The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States came into existence in
1913 as a result of amalgamations over a period of years since 1899 of five
separate foreign service organizations that had the same ideals and similar
requirements for membership. These organizations came into being entirely
independent of one another and without the knowledge of one another at the time
of their origin. A brief resume of these unites is as follows:
In September 1899, the ‘American
Veterans of Foreign Service’ organized as a national body in Columbus,
Ohio. They were chartered by the State of Ohio on October 10, 1899 and elected
J. C. Putnam as their first Commander-in-Chief. They were organized through the
efforts of James Romanis.
In December 1899, the ‘Colorado
Society of the Army of the Philippines’ was organized in Denver, Colorado
by General Irving Hale. It became the ‘National
Society of the Army of the Philippines’, on August 13, 1900 with Francis V.
Greene as their first Commander-in-Chief. At their Encampment in August 1909
they changed the name to ‘Army of the
Philippines’ On July 7, 1901, H.O. Kelley organized the ‘Philippine War Veterans’ in Altoona,
Pennsylvania. In July 1902 reorganized with C.O. Knighton as President.
In October 1901, the ‘Philippine
War Veterans’ was organized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with G.H. Smith
being elected Commander. On April 27, 1902 they reorganized as ‘Foreign Service Veterans’ with Jacques
La Belle as Commander. On July 24, 1902, the ‘American Veterans of Philippine and China Wars’ organized in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Captain Robert S. Hansbury.
The ‘Philippine War Veterans’-Altoona,
‘Philippine War Veterans’-Pittsburgh,
and ‘American Veterans of Philippine and
China Wars’-Philadelphia met together on September 10-12, 1903 in Altoona,
Pennsylvania and formed the Eastern society of the ‘American Veterans of the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rican and China Wars’
organization. In 1903 the name was changed by plebiscite to ‘American Veterans of Foreign Service’-Eastern
Branch.
During the period of September 13-15, 1905, at Altoona, Pennsylvania,
the Eastern Branch of the ‘American
Veterans of Foreign Service’, which was formed in 1903 at Altoona,
Pennsylvania, amalgamated with the original ‘American Veterans of Foreign Service’ of Columbus, Ohio to become
one society known as the ‘American
Veterans of Foreign Service’. Herbert O. Kelley, of Altoona, was elected
Commander.
In August, 1913, at Denver, Colorado, the ‘Army of the Philippines’ and the ‘American Veterans of Foreign Service’ united under the temporary
name of ‘Army of the Philippines, Cuba,
and Puerto Rico’ with Rice W. Means as the first Commander-in Chief. During
the year the organization's name was changed by plebiscite and General Order
No. 1 to the present day ‘Veterans of
Foreign Wars of the United States’.
At the Encampment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1914, the name ‘Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States’ and a constitution were formally adopted.
On May 28, 1936, Congressional Charter incorporated the ‘Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States’.
On May 28, 1936, by an act of the United States Congress, the ‘Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States’ became a government-chartered non-profit organization. As
such, it receives no funding from United States tax receipts and is supported
by charitable donations.
John S. Stewart VFW
Post 1 of Denver, Colorado is the first and oldest VFW Post in existence. It
was founded in 1899 by members of the First Colorado Volunteers returning from
the Philippines during the Spanish American War and commanded by General Irving
Hale. The first meeting took place in the Colorado State Capitol on Dec.
1, 1899 and the organization has been meeting every month since then.
