Veterans Groups Look For New Members

BANGOR (NEWS CENTER) -- While veterans are honored to get special recognition on a national day of remembrance, they also worry about waning interest in veterans organizations like the V.F.W. and American Legion.

Some local veterans groups are sharing buildings and other costs just to keep things going. Local veterans are looking for ways to get younger vets to join.

Vets go to the V.F.W. for the comradery of a group that shares a unique bond of knowing what it is like to go away to war. The Brewer V.F.W. post 4917 closed earlier this year when membership numbers got too small. That post then combined with Bangor.

Peter Ogden, director of the Bureau of Veterans Services in Augusta says this is happening all over the country. He says in the past 5 years there has been a 10 to 15 percent decrease in all of the veterans organizations in Maine.

Ron Smith is a former commander at the Bangor post. Smith cites what happened in Pennsylvania where he says 89 posts closed last year. Smith says, "The younger veterans don't seem to be interested in preserving the tradition of the V.F.W. which is veterans helping veterans. So, its slowly dying organization unless the younger veterans start picking up."

Most of the memberships of these groups are made up of World War II and Korean War veterans. As those members pass on the membership numbers decrease.

The veterans say in order to attract younger members they say they need to offer them programs that would interest them -- perhaps having family dinners and barbecues. They are hoping that will help bring in new members.