Veterans Of Foreign Wars
The fundamental difference between our Organization and
other veteran organizations-and one in which we take great
pride-is our eligibility qualifications. There are three
primary 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 as indicated on his or her discharge papers
or as set forth in the Congressional Charter and/or By-Laws.
If you think you are eligible for membership in the VFW, Fill out
the Offline request for further information.
ELIGIBILITY REGULATIONS
Expeditionary Navy 12 Feb. 1874 Indeterminate
Spanish Campaign Army 11 May 1898 16 Aug. 1898
Navy 20 April 1898 10 Dec. 1898
Army Cuban Occupation Army 18 July 1898 20 May 1902
Army Puerto Rican Oc. Army 14 Aug. 1898 10 Dec. 1898
Philippine Campaign Army 4 Feb. 1899 31 Dec. 1913
Navy 4 Feb. 1899 15 Sep. 1906
China Campaign Army 20 June 1900 27 May 1901
China Relief Navy 5 Apr 1900 27 May 1901
Army Cuban Pacification Army 6 Oct. 1906 1 April 1909
Cuban Pacification Navy 12 Sep. 1906 1 April 1909
Mexican Service Army 12 April 1911 16 June 1919
Navy 12 April 1914 7 Feb. 1917
1st Nicaraguan Campaign Navy 29 July 1912 14 Nov.1912
Haitian Campaign Navy 9 July 1915 6 Dec. 1915
1 April 1919 15 June 1920
Dominican Campaign Navy 4 May 1916 5 Dec. 1916
World War I Victory Army 6 April 1917 1 Apr 1920
(w/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 not consecutive duty
outside continental limits of United States)
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Army-Navy 7 Dec. 1941 2 Mar. 1946
European-African- Army-Navy 7 Dec. 1941 8 Nov. 1945
Middle Eastern Campaign
Army of Occupation Italy 9 May 1945 15 Sept. 1947
(30 consecutive days)
Germany(except West Berlin) 9 May 1945 5 May 1955
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 (direct support 29 Mar.1973 15 Aug. 1873
Cambodia Operation)
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
Navy and Marine 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
Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan 17 Jan. 1991 Indeterminate
Combat Action Ribbon 1 Mar. 1961 Indeterminate
Combat Infantry Badge 6 Dec. 1941 Indeterminate
Combat Medical Badge 6 Dec. 1941 Indeterminate
*****RECENT CHANGE*****
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.
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