Cold War Veterans Blog

26 Million Veterans a Force to be Reckoned With

Mr. Coulter nails it in this article We still have strength in numbers. We need to keep together and let our voices be heard loud and clear and most importantly together: AMVETS, VFW, ALG, DAV and all 300 plus VSO's out there should meet once a year to flex our political muscle and to build and maintain a agenda annually.

All for one one for all.

Coulter: Numbers should favor vets on Hill

By Bruce Coulter

Tue Jun 24, 2008,

Belmont, Mass. -

I had the pleasure of visiting with veterans at the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ regional convention at the Burlington Marriot Hotel a couple of weeks ago.

One thing that struck me was the sight of so many gray-haired men and women in attendance. Not that I’m even remotely close to 30, let alone 20, mind you. No one will ever accuse me of ageism.

But the key word in VFW is veteran. There are approximately 26 million veterans in this country and a large portion of them, primarily World War II and Korean War veterans, are dying at unprecedented rates. The figures vary to some degree, but it’s estimated between 1,800 and 2,000 veterans are dying each day across the nation.

I saw very few VFW members who might have been under 50. That’s been problematic for a number of years for most veterans’ organizations. Younger veterans are either not joining these groups, or are non-participating members. Full disclosure: I’m a non-active member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the American Legion.

A couple of years ago, I attended a monthly DAV meeting in Leominster. During the first 30 minutes, the chapter president discussed, in a wooden, monotone tone, what the group did the previous month, and then proceeded to spend another 30 minutes discussing what would happen over the course of the next month. By the time he finished, I was ready to shoot myself.

Mind you, it’s not a reflection on the members in terms of effort. The men sitting there that evening were the same ones raising money for community events or charitable organizations month after month. Many of them volunteer with no thought of personal gain, but rather, simply to help the communities they call home.

But the meeting lacked the sense of camaraderie that is typically infectious among veterans. Some veterans’ groups have a building they can call their own. They have BBQ’s, picnics, or sit around the bar, enjoying a cold brew and swapping stories, sad and funny.

Roland Gendron, a “Frozen Chosin” Korean War veteran who was presiding over his last convention as state commander, believes younger veterans are more interested in getting settled into their own lives. Those who have joined, he noted, did so because they were offered the first year’s membership for free.

Still, he holds no grudges against younger veterans, explaining he wasn’t an active member after initially joining the VFW in 1955.

“I was involved with family events, plus coaching baseball and football,” adding he became more involved once his children were grown.

Of this generation of veterans, Gendron noted they’re hungry for a piece of Americana. They want to get married, have kids and get a good job.
“A small percentage of new members stay active,” he said.
Who can argue with that reasoning?

However, because there are 26 million veterans, leaders of veterans’ groups understand there’s strength in numbers, particularly when it comes to lobbying state and federal lawmakers.
Gendron recognizes that basic fact.
“We have to have a large membership to lobby Congress,” he said.

And the efforts of organizations, such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart and others have paid off handsomely for veterans.

Some retired veterans can now collect disability compensation and their retirement pensions now. For years, the Department of Veterans Affairs offset compensation on a dollar-for-dollar basis, effectively taxing retired disabled veterans at a rate of 100 percent.

Veterans are also receiving more in terms of federal dollars for health care than they have in years, although many lawmakers, including Congressman Bob Filner, D-Calif. and Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, think the $94 billion request by President George Bush for fiscal 2009 still isn’t enough. Filner and Akaka are chairmen of the House and Senate veterans committees

Hey, we all want a piece of the pie. Some just prefer a little whipped cream on top. And we veterans have the numbers to back it up. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Bruce Coulter is the editor of the Burlington Union, a sister newspaper of the Belmont Citizen-Herald. He also a retired, disabled veteran. He may be reached at Burlington@cnc.com.