MEDINA – A common issue for veterans organizations throughout the U.S. is a lack of new members joining up to replace vets of earlier wars who have passed on.

This is both true and false here in Medina, especially when it comes to two of the more prominent veterans groups, the ones chartered by Congress: Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5137 and American Legion Post 202.

While VFW Commander Jim Hoessle says his organization is comprised of roughly 30 percent “young” veterans – those of the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia – Legion Commander Dave Lofy says his organization’s numbers are declining.

“From what we have lost over the last year, that’s deaths from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, we’ve more than replaced with younger veterans,” said Hoessle, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.

“It’s strange,” Lofy, a 20-year Navy and Coast Guard veteran, said in contrast. “Our post in Medina, it’s mostly older guys and it’s very hard trying to get the younger veterans involved.”

The VFW and Legion here are not all that dissimilar; however, one slight difference is the VFW on Pearl Road has a bar, referred to by veterans as a “canteen,” while the Legion on North Broadway Street does not.

Both VFWs and Legions are described as social and support organizations for war veterans, but they differ in eligibility requirements.

The VFW accepts active and former military veterans who received a campaign medal for service overseas, whereas the Legion accepts active duty or honorably discharged service personnel from any war era dating back to World War I.

Both groups remain active on local and national levels and both are lobbyists when it comes to legislation pertaining to veterans rights and benefits, namely the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital system.

In Medina, both of the groups are often bound through various public events and even share common members. Hoessle, in addition to his VFW duties, is also the finance officer for the Legion.

Relationships between Medina County veterans groups – of which there are nearly two dozen serving the likes of military women, bikers, disabled veterans, military mothers and beyond – are not uncommon.

Desert Veterans
Recently, local veterans have joined forces to form a new group serving the above-mentioned veterans of more recent wars. It is being called “Desert Veterans of Medina County” and it is still in a preliminary stage. The group won’t have any direct affiliation to either the VFW or Legion.

Legion member Dave Taylor, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, is currently shepherding members for this group, and Ken Dyer, a retired Army colonel, is serving as president.

“I think these vets will be our future,” Taylor said. “I know we will have two to three events this summer at the Veterans Hall (on North Broadway Street) for these young vets to come with families for barbecues, getting workshops on understanding their veterans benefits, etc.”

Taylor said the goals for this new group is to have the current generation of young veterans “associate with people who shared the same experiences they did in the desert wars” and “help their fellow veterans ... in finding jobs (and) seeking help for life’s challenges.”

“Joining an organization which wants to discuss the when the next time they will be selling poppies, they have zero interest,” Taylor said. “For many of today’s younger veterans, we older guys are just not technologically savvy.”

Dyer could not be reached for comment.

For more information about the Desert Veterans of Medina County, contact Taylor at dave.taylor@zoominternet.net or Dyer at Kcdyer01@gmail.com.