Arizona Veterans Posts

About Veterans Organizations in Arizona

A deep look at the history, oldest posts, membership process, and notable veterans connected to Arizona.

History of Veterans Organizations in Arizona

Arizona's veterans organizations have grown in step with one of the most dramatic population shifts in American history. Arizona was admitted to statehood in 1912, only seven years before the American Legion was founded, so the territorial-era veteran community was small and dominated by Spanish-American War, Indian Wars, and a handful of aging Civil War veterans living in territorial soldiers homes. The first American Legion posts in the new state were chartered in 1919 and 1920, including posts in Phoenix, Tucson, Bisbee, and Prescott. Department of Arizona American Legion grew steadily through the 1920s and 1930s.

The catalytic event for Arizona was World War II. The state's clear skies and open desert made it ideal for pilot training, gunnery ranges, and prisoner-of-war camps. Luke Field, Williams Field, Davis-Monthan, Marana Army Airfield, Ryan Field, Yuma Army Airfield, and Falcon Field at Mesa hosted tens of thousands of trainees, and many of those young pilots and aircrews returned to Arizona after the war. Korean and Vietnam waves added to the rolls, but the most distinctive Arizona pattern is the post-1965 retirement migration.

Arizona became a magnet for retired servicemembers, especially those drawn to Tucson, Sierra Vista (Fort Huachuca), Sun City, and the Verde Valley. By the 1980s, Arizona was per-capita one of the most veteran-heavy states in the country, with Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps retirees dominating membership. Notable state-specific events include the dedication of the USS Arizona Memorial connections through Phoenix's Wesley Bolin Plaza, the founding of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, and a long tradition of Boys State at Arizona State University.

Oldest and Most Historic Posts in Arizona

American Legion Luke-Greenway Post 1 in Phoenix is the oldest post in Arizona, named jointly for Frank Luke Jr., the Phoenix-born WWI ace who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and John C. Greenway, a Rough Rider and WWI brigadier general who is one of Arizona's two statues in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall. Post 1 received its charter in 1919 and remains a prominent post on Seventh Avenue.

Tucson's Morgan McDermott Post 7 is one of the oldest in southern Arizona, named for a soldier killed in WWI; it has been a fixture of midtown Tucson since the 1920s. Bisbee Post 14 served the copper-mining workforce and was chartered shortly after WWI. Prescott's Ernest A. Love Post 6, named for a WWI aviator killed in France, is among the oldest continuously active posts in northern Arizona and meets in a historic hall.

Flagstaff Post 3 was chartered in 1919-1920 and has long served the high country. Yuma Post 19 grew alongside the agricultural and military communities of the lower Colorado River. Globe-Miami Post 4 served the mining communities of Gila County. Mesa Post 26 became increasingly prominent as the East Valley grew.

Many of these older posts maintain historical archives, original charters, and rosters of members who served in every conflict from WWI through the Global War on Terror.

VFW Posts in Arizona: A Closer Look

The Veterans of Foreign Wars expanded in Arizona along similar lines to the American Legion, but the VFW's stricter eligibility (foreign service medal, campaign medal, hostile-fire pay, or qualifying expeditionary service) meant earlier posts often had smaller initial rolls. Arizona's first VFW posts came in the 1920s, including in Phoenix and Tucson. The Department of Arizona VFW saw its biggest growth after WWII, with veterans of the Pacific and European theaters chartering posts across the state. Today the VFW Department of Arizona oversees roughly a hundred posts, with concentrations along the Phoenix metro area, Tucson, Sierra Vista, Yuma, Lake Havasu City, and Flagstaff.

The eligibility difference from the American Legion is meaningful for Arizona: many Cold War-era retirees who never deployed to a hostile-fire zone qualify for the Legion but not the VFW. Conversely, Arizona's high concentration of fighter and bomber aircrews from Davis-Monthan and Luke means many VFW members are Air Force veterans who flew in Vietnam, Desert Storm, OEF, and OIF. State-specific concentration is heaviest in Maricopa and Pima Counties.

AMVETS, DAV, and Other Veterans Organizations in Arizona

AMVETS Department of Arizona maintains active posts throughout the state, with strong presences in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, and Sierra Vista. The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Department of Arizona is one of the more active departments in the West, operating chapters in nearly every county and providing transportation to the Phoenix VA Medical Center and Tucson VA Medical Center as well as outpatient clinics in places like Show Low, Yuma, and Lake Havasu. Arizona is also home to chapters of the Marine Corps League, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Korean War Veterans Association, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Special Forces Association. The Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix and the Tucson Veterans Memorial Park host events for many of these groups.

The Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza on the state capitol grounds includes monuments to nearly every conflict involving Arizona service members.

Arizona Veterans Posts by the Numbers

Arizona is estimated to have approximately 150 to 180 active American Legion posts, organized under the Department of Arizona into geographic districts. The VFW Department of Arizona maintains an estimated 90 to 110 active posts, while AMVETS operates 30 to 40 statewide. The state's total veteran population is estimated at 530,000 to 580,000, making Arizona one of the top ten states by veteran population. The high retiree percentage means a large share of Arizona's veterans are over age 65, many drawing both military retirement and Social Security.

District structure for the American Legion in Arizona traditionally divides the state into roughly a dozen districts. The state hosts an annual department convention and runs Boys State at the Arizona State University campus.

How to Join a Veterans Post in Arizona

Joining a veterans organization in Arizona is similar to other states. American Legion membership is open to any veteran who served honorably during a recognized war era; under the LEGION Act this is December 7, 1941 to the present. Annual dues at Arizona Legion posts typically range from $40 to $65, with some larger metro posts charging slightly more for facility upkeep. VFW membership requires honorable service plus qualifying foreign-service criteria such as a campaign or expeditionary medal, hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay, or 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea.

Arizona VFW dues commonly run $40 to $60. AMVETS membership is open to any honorably discharged veteran or current servicemember. Sponsor requirements at the post level in Arizona are typically informal; new members usually need a DD-214 and a small initiation fee. Auxiliary units (American Legion Auxiliary, VFW Auxiliary, AMVETS Auxiliary) and Sons of the American Legion units provide membership pathways for spouses, children, and grandchildren.

Many Arizona posts have embraced online membership and renewal through legion.org, vfw.org, and amvets.org. The Arizona Department of Veterans Services accredits service officers who can help veterans file VA claims at no cost.

Notable Arizona Veterans in History

Arizona has been home to extraordinary veterans across its history. Senator Barry Goldwater, an Army Air Forces pilot in WWII who delivered aircraft across the Pacific and later commanded the 9999th Reserve Squadron as a major general, was a longtime member of multiple Arizona Legion posts. Senator John McCain, a Navy aviator and Vietnam POW who held a Senate seat for more than 30 years, was a member of veterans organizations in Phoenix. Frank Luke Jr., the WWI balloon-busting ace and Medal of Honor recipient born in Phoenix, lent his name to Luke-Greenway Post 1 and Luke Air Force Base.

Ira Hayes, the Pima Marine who helped raise the second flag on Iwo Jima, was a member of VFW and Legion posts in Arizona. Lori Piestewa, a Hopi Army soldier killed in Iraq in 2003 and the first Native American woman to die in combat in the U.S. military, is honored at Piestewa Peak in Phoenix. WWII Marine and code talker Charles Chibitty connections through Arizona communities reflect the state's strong Native American veteran heritage.

These veterans, and the many thousands of less famous Arizonans who served, have built and sustained the state's veterans organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions: Arizona Veterans Posts

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.legion.org/departments/arizona
• https://www.vfw.org/
• https://www.amvets.org/
• https://dvs.az.gov/
• https://www.dav.org/