From smoky bar to community hub: How Chicago-area VFWs are evolving to stay open

CHICAGO - Memorial Day is a time to stop and pay homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In a FOX 32 special report, we look inside VFW posts and the fight to keep these veteran gathering halls — once community cornerstones — from closing their doors.

The backstory:

The sign on the outside now says Moose Lodge 660, but one building in the northwest suburbs was originally the hall for VFW Post 1337.

Built by a group of Mt. Prospect veterans back in the 1940s, it was a town hot spot.

"Especially for Mount Prospect in the mid-1950s, 60s, there was some places to hang out, but it was still a somewhat rural area where you may not have as much going on. You may not have as many places to go to just hang out, relax at the end of the week," said Emily Dattilo, director of the Mount Prospect Historical Society.

In 1982, the VFW sold the building to the Moose Lodge because they couldn’t afford to keep it.

One of the reasons is their membership had started to wane. It’s a problem other VFW and American Legion posts were also having as World War II veterans were getting older.

"Our post was almost going to close, I think. It was lacking membership back when I took over. We only had like 60 or 70 people in it," said Les Durov. "After it goes so low, it kind of disbands."

Durov has been the post commander for the last seven years. Keeping up membership is one of the hardest tasks for him and his staff.

"It’s the hardest thing to do. To get veterans into the post," Durov said. "They don’t think they’re worthy of it. They don’t think they deserve it."

But Durov and his team found a way to increase their membership numbers by simply talking to veterans about what’s important to them.

"Once you ask them about their benefits and tell them some of the benefits they can get and how they can get them, they love you. They’re willing to join right away," Durov said. "Some of these guys are messed up pretty good. They really are. So we try to help each veteran as much as we can."

This year, VFW Post 1337 turned 100 years old and is 134 members strong.

"It’s getting harder and harder," Durov said. "This year, I don’t know if I’m going to make my membership, but I’m trying."

Durov says they’ve just about tapped out Mount Prospect when it comes to finding new members.

"If we go west, Niles, it has a post. If we go north, Northbrook has a post. There’s just a lot of posts in a ten–twelve mile area," Durov said. "We don’t take people from another post. It’s not proper."

Dig deeper:

The VFW in Lisle found itself dealing with a similar membership problem this year too.

"Lisle is a very mature, very developed community. So there’s not a lot of new people moving into the area," said Brett Nila. "So there aren’t a lot of new veterans coming in to draw upon or approach."

Nila is a trustee and a past commander for Lisle's VFW post. He says they are down to just 38 members, compared to several hundred when their membership hit its peak in the 1980s.

"Right now, we have made the decision to merge with the Naperville post," Nila said.

He says merging is one way to help preserve his post's legacy.

"Particularly, we like to try to merge more than close," said Eric Morales. "That way, it continues to keep veterans and give them what we call a home post."

Morales is the membership director for the VFW of Illinois.

While their numbers have been slowly declining the last few years, he says they are not at an all-time low.

"So as we're starting to lose Vietnam veterans, our numbers are starting to go down. But with the Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, we hope that we can, you know, bring the membership back up," Morales said.

But he says there are two things keeping those younger vets from joining.

The first being starting a career or family and not having the time to come in.

"On the other hand, the stigma of the old smoky bar is still kind of there, which is not what we are," Morales said. "We do a lot within the community. We do a lot to help veterans."

While Naperville's VFW hall is a favorite hang out for some of its members, its post commander, Staci Boyer, says they are beating that old stereotype.

"We work extremely hard. We’re either the biggest in the state or second largest in the state with over 600 members," she said. "Probably around the top eight in the nation as far as size for VFWs."

Boyer credits their success to this:

"It’s getting the right people with a creative mindset to think outside of the box," she said. "It can’t be the VFW from 1950. That VFW model is not going to survive in 2025."

She says they have to do things differently, and they are.

"We have to meet them where they are. See what they’re doing and then come up with ideas we can create that they’re interested in," Boyer said. "But we’ve got to go out where they are. I’ve got to have a social media presence. An online presence."

So now, her post hosts more than just fish frys. There are events with more physical activity like ruck marches or family friendly events like a spaghetti dinner recently served up by the American Legion.

"We’re trying to modernize and trying to let them know that it’s family friendly. That you can bring your family to the meetings. You bring your family to the events. I think they don’t realize that yet," said Nadia Baran.

Baran herself is a post-9/11 veteran and says it took her about 10 years after she left the service before she was ready to get involved with a VFW.

Morales served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and initially thought VFWs fit the stereotype of old smoky bars—until he walked in to one.

"So, I guess what I'm saying is give it a shot, give it a chance, see if you like it. I'm pretty sure you will," he said. "It's not an old smoky bar. We're a big part of the community."

Local perspective:

Being a part of the community is important to the members of these VFW posts, because for some of them, their service is not over yet.

"We take the oath of office to support the Constitution of the United States of America. When we joined the VFW, we also make another oath to support not only the Constitution, but the community in which we live," said Ray Limbach, the post historian for VFW Post 1337 in Mount Prospect.

Big picture view:

Another important aspect of VFW membership is its role in Washington. The more members, the bigger the impact when veterans’ legislation is being considered on Capitol Hill.

RELATED: From hub to hardship: Chicago-area VFW posts work to preserve veterans' spaces

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