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Point Man of the Vets' Movement: Join Us, Organize

By VVAW

It's seldom that VVAW blows its own horn or does some intense recruiting of membership, but the time has now come. Like it or not, events in places like Grenada or Lebanon or Central America make it essential that vets speak out. More than just talking, coordinated actions can stop foreign adventures as well as attempts to slash the VA—these are things that must be done.

All too often members and coordinators of VVAW wait for people to ask to join. This isn't good enough. That Vietnam vet may be just waiting for you to ask him to join—you could both wait for an eternity for the other to take the first step, and the responsibility rests with VVAW to recruit. Second, being asked to join VVAW and to become a part of the organization makes an individual stop and think about the politics of what's going on; it asks, further, to make the commitment to struggle for a better future. Even if he or she doesn't want to join now the discussion can be good and the individual knows that you want him or her as part of VVAW.

Organizing VVAW Chapters: There are tons of VVAW members out there who belong, who consider themselves to be members of the organization and who believe in what VVAW stands for. But, they have not organized themselves into chapters or organizing committees. It may be out of fear of getting in over their heads or of getting into too much work. The fear is real—there can be a lot of work. But quite simply, if every vet would take down one brick, Reagan and his tribe would not have a roof over their heads. People can only do so much but working together and coordinating activities produces more results with fewer people.

Other Groups: We're also asking other groups to affiliate with VVAW, not because we want to wield control but because of the history of VVAW. VVAW is the first veterans organization in history composed of vets fighting against the war we fought in. While others were getting their college educations or moving up the corporate ladder, VVAW was putting first the lives of our brothers left behind in Vietnam. We demonstrated, we lobbied, we sat-in—everything we could in order to stop the war. Vets remember that. And they also remember throwing away our medals on the Capitol steps. That history can give people faith that VVAW is not about to disappear—we're in for the long haul!

We are democratic: check out the by-laws. But more important VVAW sees the need to work by consensus in order to hold the group together. Work and programs are developed by local people on the local level. Broader matters of politics are decided at national meetings, and information is exchanged on a continuous basis so that one area doesn't have to make the same mistakes as someone else has already made. Another point: no VVAW leadership person is paid for VVAW work; it is all volunteer. The organization is not a career used to avoid honest work. All money raised goes to VVAW publications or demonstration or projects and occasionally to individual vets with outstanding needs who local chapters decide should receive help. Finally, VVAW is a tax-deductible, non-profit veterans organization.

Some veterans organizations do work on Agent Orange or on Post-Traumatic Stress as one group and do "anti-war" work as VVAW; they see the two areas as separate, but they are not. VVAW was the first group to deal with ptsd, with Agent Orange, with the GI Bill. In 1972 VVAW members brought back proof from Hanoi about chromosome damage and deformed children (some of this film was used by CBS in their award-winning documentary "The Deadly Frog"). It was several years earlier than that that VVAW held "rap groups" to try to deal with what we then called "Post-Vietnam Syndrome." Since then it's become post traumatic tress disorder and the vet center groups are little different (though vitally necessary) from the groups that held 15 years ago.

But unlike other groups we do not separate these activities from our anti-war activities. In fact the right wing (with some exceptions) cares as little about really doing something about Agent Orange or hospital care as they do about Salvadorian peasants. Cuddling up to Reagan types only gives credence to their lies that they care about vets conditions; they end up trading crumbs of service for Vietnam vets for the lives of GI's, and that's a tradeoff we will not make. VVAW fights for everything we can get, will work for any change for the better, but we'll never trade our rights for future Vietnams, our benefits for the blood of the next generation. Vets benefits and future wars go hand in hand.

Sometimes VVAW is seen as too "political" or "radical," and the reputation scares people away. It shouldn't we do consider ourselves the "grunts" of the vets' movement. We are not always the cleanest or the best dressed or even the best mannered, but we are indispensable. We've been the point man in bringing up issues and fighting battles, often ahead of the pack; without that point there's a real chance of getting ambushed, and while we haven't won the battles alone—not by a long shot—we've often staked out the battleground. Not that VVAW has always been right; we've read the map wrong on more than one occasion. But by using the views of veterans and their families as our compass (not a federal grant or a job) we have gotten back on the track.

Because VVAW was—and is a national organization we have found it easier to stay on that track. While local VVAW chapters get intensely involved in local or stationwide issues, they do not lose sight of the larger issues that affect veterans nationally. And it gives VVAW the ability to pass along information and tactics from one side of the country to the other.

As former solders we have to learn and apply the lessons of the guerrillas and supposed enemy we fought—especially those who beat us like the Vietnamese. That means unity of action: not fighting as an individual or only in one area, but attacking together in every locality. We must spread out to areas where we are absent or weak to carry out actions which will inspire others to join.

We have a responsibility to win, not just for ourselves as veterans but also for the younger generation of cannon fodder, and for the overseas victims of U.S. adventures; every day the news tells us there's work to be done. Get involved and help VVAW do that work.

UNITY—STRUGGLE—VICTORY