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Flags will be lowered in New Jersey Saturday, the day of Whitney Houston’s funeral. But a Marine mom in Arlington says it’s an honor Houston doesn’t deserve. When Phyllis McGeath heard Gov. Chris Christie had ordered flags lowered to half-staff for Houston, she said she felt a pain deep inside her. “I was hurt and offended. Disappointed. Saddened,” she said. “I felt like the honor that was given to my son was tarnished.” McGeath had three sons who were active duty Marines. Her oldest, Philip, was killed by a suicide bomber just four weeks ago in Afghanistan. He was 25....

Newt Gingrich has ramped up his attacks on Mitt Romney as a heartless leveraged buyout executive for his years at Bain Capital, asking reporters in Manchester on Monday, “Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of other people and walk off with the money? Or is that, somehow, a little bit of a flawed system?” But Mr. Gingrich was himself on an advisory board for a major investment firm that had a similar business model, Forstmann Little, a pioneering private equity firm co-founded in 1978 by Theodore J. Forstmann...

In a press release this afternoon, Club for Growth criticized Newt Gingrich for his attacks on Mitt Romney’s career at Bain Capital, calling them unbecoming a “Reagan Conservative.” Club for Growth’s statement: Yesterday, Gingrich said “Those of us who believe in free markets and those of us who believe that in fact the whole goal of investment is entrepreneurship and job creation…we find it pretty hard to justify rich people figuring out clever legal ways to loot a company, leaving behind 1,700 families without a job.” Gingrich’s attack was echoed that same day that by the Democratic National Committee, which...

VFW Presses Senator McCain on Support: VFW National Commander Richard DeNoyer expressed the organization's strongest opposition today to ongoing efforts by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) to further balance the budget on the backs of military service members, their families, and retirees. In a letter, the Chief wrote that McCain's acceptance of proposals to examine the current retirement system along with military pay, allowances and their tax implications, plus to suggest excluding military retirees from TRICARE Prime, implies that his unwavering support of the military exists only as long as you are...

Even as more troops return home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, local VFW posts do not expect a boost in membership. That lack of interest could hurt those posts financially. Chuck Hangbers with Post 7670 in Hamilton says unfortunately, returning service men and women tend to shy away from VFW posts. Hangbers says the younger people tend to move on when they return home. He says they focus on getting their lives together. That is leading to fewer members-only about three or four new members a year. At 7670, Hangbers says there may be forty to sixty people...

<p>America’s heroes can once again be laid to rest with appropriate religious services. A federal court last month approved a consent decree in which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) agreed to drop its ban on prayer and the mention of “God” during funerals and other events at national cemeteries.</p>

The Veterans of Foreign Wars convention this week will not feature a top-tier official from the Obama administration, a breach in tradition that the group's commander described as an "insult of the highest magnitude." However, an administration official claimed Monday that the White House made "every effort" to provide a speaker for the event, offering up a range of top officials. "In all instances, the VFW declined those offers," the official said. The veterans group is accustomed to playing host to the nation's most powerful people at its national conference. Obama addressed the VFW in 2009, followed by Vice President...

10 for 10” plan is a breach of faith with America’s military and veteran families July 27, 2011 America’s all-volunteer military has shouldered a multi-theater war all by themselves for almost 10 years. They did so without question, and often with tremendous sacrifice to themselves and their families. The nation is now in another crisis — a debt crisis — one that could have serious repercussions on a military at war and a veterans' population that has already sacrificed much for the nation. This is because some in Congress now want America’s military and her veterans to shoulder more of...

CLARK, Philippines (AP) -- Walking along the rows of tombstones here offers a glimpse of the wars America has fought and the men and women who waged them. But most of the grave markers have been half-buried for 20 years, and there is little hope that the volcanic ash obscuring names, dates and epitaphs will be cleared any time soon. Clark Veterans Cemetery was consigned to oblivion in 1991, when Mount Pinatubo's gigantic eruption forced the U.S. to abandon the sprawling air base surrounding it. Retired U.S. soldiers, Marines and sailors volunteer to keep watch, relying on donations to try...

..fuels a long-standing debate over PACs. Should grassroots members have a say in political endorsements made in their group's name? A dispute over that question could end in the Veterans of Foreign Wars dissolving the political action committee its members created more than three decades ago. At heart, the debate is one between Washington insiders—who seek to increase their leverage on Capitol Hill—and veteran members the PAC said are swept up in a national anti-establishment tide. "I think the nation is upset with Congress period," Jerry Newberry, a PAC spokesman, said. They are especially upset at the PAC's endorsement of...

(Oct. 23, 2010) — While it wasn’t mentioned at the Pulaski County “Veterans for Vicky” rally because speaker Bill Rostad isn’t a Veterans of Foreign Wars member, the VFW endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton being widely publicized by his campaign has come under significant attack by the campaign of his Republican challenger, Vicky Hartzler, and by some members of the VFW itself. Candidates, including Skelton, often state that they’ve been “endorsed by the VFW,” “endorsed by the National Rifle Association,” or by other similar organizations, but the VFW and NRA are nonprofit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organizations which can’t explicitly endorse...

All right... all you guys... listen up! I just got off the phone with Sarah Palin. She is coming to Orlando for a big Victory 2010 rally.... and she has invited all vets to attend for free! That's right, she wants all us current and former Grunts, Squids, Blue suiters, Marines, and Coasties to be her special guests this Saturday, October 23d. The event is at the Marriott World Center near Walt Disney World. Admission is normally as much as $90 for this Victory 2010 fundraiser, with all the profits going to ensure a strong Conservative victory this year! If...

The names Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer don't immediately convey the message "Support our troops." Yet somehow these leftist Democrats and other questionable characters made it onto the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee's (VFW-PAC) 2010 list of election endorsements. In response to the scandal, VFW national Commander Richard L. Eubank sacked the entire PAC board. In a letter to VFW members issued Monday, Mr. Eubank, a former Marine and decorated Vietnam veteran, said, "It is now evident to most of the VFW leadership, both National and especially the departments, that the VFW has been subjected to extreme negative...

the Commander in Chief of the VFW Richard Eubank has dissolved the VFW-Pac after it endorsed Barbara Boxer and a group of far left America-hating liberals.

The National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Richard Eubank, has moved to amend his organization's bylaws to dissolve its PAC, which is run independently. The PAC endorsed Democratic incumbents starting with Nancy Pelosi based on their votes on a relatively small number of votes to do with veterans in a year when many VFW members are siding against Democrats on broader policy concerns, and the PAC has already refused the VFW's entreaty that it "rescind" its endorsement. "[T]he recent endorsement decisions have, in fact, harmed the VFW’s reputation and future ability to fulfill our mission," writes Eubank in...

You spoke. You were heard. This, was the right thing to do-

It seems the VFW is doing what it can to ameliorate the VFW-PAC situation. It's a bit sad more can't be done, but there it is.

October 12, 2010 Comrades, The angry tone and tenor of the telephone calls and messages being received at national headquarters make it clear that many of our members are not cognizant of the fact that VFW National By-Laws clearly stipulate that the VFW Commander-in-Chief is not authorized to direct or otherwise attempt to introduce his control over the VFW PAC. Furthermore, no membership dues or donations made to the VFW or VFW Foundation are used for the VFW PAC. As you know, the recent endorsements by the PAC are the subject of much controversy. Unfortunately, many questions have been raised...

Despite the idiotic VFW support of LTC (ret) Allen West's opponent, over 500 VFW members supported LTC West at this event hosted by the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Leathernecks MC. Congressional candidate LTC (ret) Allen West addressing a gathering of veterans at the Vets For West Rally in Delray Beach, FL on September 25, 2010.

Imperial, California - The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW) PAC has announced its endorsement of Congressman Bob Filner over Republican Candidate Nick Popaditch for the 2010 General Election. The VFW-PAC becomes the most recent veterans group to endorse Congressman Filner. “The VFW-PAC’s endorsement of Congressman Filner was based on his strong support for veterans, national security and defense, and military personnel issues,” said Salvatore J. Capirchio, Veterans of Foreign War-PAC Director. “My proudest service in Congress is being Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Veterans have made incredible sacrifices for our country and they should be...

You know you’re deep in kim-chee when the VFW’s Ladies Auxillary disses you.

Endorsements from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee have so enraged many VFW members that its elected leaders have asked the PAC to immediately rescind all endorsements for next month's election. The PAC's leaders flatly rejected the idea Wednesday. ... "The VFW-PAC will not abandon those in Congress that have supported issues of critical importance to our nation's security and veterans," said a statement posted on the PAC's website. ... The PAC's criteria for endorsements require senators to vote in favor of the VFW's position on seven of nine measures that were approved in 2008 and 2009. Its...

Endorsements from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee have so enraged many VFW members that its elected leaders have asked the PAC to immediately rescind all endorsements for next month's election. Hundreds of VFW members have been calling the national headquarters in recent days to complain about some of the endorsements, particularly about two races — both featuring Democratic incumbents. In one race, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California got the PAC's endorsement over Republican Carly Fiorina. In the other, Rep. Ron Klein of Florida got the endorsement over Republican and Iraq war veteran Allen West.

The board of directors of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee will decide late Wednesday or early Thursday whether to rescind its midterm endorsements, which have sparked a revolt among members. Tuesday night, VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. Eubank and two other top officers asked VFW PAC to pull its current picks, saying the process "unintentionally provided favoritism to the incumbents." "It is now evident it was unfairly skewed," Eubank wrote in a letter to VFW’s 1.6 million members and published on the group’s website. The VFW PAC, which operates independently of the veterans affairs group, is currently working...

So would aiding and abetting terrorists to kill US soldiers qualify as behavior unbefitting of a sitting US senator? On October 12, Scott Swett at the American Thinker reported that Senator Barabara Boxer (D-CA) along with Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) secured diplomatic courtesy letters that allowed anti-American Code Pink activists to travel to Fallujah, Iraq. The radicals traveled to Fallujah in late 2004 to donate $600,000 worth of humanitarian aid to the people who had just killed 51 Americans and wounded 560 more earlier that month. Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah was the...

The nasty VFW/VFW PAC political endorsement spat is boiling over into open political warfare between the two groups. When Ed posted on this story yesterday, VFW leaders were already expressing dismay over their political action committee’s “seriously flawed� candidate endorsement methodology–going so far as to raise the prospect of scrapping the PAC altogether. This posture evidently didn’t stem the hailstorm of criticism from rank-and-file VFW members, prompting leadership to release another statement, this time insisting that VFW PAC rescind its recent controversial string of endorsements: The angry tone and tenor of the telephone calls and messages being received at national...

The VFW has a history of tilting towards liberals, but this seems rather stunning. Barbara Boxer, who dressed down a general in a Senate hearing for calling her “ma’am,� won the endorsement of VFW’s political-action committee yesterday. The move also comes despite Boxer’s votes to curtail military spending — or perhaps because of them: Accenting again the campaign focus she has placed on veterans’ affairs, Sen. Barbara Boxer on Sunday formally opened a veterans’ center at Pasadena City College and was later brought to tears by a forceful defense of her record by Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a highly...

A Colorful, Costly Dogfight Takes Shape in House Race By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.—In 2003, Lt. Col. Allen West forced an Iraqi prisoner to the ground, counted down to zero and fired a pistol over his head to scare him into revealing planned attacks on U.S. troops. The Army relieved him of command. In ordinary times, such an event might destroy a man's career in public service. But 2010 is no ordinary time, and Mr. West may soon be in command again—this time as a tea-party-backed, Republican congressman from South Florida.

Accenting again the campaign focus she has placed on veterans' affairs, Sen. Barbara Boxer on Sunday formally opened a veterans' center at Pasadena City College and was later brought to tears by a forceful defense of her record by Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a highly decorated member of Congress. Inouye joined Boxer for her formal endorsement by the political action committee of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, whose California chairman also praised Boxer's work on behalf of veterans.

You might think that a prominent veterans organization like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) would actually reserve its political endorsements for, you know, veterans, or at least those politicians that actually demonstrate some level of respect for the military. But you would be wrong. And the problem is not just the VFW; rather, the VFW’s current lobbyist-driven fiasco simply serves to illustrate how out-of-touch the Washington in-crowd is with the feelings of us benighted souls dwelling outside the beltway. In the Florida 22nd Congressional District race, incumbent Democrat Ron Klien is running against Republican challenger Allen West. Actually, he’s...

Above the line UPDATE: First off, thank you to all who have written and commented on this topic. A nerve has been struck here, and it's important we understand exactly what is going on, and what has transpired in the last 24 hours. Keep up the pressure- it's working and getting noticed! I've corresponded with several people on this, and yesterday, I received in my in-box a copy of a letter from the Florida Commander of the VFW to the National PAC Commander stating: On behalf of the Department of Florida, I am writing to object to the manner in...

The political arms of the National Rifle Association and Veterans of Foreign Wars have weighed in on the hotly-contested congressional race in northern Virginia’s 11th District, splitting their support between Republican Keith Fimian and Democratic incumbent Gerald Connolly. The VFW Political Action Committee, which represents roughly 2.2 million VFW members, auxiliaries and military families, recently endorsed Connolly, while the NRA’s Political Victory Fund has thrown its support behind Fimian.

Some of the best reporting to come out of Normandy in the aftermath of the D-day landings. Even across the gap of years, his words are incredibly powerful. Column 1 A Pure Miracle NORMANDY BEACHHEAD, June 12, 1944 - Due to a last-minute alteration in the arrangements, I didn’t arrive on the beachhead until the morning after D-day, after our first wave of assault troops had hit the shore. By the time we got here the beaches had been taken and the fighting had moved a couple of miles inland. All that remained on the beach was some sniping and...

The commander of Connecticut’s Veterans of Foreign Wars organization blasted Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal Tuesday, referring to his prior statements of service in Vietnam as “outrageous.” “Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of the best friends a veteran could have in Connecticut. It is a true shame that he let a false claim of Vietnam service change that,” said Richard DiFederico, in a statement. “Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous.” DiFederico’s statement came after Blumenthal’s dramatic and defiant press conference Tuesday...

VFW’s Response to Blumenthal’s Press Conference KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 18, 2010 - Mr. Blumenthal is not a member of the VFW and VFW National By-Laws do not allow any level of the organization to endorse political candidates. VFW national did not sanction and was not, in fact, aware that the press conference was going to be held at a VFW Post. This decision was made at the Post level and the VFW Department of Connecticut issued the following: The following statement is by Richard DiFederico, Department Commander Connecticut VFW: “Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring...

The following statement is by Richard DiFederico, Department Commander of Connecticut’s largest war veterans’ organization, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: “Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of...

With his lie about serving in Vietnam exposed, Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic Senate Candidate Richard Blumenthal went into major damage control mode today trying to explain why he has claimed he "served in Vietnam" when he did not. In a press conference not-so-coincidentally held at a Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, Mr. Blumenthal surrounded himself with men who actually served in Vietnam, invoked his own son who is currently serving in the Marines and then tried to minimize his lie by stating, "Now on a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that and I...

For those who haven't heard the news today........ Washington D.C., Apr 28, 2010 / 01:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a federal court overstepped its boundaries in ordering the removal of a long-standing memorial cross in California's Mojave Desert. A white, seven-foot cross, which was erected as a memorial by the Veterans of Foreign Wars over 75 years ago in the Mojave National Preserve, will be allowed to stay.

"TO KEEP OUR HONOR CLEAN!" Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military Written by The American TFP    Monday, 15 February 2010 20:29 “To Keep Our Honor Clean!� Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military     As America faces a two-front war and economic fragility, another peril looms on the horizon that threatens the honor and integrity of one of our nation’s most important institutions: our Armed Forces.   President Obama promised in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address that he would work with Congress and the military to...

Friday February 5, 2010 Veterans, Former Army Legal Chief Defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” By Peter J. Smith WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Congressional ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military has been targeted by top US military officials this week, but military veterans as well as a former chief of the Army's criminal law division are striking back in defense of a policy they call both sound and essential to the health of the armed services. The Washington Times reports that the United States' two major veterans organizations have come out fighting against attempts by President Barack...

Vietnam veteran robbed, killed on his way to deposit VFW money William Burtner had helped raise money for WWII vets' trip to Washington Army veteran William Burtner survived Vietnam and dedicated his life to helping other veterans. On Monday, Burtner was about to enter a bank in Midlothian to deposit money that the south suburb's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2580 had raised during a benefit. He never made it inside. Burtner, 65, was assaulted and robbed outside the bank. He died Wednesday night in Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. An autopsy Thursday concluded Burtner died of hypertensive...

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2009 – Deployed and hospitalized servicemembers are expected to make about 120,000 calls home this Veterans Day, and it won’t cost them one thin dime. The Veterans of Foreign Wars organization is once again offering “Free Call Day” through its Operation Uplink program. USAA, which offers financial services to servicemembers, is sponsoring the day of free phoning, which is expected to total some 1 million minutes. “We are very pleased to join forces with USAA, an association recognized as a devoted friend and advocate of the military community, to offer a special Veterans Day Free Call Day,”...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. veterans criticized President Barack Obama's lengthy review of Afghan war strategy, saying on Thursday the drawn-out debate in Washington was a direct threat to troops and the nation's defense. The head of Veterans of Foreign Wars, a group representing 1.5 million former soldiers, issued a tersely worded statement urging Obama to follow the advice of his military commanders, who want more troops for the eight-year war. "The extremists are sensing weakness and indecision within the U.S. government, which plays into their hands," said Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a Vietnam veteran and head of VFW. This was...

Deep in the heart of the Mojave National Preserve in California stands a five foot cross carefully disguised in a plywood box. The U.S. Park Service was forced to cover the cross until the Supreme Court decides whether the cross can remain in its place as a monument to fallen soldiers during World War I, or whether it must come down because its presence violates the Constitution. The case is the latest in a recent flurry of challenges to religious symbols placed on public property. The cross was constructed more than 70 years ago by the Veterans of Foreign Wars....

Expressions on the Vets faces are priceless.

Here is a video report about a "Flag Burner" who was duct taped to a VFW Flagpole as punishment for his having burned an American Flag that flew over the post in Valley Falls, New York. The man had gotten angry because the bartender at the post would not serve the man because he was drunk. In anger, he went outside, took the flag down and burned it. The flag had flown over a fox hole in Iraq where several Americans died. The post commander hunted the man down and "gave him some options." The option the man chose was...

VETERANS RIGHTS ADVOCATES UNDER ATTACK BY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS [Snip]Article... What vets don't know is how the American Legion, VFW and other groups have advised the DVA and Congress, led us, every step of the way, to the total failure and utter disaster we have now. These groups "played" at helping vets but became a home for political extremists or dimwits addicted more [sic] grandstanding than the hard work required by informed veterans advocacy.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I am honored and humbled to stand before you as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military the world has ever known. And we're joined by some of those who make it the finest force in world-from Luke Air Force Base, members of the 56th Fighter Wing. Whether you wear the uniform today, or wore it decades ago, you remind us of a fundamental truth. It's not the powerful weapons that make our military the strongest in the world. It's not the sophisticated systems that make us the most advanced. No, the true strength of...

Here is video of President Barack Obama speaking today at the Veteran's of Foreign Wars meeting. Obama criticized the "defense establishment" and Congress for creating "exotic projects" that he says drains the defense budget. Obama assured veterans that he will see to it they are taken care of, and said their health care would diminish at all under his plans for Health Care Reform. Obama received polite, but what I would characterize as muted applause from the veterans during his appearance there. . . . . (Watch Video)