THE AMERICAN VETERANS OF FOREIGN SERVICE
AND
THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS
by GEORGE T. TRIAL
National Historian, Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States
The oldest and largest organization in
this country comprised
solely of overseas ex-servicemen grew
out of events in Columbus,
Ohio. That organization is the Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the
United States, often identified as the
V.F.W. The nearly 2,000,000
members of the V.F.W. are all
campaign-medal men, who have
served in the United States Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, or Coast
Guard outside the continental boundaries
of this nation. They
represent action in combat areas of the
Spanish-American War,
World Wars I and II, and many other
campaigns and expeditions
in which the United States has
participated.
The very beginning of this
"overseas fighting men's organiza-
tion" is traced to the ideals and
initiative of a young man named
James Romanis who, in 1899, had just
returned home from the
Cuban campaign and was discharged, as a
private, from the 17th
United States Infantry Regiment. Back in
civilian life Romanis
gained employment in a pharmacy outside
Columbus Barracks, now
known as Fort Hayes, at Columbus, Ohio.
Romanis was only in
his early twenties, but he possessed
certain qualities which have
much to do with this story. He was an
idealist and a thinker with
initiative and great compassion for his
fellow men.
Day after day Romanis watched many men
enter the pharmacy
in which he was employed. Like himself
they had been recently
discharged from the army. They were
suffering with tropical fever
and sought medicine with which to treat
themselves. The worry
about health was their burden alone
because, in 1899, our govern-
ment had not yet instituted adequate
hospitalization for its war
veterans. Such services were not to be
established until 1922-
nearly a quarter century later.
79
80
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Romanis was thinking as he saw these men
treating themselves
with the only medicines they could
procure. He saw that most of
them were unable to work, and thus
unable to support themselves
as a consequence of their service in
defense of their country. He
saw them going to the poorhouse broken
in spirit, pocketbook, and
body. He knew that most of them were
dying in squalor. The
situation was deplorable. Romanis
realized that something should
be done about such conditions, and as he
weighed the problem an
idea, which might be the answer,
gradually developed in his mind.
Finally Romanis thought he had the
solution. He described
it to some of his comrades and close
friends. Why, he asked,
wouldn't there be a possibility of doing
something constructive
toward remedial measures through an
association of all the veterans
who had served in the 17th infantry
regiment? These men had
been comrades in arms, why shouldn't
they stick together as com-
rades in peace for the benefit of one
another? The suggestion
impressed several veterans favorably.
They agreed to hold a meet-
ing for further discussion of the idea
on Friday night, September
29, 1899.1
The meeting on the evening of September
29th was held in the
tailoring establishment of Francis
Dubiel, 286 Main Street, Co-
lumbus, Ohio. It was there that Romanis'
thoughts were developed
into reality. The men who had returned
from the Spanish-American
War organized what they later called
"The American Veterans of
Foreign Service."
Dubiel was chosen temporary chairman and
James Romanis,
secretary. Other veterans attending that
first meeting included
James C. Putnam, George Kelly, Bert J.
DuRant, Walker Wadding-
ton, John Malloy, Oscar S. Brookins,
Charles Click, John H. Clark,
David Brown, George Beeckman, and Andrew
S. Grant. Toward
the close of the session another
veteran, Simon Heiman, brother-
in-law of Dubiel, arrived. Heiman had
served with the 4th Ohio
Volunteer Infantry in Puerto Rico.
1 A Columbus, Ohio, newspaper carried
the following announcement: "Seventeenth
Vets. Will Form an Association Friday
Night. There will be a meeting of the ex-
members of the Seventeenth Infantry at
286 East Main Street, Friday evening, at 7
p.m., standard time, for the purpose of
effecting an organization. It is to the interest
of all old Seventeenth men to be present
at this meeting. As an association for mutual
benefit in getting pension claims, etc.,
is to be formed," Columbus Dispatch, September
25, 1899.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 81
Both DuRant and Dubiel urged that
membership in the pro-
spective organization include all
veterans of the Spanish-American
War who had served on foreign soil,
rather than be restricted to men
of the 17th infantry. This suggestion
was unanimously approved.
A committee consisting of James C.
Putnam, Bert J. DuRant, and
George Kelly was appointed to draft a
constitution and to select an
appropriate name for the new
organization.
The second meeting of the group of
veterans took place Satur-
day evening, October 7, 1899, at the
same place, the Dubiel tailor-
ing shop. The committee chosen to select
a name for the new organ-
ization reported as their choice
"American Veterans of Foreign
Service." This name met with favor
in that all had had military
service in a foreign land. Also at the
second meeting James C.
Putnam submitted a written constitution
which was adopted by the
assembled group.2 Permanent
officers were elected for the ensuing
year. They were: president, James C.
Putnam; vice presidents
George Kelly and Bert J. DuRant;
secretary, James Romanis; treas-
urer, Francis Dubiel; chaplain, David
Brown; trustees, John H
Clark, John Malloy, and Oscar S.
Brookins; sergeants-at-arms
Walker Waddington and Andrew S. Grant.
Five of these newI
elected officers incorporated the
organization on October 10, 1899
under the laws of Ohio.
James Romanis wanted the American
Veterans of Foreig
Service to become the organization of
all overseas veterans of the
recent war with Spain. He designed a
membership-at-large metho
of enlisting members in every section of
the country. He carrie
on widespread correspondence with all
men who were former mem-
bers of the armed forces. In order to
further stimulate the growl
of the organization, provisions were
approved for subordinate unit
which were to have the semimilitary
designation of "Camps.
Aside from the men who had been elected
as national officers,
local unit was founded in Columbus and
called Headquarters Cam??
Number 1.
During the next three months some of the
national officers re-
signed because business affairs kept
them out of active participation
in organization affairs. On December 1,
1899, Major Will S. White.
2 For a copy of the constitution see, Constitution and
By-Laws of the American
Veterans of Foreign Service Officially Adopted at Cincinnati,
Ohio, September 1, 19??
(Philadelphia, [1906]).
82
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
of Columbus was elected national
president replacing James C.
Putnam. White served in this capacity
until October 1902.
After the initial months of getting
started in late 1899, the
new veterans' organization became
stabilized and grew in numbers.
The designation of subordinate units was
changed from camp num-
bers to names of popular military
leaders of that day. Headquarters
Camp Number 1 of Columbus became Camp
Henry W. Lawton.3
As it grew, the American Veterans of
Foreign Service became
increasingly active. Its members
officiated at funerals of departed
comrades4 and sponsored civic
activities, especially those having
military aspects. They participated in
an official welcome to
Admiral Dewey when he visited Columbus,5
and took an active part
in Memorial Day exercises6 and in
Independence Day celebrations.7
With the organization firmly
established, annual conventions
were held. On these occasions the
assembled delegates represented
subordinate units, or camps, located in
many parts of the country.
They elected national officers and
transacted the business of the
organization. A list of annual
conventions from the first through
1912 follows:
YEAR
DATE PLACE OF
CONVENTION ELECTED PRESIDENT
1899 December 1 ....Columbus, Ohio
.............Will S. White
of Columbus, Ohio
1901 October 15 ...Columbus, Ohio
...............Will S. White
of Columbus, Ohio
1902 October 7 and
8 .........Columbus, Ohio
..............James Romanis
of Columbus, Ohio
1903 October 11
and 12 ........Washington Court House,
Ohio James Romanis
of Columbus, Ohio
1904 September 11
and 12 ........Cincinnati, Ohio
................James Romanis
of Columbus, Ohio
3 A meeting of this camp was announced as follows: "Foreign Veterans'
Meeting.
At the Meeting of Lawton camp, American Veterans of Foreign Service, held
at their
rooms, corner Third and Mound streets,
last evening, it was decided to offer a series
of entertainments during the winter....
Preparations are under way for the
formation of an auxiliary similar to that of
the Women's Relief corps. A committee
was appointed to draft suitable resolutions
to Mrs. Lawton for the use of her
hero husband's name for the camp." Columbus
Press-Post, July 24, 1900.
4 Columbus Dispatch, November 16, 1902.
5 Columbus Press-Post, March 27, 1900.
6 Columbus Dispatch, May 30, 1903.
7 Columbus Dispatch, July 2, 1903.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 83
YEAR
DATE PLACE OF
CONVENTION ELECTED PRESIDENT
1905 September 13,
14 and 15....Altoona, Pa.
..............Herbert O. Kelley
of Altoona, Pa.
1906 August 31 and
September 1Cincinnati, Ohio
............Charles R. Deveraux
of Cincinnati, Ohio
1907 September 12,
13 and 14....Jamestown Exposition,
Norfolk, Virginia ........ David T.
Nevin
of Philadelphia, Pa.
1908 September 7,
8, 9 and 10..Lebanon, Pa. ............J.
Alfred Judge
of Philadelphia, Pa.
1909 August 10, 11,
12 and 13....Pittsburgh, Pa.
..................J. Alfred Judge
of Philadelphia, Pa.
1910 September 19,
20 and 21....Jersey City, N.
J................. Robert G. Woodside
of Pittsburgh, Pa.
1911 August 22, 23,
and 24 ........Buffalo, New
York..............Robert G. Woodside
of Pittsburgh, Pa.
1912 August 26, 27,
and 28 ......Philadelphia, Pa.
.............Robert G. Woodside
of Pittsburgh, Pa.
These national conventions grew in
attendance as well as in
importance. During the early years, only
delegates, national officers,
and any members that so desired
attended. At first the conventions
were mainly social gatherings, where
tales about war experiences
were exchanged and organizational
business discussed. Later, how-
ever, speakers of national importance
attended. Usually they were
military leaders.8
Through the years the pattern of the
national conventions was
much the same. There were greetings from
city or state officials,
then business sessions, conducted
sight-seeing trips, a parade, elec-
tion of officers for the ensuing year,
selection of the next convention
city, and then adjournment. Evenings
spent at "smokers" or "camp-
fires" gave the veterans
opportunity to "swap" their wartime ex-
periences.9 Aside from any outstanding
or famous persons speak-
8 For example, the speakers at the
Pittsburgh convention in 1909 were Lieut.
Gen. S. B. M. Young and Maj. Gen. Fred
Grant. Pittsburgh Post, August 12 and 13,
1909.
84
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
ing at a convention, the high point of
each annual meeting was the
parade. Probably the most pompous public
procession during the
life of the organization took place in
Philadelphia during the
convention of 1912.10
While in attendance at the national
conventions many of the
delegates lived in tents, erected for
the visitors.11 This practice was
a carry-over from the Grand Army of the
Republic national en-
campments.
One of the main objectives of the
American Veterans of For-
eign Service was to "assist worthy
comrades."12 The following news
item from the Columbus Dispatch, April
17, 1901, will attest to the
start of such acts.
PRIVATE HALL
WRITES A LETTER TO LAWTON CAMP, V. F. S
Thanking Them for Their Kindness-Was
Rescued From the Poor House.
Myron B. Hall, the 17th U.S.I. soldier
whom Lawton camp, A.V.F.S.,
got transferred from the poorhouse to
comfortable quarters at the Sandusky
S. & S. home, has written the
following letter to national president, Major
Will S. White:
Sandusky, O., April 15, 1901.
Mr. Will White:
Dear Comrade-I thought I would wait
until I was settled before
writing. I was transferred to a cottage
to-day. The grounds on which the
home is built are beautiful, as far as I
have seen and I like it very well.
Everything is neat and clean, there is
plenty to eat and good medical
attendance.
Tell Mrs. White that the syrup she made
for me is helping my cough,
it is not near so bad. I wish to thank
you and also my comrades of the
lodge for what they have done for me and
as soon as I can will reimburse
them. You do not know how much good that
did me, and I appreciate it,
and in the future I shall do all I can
for the benefit of the lodge.
I am getting along nicely, but I do not
know what to do about that
pension of mine.
I wish you would see if it cannot be
pushed.
Yours truly,
MYRON B. HALL,
Soldiers' Home, Sandusky, 0.
(Cameron Cottage.)
Private Hall is the soldier who fought
at San Juan Hill, slept out in the
tropical swamps until his lungs were
affected and then came home to die in
the poor house.
9 Buffalo Express, August 20, 1911.
10 Evening Bulletin (Philadelphia), August 28, 1912.
11 Pittsburgh Post, August 10, 1909.
12 Constitution and By-Laws, Article I.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 85
He was rescued by the comrades of Lawton
camp, and was sent to the
Sandusky home. He is after a pension, to
which he is entitled, but has not
as yet secured it.
Another item appearing in the Columbus
Dispatch, May 14,
1901, read: "Camp Lawton. . . . C.
F. Brown, a member of the
Fourth O.V.I. in Porto Rico, was
reported as being in serious cir-
cumstances and a liberal appropriation
from the camp's treasury
was allowed for his benefit."
The American Veterans of Foreign Service
expanded its interest
in local and individual welfare
activities to policies of national
scope. At the organization's 1903
national convention the need for
increased veterans' pension and
retirement benefits was discussed.
Reflecting this interest, the Columbus
Dispatch of October 11, 1903,
published an item which said:
"Foreign Service . . . Retirement
Bill. Monday afternoon a new legislative
committee will be ap-
pointed. The convention will favor more
liberal pension laws and
will no doubt take up the 25 year
retirement bill with a great deal
of energy." Another item from the Columbus
Dispatch of October
13, 1903, read as follows: "Prepare
Pension Bill. The committee
on legislation was directed to prepare a
pension bill for foreign
service veterans and present it to the
next session of Congress."
The legislative committee mentioned
above was further ex-
plained by the following in the Columbus
Dispatch of October 18,
1903:
In the convention held at Washington
Court House, Ohio, October 11th and
12th, upon recommendation of the
president, all matters pertaining to legis-
lation will be placed in the hands of a
committee appointed for the purpose.
This committee has been named as
follows: George Kelly, Columbus, Ohio;
J. B. Davie, Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
Samuel J. Browning, Kansas City, Mis-
souri; James M. Young, Cincinnati, Ohio;
Charles A. Jones, Cheyenne,
Wyoming; Edwin C. Johnson, Portsmouth,
New Hampshire; Lynn F. Smithers,
Washington Court House, Ohio; William H.
Hamilton, Denver, Colorado;
Daniel McKenzie, Columbus, Ohio; and
James Lee, Marysville, Ohio.
This legislative committee was
instructed to correspond with
members of congress, indicating the
support they were giving legis-
lation for the welfare of war veterans.
At the 1907 national convention in
Norfolk, Virginia, a reso-
lution was passed which was reported in
the Virginian-Pilot, issue
of Friday, September 13: "The
American Veterans of Foreign
86
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
Service . . . adopted a resolution
petitioning congress to again
authorize the 'much abused canteen' at
the army posts." The resolu-
tion was as follows:
Resolved, That we, the American Veterans
of Foreign Service, do hereby
address and pray that Congress will restore in the army
of the United States
the much abused canteen and thereby
secure for the soldiery of the country the
morality and freedom from the vice which
lurks about and has been insiduously
ruining its character in the low taverns
and brothels which infest the near
vicinity of army posts. . . . The
Veterans adopted another resolution pro-
viding that all stationery used by the
organization shall bear the union label.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during
October 1901, several
former members of the 10th Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry, a
unit that had been in the Philippines
during the war with Spain,
met and organized the "Philippine
War Veterans." By coincidence
this group changed its name in 1902 to
"Foreign Service Veterans."
While the American Veterans of Foreign
Service were having
their national convention in Cincinnati
in 1905, a member of the
Foreign Service Veterans, George
Metzger, of Pittsburgh, attended
as a visitor. He invited the A.V.F.S.
national officers to visit the
Foreign Service Veterans' convention the
following week in
Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Acting upon
this invitation, the Cincin-
nati convention voted to send its
national commander, James
Romanis, as a representative empowered
to arrange any feasible
adjustment between the two
organizations.
Romanis visited the younger veteran
group and suggested to
Captain Robert S. Hansbury, its
presiding officer, that the Foreign
Service Veterans adopt the insignia of
the American Veterans of
Foreign Service. Also, he recommended
that each organization
retain its current government for the
ensuing year and that they
meet jointly, arrange terms of
amalgamation, and elect one set of
officers. This suggestion was adopted by
the Foreign Service Vet-
erans' convention, and the lapel button
of the older Columbus
organization at once became the insignia
of both organizations.
Returning to Columbus, James Romanis
established the first
monthly publication of the American
Veterans of Foreign Service
organization entitled, "The
American Veterans of Foreign Service."
The purpose of that move was to promote
a spirit of good will
between the two veteran groups during
the interim preceding their
combined conventions the following year.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 87
The joint convention of the two
organizations was held at
Altoona, Pennsylvania, September 13-16,
1905. The two groups
merged, and Herbert O. Kelley of Altoona
was elected commander.13
Up to this time the preponderance of
national officers had always
come from Columbus, Ohio, but the merger
resulted in men from
other cities being selected as leaders.
Also, the headquarters control
of the organization's activities was
transferred subsequently to Pitts-
burgh and Philadelphia.
During the convention at Lebanon,
Pennsylvania, in 1908, and
again at Pittsburgh in 1909, there was
discussion of merging the
American Veterans of Foreign Service
with still another ex-service-
men's group that had been founded in
Denver, Colorado.14 This
finally came about in 1913, when the
American Veterans of Foreign
Service accepted an invitation to meet
in Denver with the "Society
of the Army of the Philippines," a
group composed entirely of men
who had served with various units of the
8th army corps in the
Philippines and in the Philippine
Insurrection. The new organiza-
tion adopted as its name "The
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States." This was officially
done at the national encampment
held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
September 14-17, 1914.
That is the organization as constituted
today. The Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States
represents, as did the original
organizers in 1899, men whose official
discharge papers from the
government credit them with foreign
military service in American
armed forces. Membership in the V.F.W.
is limited to men in that
category by a congressional charter and
by the organization's con-
stitution, which reads as follows:
Any officer or enlisted man, or any
honorably discharged officer or en-
listed man, who has served or may serve
in the Army, Navy or Marine Corps
of the United States of America in any
foreign war, insurrection or expedition
which service shall be governed by the
issuance of a campaign badge by the
United States of America shall be
eligible to active membership.
The objects of the V.F.W., described in
article I of the consti-
tution, are "fraternal, patriotic,
historical and educational; to pre-
serve and strengthen comradeship among
its neighbors; to assist
worthy comrades; to perpetuate the
memory and history of our
dead, and to assist the widows and
orphans; to maintain true
13 Pittsburgh Post, September 15, 1905.
14 Lebanon Daily News, September 10, 1908;
Pittsburgh Post, August 13, 1909.
88
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
allegiance to the government of the
United States of America; and
fidelity to its Constitution and laws;
to foster true patriotism; to
maintain and extend the institutions of
American freedom; and to
preserve and defend the United States
from all her enemies whom-
soever."
The Veterans of Foreign Wars has
selected as its official in-
signia the Cross of Malta. Originally
that was the emblem of the
Knights of St. John, or the Crusaders,
who campaigned against the
Saracens in the Middle East several
hundred years ago for the con-
quest of Jerusalem and the Holy
Sepulcher. The Cross of Malta,
signifying the eight beatitudes
presented in the Sermon on the
Mount, is described by Veterans of
Foreign Wars members as ex-
pressive of the tolerance, loyalty, and
service for which the modern
fighting men strive.
Those are the broad aims of the V.F.W.
today, but they are not
expressed in mere words. Members of the
Veterans of Foreign
Wars have always regarded their pledges
in their constitution and
those represented by the Cross of Malta
as obligations to be ful-
filled. As a consequence, the working
machinery with which the
V.F.W. operates today is far more
complex than that of 1899, 1905,
or 1914.
Today's members of the V.F.W. include
veterans of the
Spanish-American War; the Chinese Boxer
Rebellion; the Philip-
pine Insurrection; the Cuban
Pacification; World War I; various
armed campaigns and expeditions such as
the Haitian campaign of
1919-20; the Yangtze River campaigns of
1926-27 and 1930-32;
the Nicaraguan campaign of 1933; and
soldiers, sailors, marines,
and coast guard men with campaign-ribbon
service in World War II.
In the list of members of the V.F.W. are
names of prominent lead-
ers in military, governmental, and
business circles. President Harry
S. Truman, General Dwight Eisenhower,
General Douglas Mac-
Arthur, Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley, and many
leaders in congress, in-
dustry, labor, education, religion, and
other fields belong to the
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
There are now nearly 10,000 local units
of the V.F.W. The;
are called "Posts," rather
than camps. These community units as
scattered through the 48 states, the District
of Columbia, the Canal
Zone, Hawaii, and Alaska. They are
controlled by "Departments"
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 89
(on the state level) and by the national organization. All programs,
policies, and fiscal activities of the
organization are coordinated
through V.F.W. national headquarters in
Washington, D. C., and
Kansas City, Missouri.
National headquarters in Kansas City is
the administrative
spoke of the V.F.W. Its duties are to
maintain membership and
financial records and to serve as a
supply center. Its departments
include the extension division,
Americanism section, youth activities,
the historical and archives section,
headquarters for the buddy
poppy sale, in addition to the editorial
offices of Foreign Service,
the official magazine. In
Washington, D. C., are V.F.W.
offices dealing with legislation, veterans'
rehabilitation, and educa-
tion and information, as well as the
national publicity and radio
section.
A national legislative representative,
assisted by a national
legislative committee, sponsors bills to
be introduced in congress,
represents the V.F.W. at congressional
committee hearings, and
keeps V.F.W. local and state units
informed as to the status of
veteran welfare legislation. The
following persons have served in
the capacity of full-time legislative
representatives in Washington,
D. C.: Edwin S. Bettelheim, Jr., (May
1921-1930) of Washington,
D. C., presently adjutant general of the
Military Order of World
Wars; Lecil S. Ray (August 1931-October
1933) of Washington,
D. C., a retired disabled army officer,
who formerly served as claims
and service officer for the Disabled
Emergency Officers' organiza-
tion; George K. Brobeck (October
1933-1936), formerly personnel
director for the highway department of
Minnesota; Millard S. Rice
(1936-1940), presently employed by the
Disabled American Vet-
erans in Washington, D. C.; Omar B.
Ketchum (1940- ), for-
merly mayor of Topeka, Kansas, for four
years.
For many years following its inception
as an active depart-
ment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars,
the national legislative serv-
ice concerned itself mainly with
legislation geared to the needs
and desires of the veterans as a special
group. This approach was
based on the resolutions adopted at
successive national encamp-
ments, which operated within a limited
zone of activity. However,
World War II, in addition to bringing
more than one million
younger veterans into the organization,
presented new dynamics of
90
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
thought, which were promptly manifested
in encampment resolu-
tions concerning a broader field of
legislative objectives.
Consequently, beginning with the second
session of the 79th
congress and carrying through the 80th
congress, the national legis-
lative service, besides presenting a
broad, comprehensive program
of veterans' legislative objectives,
also pressed for fulfillment of its
policies in the fields of housing,
employment, education, national
security, immigration, agriculture,
taxation, social security, military
and naval justice, armed service
unification, atomic energy, surplus
property disposal, alien property, and
foreign affairs.
Although many of these fields of activity
concerned immediate
veterans' benefits, there was manifested
a pronounced recognition
that the veteran was primarily a
citizen, whose needs and problems
were related to all men, women, and
children of this country. True,
the activity in each field was
restricted to the "veterans' angle," but
the widening approach to the veteran's
interests is significant. Since
the close of World War II, the
legislative section, formerly com-
posed of a director only, has been
expanded to include a director,
an assistant director, and two
legislative assistants.
Under direction of the V.F.W. National
Rehabilitation Service
in Washington, thousands of claims are
handled annually in behalf
of disabled veterans. This section is
staffed with medical, legal, and
claims experts, who provide free
assistance to all members. The
assistance includes technical advice
regarding government insur-
ance, burial allowances,
hospitalization, vocational training, educa-
tional aid, pensions, and compensation.
Claims are presented by
the V.F.W. before the Veterans
Administration without cost to the
veteran.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars today
recognizes that education
is the fundamental responsibility of any
nation or society. And,
just as it is true that a society
creates its schools, so it is equally
true that the schools are instrumental
in molding society. With that
clearly in mind, members of the V.F.W.
sponsor many educational
projects on national, statewide, and
community levels. Such pro-
grams keep the men who have fought for
military victories directly
in step with all educational leaders and
groups interested in
strengthening public appreciation of
better schools and colleges-
for the benefit of veterans and non-veterans
alike. The Veterans
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 91
of Foreign Wars has definitely stepped
into the field of education
insofar as general campaigning for
better education is concerned.
As a leader not only in veterans'
affairs but in community and
civic activities, the Veterans of
Foreign Wars' organization is
alarmed by the large amounts of money
spent annually to combat
crime in comparison with the amount
expended on education-
almost eight times as much for curbing
crime as for educating
future citizens. Merely a 14 per cent
reduction in crime would pay
for all the costs of education
throughout the country.
The overseas veterans believe that
education of the masses is
more essential in a democracy than in
any other form of govern-
ment, because only an enlightened people
are capable of governing
themselves. Therefore, democracy places
a great responsibility on
the schools to produce the kind of
individual who can think
logically, analyze critically, and act
intelligently in the interests
of the nation as a whole. The V.F.W.
accepts its responsibilities of
leadership by presenting an educational
program which is more
than lip service to the ideals of
democratic education.
That same interest in public welfare
also is expressed through
a wide variety of projects sponsored by
the Veterans of Foreign
Wars' National Department of
Americanism. Generally speaking
"Americanism" connotes
patriotism. The V.F.W. Department of
Americanism and hundreds of state and
post chairmen strive to
increase public interest in patriotic
activities throughout the year.
But the V.F.W. goes even further to make
Americanism the vehicle
for development of national and
community welfare.
On the national level the director of
Americanism acts in a
liaison capacity between many
"outside" sources of patriotic inter-
ests and activities and the V.F.W.
units. Efforts of the national and
state directors are primarily for
stimulation of Americanism in-
terests on the community level, because
through direct contact
between posts and the public the most
valuable achievements are
realized.
Through its Americanism channels the
Veterans of Foreign
Wars encourages and rewards better
citizenship, sponsors and sup-
ports community welfare projects,
combats subversive influences,
develops stronger appreciation of
American history and ideals in
public schools, dramatizes and
emphasizes the importance of
92
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
patriotic-historical holidays, and
builds in the minds of young and
old alike a clearer understanding of
democracy-the "American
way of life"-as represented by the
American Declaration of In-
dependence and the constitution. It was
through the initiative of
the V.F.W. that the "Star Spangled
Banner" became this nation's
anthem. Congress adopted that song,
written by Francis Scott Key,
following a nationwide V.F.W. campaign
terminating in 1933.
Veterans of Foreign Wars' efforts to
enhance the welfare of
ex-servicemen and public alike extends
to the youth of the nation.
The men who served on battlefields to
retain the advantages of
democracy and the American way of life
are activating those in-
terests during times of peace. Through
the national department of
athletics and recreation the V.F.W. has
inaugurated character-
building projects for American
youngsters. These include national
softball and marble tournaments. The
organization has sponsored
hundreds of Boy Scout troops and sons of
V.F.W. units. Such
projects impress upon youth healthy,
active appreciation of good
citizenship and a more substantial
interpretation of Americanism.
Another major achievement of the
organization is the Veterans
of Foreign Wars' National Home for orphans and widows of mem-
bers, at Eaton Rapids, Michigan. This is
one of the nation's most
unusual philanthropic projects. The home
comprises 22 family-size
houses, in each of which lives a group
of children under the care
of a house mother. It occupies a
640-acre farm on which are dairy
buildings, a hospital, a community
center, playgrounds, orchards,
and grain fields. Education, food,
clothing, constructive play, physi-
cal welfare-all the essentials to
well-rounded American youth-
are provided the boys and girls who have
been left without a home
upon the death of their parents.
The foregoing has been the story of the
founding and the
struggle for strength of one of the
nation's veterans' organizations.
Little did those original thirteen men,
meeting in Dubiel's shop in
Columbus, realize they were founding an
organization destined,
some fifty years later, to contain over
a million men who had served
on foreign soil and in hostile waters
and air.
In addition, this paper attempts to
outline the services a veter-
ans' organization provides for a segment
of our society not cared
for elsewhere. The American Veterans of
Foreign Service was
VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 93
organized to provide a personal link
between the individual veteran
and governmental agencies. This is still
the basic purpose of this
veterans' organization today.