The Military Order of the Cootie of the United States is a
non-profit Veterans Service Organization. We are known as "The Honor Degree
of the VFW" and our members are comprised of the officers and leadership of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Membership in the MOC
is recognition of outstanding service to the VFW and its programs.
Founded in New York City on September 17, 1920, the MOC is based
on the principals of good humor and fun. Over the past ninety years, the
Cooties have provided social and entertainment programs to members of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. as an Ancillary unit within the
organization. Since 1923, our first year as a part of the VFW, the Cooties have
worked hard to further the aims of the VFW while adding to it the frivolity
known as Military Humor to the serious work of our parent organization. What
would ultimately become known as the VFW National Home for Children, a
sprawling campus of homes located in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, started out as the
brainchild of the MOC. We firmly believe in caring for the widows and
children of our Armed Forces. Literally millions of dollars have been raised
and donated to help "our kids" over our history; starting with the library, the
swimming pool, the Fire Department, and a host of other projects designed to
make life fun and educational for the children during their stay at the
National Home.
With the outbreak of World War Two, the Cooties
recognized a need to entertain hospitalized troops and veterans during their
confinement and rehabilitation at Veterans Administration facilities throughout
the country. Our service program is described as a directive to "Keep 'em
Smiling in Beds of White." Each year the Cooties volunteer thousands of
hours of time worth over ten million dollars to DVA Hospitals and domiciliaries
throughout the United States. This work, in addition to the hours of service
donated as active members of the VFW, set the members of the MOC apart
as Foreign Service and Combat Veterans who are fully engaged in their
communities, and their fellow comrades in arms and their families. Our
distinctive red hat and unusual uniform sets us apart and draws attention to
the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves. We sacrifice a little of
ourselves to bring a smile or a laugh during what is normally a difficult time
for our heroes. We seek others like us to join and help us help them in their
times of stress and anxiety. |