VFW Medal

[tuna]

Was going through my stuff and found a long dead relative’s medals. He was Army and had a medal for service in the War with Spain, and occupied Cuba afterward. It was odd that there was a medal and two ribbons, no bar for the ribbons though.
Also, there was a medal, same sized as the Army medals that says Veteran of Foreign Wars, and looks like the sign outside the Post. Medal only, no ribbon.

Anyone know about these? I’m not a member, and am betting I’ll find a better historian here than at one of their posts.

 

[dustoff22]

I suspect today's VFW is not what it once was. Years back my reception when asking about membership at the local VFW was rather cold. A couple gentlemen my senior advised me that Vietnam was not a declared war and as such membership was not applicable. Haven't set foot in a VFW since and I suspect others received the same reception.

 

[greencobra]

United States. A Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Membership Badge

<p>In Bronze, marked ""V.F.W. K.C. KANS."" (Veterans of Foreign Wars, Kansas City, Kansas) on the reverse, 31.5 mm (w) x 33 mm (h), original ribbon with brooch pinback, extremely fine.</p> <p>Footnote: The Veterans of Foreign Wars, also known as the Vete

www.emedals.com

 

[cams]

It’s possible that they (VFW) awarded certain “in house” things to their members for actions taken during certain events.

I was a member of the American Legion back around the 2006-2007 period before I quickly soured on their membership vetting.

As an example of this I was awarded an American Legion Medal of Valor in 2007, they put on a big event in Sturbridge with chow, drinks, family members etc for Massachusetts’ first responders each year who they wanted to recognize. It was nice of them to go all out and the families were all happy and excited to see their loved ones recognized.

So this may be a long standing event for them that dates way back to those times listed, and your relative was being recognized at an event for some type of action he had recently taken.

 

[smokey-seven]

I was a member of the American Legion back around the 2006-2007 period before I quickly soured on their membership vetting.

Yea, I did that as well as soon as I was discharged. Did the local VFW as well and also found the same thing. They sure missed out on 50 years of dues!

 

[Picton]

I'm not surprised there's no ribbon bars. A lot of guys served as volunteers in those wars back then, and then demobilized quickly. He might have been in and out of uniform before the medals even got processed. Might never have worn the ribbons.