Mission 75: Responsible Planning for VVA’s Future

Purpose and Strategic Imperative

Vietnam Veterans of America was founded to ensure that veterans were never again left behind or turned against one another. Today, we face a different challenge, not of relevance or mission, but of time. Demographics alone demand responsible planning. Mission 75 would ensure that the mission, authority, and legacy of VVA will endure without disruption.

Not a Merger, Not an Acquisition, Not a Takeover

The Mission 75 initiative is not intended as a merger, acquisition, or consolidation of VVA. It is a long-term, phased transfer of operational capacity and institutional knowledge. Vietnam War veterans would retain leadership authority for as long as they are willing and able to serve. This would allow us to ensure that any organizational transition is respectful, controlled, and measured in years, not moments.

Growing Membership Without Diluting Identity

Mission 75 would allow VVA to increase its membership by welcoming veterans who served after 1975 into a nonjudgmental community focused on service and advocacy, rather than one focused on a so-called “era” or on combat distinctions. This would expand VVA’s reach and relevance while keeping Vietnam War veterans at the center of authority and identity. This expansion would also allow VVA to remain an organization made up entirely of military veterans.

Training Future Generations of Leadership

Mission 75 would create a structured environment to train and prepare future generations of veterans to assume increasing responsibilities in VVA. This plan allows younger veterans to ease into positions of advocacy, governance support, and leadership under the mentorship and stewardship of Vietnam veterans, thereby preserving VVA’s institutional memory and culture.

Operating Within the Existing 501(c)(19) and Congressional Charter

This plan operates fully within VVA’s current 501(c)(19) status and our Congressional Charter. It does not require a full charter rewrite or organizational reform. Only minimal technical adjustments, such as name-continuity provisions, would be required, and then only at the point when no Vietnam War veteran remains eligible to serve in national leadership.

Preserving the Strength of the 501(c)(19)

Maintaining 501(c)(19) status preserves VVA’s unique strength as a veterans service organization, including its advocacy, authority, identity, and congressional recognition. Transitioning to a 501(c)(3) would forfeit this hard-won status—something VVA fought decades to achieve and must protect.

Clarifying the Role of AVVA

The Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America operates as a 501(c)(3) and would remain a critical partner under the Mission 75 plan. AVVA could continue to grow in its associate and charitable role, but legally and practically, AVVA cannot inherit or transfer VVA’s Congressional Charter. Mission 75, as a national division within VVA’s existing structure, allows for seamless continuity without legal risk or loss of standing.

Permanent Stewardship of VVA’s Legacy

Mission 75 is designed to be the caretaker of all VVA history, titles, names, copyrights, trademarks, wordmarks, and symbols. This guarantees the perpetual existence of Vietnam Veterans of America as a living institution.

This plan declares unequivocally that VVA’s mission has no expiration date, while also ensuring that future generations of veterans do not abandon or work against one another.

VVA’s founding principle remains: Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens when no Vietnam veteran can serve in national leadership?

A: Only then would Mission 75 step in as the continuation force, through minimal technical changes that preserve everything that VVA stands for.

Q: What happens to VVA’s history, name, and symbols?

A: They would be permanently protected. Mission 75 would be charged with stewardship of all VVA history, trademarks, copyrights, and symbols.

Q: What principle guides this entire plan?

A: Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.

To have any chance of working, however, VVA members, through the delegates at a VVA Convention, will need to change our Constitution to open membership to veterans who served after 1975, including veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War. These veterans are waiting to join us when we make this move.

The Six (6) Options Presented Are:

1. Consolidate AVVA and VVA as they were in the beginning.

2. Merge VVA and AVVA.

3. Dissolution—voluntarily dissolve and distribute the net remaining assets to a nonprofit organization.

4. Amend the VVA Constitution to allow AVVA members and others to join VVA.

5. Amend the Constitution to allow post-Vietnam-era veterans to join VVA.

6. Judicial dissolution, involuntary dissolution, and distribution of the assets.

A vote for Mission 75 does not change Vietnam Veterans of America; rather, it grows the organization. Mission 75 will retain our Congressional Charter and continue the power of VVA with you, a veteran member.

A vote for Mission 75 will revitalize our national authority by serving veterans from wars and conflicts that occurred after the Vietnam War.

A vote for AVVA will end VVA and all it stands for.

Veterans Mission 75 Would Include

Mission 75 would include veterans who served during or in connection with:

• The late Cold War

• Lebanon

• Grenada

• Panama

• The Persian Gulf War

• Somalia

• Bosnia

• Kosovo

• Iraq

• Afghanistan

• The Global War on Terrorism

Chapter and state documents will need review, including bylaws, election rules, dues rules, officer qualifications, monitoring requirements, and training duties.

Associates of Vietnam Veterans

The AVVA Inc is a 501(c)3 corporation whose main object is to support Veterans and their families, as well as the families of our active military personnel. We are a National, nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to advancing the awareness of issues affecting Veterans, their families, and their communities. AVVA is made up of Veterans of all eras, families and friends of Veterans and all persons who support  Veterans’ issues. For more information on the AVVA, go to www.avva.org      . If you would like to make a tax deductiable donatation, visit avva.org/donate.html

It means the applicant completed the initial training required by the applicant’s branch of service and was found fit to be assigned to active duty for the remainder of his/her obligated service. In the case of an applicant who served in a Reserve or Guard component, active duty means that the applicant was called to federal active duty in a status other than active duty for training.

If you don’t meet the regular membership requirements, you can join Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA). AVVA members include families, friends and supporters of Vietnam veterans, veterans from before and after the Vietnam era, as well as Vietnam veterans. VVA members can have dual membership in AVVA as non-voting AVVA members.

VVA’s National Membership Department will not maintain original or copies of DD-214’s. The DD-214 is destroyed within 30 days of receipt. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL. You can contact the National Archives Military Service Records  to obtain a copy of your DD-214.

The VVA database is managed by the VVA Membership Department. Know the individual’s name, date submitted, and type of payment, and contact the Membership Department at 1-800-882-1316 or 301-585-4000 or email: membership@vva.org.