Veterans of Foreign Wars Ribbon and Belt

In 1899, groups of veterans returning from the Spanish–American War campaigns inCuba and the Philippine Islands, founded local societies based upon a spirit of comradeship known only to those who faced the dangers of that war side by side. These societies included the American Veterans of Foreign Service that was established in Columbus, Ohio, on September 29, 1899, by Spanish‑American War veteran James C. Putnam. The Colorado Society, Army of the Philippines, was founded in Denver, Colorado, on December 12, 1899, by General Irving Hale of Denver. And finally, the Foreign Service Veterans was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in October 1901. The Ohio-based group and the Pittsburgh-based group held a joint convention in 1905, where the two groups merged. Merging the final two groups happened in August 1913 when an encampment was held in Denver and they merged their interests and identities into a national organization now known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

The non-profit organization's purpose is to speed rehabilitation of the nation's disabled and needy veterans, assist veterans' widows and orphans and the dependents of needy or disabled veterans, and promote allegiance to the U.S. They were instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, the development of the national cemetery system, getting compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange, and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. In 2008, they helped pass a GI Bill for the 21st Century, giving expanded educational benefits to active duty service members, and members of the guard and reserves who were then fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also were the driving force of passage of numerous legislative acts including the Veterans Access and Accountability Act of 2014, the 2019 Blue Water Navy Veteran Act, and the 2022 Honoring Our PACT Act. The VFW ribbon on display, most likely given to a veteran, is a testament to the centuries long battle to take proper care of our veterans.