VFW Post 9365 prepares for 77th birthday

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. Many soldiers returned home wounded or sick, without the benefits of medical care or pensions, leaving them in the care of their families or themselves.

In the wake of this, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. With chapters first forming in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the idea quickly gained momentum, and by 1915, VFW memberships grew to 5,000, and by 1936, membership was almost 200,000.

The VFW has been instrumental in establishing so many things that active duty members, retirees, and veterans utilize today, often without thinking about it, from the Veterans Administration, to the development of the national cemetery system, the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome, and creating a GI bill for the 20th century. In 2008, VFW helped with the passing of Post 9-11 GI Bill that expanded educational benefits to America's active-duty service members, and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Besides helping fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials, the VFW in 2005 became the first veterans' organization to contribute to building the new Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial, which opened in November 2010.

Locally in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, VFW Post 9365 is getting ready to celebrate 77 years of service. It is the only VFW Post located in the Mat-Su Valley, and members can be seen performing Honor Guard duties, Funeral Honors, and other ceremonial duties.

More than that, though, VFW Post 9365 also offers camaraderie, a vital part of the VFW mission, through events the Post hosts, like the upcoming Cinco de Mayo potluck and volunteering throughout the community, as it did last week with a drop off of needed food donations to the Boys and Girls Club.

VFW Post 9365 will celebrate 77 years of service on April 20 with a potluck and live music.

For more information about joining the VFW and ongoing events, please visit www.vfw9365.org/