CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Editor's note: This is the third and final story in a three-part series about Air Force organizations that advocate for Airmen, retirees and their families.
Veterans are categorized a bit differently than retirees, active-duty Airmen or even Reservists, but they can still come together in similar ways to join the sides of fellow service members.
American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars are both national, non-profit organizations targeting the same groups of people with similar missions, but with different exceptions to the rules.
AMVETS, with 180,000 members nationally and 2,000 members alone in South Carolina, is open to anyone who served honorably in the armed forces for a minimum of 24 hours. However, VFW welcomes eligible members who received a campaign medal for overseas service, served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea, or members who received hazardous duty or imminent danger pay. For the local district, VFW reaches to a membership of more than 3,000 people throughout the 12 area posts.
"Even if you aren't a member of VFW, we still support you," said Don Parks, commander of VFW Post 3142 in North Charleston, S.C. "If you have so many people though, that's what it takes to be heard in Washington."
Both organizations advocate for veterans, military members and their families. Representatives from these groups lobby for health care for veterans as well as other benefits including education and employment and accountability for prisoners of war and those missing in action. These organizations also have national service officers who help provide free claims service to veterans and their families filing for compensations with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Believing in serving others who have served, local members of AMVETS and VFW regularly take time out of their schedules to visit patients at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, S.C.
"I have found that most people in the VA hospital are people who are from up north, but retired and came to live down here," said Roy Massey, member and past post commander of AMVETS Post 24 in North Charleston. "So when they're in the hospital, they don't have family nearby and what they miss the most is the fellowship and camaraderie of their brethrens. It means a lot for them to have friends come visit them."
In addition to visiting the VA hospital, the organizations also support the community by offering scholarships to family members and veterans looking to further their education. AMVETS also tries to greet service members when they return from a deployment and VFW places American flags in cemeteries to honor veterans of the past.
AMVETS Post 24 doesn't have a "post home" at this time, but they are currently meeting the first Saturday of every month at 5 p.m. in the Northwoods Boulevard Sticky Fingers. For more information about AMVETS, visit www.amvets.org or call Mr. Massey at 552-7066 for information on the local post.
VFW Post 3142 meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in their post home at 3555 Dorchester Rd. in North Charleston. For more information on VFW, visit www.vfw.org or call Mr. Parks at 744-9260.