Most of us who returned from overseas had no means of contacting our fellow veterans other than through organizations like the VFW, American Legion, or the Vietnam Veterans of America. Today, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram immediately puts a young veteran into contact with not only other veterans, but with fellow soldiers, shipmates, and Marines whom he or she served with. To some young veterans this is enough, but what is missing is how to give back to the less fortunate among us, how to assist a fellow veteran or his family looking for services, providing a framework for participating in the community, and to meet fellow veterans who served in earlier (or later) conflicts. I have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming good friends to WWII and Korean vets even though I served in Vietnam. I doubt if many of them know what Facebook or Twitter is or even care. I am afraid there is going to be a generation of veterans who become disconnected from the personal contact of their fellow veterans and that is a shame. VFW isn’t about sitting around and trading war stories—its about veterans helping veterans. Now to get that point across.
