Why Us?      Passion and Commitment - these are the two words most associated with our organization. Other organizations may demonstrate these qualities to some degree, but for members of the Catholic War Veterans, we take it a bit further... Back to our roots.           Having served our nation in uniform we know that "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are not freedoms that come to us without sacrifice. Our founding fathers pledged to each other "their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" to provide these freedoms to their posterity. With the rise of Secular-Humanism and the "global culture" of today, many have forgotten the truth - that in making their pledge, they also looked to Divine Providence. Our founders were men of faith... Faith in God.      Each of us as citizens of this nation are charged with defending our Constitution and our Democratic Republic. As Catholics we are bound by our faith in God and the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ to do this with a spirit of charity and compassion. Jesus, however, never said that where faith and morals are concerned, inaction rules the day. Jesus and the Saints exhort us all to be lights on the hilltop and salt of the earth. Their examples are not ones of sitting back on their laurels in the face of persecution, nor of hiding or running away from the Good Fight. St. Paul in fact tells us to put on the armor of Christ, take up the Sword of the Spirit and go forth to battle the forces of the evil one. Since our inception in 1935, our organization's members have been patriots in the truest sense of the words. We are men and women of faith and this is OUR country. President Ronald Reagan upon signing the Congressional Charter of the CWV on August 17, 1984 had this to say,      "There have never been any sunshine soldiers or summer patriots in your ranks, and I have the deepest admiration for your commitment to serve both God and country." As citizens, it is our duty to respect the laws of our nation and to conduct our cultural battles in ways that promote peaceful resolutions and national unity. This is the country we all served and defended with honor. It is our charge to live For God, For Country, and For Home!      When our founder Fr. Edward J. Higgins of Astoria, NY decided to form the first Post of the CWV and to seek the blessing of Pope Pius XI, his first order for the organization was to actively support the good and welfare of our nation. Secondly, as a WWI veteran he wanted to ensure that the primary focus of our efforts was to put into action the famous words of President Abraham Lincoln, "To care for those who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan." Today, the CWV keeps faith with this mandate of our founder by providing the services of our national and local area V.A. Service Officers free of charge to those members and other veterans who request professional assistance in preparing and defending their claims for federal veterans benefits. As a Congressionally Chartered organization, the CWV is privileged to be able to provide face-to-face testimony before our nation's law makers with a mandate backed by federal law on behalf of all veterans and their families. By joining the CWV you can be sure that your voice will be heard in the halls of our government. With Posts located across the country our members are able to provide assistance programs tailored to the needs of their local communities and those local citizen-soldiers of our National Guard and Reserves. Becoming a CWV member is more than exercising charity and providing service. Members enjoy the camaraderie and respect of fellow veterans. Each individual has a distinct story to tell, and in the CWV we listen... and we remember. We remember that it is the individual veteran and their family who have volunteered and put their lives on the line for the rest of us. They have served and sacrificed and they deserve to be remembered for their honor and their valor. These are the true role models for our youth to emulate and admire. Working together we can assure our predecessors that their memory is preserved. It is estimated that on any given day there are over 1.4 million Catholics serving in our nation's military. If you are, or were, one of them, we need you. Just as our nation's military missions suffer when enlistments and commissions wain, we too are less effective without you. If you desire to make a real difference for Good in people's lives... If you desire that no veteran, their spouse, or their orphans get left behind... If you care about liberty, justice, and the future freedom of your community and nation... We salute you and welcome you to join us!