When Lois Callahan talks about her work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, her enthusiasm is unmistakable. The national president, who hails from the Little Rock, Ark., area, visited Perryville on Sept. 16, and while in the city, sat down for a one-on-one interview at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
Callahan’s journey to leading the organization is deeply personal. The daughter of a career Army sergeant major, Ruben Tamariz, she grew up as an “Army brat,” moving from base to base across the southern United States after being born in Hawaii. Her father’s service included Korea and two tours in Vietnam.
It was his example, and the need to keep him connected after his retirement, that first introduced Callahan to the VFW and its auxiliary. “I said, ‘Daddy, you’ve got to have somewhere to spend your energy, somewhere you can make a difference and stay connected,’” she recalled. That encouragement led her parents to their local post in Benton, Ark., where they distributed Buddy Poppies and threw themselves into programs supporting veterans.
Soon, Callahan was involved as well. “If I wanted to spend time with my mom and dad, I had to go to the VFW to do it,” she said. From those early days she grew into leadership roles at the post, district and department levels, eventually serving as department president in Arkansas. In time, she was elected to national office, where she now represents auxiliary members across the country and abroad.
Her husband, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, also deepened her commitment. “He was in a very rough command called One-Nine — the ‘Walking Dead,’” Callahan said. “He saw some horrific things and lives with PTSD and physical effects of combat. Those are the things that drive us to pay back to our veterans.”
Callahan, who worked as an occupational therapist before retiring, said her work with the auxiliary feels like a calling. The group’s activities range from raising funds through Buddy Poppies, which are assembled by disabled veterans, to providing direct help to veterans in local communities. “That’s what we’re building — ramps for veterans, that’s what we’re helping with when their car breaks down or when they can’t pay their electric bill,” she said. “It’s a win-win-win situation.”
As national president, Callahan spends most of the year on the road. She plans to visit every state during her term, as well as auxiliaries overseas in Paris and Panama. “I really feel like my function is to make sure people feel valued and heard and good about what they’re doing,” she said.
One of her greatest passions is legislative advocacy. “We have to keep the promise we gave our veterans when they joined — that their medical care would be taken care of, and their families would be taken care of,” she said. At both local and national levels, the auxiliary works to influence lawmakers to support veteran-positive legislation.
Despite her long resume, Callahan insists her motivation is simple. “What we do is so important. We make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “And I’m just kind of addicted to knowing that you’re doing good in your community.”
