A Non-profit National Veterans Service Organization
Chartered by Congress
What We Do

Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. (VVA) is the only national Vietnam veterans organization congressionally chartered and exclusively dedicated to Vietnam-era veterans and their families (www.vva.org). VVA Chapter 472 is the San Diego County chapter which serves this region's Vietnam era veterans.

In fact, the founding principle of VVA, which appears on the home page of this Web site, is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."

Goals
VVA's goals are to promote and support the full range of issues important to Vietnam veterans, to create a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of Vietnam veterans.

Funding
VVA does not receive any funding from federal, state, or local governments-it relies solely on private contributions for its revenue.

Membership
All Vietnam era veterans-Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard-are eligible to join VVA Chapter 472. Membership in VVA provides veterans with an opportunity to share their common bond, donate time and talent to make life better for other veterans, participate in important community activities like Stand Down for homeless veterans, the Veterans Day parade, Memorial Weekend observances and much more. There's plenty of room in Chapter 472 for sailors, soldiers, marines, coast guard, and airmen-we could use your thoughts, perspectives and talents. So if you are interested and want to know more about membership, you can:

  • Check out other areas on this Web site for activities and programs that interest you.
  • Continue monitoring this Web site for advance notices about upcoming activities such as Stand Down or the Veterans Day parade.
  • See the list of officers, board members and committee chairs below and feel free to contact them with questions or to volunteer.
  • Send a short email message to the Vice President-you'll be added to an email distribution list.

If you're ready to join VVA Chapter 472 just go to the home page, click on Membership Application and complete the form.

Officers, Board Members and Committee Chairs
If you have any questions about VVA membership, activities, etc, feel free to contact any of the VVA members.

There is a wealth of information of interest to Vietnam era veterans available at the VVA national web site.

What We Do | Who We Are |


VVA Chapter 472 offers members several activities in which to get involved:

  • Major Community Events
    • Organize and host Memorial Weekend observances at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center
    • Support and participation in "Stand Down" for homeless Vietnam Veterans
    • Helping coordinate and participate in the Veterans Day Parade
  • Community Service
    • Color Guard: VVA Chapter 472 color guard carries and escorts the colors at special events and ceremonies such as the Veterans Day Parade, Veteran of the Year Luncheon, Memorial Weekend observances, San Diego Padres games, and more. Color guard members are dwindling, so if you are interested in participating, please contact Don Armitage at 858.560-8863.
  • Community Education
    • Speakers Forum: The purpose of the VVA Chapter 472 Speakers Bureau is to offer to the public a source of authentic information about America's longest hot war. Speakers from VVA 472 include airmen, sailors, and soldiers who served in all aspects of that long engagement. Many of our speakers served on the ground in various capacities ranging from combat infantry to advisors in Riverine warfare. Others served at sea on ships and flew missions in the north. The Speakers Bureau can provide your group with a single speaker or a panel for discussion. We welcome opportunities to tell our story to colleges and high schools as well as public organizations.
  • Mutual Support
    • Member newsletter, 3V's Vietnam Veteran's Voice, is delivered to members' homes free with paid membership and is being posted on this web site as well. It is full of items of interest to veterans. Some recent articles were about upcoming activities, news from several different sources, VA benefits, flag etiquette, articles on veterans memorials, president's messages, health items dealing with Hepatitis C and Agent Orange, as well as feature items like "A nurses view on Iraq War," tribute to Bob Hope, "Air Force Silver Star," "Good Time Humor" and much more.
    • General Membership Meetings: These are quarterly meetings, usually a pot luck held on Saturdays at the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center. Everyone's invited, of course.