Sixty-three-year-old Harrison Solt is one of the newest members of the Ledyard VFW Post 4608. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Solt recently became eligible for membership when his service on a fleet ballistic missile submarine was recognized as suitable for VFW membership.
Now, as the public relations chair for Post 4608, Solt is heading the campaign to recruit “Modern Day Warriors” into the ranks of the VFW.
“For years and years, veterans of World War II have been the backbone and provided great leadership for the VFW,” Solt began. “Veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War have also stepped in and taken leadership roles, and now it’s time for the torch to be passed on again. This next generation of veterans, whether it be from Iraq or Afghanistan or any of the other, smaller foreign engagements is fully eligible for membership, and we’re trying to get the word out that the time to join is now.”
Like the recent recognition of Solt’s service aboard a fleet-class submarine, veterans of many of the more recent foreign conflicts in which the U.S. has been involved since the Vietnam era are now recognized by the VFW as meeting membership criteria.
Solt and others at Post 4608, including Post Commander Merlin Evered, are now pushing for the younger generation of veterans to join their ranks in the VFW, and in many regards take on the positions of leadership that have been occupied for so long by World War II and Vietnam-era vets.
Solt estimated that approximately 50 percent of Post 4608’s membership still consists of World War II veterans and another 30 percent to 40 percent is made up of Korean and Vietnam War vets, and, as Solt pointed out, the older generations can’t bear the torch forever.
“Maybe [the younger generations of veterans] think that the VFW is just a bunch of old fogies sitting around, but that’s not the case,” Solt said. “For years, VFW leaders have worked hard for all veterans of foreign wars, earning them numerous benefits such as health insurance for their entire families, scholarships for their children, and even special job placement assistance. It also provides a social outlet for veterans where they might not have one elsewhere.
“I think the younger generation really owes it to themselves and to future generations of soldiers to step up and assume a leadership role now to keep the VFW a strong and politically relevant organization,” Solt added.
For more information, visit www.vfw.org for the national office, www.vfwct.org for the Connecticut VFW Department, or www.orgsites.com/ct/vfwpost4608 for Ledyard VFW Post 4608.