Wisconsin’s State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, a Congressionally Chartered Veteran Service Organization, serves as one of the many linking organizations and the 148,000 Wisconsin Veterans who survived and reside in Wisconsin. That number, 148,000, represents 5.7 percent of Vietnam veterans who served in the combat zone. That number does not reflect the total number of veterans who served during the Vietnam Era - 9.2 million or the more than 165,000 Wisconsinites who served during the Vietnam War.
The Wisconsin State Council is one of several Congressionally Chartered Veteran Service Organization in Wisconsin With more than 440,000 veterans across Wisconsin, organizations such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans Associations and more (click here to link to chartered organizations) attempt to address not only veterans from specific eras, military service, military disability, and unique pockets of veterans who have a need. Moreover, there a number of non-chartered organizations including the National Guard Association, Native American Veterans' Association, Association For Service Disabled Veterans and more (click here to link to non-chartered organizations) who complement available services and provide services that do not fit chartered organizations' guidelines. Additionally, Wisconsin has a number of veteran service organizations, foundations, and groups providing services to an ever growing veteran population. These groups include, but are not limited to the Wisconsin Veterans Foundation, Inc., Dryhootch of America and others you can find by clicking here. However, as a Congressionally Chartered organization VVA - Wisconsin State Council directs its efforts at serving Vietnam veterans across the state linked between individual Vietnam veterans who are a part of one of the 31 Chapters in four regions throughout Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America through its leadership serves as the conduit between the national VVA the Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans and each of the Chapters. The State Council is your voice for Wisconsin veteran issues within the state and at the national level. Again, the State Council functions as the conduit to get information out to Wisconsin veterans through local Chapters and from Chapter voices to the State Council and VVA National.
As Wisconsin’s Vietnam War veterans mature, the State Council continues to work on identifying issues facing our aging Vietnam War veteran. Some unique issues facing Vietnam veterans is the surfacing of PTSD and early onset dimentia. Moreover, the State Council, working through Regional Directors as well as email blasts to Chapter Presidents, to getting information out to Wisconsin's Vietnam veterans on the long-term effects of Agent Orange and other herbicides used in country.
The Wisconsin State Council has long recognized many unresolved issues Vietnam veterans have and are facing such as homelessness, incarceration, chronic employment issues, alcohol and drug abuse, women’s issues and more. As the Wisconsin State Council for Vietnam Veternas of America, we remain vigilant that these issues are addressed directly by Wisconsin's County Veterans Service Officers or indirectly through the State Council Committees that address these issues on a statewide and national basis.
Today, Vietnam Veterans of America - Wisconsin State Council, like many other state organizations, have opened their doors and their arms to provide assistance to the many returning servicemen and women from the Wars in the Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Whether an OEF/OIF veteran or Vietnam veteran, the Wisconsin State Council is proud to say it has a strong kinship and collaborates with these many Veterans of Modern Warfare and other groups serving our veterans of any era, servicemen and women, their spouses and children. The Wisconsin State Council works with veterans of other eras because the organization and its members believe, "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another."