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">in the gardens of stone<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VFW\u2019s future is not among the dead, he says, but in the stories they tell and the lessons they impart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the VFW is to survive, it must learn from their history, he says. Or suffer their fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cemetery monument, says Holland, was dedicated by &#8220;Camp John S. Stewart No. 1, Army of the Philippines on Aug. 13, 1911.&#8221; That was the 13th anniversary of the capture of Manila by U.S. forces in the Spanish-American War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cemetery is Denver\u2019s second oldest and was designed by the same German landscape architect who mapped out the state\u2019s capitol grounds at the turn of the last century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/story\/veterans\/2015\/09\/03\/vision-new-vfw-off-wall-partnership-post-1-art--war-project\/71577594\/\" title=\"Link: http:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/story\/veterans\/2015\/09\/03\/vision-new-vfw-off-wall-partnership-post-1-art--war-project\/71577594\/\">Vision for a new VFW \u2014\u00a0Part 2 \u2014\u00a0An off-the-wall partnership<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was in the then-new, golden-domed home of the Colorado legislature that a small group veterans of the Spanish-American War first started to gather on Dec. 1, 1899.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They called themselves the Army of the Philippines. Soon there were posts across the West. In the East, a similar group started the Veterans of Foreign Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And like the Grand Army of the Republic, for Union Veterans of the Civil War, this new generation of returning war fighters banded together for the camaraderie known<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">only<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bamong former brothers-in-arms \u2014\u00a0and to fight a new fight for their benefits and pensions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b and the care of<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bthose wounded<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b as well as the widows of those lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"440\" height=\"550\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044374644289809-gen-irving-halejpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044374644289809-gen-irving-halejpg.jpg 440w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044374644289809-gen-irving-halejpg.jpg?resize=240,300 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Gen. Irving Hale, who led Colorado troops during the Spanish-American War, was a founding member of Denver&#8217;s Post 1 in 1899. Now buried at Fairmount Cemetery, he became one of the first leaders of the Veterans of Foreign Wars when it was created more than a decade later.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Courtesy of VFW Post 1<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these veterans were also different. Unlike their Civil War counterparts, who had aged more than 30 years since Gen. Robert E. Lee signed his surrender in a small town in rural Virginia, these young veterans were from the first major conflict fought overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nearly 400,000 in all, they fought not only in the jungles of the Philippines, but also Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as Cuba, where the Battleship Maine was sunk in Havana\u2019s harbor in a prelude to the fighting and where U.S. Marines first assaulted a small patch of beach dubbed Guant\u00e1namo Bay, and have largely remained ever since. Many of them fought again in the Philippine Insurrection that followed a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were, in short, the first veterans of foreign wars. And largely, they were not welcomed by their national war predecessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The guys who\u2019d fought in the Civil War didn\u2019t want to have anything to do with the guys who\u2019d gone to fight in the Spanish-American War. So, they formed their own organization,&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">says<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bHolland says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not feeling welcome is something Holland remembers well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When he got back from Vietnam, like most veterans of that war, he did not receive a hero\u2019s welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We were not treated well,&#8221; says the former air traffic controller plainly, still a hint of pain in his voice. &#8220;I had no interest in joining anything associated with the military, especially the VFW.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 1984, however, he took a sales class that recommended joining anything that would give you a lapel pin &#8220;so it looks like someone wants you. So, I joined to get the lapel pin.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And to look like someone wanted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It had been 14 years since he\u2019d returned from the war zone, but still he was not wanted or welcomed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When he joined VFW Post 6616 in northwest Denver, it was one of the classic good-ol&#8217;-boy clubs of World War II veterans, complete with their own canteen bar, who were not interested in any fresh blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The bartender, who I think was also the quartermaster at the time, always had a short stub of a cigar in his mouth,&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">says<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bHolland says. &#8220;Every time I asked him when the next meeting was, he\u2019d mumble something and then say, \u2018Well, you just missed it.\u2019 This group wanted the dues, but didn\u2019t want any new members to actually come.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His was not a unique experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;There were people in the VFW who would see to it that when a Vietnam veteran wanted to join, they had to write a check. They\u2019d take the check and then throw it away. That way, they could say they never got the money. I have Vietnam veteran friends who to this day will not join the VFW because of how they were treated.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"446\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044378668647606-vietnamjpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044378668647606-vietnamjpg.jpg 640w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044378668647606-vietnamjpg.jpg?resize=300,209 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Troops coming back from the fighting in Vietnam often were not even welcome at their local VFW post.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Army<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as badly as the Vietnam veterans were received by their fellow war fighters, their experience was also not unique among the generation of veterans before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It is my understanding the World War I guys were not especially welcomed by the Spanish-American War guys,&#8221; he says. Indeed,\u00a0so unwelcome that World War I vets in turn created their own group, now called the American Legion, which initially allowed only\u00a0doughboys from the \u2018Great War\u2019 among its ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;And the World War II guys were not especially welcomed when it was their turn. Same for the Korean veterans. And we certainly weren\u2019t, either.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now\u00a0a new generation is returning from war. And at VFW posts across the country, perhaps ironically, those few Vietnam vets like Holland who hung on, or joined later, are now largely in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Right now, the mindset of most of the VFW is through the eyes of the Vietnam veteran. The good news is, those of us who have been to Vietnam know we are not the future. The future is with folks like VFW Post 1, the young members.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some do. But far from all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">many<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bpost-9\/11 veterans often report receiving the same cold welcome \u2014 or flat-out hostility \u2014 at posts across the country. Despite more than 2.5 million potential new members returning from 15 years of combat, VFW\u2019s ranks have slid from highs of 2.1 million members in 1995 to fewer than 1.2 million now, down more than 100,000 from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last 12 months alone, according to VFW officials, 70 posts across the country have closed<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">up completely<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bor consolidated with another post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That trend is turning, says incoming national VFW Commander-in-Chief Brian Duffy, who was sworn in at the group\u2019s annual convention on July 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duffy, a former Air Force crew chief and navigator, flew cargo planes into war zones that ranged from the invasions of Panama and Grenada<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">invasions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b in the 1980s to the 1991 Persian Gulf War to liberate Kuwait. His C-141 Starlifter was the first jet to touch down in Kuwait City as Saddam Hussein\u2019s forces were in retreat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We brought in some supplies and took out some Marines that had been part of the invasion force,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the first Gulf War veteran to hold the top position at VFW, Duffy says his mission<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">now<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bis to deliver a revamped VFW for future generations while hauling away outdated mindsets still holding the organization back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far, VFW leaders have managed to attract only\u00a0about 150,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan\u00a0wars to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">in Iraq and Afghanistan among<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200btheir rolls. That\u2019s just<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">six<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b6 percent of those eligible to join from those wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duffy likes to tell the story of a VFW article he read recently about &#8220;someone opining on how they couldn\u2019t get younger veterans to join and participate in the organization.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The kicker: &#8220;That article was written in 1921. The younger veterans he was talking about were coming out of World War I,&#8221; he says. &#8220;We have the same challenges now, but the solutions are different.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044356211211649-post1trailwork4jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044356211211649-post1trailwork4jpg.jpg 960w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044356211211649-post1trailwork4jpg.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044356211211649-post1trailwork4jpg.jpg?resize=768,576 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Partnering with Team Red, White and Blue and the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, members of VFW Post 1 help with high-country trail maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Courtesy of VFW Post 1<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back then, the canteen served a useful purpose for fostering<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">comradery<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bcamaraderie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;But if you offer nothing more than a bar now, that\u2019s just sad. That\u2019s not going to attract today\u2019s generation of veterans. That\u2019s why other veterans\u00a0service organizations \u2014 like Team Red, White and Blue, Team Rubicon and others \u2014 have been so successful. The product that they\u2019re offering is a much better match for what this generation is looking for.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why one of his main themes this year will be simple. &#8220;Our way into the future is found in our past,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Our way into the future is found in our past.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the founding members of what became the VFW first started meeting, he says, &#8220;they didn\u2019t get together to form a canteen. They got together because they saw a need to help<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bfellow veterans who were in difficult situations coming back from the Spanish-American War. We are a veterans service organization \u2014 service is what we sell, service is what we were created for, and service is what is going to carry us into the future.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while the traditional fish-fry fundraisers and handing out flags on Memorial Day can still have their place, what he means is far more of the kind of hands-on stuff Post 1 is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We need to transition more VFW posts into that thinking of being a hub for veterans services and helping fellow veterans, the military and their families, but also getting out into their communities and helping fulfill some of the very real needs out there,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And more and more, Duffy says, that\u2019s already happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He points to the VFW state office in Connecticut organizing a mud run<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">competition<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bfor posts there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VFW Post 76 in San Antonio<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">, Texas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b started hosting a regular craft beer festival in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"494\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044366438325207-ct-mud-run-1jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044366438325207-ct-mud-run-1jpg.jpg 640w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044366438325207-ct-mud-run-1jpg.jpg?resize=300,232 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>VFW leaders in Connecticut organized a mud run for post members.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Courtesy of Veterans of Foreign Wars<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Another post in Rhode Island teamed up with Habitat for Humanity. It was one of the projects that the younger veterans could really wrap their heads around and get excited about, but also one that the older veterans really had some expertise and craftsmanship to share. So they were really able to enjoy that together.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To capture and encourage more of that kind of engagement, the newly revamped VFW home page tracks #VFWpostpride postings on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, Duffy says, &#8220;news of our demise is greatly exaggerated.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He credits the membership decline and closing posts as an unfortunate, but not altogether unexpected consequence of the\u00a0World War II, Korea \u2014 and now Vietnam \u2014 generations&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">entering their<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200btwilight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, some new posts are opening, five in the past year alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And more are coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine veteran Max Spahn is leading the charge to start<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">create<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200ba<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">new<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bVFW post at<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Northwestern<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bNortheastern University in Boston, where he\u2019ll be a senior this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The outgoing president of the Student Veterans of American chapter there, Spahn says a VFW post on campus just makes sense. &#8220;We are already heavily affiliated with Team Red, White and Blue, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Mission Continues, and we don\u2019t want to see the VFW die.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He says they\u2019re on track to recruit the necessary 35 founding members required for a new post and plan to formally charter the group<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">on<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bSept. 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;They\u2019re in an urban setting, they have a strong alumni presence who are VFW-eligible and are also part of their chartering body,&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">says<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bDuffy says. &#8220;They just wanted to use the strength of the VFW out in the community and use the resources we have to really leverage what they\u2019re doing and be a force multiplier for them.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, 17 states \u2014 as well as VFW\u2019s overseas regions in the Pacific and Europe \u2014 have managed to increase their membership. In fact, along with Louisiana, VFW membership in areas outside of the United States is among the fastest growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, he acknowledges that reversing the overall downward trend will take time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I\u2019m not worried about the VFW surviving, but I\u2019d like to see it thrive. And I think it will, but it definitely needs to make that transition, make that turn from being just a home for social events to being a hub for services.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With an organization as big as the VFW, he says, &#8220;I can kick the rudder, but it\u2019s going to take a while to turn the ship. But we are turning.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first\u00a0post\u00a0is breaking the cycle<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A year ago, Military Times embedded with VFW Post 1 for a week. The oldest post in the nation was already making a name for itself as an incubator of innovative programs geared specifically to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bthe youngest veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bVFW itself, their ranks had dwindled<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">in recent years<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b. Hitting hard times, and unable to pay their bills, the few members<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">that were<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b left were forced to sell their historic building. Essentially homeless, a small cadre of younger veterans led a sort of revolution to reinvent what the VFW could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And their numbers began to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two years ago, they bought a rundown building in Denver\u2019s edgy Santa Fe Drive art district. Ditching the private bar model, instead they opened a public art gallery, filled largely with the works of local veteran artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They offered yoga and meditation classes to veterans and their families. Monthly meetings whittled away much of the ritual and religious aspects of VFW gatherings and focused more on socializing and networking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, with its modern<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">slick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bwebsite and<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">prolific<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bpersistent social media presence, the post is realizing that vision\u00a0of becoming a hub to connect<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">members with other local veterans groups as well<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bmembers of the veterans community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And their its ranks have swelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the year since, all that continues. And much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the developments:<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=eaa1310a-6864-43ad-9a68-8e846965c591\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">NASA astronaut Scott Kelly \u2014 a Navy veteran \u2014 is sworn into Denver\u2019s VFW Post 1 from the International Space Station on Dec. 6 during group\u2019s 116th Founders Banquet. (Video Courtesy VFW Post 1\/NASA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Out-of-this-world outreach. <\/strong>In the last 12 months, the post\u2019s membership grew to about 1,200. \u00a0Among its <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the post\u2019s <\/span>\u200bnewest members: Navy combat veteran-turned NASA astronaut Scott Kelley, who was sworn into Post 1 while orbiting in the International Space Station. More importantly, participation in monthly meetings has more than doubled to about 120 showing up for the gatherings.<\/li><li><strong>Health and fitness focus.<\/strong> Partnering with the nonprofit Healing Warriors Program, Post 1 now hosts monthly free pop-up clinics for pain and \u202amanagement of post-traumatic stress. The free yoga classes have grown to twice a week while the post also added a tai chi program.<\/li><li><strong>Artful expansions.<\/strong> The<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> veteran-run<\/span>\u200b Art of War Project continues to run its art therapy programming<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span>\u200b but has turned over management of the gallery to Post 1\u2019s newly created Veterans\u2019 Art Council. Partnering with local universities, cultural organizations and professional artists, the council is providing workshops, lectures and mentorships.<\/li><li><strong>Speak up.<\/strong>\u00a0Post 1 started its own twice-monthly Toastmaster Club, a national leadership and public speaking mentoring group. On Friday nights, the post hosts free acting classes for veterans. There is also a regular writing workshop.<\/li><li><strong>Networking.<\/strong> VETpeer2peer, Post 1\u2019s mentoring program, provides a venue to build connections with other veterans with a special focus on recently discharged troops and those who have relocated to the Denver area. Meanwhile, monthly poker nights and groups such as the Alpha Gamma Xi Sorority, for female U.S. veterans, are also hosted at Post 1.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I\u2019m probably one of their biggest fans,&#8221; says Duffy. &#8220;I don\u2019t know if we have any others that are doing things quite to the level of Post 1, but there are certainly others who are doing incredible things to emulate their youth and their vigor.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back at the Fairmount Cemetery, the past is still watching over the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the VFW lifted its ban on female veterans joining its ranks in 1977, former Army Sgt. Mona Starkey was among the first to join. She\u2019d served in China and Burma during World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2992\" height=\"2000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg 2992w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg?resize=300,201 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg?resize=768,513 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg?resize=1024,684 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1027 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636043777508625359-jra-0595jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1369 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2992px) 100vw, 2992px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Mona Starkey was among the very fist women admitted into the VFW after it lifted its ban of female combat veterans.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Jon R. Anderson\/Staff<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After joining the VFW, she met Ray Starkey, a Navy veteran who had also served in the Pacific, and they soon married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mona died in 2010. Her grave is among those looking out from the Post 1 plot at Fairmount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On May 30, as part of a Memorial Day picnic at the cemetery, Post 1 swore in \u2014 for the 117th consecutive year \u2014 a new board of officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an otherwise unremarkable rite of passage, witnessed annually at VFW gatherings across the country, Navy veteran Michael Mitchel handed over command of Post 1 to Air Force veteran John Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry, who only joined the post three years ago, has been actively involved right from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry left the Air Force in 2007<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b after a decade of deploying into war zones as part of a U-2 spy plane ground crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I\u2019ve always said, when I left the military I felt like I lost a big part of my family. Because in the civilian world that sense of camaraderie doesn\u2019t exist\u00a0\u2014\u00a0at\u00a0least not in any job I\u2019ve had since getting out,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Joining the VFW, I felt like I\u2019d found that again.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3600\" height=\"2400\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg 3600w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044343511482241-d1a0982jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Air Force veteran John Harry takes the oath of office as the new commander of VFW Post 1 in Denver.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Carl Payne<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s all the more impressive considering it wasn\u2019t until leaving the military that he was able to come out as a gay man. VFW\u2019s national office isn\u2019t sure if Harry is the first openly gay post commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He actually hopes he&#8217;s not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;That&#8217;s a lot of pressure,&#8221; he says, adding,\u00a0&#8220;I don\u2019t want that\u00a0to be my defining characteristic as the post commander. That\u2019s not why I\u2019m doing this.\u00a0I don\u2019t want to be the gay commander.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, he says, one of his<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">my big<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bpriorities is building bridges with\u00a0other veterans groups. &#8220;There\u2019s almost a competitiveness right now, and I think that\u2019s unnecessary. We all kind of have the same goals, so we should be working together even more.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When he was elected commander of Post 1, he got an email from Duffy congratulating him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I am a big proponent of John,&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">says<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200bDuffy says. &#8220;Not because he\u2019s openly gay, but because he\u2019s incredibly qualified. But would you have thought that an organization like the VFW would\u2019ve allowed that to happen even<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ten<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b 10 years ago? So we are changing, we are evolving.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, the same year Mona Starkey died, just six years earlier, VFW\u2019s national leadership was railing against the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3600\" height=\"2400\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-57093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg 3600w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/636044346835395548-m24p3441jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Members of VFW Post 1 gather for Memorial Day ceremonies at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: Carl Payne<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My wife broke the ice for women,&#8221; says Ray Starkey, who not only remains a member of Post 1, but has served as post chaplain continuously for the past 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starkey says they\u2019re &#8220;saving the spot next to Mona for me. When I go out there, we\u2019ll be the first couple buried there together.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starkey thinks his wife would approve of all the changes at Post 1. He thinks she would like Harry, as a person and as the new commander of Post 1. He knows he does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Change is good. We need the young people. You have to have new blood, you have to have change, or we\u2019ll all just die off.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A year later \u2014 in Part 3 of the series \u2014 Veterans of Foreign Wars&#8217; oldest post, Denver&#8217;s VFW Post 1, is becoming a hub for the city&#8217;s veteran community. And its message is taking off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":69294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":25,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2138],"class_list":["post-62247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"63JUHKR4WRHXJAW26NS7AK625M","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2016\/07\/18\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Vision for a new VFW: To see the future, look to the past - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A year later \u2014 in Part 3 of the series \u2014 Veterans of Foreign Wars&#039; oldest post, Denver&#039;s VFW Post 1, is becoming a hub for the city&#039;s veteran community. 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And its message is taking off.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2016\/07\/18\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-07-18T20:58:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T07:16:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jon Anderson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jon Anderson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Vision for a new VFW: To see the future, look to the past\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2016-07-18T20:58:58+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:16:31+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 3432,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/636044537594405489-john-harry-4jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Vision for a new VFW: To see the future, look to the past - Military Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/militarytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/18\\\/vision-for-a-new-vfw-to-see-the-future-look-to-the-past\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/636044537594405489-john-harry-4jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2016-07-18T20:58:58+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:16:31+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"A year later \u2014 in Part 3 of the series \u2014 Veterans of Foreign Wars' oldest post, Denver's VFW Post 1, is becoming a hub for the city's veteran community. 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