Observing Over 80 Years in the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Minnesota

January 3, 1902 - A.R. Patterson Post 7 chartered - First in Minnesota

March 1, 1905 - M.M. Carlton Post 5 chartered - Second in Minnesota

January 17, 1921 - Department (State) Charter issued to The Veterans of Foreign Wars

August 10, 1921 - First Department (State) Encampment in St. Paul 
January 23, 1925 - Auxiliary Granted Department Charter with Thirteen Units

June, 1935 - Minnesota V.F.W. sponsors a home at the V.F.W. National Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, MI.

November, 1945 - V.F.W. opens Claims and Service Office in Commerce Building

June, 1952 - Handicapped Scholarship Fund Established 
August, 1954 - First V.F.W. State Jr. Baseball Tournament

February, 1956 - First V.F.W. State Bantam Hockey Tournament

September 20, 1959 - V.F.W. Cancer Research Center Presented to the University of Minnesota

December, 1962 - V.F.W. Youth Center Opens at Minneapolis V.A. Hospital

June, 1966 - Camp Courage Reception Center Dedicated by V.F.W

1977-1978 - Posts and Auxiliaries raised $200,000 for Cancer Research at the University of Minnesota

June, 1979 - Camp Courage North Cabin for the Handicapped funded by V.F.W

1981-1982 - Established V.F.W. Heart Research Scholarship Trust Fund

July, 1983 - First Annual V.F.W. Special Olympics

July, 1984 - First V.F.W. State Jr. Soccer Tournament

July, 1988 - Posts and Auxiliaries Raised $235,000 for Early Childhood Center at Children’s Hospital

July, 1989 - Established National Voice of Democracy Scholarship Endowment Fund on behalf of Department of Minnesota, V.F.W. (Named the William Halsey Memorial Scholarship)

July, 1990 - Endowed Chair for the Elderly at the University of Minnesota Pharmaceutical College

July, 1991 - Established Veterans on the Lake Endowment Fund

July, 1995 - Posts & Auxiliaries raised over $1,000,000 for the V.F.W.Cancer Research Center Endowment Fund at the University of Minnesota.

September, 1999 - Established National Youth Essay Scholarship Endowment Fund on behalf of the Department of Minnesota V.F.W. (Named the Warren Tressler Memorial Scholarship) 

July, 2001 - Established State Voice of Democracy Endowment Fund.  (Named after Mytle Winslow.)

May 22, 2012 - Minnesota V.F.W. Charitable Association Formed

Department of Minnesota V.F.W. Membership Totals

 1921 - 2,968

1931 - 6,900

1941 - 8,261

1951 - 35,406

1961 - 50,896

1971 - 74,585

1981 - 82,076

1991 - 85,988

2001 - 71,124

2011 - 53,373

2020 - 34,704