Everyone Loved a Colorado Prison’s VFW Post—Until a Popular YouTuber Heard About It
April 02, 2025 at 10:38PMVeterans of Foreign Wars Post 12226 was one of 6,000 VFWs worldwide, but it was the only one operating inside a federal prison. The organization serves veterans, offering gathering places where former members of the US military can find services, support, and camaraderie after serving in combat roles for their country. The 12226 post had 28 members, four of which were corrections officers. The remaining 24 were incarcerated men. The post was particularly active, offering members a safe space to talk about their military service and a brief respite from prison life. It had even raised $5,400 for the Veterans & Family Support Program with an ice cream drive. So why did VFW shut down the post unexpectedly? Reporting for 5280 Magazine, Robert Sanchez wanted to know why.
Most confounding to the post’s membership, Stewart says, was the silence that followed. No one from the VFW called or wrote to explain the decision. The DOC also stayed quiet. “It’s like we never existed,” Stewart says. In an email to 5280, Thomas referred questions to the DOC. A DOC spokesperson declined to comment. Former Colorado VFW head John Keene, who had initially offered his support to the fledgling chapter, also declined to comment.
A few weeks after Post 12226 closed, a letter from the VFW arrived at the prison. Stewart’s aunt had helped him scrape together $375 for his lifetime VFW membership, and raising the money had been a point of pride for him. Inside the envelope was a refund. “That was the gut punch,” Stewart says.
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Why Did Walter Springs Die?
“In time, it was almost as if he had never existed at all.”
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2025/04/02/everyone-loved-a-colorado-prisons-vfw-post-until-a-popular-youtuber-heard-about-it/
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