American Veterans Committee (1943–2008)

In 1943, the University Religious Conference at UCLA became a meeting place for the military men who shared this desire for a veterans organization that also advocated peace and justice.

Most notably, the organization challenged segregationist policy and maintained racially integrated chapters in Southern states before the era of civil rights.

[6] In response to the Second Red Scare campaign, AVC ejected its Communist members and closed future membership to supporters of totalitarian parties.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AVC was able to frequently testify before Congress, file briefs in major court cases, and provide legal aid to minority veterans in the South.

After the War, thousands of veterans flocked to universities to take advantage of their GI Bill education benefits, which laid a foundation for the AVC to create a strong on-campus presence.

The organization drew attention to the Draft (1966), Human Rights of the Man in Uniform (1968 and 1970), Education Problems of Returning Vietnam Veterans (1972), and National Service (1989).