Coming home to Orange County: A history of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, 1971--1975

The Vietnam Veterans Against the War, established in 1967, represented an important element in the antiwar movement during the Vietnam War because of their valiant efforts to exercise their democratic liberties by standing up against a war they served in but no longer supported. The VVAW spoke to the hearts of veterans who had not agreed with what they had seen and done in Vietnam, thus encouraging chapters to form across America.;This study traces the grassroots history of the VVAW chapter in Orange County, California. The chapter's existence challenges our understanding of activist politics in a region commonly known for its staunch conservatism. Furthermore, this study offers the antiwar veterans' perspective and their experience in Vietnam and provides details of the activities and the events of the Orange County VVAW chapter. I also contend that this VVAW chapter made a significant contribution to both the overall success of the VVAW and the national antiwar movement. Their efforts in the early 1970s contributed to the development of a strong left force that challenged conservative American culture and national life. Moreover, their stories demonstrate the cracking of the Cold War consensus, and illustrate that the war in Vietnam was based on an anti-communist ideology that ultimately proved to be bankrupt.