Posted on 05/31/2022 3:44:21 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Edited on 05/31/2022 6:13:32 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
The attention American Legion posts receive every Memorial Day is often overshadowed by what happens during the rest of the year; and what’s been happening for the last several decades.
The once-thriving membership of veterans — from World War I and World War II, followed by the Korean and Vietnam wars are getting older. But George Van Der Wall, station commander at the post in North Haledon in Passaic Counry, isn’t ready to give up the fight just yet.
(Excerpt) Read more at pix11.com ...
Younger veterans do t want to go to a place where it reeks of cigarette smoke and there’s nothing but a bar and pool table.
A few VFWs in my area have started adding coffee bars, wifi and multiple big screens.
And banning the nasty habit of smoking.
Veterans of all ages are fleeing New Jersey. I suspect this is a major factor in the demise of this particular American Legion post.
VFW and American Legion Posts had their purpose after both World Wars as social clubs for men of common experiences and as a means of camaraderie. As a veteran myself, I have no interest in attending or visiting any posts. I pay my dues to help support, but have never set foot in a post. I just don’t care and it offers nothing for me. The posts have long been bastions for the WW2 and to some extent Korea vets. They’ve never adapted to the younger vets, including the Vietnam Vets in the 80’s and 90’s. As with most things, their time has largely come and gone.
The joke we always tell about people who live in Joisey is that they don’t say which town they live in.
They tell you which exit they get off for home.
That’s exactly right. LOL.
Exit 9 🙂
Joe Piscopo - “Paulie Herman at the Diner - Saturday Night Live (I’m From Joisey)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NCLiT9QWkdc
As a Non-Combat Veteran who served for six years during the cold war mid 1970’s I never felt comfortable joining an organization that was dedicated to people who served in combat during a war.
I figure why join an organization where all you’ll get is questioned about what you did or didn’t do. Even though I carried a weapon my entire time in the service I was never shot at or had to fire my weapon.
I just got my orders and went where the government wanted me to go.
Just the throw of the dice, I guess. Now that I’m in my late 60’s that’s all water under the bridge now.
Exactly. People leaving VFW and American Legion posts have nothing to do with them being VFW or American Legion. It all has to do with these places being nothing more than dive bars where you go in and see people sitting there at noon getting drunk. The one in our area really has tried to get away from being just a bar and they’ve been having some success.
Got that right. VFW here in Winsted reeks of stale smoke and cheap perfume [sounds like a CW song ]. I used to stop in occasionally but gave it up cause my wife could always tell where I had been.
The problem with wanting a club where only “combat veterans” are allowed is that you quickly run out of people to tell your war stories to.
I’ve read too much about fake vets joining - military phonies - not enough vetting.
Easy to vet members : DD-214.
P.S. I’m eligible (VFW) - not interested...
That may be a North Jersey thing. I've never heard anyone talk about exits in SJ.
I think it is already banned in most states, even in private clubs.
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