Free & Accepted Masons of New York, US

Port Washington's VFW chapter is known as Henderson-Marino Post 1819, honoring a pair of residents who gave their lives during World War I. In August 2010 the chapter will celebrate its 80th anniversary. Members meet on the second Monday of the month at 8 p.m. The VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service: Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves. In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations that would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. The VFW, with its Auxiliaries, now includes 2.2 million members in approximately 8,100 Posts worldwide. Over its history, the VFW's voice had been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. In 2008, VFW won a long-fought victory with the passing of a GI Bill for the 21st Century, giving expanded educational benefits to America's active-duty service members, and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The VFW also has fought for improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.