Military Order of the Cootie

Category
Additional Images
Sub Categories
Image Description

Red illustration of a cootie on a white background

Back Paper / Back Info

VETERANS ENTERPRISES, INC. 44 COURT ST. BROOKLYN, N.Y. union bug

Back Style
The Shape
The Size
Additional Information

The Military Order of the Cootie (MOC) is a national honor degree membership association under the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).  Founded in 1920, the MOC provides social and entertainment programs to members of the VFW, and supports hospitals for veterans and their families. It aims to “Keep ‘em Smiling in Beds of White.” Membership in the MOC signifies exceptional service to the VFW and its affiliated programs. Notable members have included presidents Harry Truman and George H. W. Bush. 

The term “cootie” refers to the lice that afflicted many soldiers during World War I. These parasitic insects were credited to keeping soldiers’ heads down in the trenches. 

Sources

Military Order of the Cootie. (2022, September 29). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Order_of_the_Cootie

Nevada Department of Veterans Services. (n.d.). Military Order of the Cootie. https://veterans.nv.gov/resources/military-order-of-the-cootie/#:~:text=...

Catalog ID CL0392