The name "Cootie” originated in World War I when the different armies were massed together on the battlefields of France.  Each country represented in WWI contributed to what is now known as the Cooties, by amalgamation of lice.  The common American Greyback, the Black Algerian Schinnels, the great Blue Louse from India, the British Blue Bloods, the Belgian Gold-Striped Heneckers, the French Grey and the Gold Parisian Cooties were all thrown together in the trenches and at once began to increase and multiply so that by the end of the war we had the most intelligent Cooties that could be produced.  They were known to bite the soldiers at just the right time to save the soldier’s lives; for often when a shell left the German trenches the Cootie would bite the soldiers, causing them to stoop and "scratch” at just the exact time that the shell would pass over the place where the soldier’s head had been.

The Military Order of the Cootie of the United States is a non-profit Veterans Service Organization. We are known as "The Honor Degree of the VFW,"and our members are comprised of the officers and leadership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Membership in the MOC is recognition of outstanding service to the VFW and its programs.

 The spirit of Comradeship and good will that exist in the Cooties is beyond comparison with other organizations, for in the Cooties, Fun is King and willingness to help in any cause for the betterment of humanity is our goal.  That is why the Cootie slogans are, "Busier than a Bee” and "Closer than a Brother”!