VFW At Work

1. 'When You Have Cancer You Think the Worst'

   Like so many of the men he served alongside, Norm Brown enlisted in the U.S. military to give back and do something meaningful. But unlike most of them, he was not an American. Brown, 83, is from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

   "When we got out of high school in 1961, me and my two friends were interested in joining the Marines," he said. "Their parents intervened, so they didn't end up doing it, but I went over to New York and enlisted."

   When asked if he was bothered by his friends backing out or whether he had reservations about serving and sacrificing for a country other than his own, Brown said: "No, the relationship between our two countries was fantastic. To me, it was the right thing to do."

   As it turned out, when Brown arrived at boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina, he met two other Canadian recruits. The three built a special bond before shipping out to their next destinations.

   Brown went on to serve for three years, including a deployment to Vietnam. Afterward, he returned to Canada, where he married Linda, who is now his wife of 54 years.

   Condition Takes a Turn for the Worse

   Decades passed without issue, until 2011, when Brown was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a benign blood disorder that can lead to different cancers.

   His doctors suggested the "watch and wait" approach. Brown completed bloodwork every six months to ensure his condition had not progressed. But in 2019, it did. A biopsy revealed Brown had a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM).

   Brown underwent chemotherapy and is managing his cancer today. A couple of years ago, he remembered reading about the PACT Act and discovering that WM was now considered a presumptive condition.

   Brown contacted the VA to see if he could receive compensation, but he struggled to verify his service records.

   "I couldn't get them to prove I had been in Vietnam," he said. "I have the service medals that I could have earned only there, but it didn't seem to matter."

   Eventually, someone suggested Brown reach out to the VFW for help.

   "So," he explained, "I contacted them. Fortunate for me, I got a call back from Norm Machelor. Once he got involved, everything moved quite smoothly."

   'I'm Not Sure I Ever Would Have Been Able to Do It on My Own'

   Machelor, a VFW Accredited Service Officer, worked with the VA to confirm Brown's service in Vietnam. He then helped Brown arrange the necessary doctor's appointments before completing his claim.

   "It had been quite frustrating trying to get all the information myself. I'm not sure I ever would have been able to do it on my own," Brown said. "But before long, I got the letter in the mail saying that my claim was accepted, and I was going to get compensation."

   Brown's service history as a Canadian may be unique, but he knows his experience with the VA is not. He encourages other veterans to work with a VFW Accredited Service Officer like Machelor.

   "When someone tells you that you have cancer, obviously, you think the worst right away. But with the support I've gotten from Norm and the VFW, I feel good," he said.

   "With Norm's great assistance, it all worked out. I'm very, very fortunate. If you have any kind of issue like mine, contact the VFW for help."

   Learn more about the VFW's National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

2. Honoring Vietnam Veterans

   On March 27, VFW Post 1647 in Brainerd, Minnesota, hosted its fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Day Celebration. There was standing room only at dinner, as more than 100 Vietnam veterans and their significant others came for the camaraderie and free refreshments.

   The local Daughters of the American Revolution served apple pie and ice cream, while the Post provided dinner.

   Vietnam veterans are often distinguished from veterans due to the combination of societal hostility, isolation during their return, and the unprecedented psychological toll of an unconventional conflict.

   Unlike the "Greatest Generation" of World War II, who returned to a unified nation celebrating victory, Vietnam veterans returned to a country deeply divided over the war's morality and its conclusion. Many vets feel that the Vietnam War was a withdrawal of U.S. forces due entirely to political decisions based on citizen opposition and unrest, not to the failure of our military.

   Due to the negative public perception, many veterans suppressed their experiences for decades, avoiding treatment and feeling like outsiders even within traditional veteran organizations.

   One Vietnam vet in attendance was Buford Johnson. He was sent to Vietnam as an ROTC officer at his own request in 1964 and retired in 1986 as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserve.

   Johnson served as an advisor to the Vietnamese combat unit in Vietnam's Central Highlands and often came under enemy fire. He recounted how a severely wounded soldier survived after he and a helicopter pilot heroically made a landing to rescue the soldier and fly him to safety.

   Johnson came back to the States, wounded, and spent some time in an Army hospital. He was then assigned to Fort Benning, Gorgia. When asked how he felt now about his wartime experience, he responded, "It gave me a better understanding of human nature."

   Another vet attending the celebration was Brainerd resident, Ron Schrimshaw, who was drafted and sent to Vietnam at age 20.

   Scrimshaw repaired helicopter armament systems. He served in Pleiku as an E4 and returned home after serving there a year. When asked if his war experience made him a bitter or better man, he responded, "bitter."

   When he returned home, Scrimshaw's family was very supportive, but he felt rejected by the community. His biggest rejection was from the WWII veterans at the local American Legion who did not want him as a member.

   The VFW leadership collaborates with government officials in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Washington, D.C., to advocate for legislation that supports veterans in their struggle to regain and maintain a healthy lifestyle as they transition back to civilian life.

   This article is featured in the 2026 April issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.

   Edited for length and style, this article was written by VFW Post 1647 Auxiliary member Sue Sterling.

3. 'There's a Community Behind Us'

   If Ekow Aidoo, 40, could give his fellow veterans one piece of advice, it would be this: "Don't wait for the 'perfect time.'"

   Instead, Aidoo believes in taking action to set yourself up for success, just as he did when he joined the military to build better skills and habits.

   "I wanted a purposeful career grounded in discipline and service," he said.

   After serving in the Army National Guard and Air Force, Aidoo learned about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship." Recognizing it as another opportunity to better himself, Aidoo applied. He is grateful for the financial assistance.

   "To everyone who made this scholarship possible," Aidoo said, "thank you for investing in my growth and for believing in veterans' potential to keep serving our communities and our country."

   Aidoo is pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree in information technology management. He explained that receiving the scholarship provided a sense of support and encouragement because it meant that others believed in him. He wants to motivate other veterans in the same way.

   "Use the discipline you gained in service to push through the challenges of school. Take advantage of the benefits you've earned, ask for help and stay consistent. Education opens doors long after the uniform comes off."

   Aidoo acknowledges that going to school can be difficult. But he insists that veterans are equipped to succeed.

   "If there's one thing that other veterans take from my story, I hope it's that it's never too late to grow or start something new. The military taught us resilience, adaptability and how to learn under pressure. Those skills translate directly to your education," he said.

   "I'm still trying to balance service, family and school, but opportunities like this scholarship remind me that I'm not doing it alone. There's a community behind us that believes in our potential."

   Learn more about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship."

4. 'This Is More Than Paperwork'

   Growing up in foster care as a child, Stefani Stephens didn't have a lot of stability in her life. After a divorce and being the mom of two young children, she was looking for security.

   Stephens says she had "always felt an affinity for the military," and at age 23, she joined the U.S. Army.

   A deployment to Iraq and tours in Korea equipped Stephens for more than just her duties as a movement control specialist.

   "These experiences shaped my resilience, discipline and commitment to service," Stephens, 49, said.

   In fact, those skills and passion are now beneficial for her current role as a VFW Accredited Service Officer.

   In her daily work, Stephens says, "I advocate for veterans and their families by guiding them through the VA claims and appeals process, ensuring they receive the benefits they have earned."

   Before working for the VFW, she spent a year living in Mexico, reflecting on doing work that "truly mattered," she explained. In an unexpected but significant way, this prompted her to approach the opportunity to help veterans.

   "I walked into the VSO office at the Tucson VA hospital and said, 'I want to work here,'" she said.

   After serving as a volunteer for six weeks, she secured an interview and was hired the same day.

   "Helping veterans gives me a deep sense of purpose," she said. "Everything I have lived - my military service, personal challenges, overseas work and healing work - led naturally to this role. Supporting veterans feels like the work I was always meant to do."

   Stephens insisted that while it's ultimately rewarding, her job can also be demanding at times.

   "The biggest challenge is carrying the emotional weight of the stories veterans share," she said. "Many carry decades of trauma or frustration. Balancing empathy with a high caseload is difficult, but being someone they trust makes it meaningful."

   She cites an example of a situation she faced while helping a Vietnam veteran who'd lived with survivor's guilt for many years.

   "As we built his claim, he began opening up about things he had never spoken aloud," she said. "Watching him find even a small measure of peace - and seeing how being understood can heal - reminded me that this work is far more than paperwork. It is about restoring dignity, humanity and hope."

   Learn more about the VFW's National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

5. 'We Encourage Expression'

   The question became a challenge for Gerald Decker. In May 2024, he was asked by North Carolina State Sen. Bill Rabon why his VFW Post in Leland, North Carolina, had no creative arts program.

   As Post 12196 Commander, Decker had represented his Post at Arts Day in Raleigh, North Carolina, about 140 miles north of Leland. There, he met with Rabon while discussing various community assistance programs. Decker returned home determined.

   "I didn't have a good answer for him," Decker recalled. "But when I returned to Leland, I got to speak to some veterans who illustrated the need for an organization that gives them access to sources of wellness and well-being in addition to the VA."

   Decker, who on Jan. 19, 2020, chartered Post 12196 alongside Don Spaulding, aimed to create a VFW-sponsored arts program for local veterans, which would incorporate aspects of several established and successful programs across the country.

   "It actually was not difficult getting the program together. It just took some serious attention to detail," Decker said. "I worked with retired Marine Col. Eric Terashima and Cammeron Batanides, along with other members of Post 12196. Together, we developed a business plan, finalized the corporate paperwork and, within about three months, were ready to go."

   On Sept. 28, 2024, during a birthday party at the Post to celebrate the VFW's 125th anniversary, Decker and others announced the launch of the Veterans Creative Arts Program (VCAP) as a certified nonprofit organization.

   VCAP employs a variety of art forms, which include creative writing (both in-class and online), music, dance, acting, culinary arts, and art classes, to help veterans and first responders, especially those suffering from PTSD and TBI, cope through the creation of art.

   "We encourage expression in a form that works for them," said Decker, who serves as VCAP director, joining a seven-member board, four of whom are Post officers. "The goal of our art program is to recognize their trauma and get their feelings out. The number one goal of VCAP is to give veterans, first responders and their families access to a source that will help them on a path to recovery."

   At VCAP, the length of classes varies by art form, and all courses and materials come free of charge, according to Decker, who added that the space for these classes is often donated and held throughout Brunswick County and Wilmington, North Carolina.

   Still in its infancy today, the program has already seen more than 750 participants.

   Part of this success stems from VCAP's outreach and partnerships with other nonprofits that promote holistic mental health therapies in the communities of Leland, Wilmington, and neighboring towns in Brunswick County. Since its inception, VCAP has promoted its members' art at local coffee shops and has opened other avenues for writers to share their work.

   "This has not only helped spread the word, but it has also given our participants the confidence that they can actually write or draw or cook better than they thought," Decker said. "It gives them a sense of accomplishment when they see their work is as good as others. In fact, several never-before-seen artists have actually sold some of their work, and our women veterans' writing group is in negotiations with a national publication to publish some of their work."

   For more information on the VCAP, visit https://www.veteranscreativearts.org.

   This article is featured in the 2026 March/April issue of VFW magazine and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., associate editor for VFW magazine.