[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 19207]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   101ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS

 Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars on the 101st anniversary of its founding, 
which is to be celebrated this Friday, September 29, For over a 
century, the men and women of the VFW and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary have 
worked tirelessly to ensure that veterans are treated with the respect 
they deserve.
  The Veterans of Foreign Wars can trace its origins to 1899, with the 
founding of several local organizations composed of veterans of the 
Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. Members of these 
organizations were interested in securing medical care and pensions 
related to their military service. Over the next few years, these 
groups took part in a series of mergers, until by 1913 a single group 
calling itself ``the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States'' 
was formed. The VFW was chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1936.
  According to the VFW, which is headquartered in Kansas City, 
Missouri, eligibility requirements for membership include ``military 
service on foreign soil or in hostile waters in a campaign for which 
the U.S. government has authorized a medal.'' This has been a 
particularly war-torn century, and America has provided leadership in 
many of our century's conflicts, so a great many Americans meet these 
requirements. And a great many Americans have taken advantage of the 
benefits of membership: at this time, almost 2 million men and women 
belong to the VFW, including over 72,000 in my home state of Minnesota. 
The VFW pursues a number of goals through its many programs and 
services, which are aimed at strengthening comradeship among its 
members, perpetuating the memory and history of our fallen soldiers, 
fostering patriotism, defending the Constitution, and promoting service 
to our communities and our country.
  The VFW also works to advance legislation benefiting veterans, their 
dependents and survivors. One of its main legislative goals, and one 
that's very near and dear to my own heart, is ensuring that Congress 
maintains an adequate budget for veterans' health care. The VFW also 
fights to make a full range of employment and educational opportunities 
available to veterans after they exit the service. And through its 
goals of an open national cemetery in every state, the VFW is honoring 
our nation's heroes in death no less than in life. Through these and 
other activities, the VFW is working hard to make sure that our nation 
lives up to its sacred commitment to those who have given freedom to 
America and the world by giving so much of themselves.
  As a nation, we are duty-bound to pass on the experiences of 
America's veterans, and their brothers and sisters who didn't come 
home, to future generations. Through the sacrifices of our servicemen 
and women, freedom and prosperity flourish. The Veterans of Foreign 
Wars does the vitally important work of making sure that these 
sacrifices will never be forgotten.

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