Veterans of Foreign Wars

"VFW" redirects here. For other uses, see VFW (disambiguation).

Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States
AbbreviationVFW
EstablishedSeptember 29, 1899
(125 years ago) (1899-09-29)[1]
FounderJames C. Putnam[2]
Founded atColumbus, Ohio, U.S.[2]
Merger ofAmerican Veterans of Foreign Service (organized on September 29, 1899, at Columbus, Ohio, U.S.) and the Army of the Philippines (organized on December 12, 1899, at Denver, Colorado, U.S., as the Colorado Society, Army of the Philippines)[3]
Type501(c)(19), war veterans' organization[4]
44-0474290
PurposeFraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable, and educational[5]
Headquarters406 West 34th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Coordinates39°04′01″N 94°35′27″W / 39.06694°N 94.59083°W / 39.06694; -94.59083
Area served
Worldwide
Membership (2018)
1,159,428
Official language
English[6]
Duane Sarmiento (NJ)
Since July 27, 2023
Alfred J. Lipphardt (GA)
Since July 27, 2023
Carol Whitmore (IA)
Since July 27, 2023
National Council of Administration
63 voting members
  • 8 elected officers
  • 3 appointed officers
  • 52 elected members
Main organ
VFW National Convention
Subsidiaries
AffiliationsStudent Veterans of America
Revenue (2015)
US$98,724,340[4]
Expenses (2015)US$89,099,521[4]
Employees224[4] (in 2014)
Volunteers (2014)
3,000[4]
Websitewww.vfw.org
Formerly called
Army of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico[3]

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of United States war veterans who fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or airspace as military service members.[5][7] Established on September 29, 1899, in Columbus, Ohio,[8] the VFW is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.[2][1] It was federally chartered in 1936.[9]

  1. ^ a b Mason, Herbert Molloy Jr. (1999). VFW: Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. pp. 29, 39, 92. ISBN 1-88611072-7. LCCN 99-24943. OCLC 777720483 – via Addax Publishing Group.
  2. ^ a b c Proceedings of the 34th National Encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (Report). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Veteran. 1933. pp. 5, 31 – via Internet Archive. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Mason, Herbert Molloy Jr. (1999). VFW: Our First Century. Foreword by Senator Chuck Hagel. Lenexa, Kansas: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. p. 225. ISBN 1-88611072-7. LCCN 99-24943. OCLC 777720483 – via Addax Publishing Group.
  4. ^ a b c d e ""Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income" (PDF). Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Congressional Charter, National By-Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual (2018 Podium ed.). Kansas City, Missouri: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. 2017. p. 7.
  6. ^ Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Congressional Charter, National By-Laws, Manual of Procedure and Ritual (2018 Podium ed.). Kansas City, Missouri: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. 2017. p. 42.
  7. ^ "Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  8. ^ "The First Post - Denver". Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Post 1. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  9. ^ "VFW to Update Congressional Charter". VFW: Veterans of Foreign Wars. Veterans of Foreign Wars. Retrieved June 9, 2022.