Vietnam Veterans of America Inc. was founded in 1978, and is the only national congressionally chartered veterans organization dedicated to Vietnam veterans and their families. VVA is a representative organization with local chapters, state councils and the national elected body. Chapter No. 355, Valencia, was incorporated in 1988.
This chapter first brought the Moving Wall, “The Wall that Heals,” to Newhall in 1994.
Not all Vietnam veterans have chosen membership in Vietnam Veterans of America. Of the estimated 830,000 Vietnam veterans alive today, there are currently over 90,000 VVA members nationwide, with 650 local chapters in 43 states.
Membership is open to U.S. military veterans who served on active duty in the Republic of Vietnam between Nov. 1, 1955, and May 7, 1975 (Vietnam veterans), or in any duty location between Aug. 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975 (Vietnam-era veterans). The distinction is only important for accessing specific benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, such as health care, education, and housing assistance, as eligibility can depend on whether service was “in-country” or “era” service.
Many of us were drafted during this time. Many enlisted. We all served in whatever capacity was deemed necessary by our government. Some of us went to Vietnam, some were sent to Korea, Germany or other support locations. We didn’t get a vote. We followed orders. We all served honorably.
And we all came home to a nation in turmoil, angry about the war, the politics, the mass casualties every day on the news, the stacks of coffins being sent home. We all shared the experience of a World War II generation that didn’t support us, other veteran organizations that shunned us, a VA that couldn’t understand us. A nation that had forsaken us. And we continued to stand together.
The founding principle of the Vietnam Veterans of America is, “Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.” This is not an indictment of how we were treated when we came home. To the contrary, it is a mandate on how we must treat our fellow and future veterans.
VVA continues to demand full accountability for all prisoners of war and those missing in action from World War II to the present. We continue to insist that the VA acknowledge and investigate the effects of toxic chemicals, burn pits, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical and mental ailments experienced by any and all veterans due to their service.
We honor all who served.
Jerry Rhodes
Valencia
