The Bethea-Welch Ladies Auxiliary was founded May 12, 1948 to support the predominantly Black Bethea-Welch Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post. In 1947, Rosaline Thompson met with Bethea-Welch Post Commander Albert T. Jones and the mothers, wives and daughters of veterans who served overseas to discuss creating a women's auxiliary. As with the veteran's post prior to its founding, there was not a VFW Ladies Auxiliary for Black women in D.C. at the time. With 16 charter members, the Ladies Auxiliary began working with war veterans, their families, area youth, local churches, and orphanages.

In the early 1950s, the women of Bethea-Welch were invited to join the Department of the District of Columbia Ladies Auxiliary and participate in national programs. Members conducted a variety of community services: collected toys for young children, visited local Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals, provided food relief to homeless families during the holiday season, provided books for veterans and children, and implemented programs at area churches. Some of the most popular programs included the “Book Shower'' for veterans, annual “Sweet Day” for children living in a local settlement house, Junior Girls for young women, and the Bethea-Welch marching band. Similar organizations benefited from the work of Bethea-Welch VFW; including the Girl Scouts, Children's Hospital, Police Boys and Girls Club, the House of Ruth and Walker Whitman Clinic, among others.

The Bethea-Welch Post 7284 Veterans of Foreign Wars Post was founded by David D. Dixon. At the time, there was not a VFW post for eligible Black veterans in Washington, D.C. After The post's name was chosen in memory of Sargent Bethea, who was killed in action during World War I, and Captain George A. Welch, who was killed in action during World War II.