MSS 513 Vietnam Veterans Against the War/Winter Soldier Organization Records

              MSS 513
Vietnam Veterans gain st the War/
Winter Soldier Organization.
\ Columbus, Ohio, Chapter Records.
3 1/ 4 cubic f e e t
Preliminary inventory
COLLECTION SYNOPSIS
Provenance: The Ohio Historical Society acquired the Vietnam
Veterans Against the War/ Winter Soldier Organization ( WAW/ WSO),
Colunbus Chapter records as a g i f t of Mr. Mark Rovick, of Columbus,
Ohio, i n December 1976. Keith A. Maneese processed t h e c o l l e c t i o n
in May 1980.
Property rights: The Ohio Historical Society owns the property
r i g h t s t o t h i s collection.
Copyrights: Mr. Rovick has dedicated such copyrights as he
possesses in these papers t o the public. Consideration of a l l
other copyrights i s the responsibility of the author and pub-l
i s h e r .
Access: Boxes 1 through 3 of t h i s collection are open under the
rules and regulations of the Ohio Historical Society. Box 4 i s
r e s t r i c t e d u n t i l 2015 without written permission from the donor.
Citation: Researchers are requested t o c i t e collection name,
collection number, and the Ohio Historical Society i n a l l foot-note
and bibliographic references.
Transfer: To the audiovisual department: A button, bumper
s t i c k e r s , photographs, cassettes, and a tape, in December 1978;
t o the l i b r a r y division: newspapers and other printed materials,
in December 1978 and May 1980.
Organizational sketch: Vietnam Veterans Against the War ( WAW)
began June 1, 1967, when s i x Vietnam veterans marched together
in an anti- war demonstration in New York City. Their o r i g i n a l
aim was to educate the American public through t h e i r f i r s t hand
knowledge of the war in Indochina.
WAW grew slowly from 1967 t o 1970. During these years most
peace demonstrations contained a contingent of anti- war veterans
and the idea of a separate veterans peace groug spread. By
April 1970 WAii had only 600 members, but t h e i r goals, in
addition t o opposition t o the war, expanded t o include f r e e
speech for active duty s o l d i e r s , proper medical and psychiatric
care for veterans, increased educational benefits, and the
eventual reordering of national p r i o r i t i e s .
In May 1970, Veterans Against the War ( VAW) formed a t Ohio
State University without university sanction. The Columbus, Ohio,
VAiQ organized in response t o President Nixon's announcement t h a t
American troops had entered Cambodia, and t o the incidents a t
Kent State ( Ohio) University, and Jackson S t a t e ( Mississippi) College.