Still Serving

VFW posts—which used to be ubiquitous in small towns and big cities across the country as places for fellowship among veterans, providing a place to tell their stories to the only people who could truly understand their experiences, and providing needed services, are dying out—leaving many veterans in crisis. Membership has fallen from a high 2 million to half that number. VFW posts have suffered from a war of attrition, many demolished for gentrification and others abandoned or falling into disrepair from neglect and lack of funding. As a veteran and member of the VFW, passing these posts brings a sadness for what I feel is a metaphor for our treatment of those who served. I hope to bring awareness to a disregard for the honor of the men and women who defend our country. These photographs can be a mirror, reminding us that in neglect we show a loss of conscience that contributes to a continuing decline of our democracy.