bobpage
03-10-04, 01:36 PM
That is a question lots of Marines and Sailors are asking here at Camp Pendleton. There was a time 21 years ago when all the Marines and Sailors at LeJeune, returning from Beirut and Grenanda, were met by the VFW and American Legion. Dues were paid for the first year to encourage membership. A lot of them joined.
Gulf War, not a lot of recruitment.
Fast forward to now. Again, no one really reaching out. I was already a member of the American Legion from the Gulf War (had to seek them out). This time I sought out the VFW for membership. Good folks, most dual members of both posts. But they never reached out to me. Or the others. So a couple of months later, we have a welcome home parade, and both are present in the parade. I was the only one recruiting. Same old problem.
There are two things I have found that are happening. One is that the folks are hungry for new blood, but overwhelmed with programs and projects while their membership dries up through death or illness. The other is the lack of infusion (or encouragement) of younger blood. One feeds the other.
I work with another former Marine SNCO, like myself, who is a Chaplain (while I am an RP). He is a Viet Nam vet. So I prodded him to join the VFW with me. He declined. Too bitter about the way the old timers treated the Viet vets when they came home. I can see where that was a problem. Lots, not all, WW2 guys had a we won you lost mentality. Cost these organizations a whole generation of true heroes. In most cases it is too late to get them back.
Maybe not. If I could take a second and appeal to you Viet Nam vets, and vets since then who rate membership to reconsider. We can fix it. Why am I appealing this way? Because no one, read no one, will be fighting for vets rights when these current officers start throttling down their involvement. I read the newsletters, papers and the like. I see the pictures and can see the writing on the wall. We need to get in there and get these kids invloved.
Most people have the view of the Posts as bars with smokey rooms, and lots of drinking. Guess what. They aren't. They are servant organizations. Always involved in furthering veterans affairs, and rights. Some of the old salts keep the drinking part up. But by and large, it is not that way at all. I grew up in an Army town. That certainly was my view of them. But I was a miltary brat, with a family tradition of service. I thought of it as a privilege to join these groups of warriors. Still do. But we need to get the warriors of today involved. They all have opinions and desires. We sure could channel these into action. If not, these organizations will die with the times.
We owe it to ourselves to reinvigorate theses organizations. The Marine Corps League, VFW, American Legion, DAV and the like. All are there for our benfits. All fight for us in Washington. Will we join the fight?:marine:
Gulf War, not a lot of recruitment.
Fast forward to now. Again, no one really reaching out. I was already a member of the American Legion from the Gulf War (had to seek them out). This time I sought out the VFW for membership. Good folks, most dual members of both posts. But they never reached out to me. Or the others. So a couple of months later, we have a welcome home parade, and both are present in the parade. I was the only one recruiting. Same old problem.
There are two things I have found that are happening. One is that the folks are hungry for new blood, but overwhelmed with programs and projects while their membership dries up through death or illness. The other is the lack of infusion (or encouragement) of younger blood. One feeds the other.
I work with another former Marine SNCO, like myself, who is a Chaplain (while I am an RP). He is a Viet Nam vet. So I prodded him to join the VFW with me. He declined. Too bitter about the way the old timers treated the Viet vets when they came home. I can see where that was a problem. Lots, not all, WW2 guys had a we won you lost mentality. Cost these organizations a whole generation of true heroes. In most cases it is too late to get them back.
Maybe not. If I could take a second and appeal to you Viet Nam vets, and vets since then who rate membership to reconsider. We can fix it. Why am I appealing this way? Because no one, read no one, will be fighting for vets rights when these current officers start throttling down their involvement. I read the newsletters, papers and the like. I see the pictures and can see the writing on the wall. We need to get in there and get these kids invloved.
Most people have the view of the Posts as bars with smokey rooms, and lots of drinking. Guess what. They aren't. They are servant organizations. Always involved in furthering veterans affairs, and rights. Some of the old salts keep the drinking part up. But by and large, it is not that way at all. I grew up in an Army town. That certainly was my view of them. But I was a miltary brat, with a family tradition of service. I thought of it as a privilege to join these groups of warriors. Still do. But we need to get the warriors of today involved. They all have opinions and desires. We sure could channel these into action. If not, these organizations will die with the times.
We owe it to ourselves to reinvigorate theses organizations. The Marine Corps League, VFW, American Legion, DAV and the like. All are there for our benfits. All fight for us in Washington. Will we join the fight?:marine: