"The Times of Trenton (NJ)"

It's not your dad's military anymore.

Today's veterans who are returning from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan seem to be reluctant to join veterans' organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. That's certainly the observation of the aging handful of World War II and Korean War veterans who run American Legion Post 339 on Van Dyke Road in Hopewell Township.

"Today's vets don't come out," lamented Jim Hall, 82, a World War II veteran who fought in Europe and a longtime member of Post 339.

In its heyday in the '60s and '70s, Post 339 was up to 425 members strong. Today, the membership is half that and only about a dozen members regularly come to meetings. The post building is now up for sale. Without new blood coming in, Post 339 will see its graying membership die away.

That's a shame, but it's a reflection of a different set of circumstances with which today's veterans are faced.

For one thing, many veterans returning from combat zones are members of National Guard and Reserve units that have been activated for one or more deployments. These veterans tend to be older, many married with families. Unlike the young conscripted veterans of previous wars, today's volunteer service members come home to hectic lifestyles of longer work hours and raising children. They are too busy to be hanging out at a Legion post, swapping war stories with retired warriors.

Another problem is that older organizations are not al ways ready to bend to the needs of a younger generation. This was evident when some established veterans groups gave a cold shoulder to return ing Vietnam veterans, who were looked down upon. That gave rise to the Vietnam Veterans of America, an organization that was more attuned to such is sues as homeless vets, the ravages of exposure to Agent Orange and efforts to find the re mains of comrades missing in action.

The American Legion, which was founded after World War I, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which dates back to the Spanish-American War, realize that if they are to survive they must recruit younger veterans to replenish the thinning ranks of older vets.

Unlike the Vietnam era, veterans organizations now actively seek out and welcome younger veterans. There's hope yet that Post 339 and other struggling chapters can re bound. As the newer corps of veterans age, it's likely that they will need the services offered by large veterans groups that can effectively lobby for health, housing, education and retirement benefits.

Although today's veterans may have different interests and concerns from their older comrades in arms, one thing has not changed: their commit ment to serve their country. For that, all of us should be eternally grateful and never for get the service and sacrifices they have made and continue to make.