Take Me To Post Comment Form The North Georgia Mountains area is very blessed to have a vast number of Combat Veterans, ranging from World War II all the way through to the Current Combat Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and serrvice in South Korea.

As The Post Commander of VFW Post 5533, located in Dahlonega, I have an obligation to reach out to the local communities that does not have a VFW Post and to try to contact as many of our local Combat Veterans as possible, and to ask them to come out and to join your local VFW Post, and help the VFW look out for the needs that our veterans and service members have as a result of their service to our nation.

The VFW is a 112 year old veterans service organization (501(c)(19) Tax-Exempt), comprised of only veterans who have served in combat, and is the largest veterans organization in the United States with approximately two million members world-wide. The members of the VFW lives to the VFW's Motto: "We Honor the Dead by Helping the Living" through several programs that assist veterans, current service members, their families, their widow(er)s and their orphans. We also promote good old-fashioned American Patriotism through our involvement with local schools and the community through our community service programs. There is so much to do with the VFW, but there is one thing missing that would make our job a whole lot easier. That is you, those who have donned the uniforms of America's Armed Forces, either voluntarily or involuntarily. We need your help to make our community a much better place.

If you live in the Northern half of Dawson County, our Post here in Dahlonega is your closest VFW Post. We meet on the First Monday of each Month (except when that is a Bank Holiday, then we meet on the Second Monday), at the United Community Bank Community Room, located at 206 W Morrison Moore Pkwy (Hwy 9), about 500 yards south of Highway 60. Our meetings start at 7 pm and we would love to have you come out and join us.

If you live in the Southern half of Dawson County, the Forsyth County Post in Cumming would be the closest place for you to join. They meet on the third Wednesday of the Month at 8 pm, preceded by a meal for it members at its Post located at 1045 Dahlonega Highway (Hwy 9), just north of the City Water Plant.

All that is required to join is to come out to ta meeting with proof of your combat service (Campaign Medal Orders, PCS Orders to or From Korea or other combat zone, Pay Statement with Combat/Hostile Fire Pay, Combat Infantry Badge orders, DD-214, Purple Heart or other combat related award orders) and $35 for your first years membership.
The VFW is a family, and your membership with one post, allows you to visit VFW Posts anywhere in the world, when you travel, and you should be treated as if you were at your home post.

Speaking of Family, the VFW of the 21st Century is a bit different from the VFW of the 20th Century, as we are becoming a more family oriented organization, as such, we are also looking for the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of combat veterans (who are at least 16 years of age) to join the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW. The mission of the Ladies Auxiliary mirrors that of the VFW, and their work is as important as the VFW’s. Their membership eligibility is a reward for having to deal with the hardships that being a family member of a combat veteran. We at the Dahlonega Post is in the process of organizing and chartering a New Ladies Auxiliary, if you are a wife, mother, sister or daughter of a combat veteran, please contact me at vfw.post.5533@gmail.com, so I can get a list of eligible ladies to charter the Ladies Auxiliary. For those eligible ladies who are closer to the Post in Cumming you can contact the Ladies Auxiliary President, Carol LaBranche at labranch@bellsouth.net and make sure you place LAVFW Membership in the subject line.

Currently the VFW Men’s Auxiliary (designed for the Husbands (of Females), Fathers, Brothers and Sons (Aged 16 and over) of VFW eligible veterans) has not been authorized by the Georgia State VFW Convention. However, Dahlonega’s Post 5533 is leading the cause to either get the Men’s Auxiliary authorized in Georgia and/or get the VFW at the National Level to eliminate the Separate Auxiliaries and to create a single VFW Auxiliary (which makes sense), as we are one family. VFW Post 5533 is also looking at the possibility of creating chapters of the Sons of the VFW and hope to get the Ladies Auxiliary to create a chapter of the Ladies Auxiliary Junior Girls, so that we can include our children aged 5 to 15 in our organization as well.

If any of this interests you and you meet the criteria listed in this article, please contact the VFW Post that is closer to you, and we will gladly welcome you back into the family:
Dahlonega/Lumpkin County VFW Post 5533 or are interested in helping to charter a Ladies Auxiliary for Post 5533 – vfw.post.5533@gmail.com

Forsyth County VFW Post 9143 – vfwpost9143@yahoo.com

Forsyth County Post 9143 Ladies Auxiliary – labranch@bellsouth.net

Yours in Comradeship,


Michael P. McMahon
Post Commander
Dahlonega/Lumpkin County
VFW Post 5533