Ahead of Veterans Day, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has scrapped its "Cross of Malta" logo for a new one in red and gold to symbolize a service organization "just as relevant" as it was when founded 119 years ago, officials said.
"We're excited about the bold, new look," said B.J. Lawrence, national commander of the VFW, in a statement Tuesday. "There's a lot of complex meaning built into our new logo, yet it clearly communicates who we are and what we're about."
The new logo is a big change from the group's traditional eight-pointed "Cross of Malta" shield, a representation of the centuries-old standard for warriors "who were united by a solemn pledge of comradeship to fight for freedom and to aid the sick and the needy," according to the VFW.
The Cross of Malta shield will remain on the 1.6-million member organization's official seal, the VFW said in a release.
In a statement, Lawrence suggested the new logo will convey the VFW's resolve to adapt and rise to meet the concerns of a new generation of veterans from the nation's current conflicts.
It will help show VFW is "just as relevant, if not more so, than any other time in our history. It's time all of America notices us, and I feel confident this is another step in accomplishing just that," he said.
The new logo's two gold bars represent service stripes and the "gold standard" of service to which the group aspires, while the striking "VFW" lettering "represents our sustained and forward movement into achieving the VFW's mission of service to others," according to an organization news release.
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
