ND VFW Members

[JCNodak]

I know we have a lot of Veterans here. Are any of you ND VFW members? We are hosting this year's State Convention and I am thinking of different things to do. If you are a member are you planning on coming to the convention?

 

[JCNodak]

I can't believe we don't have 1 other VFW member on this side. Come on guys. Let's try this then. If you are a Veteran, and are not in the VFW, why not?

 

[You]

time. and like gst and svn, i'm my own favorite person =s no need for friends/comradery

 

[JCNodak]

time. and like gst and svn, i'm my own favorite person =s no need for friends/comradery

Fair enough. I get that. I get that 100%. I was the same way. I could go on and on about all of the things that the VFW does, but I won't. I will simply say that if our generation does not step up, the organization will die. Along with it the pull we have in DC to fight for Veteran's rights and benefits.

 

[guywhofishes]

sadly it's online socializing (like NDA) that is leading to less and less brick/mortar socializing

things are going to just keep getting weirder and weirder because of it too

 

[JCNodak]

sadly it's online socializing (like NDA) that is leading to less and less brick/mortar socializing

things are going to just keep getting weirder and weirder because of it too

Agreed. Here in GF we are somewhat unique as we don't have a "club" (bar). We operate out of the county building which leaves us open to not worry about a failing business and concentrate on what our purpose really is. It's not about socializing (totally). It's about helping people. And that is only if you want to be active. You can be a member of a post and never show up to a meeting. It's all about the numbers in DC. The more numbers you have, the more clout you carry. So technically the no time argument holds no water. I honestly expected to see more members pipe up and hopefully say they were coming to the convention. The purpose of this thread is to see if there would be any interest in a Cat Fishing outing. When you go to different conventions and what not there always seems to be a golf outing or something like that. Here on the east side of the state, we have a world class channel cat fishery in our back yard. So even non members, if you were going to a convention of any type that offered this kind of outing, would you be likely to go?

 

[You]

I think outdoor oriented vet activities are ultra cool. However, I do not attend. I guess you could say I have some sort of inferiority complex as it relates to my time in Iraq. Air Force, 120 days in theater, didn't get shot, didn't lose any friends, relatively unchanged by the experience.....

I know I'm welcome, but I don't feel it is appropriate for me to take up a space when so many others have given so much more. Come to think of it, this 'inferiority complex' is another reason I don't join the VFW.

 

[JCNodak]

I think outdoor oriented vet activities are ultra cool. However, I do not attend. I guess you could say I have some sort of inferiority complex as it relates to my time in Iraq. Air Force, 120 days in theater, didn't get shot, didn't lose any friends, relatively unchanged by the experience.....

I know I'm welcome, but I don't feel it is appropriate for me to take up a space when so many others have given so much more. Come to think of it, this 'inferiority complex' is another reason I don't join the VFW.

This is so very close to my own experience. I was Army Guard. A carpenter of all things. Didn't get shot, didn't lose any friends, didn't patrol or kick doors or even convoy that much. Flew in and out. I too felt as if I didn't belong because I wasn't a "real Veteran". It wasn't until I could accept that I did my job and what was asked of me, and that I did my part, that I could justify joining.
What I realize now is that it simply doesn't matter. You don't have to sit around and tell stories. I don't and there are plenty of old dude willing to fill that time slot. They just need someone to listen to them. Rank doesn't matter. I was an E-4 and I am now friends with a Colonel (kernel?) because of VFW. Nobody cares there.
We (iraq and afgan vets) are starting to take over now. We are looking for new and fresh ideas and faces and energy. Our next Department (state) commander is an Iraq vet. First one of our era in the whole VFW as far as we can find.
So, my final shpeil. You don't feel you belong. I get it. I am not trying to single you out as I am guessing there are a few others that feel the same way as you but have not chimed in. Who better than to take care of our old, sick and wounded than us young and able bodied? I am willing to spend a couple hours a month to do what I can to try and help care for those who I did so much more than I.
All that being said, it is up to you to choose if you want to join or not. If not, that is fine. You will always be welcome. if you are ever in a tough spot and you need help, know that the VFW will always be there to help you. That's what we do.

 

[KDM]

Not a member yet, but I qualify. Afghanistan 2007. It's a good organization that as you say, I do what I can to support. I'll be officially retiring from service in a couple months after 24+ years of service and right now, I prefer to help other vets from the outside of any organization or group. I like to support vets by taking them fishing and being a captain at the fishing event on Sak and other similar opportunities so I keep pretty close tabs on the comings and goings at the VFW. Not that I won't eventually join, because I probably will, but right now I kind of want to kind of take a breather from the regimented societal norms and customs of the military services if you get my drift. Let me know if you're ever in Valley City and I'll meet you at the VFW for drinks and discussions. Thank You for your service and remember, just because nobody took a shot at you DOES NOT lessen the magnitude of your sacrifice and commitment to your county!!!! Don't let ANYONE tell you different. Carry on!!!

 

[dukgnfsn]

I joined as a life member about 2 years ago out of Bismarck VFW, but haven't been involved in activities as still work full time and kind of feel like YOU in that I am labeled as a disabled veteran and was medically discharged but I look at the soldiers who were truly injured and find it hard to put myself in same category as there sacrifice even with the amount of time I served. I hope to later in life after I slow down working and such get more involved in the VFW and there activities.
dukgnfsn

 

[JCNodak]

Not a member yet, but I qualify. Afghanistan 2007. It's a good organization that as you say, I do what I can to support. I'll be officially retiring from service in a couple months after 24+ years of service and right now, I prefer to help other vets from the outside of any organization or group. I like to support vets by taking them fishing and being a captain at the fishing event on Sak and other similar opportunities so I keep pretty close tabs on the comings and goings at the VFW. Not that I won't eventually join, because I probably will, but right now I kind of want to kind of take a breather from the regimented societal norms and customs of the military services if you get my drift. Let me know if you're ever in Valley City and I'll meet you at the VFW for drinks and discussions. Thank You for your service and remember, just because nobody took a shot at you DOES NOT lessen the magnitude of your sacrifice and commitment to your county!!!! Don't let ANYONE tell you different. Carry on!!!

And thank you KDM. Glad you are doing what you can and I hear what you are saying about needing a break. I hope someday you will find us. I myself am going to dial back my involvement but will stay a member. Oh, and I didn't say they didn't take a shot, they just didn't hit me:;:rockit

 

[Kickemup]

Our local VFW has very few younger members most are well past 60 some in there 80s. I'm not a veteran but I try and get there as often as I can and help them with projects they are working on. The building is old and is in the middle of getting updated.

 

[KDM]

I joined as a life member about 2 years ago out of Bismarck VFW, but haven't been involved in activities as still work full time and kind of feel like YOU in that I am labeled as a disabled veteran and was medically discharged but I look at the soldiers who were truly injured and find it hard to put myself in same category as there sacrifice even with the amount of time I served. I hope to later in life after I slow down working and such get more involved in the VFW and there activities.
dukgnfsn

Have you talked to any of these men?? These men you describe as "truly injured"? If you do, you will find that most, if not all of them, don't recognize "Categories" of sacrifice and neither do I. Some lost arms, some lost legs, some lost wives and families back home, some lost friends, and some even lost themselves. The only constant among all of us who went to foriegn soils to fight is that WE ALL LOST SOMETHING!!! At the very least, WE ALL lost time we could have been spending with family, friends, or just doing something else besides waging war. However, the one thing NONE of us must lose, is our honor and self respect as warfighters for our country. I would encourage you to NOT separate the sacrifices you and the rest of the vets made into varying degrees of importance. DO NOT let the Booger Eaters diminish your service. Just because they didn't shoot you or blow you up doesn't mean they weren't trying to. They just didn't get the chance or get around to you, because they sure wouldn't have hesitated if they had. Sorry! I get a bit preachy when it comes to this.

 

[JCNodak]

Our local VFW has very few younger members most are well past 60 some in there 80s. I'm not a veteran but I try and get there as often as I can and help them with projects they are working on. The building is old and is in the middle of getting updated.

I am sure they appreciate the help!

 

[USMCDI]

Not a member, I figure my wife and I gave 50 years to an institution, we both qualify, wife went in 2006, I was there 05,06,07 and am tired of telling people how the hell it feels to get shot. I'm not disabled and have zero issues but still get a kick out of hearing the 'thud' at around 3000 fps! And it sucked to get shot at, sucked even worse to get hit, fuckin haji bitches.

 

[JCNodak]

Not a member, I figure my wife and I gave 50 years to an institution, we both qualify, wife went in 2006, I was there 05,06,07 and am tired of telling people how the hell it feels to get shot. I'm not disabled and have zero issues but still get a kick out of hearing the 'thud' at around 3000 fps! And it sucked to get shot at, sucked even worse to get hit, fuckin haji bitches.

Glad to hear that you are all good. But this is where everyone is missing the point. You don't have to give anything if you don't want. You don't need to have time. You just need to be willing to stand up and say that they can count you as a supporter of veterans. Put you in the ledger so to speak.

 

[KDM]

Burns don't it USMCDI.

 

[USMCDI]

Burns don't it USMCDI.

Not really, I was doing some counter sniping on my second tour and I thought I had the guy pegged, crawled backwards to piss in a bottle, stood up two rooms back and wham, I'm on the ground, missed everyhting, clean pass through 1 inch from my left lung and one inch from my sapi plate. I'm pretty sure I got the fucker the next month when I was cleared hot from the Doc. He had pics of me anyway when we did the confirmation.

 

[KDM]

Took a piece of bullet frag above my kneecap on the run. That burned like a torch. Was more pissed off than hurt. Don't know what happened to my Booger Eater, but the 50's started to sing right after and it was all over. Asked Doc for some tape and that was it.

 

[JCNodak]

With 13 years in and just 7 years short of retirement, I felt the need to join. I'm an active member of the local VFW and despite my injuries, feel honored to join something that is truly bigger than me. I speak at the Memorial Day service and often find it hard to come up with the words to express my gratitude to those who really were way stronger than I.

3geese4me That is great to hear!Are you planning on coming to the convention this year?