Vincent "B.J." Lawrence
Past Commander-in-Chief

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

 

Vincent “B.J.” Lawrence was elected Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. on July 25, 2018, at the 119th VFW National Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

B.J. served with the United States Army from 1983 to 1986, earning his VFW eligibility by serving in Korea, where he earned the Korean Defense Service Medal.

Upon joining VFW Post 7686 in Alamogordo, N.M., in 2000, he immediately began to dedicate his efforts toward moving the organization forward into the new millennium and beyond. He has proven to be a highly effective and dynamic leader, serving in a myriad of critical leadership positions, to include being elected to command his Post, District and the VFW Department of New Mexico, as well as serving on the National Appeals Committee, and as Vice Chairman of the National Legislative Committee. He was also elected to the VFW National Council of Administration in 2009.

During the 2010 VFW National Convention, he joined the ranks of a select few when he was recognized for his distinctive membership recruiting achievements on the Post, District and Department levels by earning the coveted designation of “VFW Triple Crown Winner.”

B.J. attended the New Mexico State Law Enforcement Academy, New Mexico Firefighters Academy, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Narcotics Enforcement School. He served his community as a police officer for several years, including time as an undercover agent. Prior to his retirement in 2015, he was a private investigator and owner of Lawrence Investigations.

In 2008 he became a Gold Legacy Life member. He is also a life member of the VFW National Home for Children and the Military Order of the Cootie.

B.J. and his wife, Mary, reside in Alamogordo, N.M.