WHITEWRIGHT (WBAP/KLIF) – A black Vietnam veteran from North Texas remains haunted by discrimination he says he experienced at VFW posts in Colorado and Texas in the late 1960’s.
Joe Orr has fond memories of his time in the service but told WBAP that after he returned home from war he was denied service at the posts simply because he was black.
“I was rejected,” said Orr. “And why? Because of my color. They told me that.”
Orr said he paid his VFW membership and was shocked when he was told to leave the clubs.
“It was terrible,” said Orr. “I never thought anything like that would happen. I was a war veteran and my record was clean. I just thought it was a disgrace.”
Orr, originally from North Texas, eventually returned home to the Sherman area and began a long career in law enforcement. He served as a Deputy for both the Grayson County Sheriff’s Department and the Collin County Sheriff’s Office. He’s believed to be the first black Sheriff’s Deputy in Collin County history. Orr now resides on a ranch in Whitewright, Texas with family members and his horses. Orr said the discrimination he experienced after the war will always stick with him.
“I just think [the VFW] owes me and other black soldiers an apology,” said Orr. “And I want other soldiers to know what happened to us.”
WBAP reached out to the VFW and shared Orr’s story. VFW Spokesman Rick Butler said he contacted Orr and apologized on behalf of the organization.
“The loss of Orr not getting into the VFW back in the day was not really his loss,” said Butler. “It was our loss for not getting to have a good leader.”
The VFW also released a statement in response to Orr’s claim:
Since 1899, the VFW has existed to serve ALL veterans. The way we are structured, each Post governs itself and is liable for its own actions. I assure you that any instance of local discrimination throughout our 119-year history is not in keeping with the organization’s values. We value the service of every veteran who has put it all on the line for America.
Butler said the VFW plans to honor Orr with a gift.
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