Yorkville V.F.W. Collection

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Organization of the United States is a nonprofit veterans' services organization founded in 1899 by veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Philippines Insurrection.  The Organization was created to secure rights and benefits for their service.  When it was founded, the VFW limited its membership to officers and enlisted men honorably discharged from the military who had served in a foreign war, insurrection, or expedition.  One of the main goals of the VFW was to promote companionship among members, preserve the memory of the dead, and assist widows and orphans of veterans.  The Yorkville American Legion Post 489 was founded on December 11, 1941 four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.