This morning, the Washington Times, a newspaper I used to read (and enjoy) regularly when I lived in DC, trotted out the old trope about VSOs being out of touch with the newer generation. Here’s an example, but you can read the whole thing by CLICKING HERE:

Kate Hoit served eight years in the Army Reserves, including a tour in Iraq, but when she tried to join her local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter, someone asked whether she needed an application for military spouses instead. Now, Ms. Hoit said, she will never join the VFW or the American Legion. She said the organizations are unwelcoming and out of touch with the needs of post-Sept. 11 veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her complaint is echoed by other veterans of the war on terrorism, who see the venerable veterans groups as fraternities of older men from previous wars. The new generation of veterans instead is gravitating toward groups organized around activities such as running or volunteering, and groups that allow nonmilitary members to take part as well.

Left unstated in the article is that Hoit isn’t exactly an uninterested bystander. I’ve met her a few times, and she seemed incredibly nice and bright, but she also worked for the VA’s public affairs office (which is still mad at us for calling for Shinseki’s resignation) and she now works for “Got Your 6” which is one of the organizations being touted here in the “Us v. Them” sort of paradigm that need not exist at all. This is not a sleight on Hoit. Again, she seemed very nice, but if we are going to have a strawman fight between the “Old VSOs” and the young veterans groups, it would be nice to identify that the person works for the latter.

Take for instance the fact that they tout repeatedly in the story the work of Team Rubicon. I’ll state right up front my bias: I love Team Rubicon as well. One of their former board members is one of my best friends.They sponsor Tim Kennedy, my favorite MMA fighter, and I’ve wanted to do an embed with TR since basically the day they were founded. The American Legion Magazine featured them and all they do long before anyone was noticing the good they were doing; Team Rubicon and The American Legion’s National Emergency Fund are a perfect marriage, and have been, at a number of disaster sites. In fact, I just got a call last week from TR about their new media person, and we put her in touch with our Executive Director right after that.

Ditto Team Red White and Blue. My boss has met with their people on a few occasions, including at last year’s convention in Houston. I know anecdotally that TRWB has weekly activities with our Legion Post in Alexandria, Virginia. One of the Legion videographers is both an active member of the Post and TRWB. And he’s a Marine with service in OIF.

Now, I can’t state categorically that someone didn’t have a bad experience at a Legion Post. I had that problem with a VFW Post when I first became eligible, and was told that “Bosnia wasn’t a real war.” Fair enough. I thought it stupid and short sighted, but stuff happens. I later joined another post when our then National Commander took me down to meet the people there. The greatest strength of the VSOs, and conversely the biggest challenge is that we are bottom up. Some Posts are just outstanding, some have leadership problems. If one doesn’t fit you, then find another, don’t just take a pass on the whole thing.

Jonn Lilyea wrote up a piece this morning on the very subject, and he gave me the OKAY to reprint what he said:

Vietnam veterans will recall how the VSOs weren’t exactly welcoming them home from their war either. Now look at who is running the VFW and the American Legion – the Vietnam veterans. The Times article talks about our friends at Team Rubicon which deploys veterans to crises around the world to lend a helping hand. They talk about the fitness club Team Red, White and Blue, and I encourage veterans to participate in those organizations if that’s your thing. But does your club have legislative directors that represent your interests in government? A good example of what the old VSOs do for you is when the Obama Administration were going to force service-connected disabled veterans into private insurance – the American Legion and the VFW marched into the Oval Office and demanded that they back off – and they did. The plans for your future are in debate now in Congress and in the halls of the Pentagon and there are only a few obstacles to them screwing you and the rest of veterans to the wall, and those obstacles are the VFW, the American Legion and the Military Officers Association of America, not Team Rubicon or Team RWB – what gives them the strength that they have in Congress and the White House is their membership numbers and the infrastructure that the VSOs have already established for generations. I doubt your local fitness club will spend much time in front of Congressional committees defending your COLA increase, or make a big deal out of the failures of the Veterans Affairs folks. In addition, the VSOs represent you individually in your VA claims. The Paralyzed Veterans of America got my disability claim processed without me having to leave my house. Yeah, if you take a short-term view of your life, the fitness clubs and the other organizations look good, but there will come a time when you’ll need more than fellowship from your club. And this administration is a clear example of why we really need the old VSOs, given that they expect more from veterans while cheating us out of the things we were promised. I’m a life member of the American Legion, the VFW and the Disabled Veterans of America and it’s like insurance for my future, and the future of all veterans even though I didn’t get much out of it when I joined initially. One day, the younger veterans will be running those VSOs like the Vietnam vets are now running them. But can you imagine how future government leaders will be able to screw you without those VSOs?

I came to work at the Legion when I was 26 years old. I’ve been here for almost 18 years, and I’ll be here another 30 provided they don’t show me the door. I’m the least social guy on the planet when I am at home, I rarely go out, haven’t been to a movie in Lord knows how long, and don’t particularly care to meet too many more people. Which is why my wife said, “I barely know you” when she saw me at the Legion convention last year. I think it is safe to say I know more people in the Legion than I know outside the Legion. Some of the kindest, warmest, more welcoming people in the world. I meet random people at Legion events, and end up with them on my Facebook page inside of a day.

Are there bad Posts? Sure. There’s bad everything out there. There’s probably an Outback Steakhouse out there that stinks, too, but I’ll still stop for a blooming onion every chance I get.

People always ask me why they should join the Legion. I jokingly try to deflect by asking how much time do they have. I’m not real good at articulating why someone should join without knowing what they are interested in, because the reality is we have so many programs that even 18 years here I’m still learning new stuff. You want to volunteer to help Youths? Become a Boys State Counselor; get involved in Legion Baseball; volunteer for your Junior Shooting Sports. You interested in National Security? Call up our DC office and ask them what they are working on, or how you can help. Need help with a VA claim? Our people are the best in the business. (My claim was filed on March 1 by Indiana’s Legion Department Service Officer, on July 20th I got a check and a rating.)

I just really hate this false dichotomy that has been set up. And the sort of back-handed complaint about “Old Guys” frankly kind of pisses me off.

When I came home on leave from Afghanistan I went through the Atlanta Airport, and everyone there stood and applauded, and I accepted more than a couple of offers for free drinks. When protestors gathered outside Walter Reed with signs that read “Maimed for a Lie” I went out there, and I saw who was counter-protesting. You know who it was? The Vietnam Vets. When bodies of our fallen are escorted by motorcycle riders, who do you think make up the vast bulk of the riders? The bikes don’t drive themselves.

The Vietnam generation got absolutely hosed when they returned. They were treated like [expletive.] And when I went to war, they either held a super secret meeting, or they all collectively said that that is not happening this time. When I was in uniform people thanked me for my service. The people who were doing that were in the same place 30 years ago getting spit on by lowlife punks who couldn’t have lasted 2 days in the military, and acted that way out of knowledge that they were less.

You want to be surrounded by people of the same age? So do I. I get that. So find a Post with active younger people. Or start your own Post. The hippies in the 60’s talked about "Turn on, tune in, drop out." (They probably weren’t aware that Dr. Timothy Leary who popularized that was actually a West Point grad.***{ADDENDUM: A Commenter below points out my error: "Minor point. Tim Leary is not a USMA grad. He was convicted by the Honor court, silenced, then resigned after a court-martial exonerated him."}) Well, don’t be that guy or gal. If you don’t want to join, I think you are making a mistake, but so it goes. I get it. But I liked one of the comments over at Jonn’s place:

While Rubicon and RWB are incredible organizations, I suspect that as the current generation of Veterans gets older, that more will join the AL/VFW, and change the demographics. Gotta slow down sometime; and as the VFW/AL membership numbers drop, and we (the current generation of veterans) get older, this will change.

There will be a new generation to pick up the flag and move forward, like there always has been. Like the Vietnam veterans took it from the WWII veterans, and the WWII Veterans took it from their predecessors and so on, the Legion and the VFW will endure, and we’ll carry the flag forward as our predecessors did before us when our time comes. Please note that while this view may not be shared by all here, it’s an honest opinion, and absolutely no disrespect to my elder brothers in arms in the VFW and AL. You all have done a hall of a job and when our time comes, we’ll be there.

Amen Brother. Somebody always has to carry the flag. I’d rather they did it sooner rather than later, but let’s not act like this is Pickett’s charge, and the last man just fell.

BTW, in the picture above, the guy on the far right is the Legion's director of Legislative (our Chief Lobbyist) who is an Afghan Vet. Then me, also an Afghan Vet. Then Ryan Pitts, MOH Recipient and Legionnaire from NH. Then Mike Denton, a Silver Star Recipient from Afghanistan. And where was this taken? At a Legion Hall honoring our newest MOH recipient.

ADDED: As I was writing this up, unbeknownst to me the Commander was working on something as well. Included here is his letter to The Washington Times: