Veterans Day activities planned

■ American Legion and VFW commanders discuss similarities and differences.

The local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts will be working to honor veterans in Siloam Springs this week with activities that include a program and parade.

VFW Post 1674 is holding a Veterans Day program at the Siloam Springs High School at 11 a.m. The event is open to the public and will include a speech by state Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-District 87) and posting of the colors by the local National Guard.

American Legion Post 29 is organizing the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge, located at the intersection of College Street and University Street. It will make its way along University Street to Broadway Street, then to East Main Street, ending at the National Guard Armory. Parade entries are welcome.

The American Legion is also planning to host a fish fry on Veterans Day, starting at 4:30 p.m. at the American Legion Community Building. The dinner will cost $6 a plate and will include catfish and all the trimmings.

While American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars have similar missions and both focus on helping veterans, there are a few key distinctions between the two organizations.

As Veterans Day approaches on Nov. 11, Bennie Gallant, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1674, and J.W. Smith, Commander of American Legion Post 29, sat down to talk about the similarities and differences of the organizations they lead.

The focus of both the American Legion and VFW are focused on helping veterans, whether they are members or not, according to Smith and Gallant.

Smith said that the late Harold Sullivan, a member of both posts, best described the similarities of the two organizations.

“He told me, ‘You know J.W., if you get rid of all the fluff and puff surrounding the American Legion and VFW, it boils down to one word, Veterans and taking care of Veterans,’” Smith said.

The key difference between the two organizations is that the American Legion is available to all veterans who served in the armed services during a conflict while the VFW is specifically for veterans who served in a designated combat zone during a period of combat, Gallant and Smith said. Many veterans, including both Gallant and Smith, are members of both organizations.

VFW

The VFW, which started in 1899, is the nation’s oldest major veterans organization and has a long tradition of helping veterans. It has a motto of “No one does more for veterans,” Gallant said.

After the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the Philippine Insurrection in 1899 to 1902, veterans came together to form organizations that would eventually become the VFW, according to the organization’s website www.vfw.org.

The national VFW organization has been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, the development of the national cemetery system and war memorials, and the fight to compensate Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. It also fought to pass the GI Bill for the 21st Century, which expands education benefits to active duty service members, and members of guard and reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the website states.

Currently the organization has 1.7 million members, the website states. The local VFW post has 171 members, Gallant said.

A benefit of VFW is that all donations go directly toward helping veterans, Gallant said. Locally, the VFW gives away poppies in exchange for donations, does recruiting drives, and holds fundraisers such as selling hot dogs at local businesses. VFW members are also involved in volunteering for nonprofit organizations such as The Manna Center and Genesis House. Monies raised from these activities are used to help veterans who may need help with an expense such as paying a utility bill.

Post 1674 is also involved in youth projects such as Voice of America, a high school speech contest and Patriot Pen, a similar essay contest. The post is also involved in scholarship awards, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts awards, and teacher awards, Gallant said.

The post meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at its headquarters, located at 830 S. Lincoln St. More information about the local organization is available by calling 479-220-7576.

American Legion

The American Legion is the largest wartime veterans organization, Smith said. It was started in March 1919 and chartered by Congress in 1920.

The organization was founded because the leaders of World War I were deeply concerned about what was going to happen to returning veterans, and the families of those who were killed in the war, Smith said. The American Legion was started to help veterans and their families as they returned to civilian life, with concerns such as rehabilitation, finding jobs and getting an education, he said.

The American Legion has four main pillars — veterans affairs and rehabilitation, national security, Americanism, and children and youth, Smith said. The national organization has a total of 1.97 million members. The leaders of the American Legion are all volunteers at the national, state and local levels, he said.

American Legion Post 29 has 184 members. Post 29 has an honor guard that officiates at the funerals of local veterans at the request of families. Post 29 members are also involved in volunteering for organizations such as Genesis House and the Manna Center.

For youth, American Legion offers recognition programs for high school seniors, scholarships, an oratorical contest, the Boys State and Girls State program, and American Legion Baseball. It also offers flag education and a drug awareness program for elementary schools.

The local post does three local fundraisers, including the pancake and sausage breakfast in October, the beans and cornbread, and spaghetti dinners at the Dogwood Festival, and the carnival during the summer months.

Post 29 also has an active auxiliary unit that is responsible for fundraisers such as giving away paper poppies in exchange for donations. Like the VFW, the funds raised from these activities are used to help local veterans in need.

American Legion Post 29 is headquartered at the American Legion Community Building, located at 110 N. Mt. Olive St. The post holds coffee with the commander at 8:30 a.m. each Saturday morning for those who are interested in learning more about the organization. More information is also available by calling 479-549-7199.

Working together to remember those killed in action

While the VFW and American Legion have at times had a bit of friendly rivalry based on camaraderie, the bottom line is that both organizations are dedicated to veterans, Gallant and Smith said.

“We are different but we have the same mission,” Smith said.

The Siloam Springs Killed in Action Memorial, dedicated on Memorial Day in 2016, is a recent example of American Legion Post 29 and VFW Post 1674 working together.

The memorial, which is located next to the Siloam Springs Public Library overlooking Twin Springs Park, honors 32 Siloam Springs veterans who were killed in action during World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and Operation Enduring Freedom.

A committee, comprised of members of both the American Legion and VFW, came together to establish the memorial and provide for its continued care. A Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for the memorial is planned for 10 a.m. Nov. 9.