Iowa Veterans Posts

About Veterans Organizations in Iowa

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

History of Veterans Organizations in Iowa

Iowa's veteran organizations have always been rooted in the agricultural rhythm of the state, with American Legion and VFW posts functioning as central institutions of small-town civic life from the cornfields of the eastern counties to the Loess Hills along the Missouri River. The American Legion Department of Iowa was chartered in 1919, and Iowa was actually one of the first states to fully organize after the founding caucus, with Iowa veterans of the 88th Infantry Division and the 168th Infantry of the 42nd Rainbow Division returning to organize posts in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, Sioux City, and Waterloo within months of the armistice. Iowa's military heritage stretches back through the Civil War, when Iowa volunteer regiments under generals like Grenville M. Dodge played decisive roles in the Western Theater, and through the Spanish-American War, when Iowa volunteers served in the Philippines.

World War I brought heavy mobilization through Camp Dodge near Des Moines, which was originally established in 1907 as a National Guard training facility and remains the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard. World War II turned Iowa into a major training and production state: Camp Dodge expanded; the Sioux City Air Base trained B-17 and B-29 crews; the Des Moines Ordnance Plant produced ammunition; and the Iowa Ordnance Plant near Burlington manufactured military explosives at what is now the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. The Department of Iowa headquarters operates from Des Moines and oversees the state's districts, organized to reflect the predominantly rural distribution of Iowa's veterans. The Korean and Vietnam wars saw Iowa send disproportionately high numbers of National Guardsmen overseas, and Iowa has consistently ranked among the highest per-capita states for military service rates.

The Iowa veteran tradition emphasizes citizen-soldier values, with many Iowa veterans returning home after service to take over family farms or to work in the manufacturing economy of John Deere Waterloo, Quaker Oats Cedar Rapids, and Maytag Newton.

Oldest and Most Historic Posts in Iowa

American Legion Post 1 in Des Moines, the Argonne Post, was Iowa's first chartered Legion post in 1919 and named for the Argonne Forest battle in which many Iowa doughboys fought. Post 5 in Cedar Rapids, the Hanford-Knight Post, has served Linn County for over a century. Post 26 in Davenport, the Frederick W. Walters Post, anchored the Quad Cities veteran community on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River.

Post 6 in Dubuque, the M.J. Cooney Post, served the bluff city's veteran population. Post 64 in Sioux City and Post 165 in Waterloo were among the early industrial-city posts. Post 84 in Council Bluffs served the Loess Hills and the Missouri River corridor.

Post 78 in Ottumwa, Post 102 in Burlington, and Post 89 in Fort Dodge round out the early major-city charters. Some of Iowa's most distinctive Legion posts are in small farming towns where the post hall doubles as the principal community gathering space. Post 184 in Spencer, Post 269 in Storm Lake, and Post 287 in Mason City have served as cornerstones of their county seats for over a century. American Legion Baseball, sponsored by hundreds of Iowa posts, has been a fixture of summer life for nearly a century, and Iowa Legion Baseball has produced multiple Major League players including some who came up through the Sioux City and Cedar Rapids programs.

The Iowa Legion's American Legion Boys State and Girls State programs at Camp Dodge are among the longest-continuously-operating in the country.

VFW Posts in Iowa: A Closer Look

The VFW Department of Iowa operates from Des Moines and oversees roughly 240 active posts across the state. Iowa VFW posts grew rapidly after both World Wars, with particular growth following World War II as returning Iowa farmers and industrial workers organized in towns large and small. VFW Post 9127 in Des Moines is among the older Iowa posts. Post 788 in Cedar Rapids, Post 1623 in Davenport, and Post 1290 in Sioux City are among the larger and more active posts in their regions.

The Iowa VFW has historically been an aggressive advocate for rural veterans' healthcare access, given the long distances many Iowa veterans must travel to reach VA medical facilities. The department has worked closely with the Iowa City VA Health Care System on community-based outpatient clinic expansion, and Iowa VFW posts in towns like Mason City, Spencer, Fort Dodge, and Ottumwa have hosted satellite VA outreach events that bring services to veterans who cannot easily travel. The Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen scholarship competitions generate strong Iowa participation, and the department's youth programs are well-supported through community fundraising at the post level.

AMVETS, DAV, and Other Veterans Organizations in Iowa

AMVETS Department of Iowa maintains roughly 30 to 35 active posts, with concentrations in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and the smaller industrial cities. AMVETS in Iowa has been active in employment and education programs partnering with the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs and Iowa community colleges. The Disabled American Veterans Department of Iowa operates a critical transportation network bringing veterans to the Iowa City VA Health Care System, the Des Moines VA Medical Center, and the Omaha VA Medical Center across the river in Nebraska, plus the dozen-plus community-based outpatient clinics scattered across rural Iowa. DAV Chapter 1 in Des Moines and Chapter 6 in Cedar Rapids are among the most active in the state.

Iowa DAV service officers handle a high volume of claims related to agricultural exposure conditions and to combat-related disabilities from Vietnam and post-9/11 deployments. The Vietnam Veterans of America, the Korean War Veterans Association, and the Marine Corps League all maintain Iowa chapters, and many small-town communities run combined veterans groups that include all eligible service organizations meeting jointly.

Iowa Veterans Posts by the Numbers

Iowa is home to approximately 200,000 to 215,000 veterans according to recent VA estimates, representing a high per-capita veteran population for a Midwestern agricultural state. The American Legion Department of Iowa maintains roughly 530 active posts with combined membership in the 35,000 to 45,000 range, which makes Iowa one of the highest post-density states in the country relative to total population. The VFW Department of Iowa operates around 240 posts. Iowa hosts two VA medical centers: the Iowa City VA Health Care System and the Central Iowa VA Health Care System in Des Moines, plus the Quad Cities VA Outpatient Clinic and more than a dozen community-based outpatient clinics scattered across the state.

Iowa veterans living in the Council Bluffs and Sioux City areas often access the Omaha VA Medical Center across the Missouri River. The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown is one of the largest state veterans homes in the country. The state operates the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, west of Des Moines, and the Keokuk National Cemetery in southeastern Iowa dates to the Civil War. Camp Dodge near Des Moines remains the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard.

How to Join a Veterans Post in Iowa

Joining the American Legion in Iowa requires honorable federal active-duty service since December 7, 1941, under the LEGION Act of 2019. Iowa's exceptionally dense post network means almost every town with a post office also has a Legion post, often within walking distance of the town square. Annual dues vary by post and typically run from $30 to $50, often on the lower end given the rural character of many Iowa posts. The VFW in Iowa requires combat-zone or hostile-fire-area service documented on a DD-214.

AMVETS welcomes all honorably discharged veterans, Guard, and Reserve. Iowa posts often welcome members who farm or work in adjacent counties and who may be the only Legion-eligible veteran in a small township. The Sons of the American Legion in Iowa is one of the larger squadrons per capita in the country, reflecting the multi-generational service tradition that runs strong in farming families. American Legion Auxiliary units in Iowa often anchor church-basement and community-hall events that knit small towns together.

Iowa Legion Boys State and Girls State at Camp Dodge each summer remain prestigious programs that send Iowa high school students to a week of civic education modeled on state government operations.

Notable Iowa Veterans in History

Iowa has produced a distinguished roster of notable veterans. President Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, was born in West Branch, Iowa, and while not a military veteran himself oversaw the post-World War I food relief programs that fed millions of Europeans. Senator John Culver was an Iowa-born Marine Corps veteran. Senator Tom Harkin served in the U.S.

Navy. Senator Charles Grassley served in the Iowa Army National Guard. Astronaut Walter Cunningham, an Apollo 7 crew member, was an Iowa-born Marine Corps fighter pilot who flew in Korea. The five Sullivan brothers, who all enlisted together in the U.S.

Navy and were lost in November 1942 when the USS Juneau was sunk in the Battle of Guadalcanal, were from Waterloo and remain among the most poignant figures in Iowa's military history; the Sullivan brothers' story prompted the U.S. military's sole survivor policy and inspired the Hollywood films Saving Private Ryan and The Fighting Sullivans. Glenn Miller, the bandleader who entertained troops in Europe, was born in Clarinda, Iowa, and was lost in 1944 on a flight over the English Channel while serving as a major in the Army Air Forces. Major General Grenville M.

Dodge, the Civil War general and railroad builder, called Council Bluffs home and is buried there. Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Robert J. Mitchell, a Marine corporal killed in Peleliu in 1944, was an Iowa native.

Frequently Asked Questions: Iowa Veterans Posts

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.legion.org/
• https://www.vfw.org/
• https://www.amvets.org/
• https://ialegion.org/
• https://va.iowa.gov/
• https://www.va.gov/