CRANBERRY TWP — Veterans Day is a celebration to honor those who have served in the U.S. military, and the members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars help to mark it in patriotic ways.

Parades and flag-waving are the order of the day.

In Butler County, all veterans-related groups band together to participate in the festivities, said John Cyprian, director of veterans affairs for Butler County. That’s why there is one big parade rather than a number of smaller observances.

The parade was this morning on Main Street in Butler.

It is on the more solemn occasion of Memorial Day, dedicated to commemorating the fallen soldier, that the American Legion and VFW groups hold ceremonies at monuments and in cemeteries.

“They all do unique things in their own communities,” Cyprian said.

Service to the military veteran is the focus of the two groups and they go about their business similarly. There are differences, however. All members of the VFW are eligible to belong to the American Legion, but not the other way around.

“We have a lot of Korean War and Vietnam War veterans in our post,” said George O’Brien, commander of VFW Post 879 in Cranberry Township. “We have a few from Bosnia and Desert Storm. If a soldier was in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are all eligible now. We are trying to get younger people in.”

Women who belong to the VFW are veterans who have served during times of conflict in a foreign venue, just like their male counterparts. The VFW has no auxiliary or associate members.

On the other hand, American Legion posts have both, with its Ladies Auxiliary for wives and other direct female relatives of soldiers, and Sons of the Legion, who are sons of soldiers.

At American Legion Post 117 in Butler, regular membership exceeds 900 with the Ladies Auxiliary reaching past 350 and the Sons of the Legion adding nearly 300 more.

In contrast, the Cranberry VFW Post 879 has about 80 members.

Most, but not all, VFW posts have their own facilities that include meeting halls where the organizations offer refreshments and meals.

The Cranberry Post 879 has no building of its own. The group meets in the Elk’s building on Route 19.

Despite not having a permanent home, Post 879 still manages to do all the things other posts do, O’Brien said.

The American Legion building on Main Street in Butler contains a bar and a restaurant as well as regularly hosting musical groups for dances.

“Without these, we wouldn’t be there,” said Glenn Birch, the commander at Post 117. “We couldn’t give anything away if we didn’t raise money.”

Raising and giving away money are primary functions of both groups.

Manning the ticket booths at the Butler County Fair is a major fund-raising event for American Legion Post 117, according to Birch. For VFW Post 879, selling “buddy poppies is the only way we raise money,” said O’Brien.

Twice each year, members of Post 879 can be seen outside retail businesses offering the small artificial flowers in exchange for donations.

Much of the funds raised by both groups go directly to assisting veterans, particularly those at the Butler Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“Whatever they need, we donate it,” Birch said.

But it’s more than just money that is donated to veterans by veterans.

“Six men, including myself, volunteer at the VA hospital. We do escort services,” O’Brien said.

Honoring veterans through displaying the flag is also high on the list of both groups.

“We put flags on graves on Memorial Day in Pinewood, Dutilh and Lovi cemeteries,” said O’Brien.

Cranberry VFW Post 879 also participates in community gatherings such as Cranberry Light Up Night and the Butler County Safety Parade, serving as color guard.

The 50 or so flags that fly over Main Street in Butler on national holidays are a gift to the city from American Legion Post 117.

“We give donations to local municipal agencies all the time,” Birch said.

“Our big project is the memorial service on Memorial Day in North Boundary Park in Cranberry Township,” O’Brien said. VFW Post 879 had a memorial marker placed in the park in 1999.

Both groups also help youths in a variety of ways. Butler’s American Legion donates money to the Butler School District for high school sports programs. Cranberry’s VFW conducts an essay contest for scholarships to Seneca Valley High School students.

Viewed statewide, both veterans groups are growing, although the Cranberry VFW’s growth rate is slow in comparison to the rapid growth of Butler’s American Legion roster.