Hidden among booths of leather jackets and commemorative T-shirts at Laconia Motorcycle Week, the Veterans of Foreign Wars were working to connect with a new generation of potential members. For more than a century, local VFW posts have been a second home for those returning from military service overseas. However, in recent decades, the organization has struggled to recruit a younger generation of veterans returning from serving in conflicts such as the Global War on Terrorism. Dennis Manning, a retired Army sergeant major, now serves as a recruiter for the VFW and as the organization’s state membership chair. According to Manning, the average age of approximately 1.5 million VFW members nationwide is 77 years old. “We’re trying to attract that younger generation, trying to motivate them to come and try out being a part of the VFW,” Manning said at the VFW recruiting booth. Manning said part of the pitch to younger veterans involves breaking down stigmas about the VFW, such as the belief that the organization is simply dimly lit bars aimed at older veterans. “We’re trying to figure out what young people want to do,” he said. “How do we motivate them to come and participate in the community?” On a national level, one of the VFW’s primary goals is to advocate for the benefits of military service. Locally, according to Manning, the organization focuses on community and service. With an increased focus on the mental health of men and women returning from war, Manning said the VFW offers a place for veterans to bond over shared experiences and struggles. “Veterans are a special breed, because a lot of people don’t understand what veterans go through or what military service members go through,” Manning said. “That’s why we’re trying to make sure this younger generation who served overseas has that home to go to, feels welcomed and has someone who understands what they’ve been through.”
LACONIA, New Hampshire —
Hidden among booths of leather jackets and commemorative T-shirts at Laconia Motorcycle Week, the Veterans of Foreign Wars were working to connect with a new generation of potential members.
For more than a century, local VFW posts have been a second home for those returning from military service overseas. However, in recent decades, the organization has struggled to recruit a younger generation of veterans returning from serving in conflicts such as the Global War on Terrorism.
Dennis Manning, a retired Army sergeant major, now serves as a recruiter for the VFW and as the organization’s state membership chair.
According to Manning, the average age of approximately 1.5 million VFW members nationwide is 77 years old.
“We’re trying to attract that younger generation, trying to motivate them to come and try out being a part of the VFW,” Manning said at the VFW recruiting booth.
Manning said part of the pitch to younger veterans involves breaking down stigmas about the VFW, such as the belief that the organization is simply dimly lit bars aimed at older veterans.
“We’re trying to figure out what young people want to do,” he said. “How do we motivate them to come and participate in the community?”
On a national level, one of the VFW’s primary goals is to advocate for the benefits of military service. Locally, according to Manning, the organization focuses on community and service.
With an increased focus on the mental health of men and women returning from war, Manning said the VFW offers a place for veterans to bond over shared experiences and struggles.
“Veterans are a special breed, because a lot of people don’t understand what veterans go through or what military service members go through,” Manning said. “That’s why we’re trying to make sure this younger generation who served overseas has that home to go to, feels welcomed and has someone who understands what they’ve been through.”
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