Vietnam Veterans of America — VVA
VVA exists for one generation of veterans and the families who carried them home. Its founding principle is printed on everything it does: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." If your veteran served in the Vietnam era, this is the organization that was built for him — and its associates organization was built for you.
- Founded: 1978 (first organized as the Council of Vietnam Veterans); congressionally chartered 1986
- Status: Congressionally chartered veterans service organization; nonprofit, 501(c)(19)
- Headquarters: Silver Spring, Maryland
- Size: “national membership of over 92,000, with over 600 chapters” (VVA’s own figure)
- Website: vva.org
Who it serves
Membership is for Vietnam-era veterans. Per VVA’s Membership Procedures Guide, a member is anyone who served on active duty (for other than training purposes) in the U.S. Armed Forces in the Republic of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, or in any duty location between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975. Proof of service (a DD214 or equivalent) is required with the application.
The family’s door is AVVA — the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America. Asked who can join AVVA, VVA’s own guide answers: “Anyone.” AVVA members include families, friends, and supporters of Vietnam veterans, veterans of other eras, and Vietnam veterans themselves. No relationship test, no era test.
What it does
- Claims help — VVA’s Service Representative program (grown out of Vietnam Veterans of America Legal Services, founded 1983) puts trained representatives in VA regional offices to help veterans prosecute disability claims. VVA’s own guidance stresses having an experienced representative on a claim and staying in contact while it is pending. (VVA’s site does not state whether this help requires membership — ask when you call.)
- Agent Orange and PTSD — VVA publishes self-help guides on Agent Orange and PTSD that it makes available to anyone interested, and its advocacy is credited with the first Agent Orange assistance laws.
- Advocacy — government-relations work credited by VVA with helping establish and extend the Vet Center system and job-training laws, and with winning judicial review of veterans’ claims.
- Veterans Initiative Program — helps identify and recover information about the missing from battlefield items, documents, and stories.
- Local chapters — more than 600 chapters run volunteer work from homeless-shelter support to youth sponsorship, plus The VVA Veteran newspaper for members.
How a family uses it
- Find chapters, the membership guide, and benefits help at vva.org — national office: 301-585-4000; membership: 1-800-882-1316.
- Spouses, children, parents, and friends of a Vietnam-era veteran: your membership is AVVA, and it is open to you whether or not the veteran joins VVA.
- If what you need is a claims representative, call and ask for the VVA Service Representative serving your VA regional office.
Facts on this page are drawn from VVA's own published materials (vva.org), checked October 2026. Membership and program rules change; the organization's own site governs. Corrections: care@bowmanwebservices.com.