The fundamental difference between our Organization and other veteran organizations, and one in which we take great pride, is our eligibility qualifications. There are three requisites for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States:

• Citizenship
• Honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States
• Service entitling the applicant to the award of a recognized campaign medal or as set forth in the Congressional Charter and/or By-Laws

Checking Eligibility: Checking eligibility is comparatively simple. Assuming that a person is a United States citizen and has an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces, it only remains to be proven that the person served outside the continental limits of the U.S. and has earned a campaign or service medal recognized by the VFW. (The only exception is for service in Korea after June 30, 1949, until present.)

Discharges issued during and immediately after the close of World War II have a section on the back listing the medals and decorations which have been earned. Persons discharged later received a DD-214, "Report of Separation" form, which has a space showing medals and decorations. Lost separation documents can be replaced by completing and submitting GSA Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military Records."

There is always a possibility of an omission on the separation documents. If an applicant claims entitlement to a medal which is not shown on the individual's separation papers, that person may request verification and correction of records by submitting a GSA Standard Form 180.

The GSA Standard Form 180 is available from any office of the Veterans Administration or state Veterans Departments. The form must be completed and signed by the veteran in order to receive the information requested or authorize the release of the information to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. as meeting the campaign medal requisite for VFW Membership.

VFW Eligibility Listing