VFW membership is available to all U.S. Citizens, honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces and who have earned an overseas campaign medal as indicated from the following chart:
Campaign Medal
Expeditionary
Spanish Campaign
Military Service
Navy
Marine Corps
Army
Navy
Army
Army
Army
Navy
Army
Navy
Army
Navy
Army
Navy
Navy
Navy
Navy
Army
Navy
Army
Navy
Navy
Navy
Army-Navy
Army-Navy
Army-Navy
Army-Navy
Italy
Germany (except West Berlin)
Germany (West Berlin)
Austria
Korea
Japan
Italy
Trieste
Germany (except West Berlin)
Austria
Asiatic Pacific
Army, Navy, Air Force
Berlin
Lebanon
Quemoy & Matsu Island
Taiwan Straits
Congo
Laos
Vietnam
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Korea
Cambodia
Thailand (in direct support of Cambodia Operation)
Operation Eagle Pull-Evacuation of Cambodia
Operation Frequent Wind-Evacuation of Vietnam
Mayaguez Operation
Operation Urgent Fury-Grenada
Lebanon
Libyan Operation- El Dorado Canyon
Persian Gulf-Operation Earnest Will
Panama-Operation Just Cause
Somalia-United Shield-Operation Restore Hope
Haiti-Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Southern Watch
(Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Gulf of Oman W of 62" E Long, Yeman, Egypt, Jordan
El Salvador
Bosnia-Operation Joint Endeavor (Bosnia, Croatia, the Adriatic Sea & airspace)
Operation Joint Guard (Bosnia, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)
Operation Vigilant Sentinel (Persian Gulf, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait)
Operation Northern Watch (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf W of 56" E Long., and Incirlik AB, Turkey (only pers. TDY to ONW)
Operation Maritime Intercept operations (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman W of 62" E Long, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan)
Operation Joint Forge - (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Adriatic Sea & airspace)
Operation Desert Thunder (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea support
Operation Desert Fox (Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Gulf of Oman, USF Red Sea support
Thailand Military Operation
Cuban Military Operation
Iranian, Yemen & Indian Ocean Operation
Lebanon
Libyan Expedition
Persian Gulf
Panama - (pre and post invasion)
Liberia (Operation Sharp Edge)
Rwanda (Operation Distant Runner) (11th Marine Expeditionary Unit USS Peleliu)
(Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm) Combat areas of operation only
Personnel assigned to support units serving in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan
Service on the Korean Peninsula, or in its territorial waters for thirty (30), consecutive or sixty (60) nonconsecutive days.
Allied Force
Joint Guardian
Allied Harbour
Sustain Hope
Shining Hope
Noble Anvil
Kosovo Task Force Hawk
Kosovo Task Force Saber
Kosovo Task Force Falcon
Kosovo Task Force Hunter
Kosovo Air Campaign
Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia, Adriatic & Ionian Seas
Kosovo Defense Campaign
Serbia, Montenegro, Albania,
Macedonia, Adriatic Seas
Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay
Period During Which Issued
12 Feb 1874 - indeterminate
11 May 1898 -
16 Aug 1898
20 Apr 1898 -
10 Dec 1898
18 Jul 1898 -
20 May 1902
14 Aug 1898 -
10 Dec 1898
04 Feb 1899 -
31 Dec 1913
04 Feb 1899 -
15 Sep 1906
20 Jun 1900 -
27 May 1901
05 Apr 1900 -
27 May 1901
06 Oct 1906 -
01 Apr 1909
12 Sep 1906 -
01 Apr 1909
12 Apr 1911 -
16 June 1919
12 Apr 1914 -
07 Feb 1917
29 Jul 1912 -
14 Nov 1912
09 Jul 1915 -
06 Dec 1915.
01 Apr 1919 -
15 Jun 1920.
04 May 1916 -
05 Dec 1916
06 Apr 1917 -
01 Apr 1920
06 Apr 1917 -
30 Mar 1920
12 Nov 1918 -
11 Jul 1923
27 Aug 1926 -
02 Jan 1933
03 Sep 1926 -
21 Oct 1927.
01 Mar 1930 -
31 Dec 1932..
07 Jul 1937 -
07 Sep 1939.
02 Sep 1945 -
01 Apr 1957.
08 Sep 1939 -
07 Dec 1941
07 Dec 1941 -
02 Mar 1946
07 Dec 1941 -
02 Mar 1946
07 Dec 1941 -
08 Nov 1945
09 May 1945 -
15 Sep 1947
09 May 1945 -
05 May 1955
09 May 1945 -
02 Oct. 1990
09 May 1945 -
27 Jul 1955
03 Sep 1945 -
29 Jun 1949
03 Sep 1945 -
27 Apr 1952
08 May 1945 -
15 Dec 1947
08 May 1945 -
26 Oct 1954
08 May 1945 -
05 May 1955
08 May 1945 -
25 Oct 1955
02 Sep 1945 -
27 Apr 1952
27 Jun 1950 -
27 Jul 1954
14 Aug 1961 -
01 Jun 1963
01 Jul 1958 -
01 Nov 1958
23 Aug 1958 -
01 June 1963
23 Aug 1958 -
01 Jan. 1959
14 Jul 1960 -
01 Sep 1962.
23-27 Nov 1964.
19 Apr 1961 -
07 Oct 1962
01 Jul 1958 -
03 Jul 1965
24 Oct 1962 -
01 Jun 1963
28 Apr 1965 -
21 Sep 1966
01 Oct 1966 -
30 Jun 1974
29 Mar 1973 -
15 Aug 1973
29 Mar 1973 -
15 Aug 1973
11-13 Apr 1975
29-30 Apr 1975
15 May 1975
23 Oct 1983 -
21 Nov 1983
01 Jun 1983 -
01 Dec 1987
12-17 Apr 1986
24 July 1987 -
02 Aug. 1990
20 Dec 1989 -
31 Jan 1990
05 Dec 1992 -
31 Mar 1995
16 Sep 1994 -
31 Mar 1995
01 Dec 1995 -
Indeterminate
01 Jan 1981 -
01 Feb 1992
20 Nov 1995 -
20 Dec 1996
20 Dec 1996 -
20 Jun 1998
01 Dec 1995 -
01 Sep 1997
01 Jan 1997 -
Indeterminate
01 Dec 1995 -
Indeterminate
21 Jun. 1998 -
31 Dec 2000
11 Nov 1998 -
22 Dec 1998
16 Dec 1998 -
22 Dec 1998
16 May 1962 -
10 Aug 1962
03 Jan 1961 -
23 Oct 1962
08 Dec 1978 -
06 Jun 1979.
21 Nov 1979 -
20 Oct 1981.
20 Aug 1982 -
31 May 1983
20 Jan 1986 -
27 Jun 1986
01 Feb 1987 -
23 Jul 1987
01 Apr 1988 -
19 Dec 1989.
01 Feb 1990 -
13 Jun 1990.
05 Aug 1990 -
21 Feb 1991
07-18 Apr 1994
04 Jul 1965 -
28 Mar 1973
02 Aug 1990 -
30 Nov 1995
17 Jan. 1991 -
11 Apr 1991.
30 Nov 1995.
01 Mar 1961 -
Indeterminate
06 Dec 1941 -
Indeterminate
30 Jun 1949 -
26 Jun 1950.
28 Jul 1954-
20 Sep 1966.
01 Jul 1974 - Open
24 Mar 1999 -
10 Jun 1999
11 Jun 1999 -
indeterminate
04 Apr 1999 -
01 Sep 1999
04 Apr 1999 -
10 Jul 1999
24 Mar 1999 -
20 Jul 1999
05 Apr 1999 -
24 Jun 1999
31 Mar 1999 -
08 Jul 1999
11 Jun 1999 -
indeterminate
01 Apr 1999 -
01 Nov 1999
24 Mar 1999 -
10 Jun 1999
11 Jun 1999 -
indeterminate
Army of Cuban Occupation
Army of Puerto Rican Occupation
Philippine Campaign
China Campaign
China Relief Expedition
Army of Cuban Pacification
Cuban Pacification
Mexican Service
First Nicaraguan Campaign
Haitian Campaign
Dominican Campaign
World War I Victory
(with Battle or Service Clasp including Siberia and European Russia)
Army of Occupation of Germany
Second Nicaraguan Campaign
Yangtze Service
China Service
American Defense Service
(with Foreign Service Clasp)
American Campaign
(30 consecutive days or 60 days non-consecutive duty outside continental limits of the United States)
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
European-African Middle Eastern Campaign
Army of Occupation
30 consecutive days
Navy Occupation Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
30 consec. or 60 non-consec. days of duty
Navy & Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Infantry Badge & Combat Medical Badge
Korean Service (no campaign medal issued)
Kosovo Campaign Medal