SAN ANTONIO — VFW Post 8541 in northeast San Antonio stands alone as the only one in the world to have a cybercafe. 

“When I was in Afghanistan I was watching these Green Berets, individuals doing great things for our country. Their relief valve was able to get onto these games,” Post Commander Bill Smith said. 

A 2019 study by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs showed video games can help post-traumatic stress and substance abuse disorders. 

Smith served in the U.S. Army for more than 30 years and is a retired sergeant of the San Antonio Police Department. He leads the team at VFW 8541. 

“One day we said, 'You know what? Let’s recreate the gaming atmosphere here that was going on in Afghanistan and Iraq with the younger veterans,'” Smith said. 

That conversation happened with his son, a gamer, and family friend Sam Elizondo of San Antonio’s LFG Cybercafe. 

The initiative began in January 2020 and was complicated by the oncoming pandemic. VFW 8541 had to pivot at times to continue serving veterans but with some help, the gaming hall slowly grew into what it is today. 

“Microsoft was huge. They donated equipment and embraced what we were doing,” Smith said. 

The room has 12 gaming PCs, six XBOX consoles and offered around 70 games when it first opened. Stations are spread out to follow COVID precautions, but Smith expects to add high-speed gaming laptops in the open spaces later. All stations are wired with high-speed internet too. The perfect place to attract younger veterans. Something Smith is lacking in the VFWs of today. 

Smith says the cybercafe hasn’t been too busy since opening but expects interest to grow over time. While it is available for veterans to take a break and play video games, it’s also available as a room for veterans who are going to school and need a place to do homework in peace.

“Everybody knows when you get out of the military and you’re 37 years old and you still have a 13-year-old and 15-year-old at home, it’s kind of hard to do your homework while they’re doing theirs,” Smith said. 

Along with that partnership with Student Veterans of America, the VFW is working with San Antonio JROTC programs. 

There is also hope to provide virtual counseling for veterans who may feel uncomfortable doing in-person counseling. Smith is working to partner with an organization on that initiative. 

“I truly believe we do more for veterans who are lost. This gives them a chance to find themselves, gives them the opportunity to reconnect with veterans,” Smith said.