Membership: Eligibility

Basic Eligibility Factors

  The fundamental difference between our Organization and other veteran organizations, and one in which we take great pride, is our eligibility qualifications.

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 as meeting the campaign medal requisite for VFW Membership. (The only exception is for service in Korea after June 30, 1949, until present.)

There are three requisites for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States:

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

Military Campaign Participation

The following campaign medals, and the periods for which issued, have been authorized by the United States of America, and the holder of any such medal or medals is recognized as possessing the campaign medal requisite of eligibility. If you can wear one or more of these ribbons, you may be eligible to join the VFW. Simply roll your cursor over the particular medal and click. If there is no response then scroll down for listing of most overseas service below. (Periods prior to World War I are not listed)

• World War I Victory Army 6 April 1917 1 Apr 1920; (with Battle/Service clasp Navy) 6 April 1917 30 Mar 1920 (including Siberia and European Russia)
• Army Occupation of Germany Army 12 Nov. 1918 11 July 1923
• Second Nicaraguan Campaign Navy 27 Aug. 1926 2 Jan. 1933
• Yangtze Service Navy 3 Sept. 1926 21 Oct. 1927; 1 Mar. 1930 31 Dec. 1932
• China Service Navy 7 July 1937 7 Sep. 1939; 2 Sept. 1945 1 April 1957

• American Defense Service Army-Navy 8 Sep. 1939 7 Dec.1941 (with foreign service clasp)

• American Campaign Army-Navy 7 Dec. 1941 2 Mar.1946 (30 consecutive days or 60 days non-consecutive duty outside continental limits of United States)

• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Army-Navy 7 Dec. 1941 2 Mar. 1946

• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Army-Navy 7 Dec. 1941 8 Nov. 1945

• Army of Occupation Italy 9 May 1945 15 Sept. 1947 (30 consecutive days)
• Occupation of Germany (except West Berlin) 9 May 1945 5 May 1955
• Occupation of Germany (West Berlin) 9 May 1945 2 Oct. 1990
• Austria 9 May 1945 27 July 1955
• Korea 3 Sept.1945 29 June 1949
• Japan 3 Sept.1945 27 April 1952
• Navy Occupation Service Medal
• Italy 8 May 1945 15 Dec. 1947
• Trieste 8 May 1945 26 Oct. 1954
• Germany (except West Berlin) 8 May 1945 5 May 1955
• Austria 8 May 1945 25 Oct 1955
• Asiatic Pacific 2 Sept. 1945 27 Apr 1952

• Korean Service Medal Army, Navy, Air Force 27 June 1950 27 Jul 1954

• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Berlin 14 Aug. 1961 1 June 1963
• Lebanon 1 July 1958 1 Nov. 1958
• Quemoy and Matsu Islands 23 Aug. 1958 1 June 1963
• Taiwan Straits 23 Aug. 1958 1 Jan. 1959
• Congo 14 July 1960 1 Sep. 1962; 23 Nov. 1964 27 Nov.1964
• Laos 19 Apr. 1961 7 Oct. 1962
• Vietnam 1 July 1958 3 July 1965
• Cuba 24 Oct. 1962 1 June 1963
• Dominican Republic 28 Apr. 1965 21 Sep.1966
• Korea 1 Oct. 1966 30 June 1974
• Cambodia 29 Mar.1973 15 Aug. 1973
• Thailand 29 Mar.1973 15 Aug. 1873 (direct support Cambodia Operations)
• Evacuation of Cambodia 11-13 April 1975
• Evacuation of Vietnam 29-30 April 1975
• Mayaguez Operation 15 May 1975
• Grenada Operation 23 Oct. 1983 21 Nov.1983
• Lebanon 6 June 1983 1 Dec. 1987
• Libyan Operation-El Dorado Canyon 12-17 April 1986
• Persian Gulf- Earnest Will 24 July 1987 2 Aug.1990
• Panama - Just Cause 20 Dec. 1989 31 Jan.1990
• Somalia - Restore Hope 5 Dec. 1992 Indeterminate
• Haiti - Uphold Democracy 16 Sep. 1994 Indeterminate
• Bosnia - Peace Keeping Force - dates not determined

• Marine Corps and Navy Corps Expeditionary Medal
• Thailand Military Operation 16 May 1962 10 Aug. 1962
• Cuban Military Operation 3 Jan.1961 23 Oct. 1962
• Iranian, Yemen/Indian Ocean 8 Dec. 1978 6 June 1979; 21 Nov. 1979 20 Oct. 1981
• Lebanon 20 Aug. 1982 31 Dec. 1983
• Libyan Expedition 20 Jan. 1986 27 June 1986
• Persian Gulf 1 Feb. 1987 23 July 1987

• Vietnam Service Medal 4 July 1965 28 Mar. 1973

• Southwest Asia Service Medal (Desert Shield/Desert Storm) 2 Aug 1990 Indeterminate Combat areas of operation only
• Personnel in support units serving in Israel 17 Jan. 1991 Indeterminate; Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan
• Combat Action Ribbon - 1 Mar. 1961 Indeterminate
• Combat Infantry Badge - 6 Dec. 1941 Indeterminate
• Combat Medical Badge - 6 Dec. 1941 Indeterminate

• Service on the Korean Peninsula, or in its territorial waters for thirty (30) consecutive or sixty (60) non- consecutive days from 30 June 1949, to a date indeterminate (Overseas Service Ribbon).

• Service in Bosnia Peacekeeping Force.(Armed Forces Service- Bosnia) (dates not determined)