Vietnam War
1955-1975
24 National Organizations
| 2.7M Served In-Country | 58,220 Gave Their Lives | 1,584 Still Missing | ~6M Veterans Living (Est. 2025) |
🗺️ Explore the Battlefields: Our interactive Vietnam Battle Maps above show major engagements from the Ia Drang Valley to Khe Sanh to the Mekong Delta. Click any marker to learn about the battles that defined this conflict.
Welcome Home
Unlike veterans of previous wars, those who served in Vietnam often returned to a divided nation. Many came home to indifference or hostility rather than gratitude. It took years—decades for some—before America properly acknowledged their service and sacrifice.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1982, became a turning point. "The Wall" gave veterans and families a place to grieve, remember, and heal. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund continues to maintain this sacred space. Today, the simple greeting "Welcome Home" carries profound meaning for Vietnam veterans who never heard it when they returned.
Understanding Vietnam Veteran Organizations
Organizations serving Vietnam veterans reflect the unique challenges they faced:
- Veterans Service Organizations – Groups like Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) advocate for benefits, particularly related to Agent Orange exposure and PTSD recognition.
- Healing & Support Organizations – Nation's Finest, Swords to Plowshares, and Alpha Omega Veterans Services focus on housing, readjustment, and connecting veterans who share common experiences.
- Memorial Organizations – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund maintains The Wall and conducts ceremonies on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
- Unit Associations – The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and similar groups preserve unit histories and host reunions.
- POW/MIA Organizations – The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia works to account for the 1,584 Americans still missing.
- Family Organizations – The National Military Family Association supports Gold Star families and military families across all eras.
About the Vietnam War
The Conflict: U.S. involvement escalated from advisors in the late 1950s to major combat operations from 1965–1973. American forces fought a counterinsurgency war against the Viet Cong and conventional battles against the North Vietnamese Army across jungles, rice paddies, and highlands.
Key Battles: The Ia Drang Valley (1965) was the first major engagement between U.S. and NVA forces. The Tet Offensive (1968) marked a turning point in American public opinion. Khe Sanh, Hamburger Hill, and countless smaller engagements tested American troops in brutal conditions.
Agent Orange: Millions of gallons of herbicides were sprayed to deny enemy cover. Decades later, veterans continue to suffer health effects. Organizations like VVA and the National Veterans Legal Services Program advocate for recognition and care.
The Draft: Unlike today's all-volunteer force, Vietnam-era service included 2.2 million draftees. The average age of the American soldier in Vietnam was 19—compared to 26 in World War II.
Unit Legacy: Major units that served—the 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne, 173rd Airborne Brigade, and 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions—maintain active associations.
Ways to Honor Their Service
- Say "Welcome Home" – For many Vietnam veterans, these two words still carry deep meaning. Don't underestimate the power of simple acknowledgment.
- Record an Oral History – The Library of Congress Veterans History Project and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund collect stories. These veterans are now in their 70s and 80s.
- Support Honor Flights – Honor Flight Network brings Vietnam veterans to Washington, DC to visit The Wall, often for the first time.
- Visit The Wall – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC, and the traveling "Wall That Heals," provide powerful opportunities to pay respects.
- Research at The Wall – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund maintains a database of all 58,220 names with photos, remembrances, and service information at vvmf.org.
- Support Housing Programs – Organizations like Nation's Finest, Hearts and Homes for Veterans, Welcome Home, Inc., and Alpha Omega Veterans Services provide critical housing for homeless veterans.
- Visit Memorials – Our Locations directory includes Vietnam memorials, the Women's Memorial at Arlington, and museums nationwide.
Agent Orange & Health: If you're a Vietnam veteran or family member dealing with health issues potentially related to Agent Orange exposure, the Vietnam Veterans of America, National Veterans Legal Services Program, and Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation specialize in benefits advocacy. The VA has expanded the list of presumptive conditions—don't assume you're not eligible for care.
Need Immediate Support? The National Veterans Foundation operates a crisis hotline and referral service for veterans and families. Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program provides free legal help for VA appeals.
Organizations Supporting Vietnam Veterans
Organization Headquarters Locations
National Headquarters Organizations
24 organizations honoring those who served in the Vietnam War
ALPHAOMEGAVETERANS
Alpha Omega Veterans Services, Inc.
"To provide housing and comprehensive services to help homeless veterans achieve self-sufficiency."
CAPEVETERANS
Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center
"To serve veterans in the Cape Cod and Islands area with comprehensive support services."
DALEKGRAHAMVETERANSFOUNDATION
Dale K Graham Veterans Foundation
"To help veterans and surviving spouses understand and receive all the benefits they have earned through military service."
HHVETERANS
Hearts and Homes for Veterans Inc.
"To provide housing and supportive services to homeless veterans."
MPRAONLINE
Military Police Regimental Association
"To preserve Military Police heritage and support MP soldiers and their families."
WOMENSMEMORIAL
Military Women’s Memorial & Education Center
"<p>The <strong>Women in Military Service for America Memorial</strong> (WMSAM), commonly known as the Women’s Memorial, is a national memorial and nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the service, contributions, and experiences of women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Located at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, the Memorial preserves the history of women’s military service and educates the public about their vital role in defending the nation.</p>"
NATIONSFINEST
Nation’s Finest
The Nation’s Finest is a nonprofit organization founded in 1971 to support veterans and their families through housing, …
NABVETS
National Association for Black Veterans
"To advocate for and serve veterans of all ethnic backgrounds while addressing the unique issues affecting minority veterans."
LINKEDIN
National Association for Uniformed Services
"To protect and advance the earned benefits of all uniformed services personnel and their families."
POW-MIAFAMILIES
National League of Families of American Prisoners and missing in Southeast Asia
"The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s forensic lab in Hawaii has begun analyzing dozens of human remains retrieved from Laos and the Philippines in recent weeks. During a remembrance ceremony Wednesday in Vientiane Laos the agency received remains that might be those of U.S. personnel lost there during the Vietnam War."
NMFA
National Military Family Association
"<p>The <strong>Military Family Advisory Network</strong> (MFAN) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 to amplify the voices of military and veteran families and improve the systems that serve them. MFAN uses research, data, and lived experience to identify challenges facing military families and to inform policy, practice, and community-based solutions.</p>"
NVF
National Veterans Foundation
"To serve the crisis management, information, and referral needs of U.S. veterans and their families through the Lifeline for Vets program."
NVLSP
National Veterans Legal Services Program
"To ensure that our nation honors its commitment to veterans by providing them the benefits to which they are legally entitled."
NCOAUSA
Non Commissioned Officers Association
"<p>The <strong>Non Commissioned Officers Association</strong> (NCOA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1960 to represent, support, and advocate for enlisted service members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The Association focuses on improving quality of life, benefits, compensation, and professional recognition for noncommissioned officers and enlisted personnel.</p>"
SWORDS-TO-PLOWSHARES
Swords to Plowshares: Veterans Rights Organization
"To heal the wounds of war, to restore dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency to all veterans in need."
TREA
The Retired Enlisted Association
"To enhance the quality of life for uniformed service enlisted personnel, retirees, veterans, and their families."
USAWOA
United States Army Warrant Officers Association
"To support Army warrant officers and advance the warrant officer corps."
VETSPROBONO
Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program
"To ensure that every veteran who appeals to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has access to quality legal representation."
VFP
Veterans For Peace
"To use our experiences and connections to our brothers and sisters in arms worldwide to inform the public about the true costs of war."
VHPA
Vietnam Helicopter Crewmembers Association
"To enhance and accredit the cohesiveness, esprit de corps, and traditions of valor of rotary wing aircrews that flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era."
VVAW
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
"To advocate for peace, veterans' rights, and an end to military aggression."
VVMF
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
"To preserve the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, promote healing, and educate about the impact of the Vietnam War by honoring those who served and those who did not return."
VVA
Vietnam Veterans of America
"Helping Veterans Communities and those serving in harms way"
WELCOMEVETERANS
Welcome Home, Inc.
"To provide housing and support to homeless veterans."