Building the VFW of 2040

Every VFW Post tells a story, one written by generations of veterans who carried the mission forward long before us.

Their photos hang on the walls, their names fill our charters, and their legacy lives in the very foundations we walk on today.

They built more than buildings.

They built belonging.

And now, it’s our turn to make sure that legacy continues.

The Shoulders We Stand On

The veterans who built the VFW from the ground up didn’t do it for recognition. They did it because they saw a need, and they filled it.

They wrote letters, knocked on doors, and raised funds by hand when there was no internet, no social media, and no guarantee anyone would notice.

They carried the mission through decades of change, wars, recessions, and shifting generations, and they did it with resolve.

Without them, there is no “us.”

But the truth is, some of those same veterans now look at today’s VFW and wonder if the next generation still feels the same fire.

That question isn’t criticism, it’s a challenge.

A challenge for us to prove that the VFW still stands for every generation that wore the uniform.

The Bridge We Must Build

Every generation of veterans is shaped by a different world.

Vietnam veterans came home to silence.

Desert Storm veterans came home to parades.

Post-9/11 veterans came home to an internet full of noise but not always connection.

Each era shaped how we see service, leadership, and community. But the VFW’s power has never been in our differences; it’s been in our unity.

The bridge we must build is made of shared purpose.

It’s built when a Korean War veteran shares his wisdom with a young Iraq veteran.

It’s built when a Post Commander hands the gavel to someone new and says, ‘Make it better than I did.’

It’s built every time we listen not to respond, but to understand.

As the VFW moves toward 2040, its mission endures: to honor the past, serve the present, and build a future where every veteran is seen, heard, and supported.

Together, As One

If we want a stronger VFW by 2040, it won’t come from one generation leading alone.

It will come from generations leading together.

The experience of our senior members keeps us grounded.

The energy of our younger members keeps us growing.

The future depends on both.

We are not the “old guard” or the “new blood.”

We are one organization, one family, united by a single promise: that no veteran will ever be forgotten or left behind.

As I continue my journey in VFW leadership, my focus stays the same: strengthening the bridge between generations so we move forward together.

Not a bridge made of words or slogans, but of real connection; veteran to veteran, generation to generation.

Join the Work

If you’ve served, your story belongs here.

If you’ve led, your wisdom still matters.

If you’re new, your ideas are exactly what we need.

The VFW of 2040 begins now, when we stop focusing on what separates us and start standing together for what unites us.

Let’s build that bridge.

Let’s build it together.