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25 Years of Fighting for Veterans, Peace and Justice

By VVAW

It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) first lifted a banner in an anti-war demonstration. Veterans, previously unacquainted, united together—eager, war-toughened, bold, idealistic, angry, innocent, young and filled with the urgent necessity to change the course of history. Our mission was nothing less than to end the war we had fought in Vietnam.

And we were, simply, terrific. We marched, lobbied and communed with each other in politically charged veteran's demonstrations and encampments. We defied Richard Nixon and the Justice Department (who sought to discredit us), the Supreme Court and Congress. Yet we welcomed Senators, Representatives and the American public to our encampments, as we eloquently and viscerally testified to our experiences in Vietnam. The country listened to us as we moved to end the war in a peaceful and most dramatic way.

With the help of dedicated professionals, VVAW pioneered work in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, veteran's rap groups, and treatment and compensation for exposure to Agent Orange. As veterans we reached out to war resisters, working with them for universal and unconditional amnesty. In the past 25 years of high school students, sharing with them the realities of war and the military. We've continued to speak out for normalization of relations with Vietnam and against misguided American policies, whether in Central America or the Persian Gulf.

Through thick and thin, high times and low, internal strife, VVAW survives with a renewed sense of mission. Now we mark our 25th anniversary and invite you, your families and accomplishments and individual contributions to the flight for veterans, peace and justice.