Veterans for Peace in Vietnam (VPV), often referred to as Vets for Peace, was a loosely-knit, national organization of veterans from four wars who opposed U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. The New York chapter was formed in November 1965 by members of the New York Fifth Avenue Vietnam Peace Parade Committee not only to organize anti-war sentiment among veterans but also to mitigate right-wing harassment of participants in peace marches. Actually two veterans groups were formed for this purpose: the Ad Hoc Veterans for Peace in Vietnam, which became Vets for Peace, and Veterans and Reservists to End the War in Vietnam. Differences between the two included membership (VPV included only war veterans, while Veterans and Reservists welcomed all former servicemen), politics (VPV tended to be more moderate), strategy (Veterans and Reservists embraced more dramatic activities), and objectives (Veterans and Reservists demanded immediate withdrawal, while VPV advocated negotiation). Despite these differences the two groups cooperated in many activities.
By March 1966, Vets for Peace commanded a New York membership of over 700, and it dropped the “ad hoc” portion of its name. In addition, it reached out to encourage similar groups of veterans that were forming around the country. For the next several years the New York group was actively involved in many marches both in New York and in Washington, D.C., and it worked in close association with other anti-war organizations such as the New York Fifth Avenue Vietnam Peace Parade Committee, the Student Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, and the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam.
