Simply Somersworth: Grand Army Republic was city's first veterans group Jenne Holmes When we think of veterans organizations. we generally think of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), but they were not the first veterans organizations in the USA. That honor would fall, at least in this part of the country, to the Grand Army Republic (GAR). The GAR was formed in Illinois on April 6, 1866. The organization had three primary objectives at its inception: Fraternity, charity and loyalty. Each of which was fulfilled as the Union soldiers who had served in the Civil War returned home.