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VVAW Statement to the People of Vietnam

By VVAW National Office

April 20, 2005

To the People of Vietnam from Vietnam Veterans Against the War

As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of the end of the US war against Vietnam, we in Vietnam Veterans Against the War wish to send greetings and best wishes to the people of Vietnam. We celebrate with you the success of your struggle for liberation from foreign domination.

On April 30, 1975, the effort on the part of successive US governments to deny Vietnam national independence and reunification came to an end. Thirty years later, we who served in the US armed forces during that war remember all the fallen on all sides, the millions of Vietnamese, the tens of thousands of Americans and soldiers from other countries, all of whom were victims of an illegal and immoral war.

We recognize the progress made by both the American and Vietnamese governments toward reconciliation between our countries, and we welcome the spirit of friendship and cooperation that has grown between the people of our countries.

We stand with you in your struggle to get recognition, compensation and treatment for the poisonous effects of the use of herbicides such as Agent Orange against your population during the US war. The chemicals that continue to damage the land of Vietnam and its people are familiar to US veterans, because we brought them home in our own bodies.

We veterans have also been fighting for treatment and compensation here in the United States for decades, and many have died in the midst of the fight. Therefore, on this thirtieth anniversary of the end of the American war against Vietnam, we call upon our government to compensate the millions of Vietnamese who continue to suffer the effects of the US policy of chemical warfare.

Sincerely,

Joseph T. Miller
National Coordinator
Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Inc.