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MANY IRAQ VETS ARE IGNORING VETERANS GROUPS --
"I don't think you have a lot of joiners
anymore.
I think all the clubs are down."
Story here...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070102/LOCAL/70102039/1006/LOCAL
Story below:
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Many Iraq vets ignore veterans groups
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Veterans groups are finding it
tough to recruit the men and women who fought in the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The Columbus American Legion post has about 600 members, but fewer than
a dozen of them are exclusively veterans of the conflicts that followed
the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
And two of Columbus’ AmVets posts have no members from among the
nation’s newest combat veterans, said Larry Durnil, acting commander of
the local AmVets.
Even though the post’s commander, Rick Caldwell, is serving in Iraq,
Durnil said the post is still struggling with its membership. And he
said it’s far from alone.
“I don’t think you have a lot of joiners anymore; I think all the clubs
are down,” Durnil said.
Floyd Crouse, a member and officer in several veterans groups in Brown
and Bartholomew counties, said few younger veterans are joining up.
That’s hurting veterans groups, as well as the Jaycees, Lions Club and
others, as their older members pass away.
“We are being picked off every day by the guy with the scythe,” he said.
“Membership in all sorts of veterans’ organizations is going downhill.
It is a struggle.”
Durnil predicts many veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will
join a veterans group at some point because they’ll feel an urge to
trade war stories to fellow veterans who can relate to their combat
experience.
“One of these days they are going to want to tell their story, so to
speak,” Durnil said. “I think a veteran likes to talk to another
veteran.”
National American Legion statistics show that about 25 percent of the
members are from World War II, 20 percent from the Korean War and 50
percent are from Vietnam or more recent conflicts.
At the national level, Durnil said veterans’ organizations are trying to
address their recruiting problems by boosting advertising about the
groups.
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Larry Scott
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