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VFW National Headquarters Badge


KevinBeyer
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Forth Image:

 

Another characteristic of early VFW badges concerns the suspension ribbon width. Several sizes have been noted. It is believed that many early societies had ribbons of varying widths to fit the design of their badge. It was America's experience in WWI that caused the military to standardize and restrict the wearing of badges on the uniform. At the same time, veteran societies were adopting a current military look to their society uniforms and this required a general shift in ribbon widths toward the military standard of 1-3/8 inch so members could wear their veteran membership ribbon with their newly won military ribbons.

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  • 8 months later...

Have recently acquired a better version of the VFW membership badge with the 'upright US'. This is the second of this style badge I have and both are:

 

Plain bronze with VFW logo on front.

 

The wrap around title VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS US has the US inverted to be upright and readable to the viewer.

 

The reverse is smooth--a variation usually found on enameled and/or gold filled badges only--with letters NH-VFW impressed in the lower left corner.

 

This badge also had a Past Officer title bar with the reverse stamped NAT'L HDQRS, VFW, and the number 5.

 

Reference: Posting 17 and 19.

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  • 11 years later...

I realize this is an older thread, but I have found it very helpful and I wanted to give back.

 

Attached is a spreadsheet I threw together from some scans that VFW National HQ sent me the yesterday. This is from the 1929 By-Laws

 

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Bobby "Chief" Welch

State Jr. Vice Commander

Department of Illinois

Veterans of Foreign Wars

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Hi, Bobby,

 

Thank you for your post! I had no idea that current and past VFW officers wore the rank strap at the top of the ribbon. As mentioned previously, organizations like the G.A.R. and the U.S.W.V. moved the strap to the middle of the ribbon when denoting a member was a past officer. The color change for the background is a nice, visual means of denoting past from present. The difference to the 19th and 20th century veterans' organizations is that they did not incur an extra manufacturing cost for their past officers insignia.

 

Circling back to the first post on this thread, it looks like the original badge, having 4 silver stars on a red background, is for a Past National Commander in Chief.

 

Thank you again for providing this information!

 

Kevin

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Kansas Raider

Have you guys seen this one before? It was in a collection that belonged to a member of the 22nd Kansas Infantry in the Spanish American War. It has a maker mark of B.B. & B. On the botom drop on the back has VFW National Headquarters

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The Suspension bar and ribbon drape match the attached picture of the Spanish American War Veterans membership badge. (sourced from a google search)

 

In 1904, the Spanish War Veterans, the Spanish American War Veterans and the Servicemen of the Spanish War joined to form the United Spanish War Veterans.

 

The Cross of Malta looks to be from post-ww1. The "national headquarters" on the reverse, the addition of "of U.S." in the seal and the larger shield on the eagle all match one I have dated to 1934 (plus or minus a year)

but the deep V between the points of the cross does not match the one I have which is less pronounced, unless there were several manufactures at that time. I will attach a pic tomorrow.

 

It would be pure speculation on my part as to why the two were married together... personal preference maybe?

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As promised, here is one of my favorite pieces from my collection. All original packaging **note the 1932 3c stamp** I used this to determine the approximate age of this badge. VFW Post 2724 is still active in Whiting, IN.

 

Belay my last on the seals matching however... I did not have it in hand until just now.

 

I do have 4 that have Identical obverses to yours and yet 2 of them say "VFW NAT'L HQDTRS" and 2 say "VFW KC KANS" on the reverse... KC KANS are assumed to be the older version, pre-1930's since that is the time frame that National HQ moved to Kansas City, MO. (examples attached)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Found some more information on the Officer's Insignia for the VFW, this comes from the 1921 By-Laws and helps confuse the subject even more at the Department Level. National and Post seem to be unchanged compared to the 1929 By-Laws, minus the addition of officers. Since Departments were first made official at the 1920 Encampment in Washington, D.C. it seems only fitting that there would be some growing pains through the 1920's

 

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Attached are scans of the 1921 By-Laws, Article XXIII.

 

Section 2 should help date the badges that have the different corps insignia along with the Navy and Marine Corps versions.

 

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Some more information to help date some of the badges:

The badges that have K.C. KANS on the reverse... National Headquarters was moved from New York City sometime after June 26th, 1923 to Kansas City, KS until it moved again on January 1st, 1930 to Kansas City, MO.

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This is a great post. I been a member of the VFW for several years, but did not know about there medals. I will never forget whiting IN. I got stuck there in the big snow storm of 1967. sure could of used there VFW.

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  • 4 years later...
On 3/15/2008 at 4:52 PM, frederick said:

The VFW was created in 1914 from three groups formed after the Spanish-American War. These groups were the Army of the Philippines, and two independent, but identically named bodies, the American Veterans of Foreign Service. All three groups had as a condition for membership service outside the continental United States. Although each society had its own membership badge, the newly created VFW adopted a modified version of the Army of the Philippines badge--the Maltese cross. They also adopted the ribbon and added rank straps bars--Black for National Officers, Blue for Department Officers and White for Post or local Officers. At some time before 1933, they must have changed this color system. We have images posted with Red enamel top bars; I have never seen a VFW badge with Black enamel top bars, but they must exist. Changing the top bar color system is not unique to the VFW; other societies have done it (e.g. The Army & Navy Union).

 

Sometime during this early period, the VFW issued three membership badges with Corps insignia attached to the center of the Maltese cross. The Eighth Corps badge is a copy of the Army of the Philippines membership badge, with the new VFW logo around the blank center on the back. They also issued a Fifth Corps and First Corps logo badge. Since the Eighth Corps represented service in the Philippines, via the predecessor's badge, it may be that the other badges represent Corps that served in the Caribbean. Regardless of the reason for issue, the badges are known to exist and are shown in the Bishop and Elliott book American Society Medals. Note in the image of these badges the wide strap bar acting as a jump ring attaching the pendent medal to the ribbon ring. This broad strap is a carry over from the former society badge and appears on early VFW issue badges.

 

It is assumed, but not documented, that sometime around WWI, the VFW issued Service Specific badges--Navy, Marine Corps and 38th Inf. It is just a guess, but the Eagle in the standard VFW badge was probably thought of as representing the Army and no badge specific for this service is known to me. The VFW history reports at the end of WWI, some 3000 veterans of the 38th Inf joined the VFW and formed a Rock of the Marne Post at their base in Europe. At that time the VFW reported 15,000 members nationally, so the 38th Inf represented a considerable portion of the membership and a valid justification of a special badge for this unit. I know of no other VFW badge for a specific unit.

 

Note in the image the thick jump ring attaching the pendent medal to the ribbon ring. This thick, heavy jump ring is characteristic of badges from the post-WWI period and replaces the wide strap bar on earlier badges.

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This is an old post, but a VFW First Corps badge DOES exist, I have one!

 

will post pics shortly 

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KevinBeyer

Valuations on VFW related badges is outside of my area of expertise, but gravdiggr is researching them and would be interested.

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bwelch_VFW_IL

As Kevin said, gravediggr would be interested... after USMF changed how to login, I had issues and just made a new account. So anything you see posted by "gravdiggr" is me. 

 

This is 1 of 8 versions that the "new" VFW had contracted with BB&B starting in 1915 and was assumed to have been produced until 1919. One sold on eBay this morning for $67.00. I believe that price is slightly below average for what it is. 

 

If you are willing to sell it, I would like to make an offer. please email me at [email protected]

 

Bobby Welch

Past State Commander/State Historian

Department of IL

Veterans of Foreign Wars

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