What percentage of Vietnamese died in the Vietnam War? - 2023 My cousin was with the 82nd and was there when the TET offensive happened. (LogOut/ Rear echelon? Guys like me know the difference. His Engineer company was tasked to fight as Infantry, and they did. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. Perfect. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. All five of the CIDGs we dropped off that morning filed into the back of the truck, but unlike the cab the back had a canvas top and sides. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Hometown: New York City. They are a ten (10), they fought alongside the infantry defending the perimeter. Id like to ask a question. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. he and the other gentleman did not seem to know about each other , but they ended up speaking about the tours in country, both had served some time at dong ha. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. Numbers can always be manipulated. One sapper shot off a whole magazine of armor piercing bullets at the drivers side windshield of the truck, and glass was flying in all directions. I and other merchant marine did. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. It seems to be all about syntax. Depends on where you were. While I honor those who served worldwide, it comes across as yet another slap in the face to those of us who faced enemy fire. we had a crew of about 42, spent weeks at anchor in vung tau or da nang. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. Im glad you made it back! The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. Been there, seen it, did it. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. (LogOut/ Only believing what Fox & Friends has to say is really what you need to question Most things in the NYT does get critical peer review and push back when questionable Fox NOT SO, look at the crap coming out of Tucker Carlson, now that is scary extreme BS, The picture tells far more than a Thousand Words, it is that thousand yard stare, and any veteran who was out there can fill in the blanks of what they were thinking at that moment Offshore ocean sailing is a lot like being out trucking thru the jungle Minutes , hours day upon day of monotony and boredom, interrupted by moments of fright & terror I know that thousand yard stare, and many a time since I have found myself back there in my mind, staring at whatever and seeing nothing but what was in my mind. Yes, Vietnam War veterans are still eligible for various benefits and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including disability compensation, health care, and education benefits. A few days later I was in fatigues on a C-123 to Da Nang, and a month later driving Hai Van Pass to Phu Bai with 3rdRRU Mobile Det (ASA). Why the Shame? Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. Youll have to look for it, but a long time ago I posted the most recent VA numbers I could find. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! I do not know how many others served with us. stay safe. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. How Many Ww2 Vets Die Each Day - Realonomics How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . How many WWII veterans die each day? Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? was i a veteran by the numbers? If field infantry personal awarded a CIB having engaged the enemy are a ten (10), what are the field artillery units at a fire base like FSB Gold in Operation Junction City. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. 1st cav div. I know I was there and have several cancers! Additionally, the American War Library approximated that around 164,000 Americans who served at sea in Vietnam waters during the same time are still alive today. And, if you think 75% of actual Vietnam Vets (especially after Covid, and more than 50 years of time) are still alive, youre kidding yourself. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. Age 20y 11mo. No, Wildaboro was gone, and AK-47s and B-40 rockets were sapper armaments Later, I read in a letter that Sp.4 Donnon F. Porier grabbed the M-60 machinegun, risking his life, and ran down the hillside rushing to the ambush site. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/, https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War WebInvestigator.KK.org by F. Kaskais, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Self Improvement Life Hacks, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Top Pin Answers, A Day in the Life of an Infantry Point Man in Vietnam. I am a solid 10. What numbers do the VA have? I signed up for it in 2018 at the VA Hospital in Buffalo. Approximately 7,500 women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. Sgt. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. These Veterans are now in or about to reach . So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. RVN. They term era should be shit canned. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library You would think the services would know how many were assigned to RVN and direct support of RVN, wouldnt you?? He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. An AK found its target in my thigh. we had a building where the company stored our property. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. i said once if you walked , you worked. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. I am not sure how it can be calculated, how to distinguish actual combat veterans, as that reality is a risk factor for contact with an enemy force. 4-39th, 9th Div. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. His combat medal was an Air Medal. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Check your POW list. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. it is much easier to say who was not. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls? to 1984 approx. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I then did a 12 month tour in RVN in 5th SFG. Good for him! So, here well dive a little bit deeper into how many Vietnam veterans are estimated to still be alive based on various approximations and predictions. I agree Vietnam vets are fewer. The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. I am trying to see if the NJ Adjutant Generals Office still has a couple copies around. . makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. They used the same aircraft, and there was anything left in the aircraft, whatever the spray for the day was added, so you got both. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. Bob, Leave your thoughts below in the comment section. We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. There he was wearing my dress uniform jacket SSG, CIB, BS three rows of ribbons 8 years service, 10 overseas hash marks and he had 3 very underage teeny boppers girls smoking weed telling them war stories and bragging about his combat exploits. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. There are 500,000 Korean War veterans still living, but about 600 of those die every day, according to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. You may not care but us guys that stepped foot in Nam AND had bullets flying at us, we care, and we are genuine vietnam Combat Vets. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. i was a merchant marine officer, technically a civilian. Thousands of veterans die alone every year, with their remains Another long time friend served on the Riverine Force actually served on John Kerrys boat and is mentioned prominently in his book, told me stories about being ambushed, as those boats made a lot of noise. There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? Great article! 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. All opinions graciously welcomed. one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Combat veterans will share their experiences with other veterans especially combat veterans (CIB). How many VN vets die each day? - Answers document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Combat was what we did. We did what we felt needed doing. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! We need more honest Veterans. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting - Mental Health At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. My body, accompanied by my mind, was pitched out the right-side door, sliding between the seat and under the dashboard to land on the shoulder of the dirt road alone. I turned left into the open valley dirt road that lead to the OP, crossed the blue line (river or stream on a map) and raced through the dense, triple canopy jungle to the open valley floor. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. i am not saying i was a hero, but i am saying that i did the job and i did not argue. Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . I asked him to give me his number, he did not put a number on it just that he was Not. To say that the Air Force in Thailand and Guam was too far away to be in harms way shows you have no idea what Navy and Air Force aircrews do. Look up the military definition of combat. How many veterans die each day? - Answers One other thing I would like to know, when Jane Fonda was sitting on that anti aircraft gun in Hanoi did they let her try to use it. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Why do the vets who served during the Vietnam War era have to be so devisive? Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. If you are diagnosed with a condition that they know is caused by exposure to the chemical, they will presume that condition is service-connected. They are paying on Melathion settlements (Watch TV, and it as on 2 to 3% purity, used inside US) There are no living Veterans that I know of. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. By the time I got to vin long the nva was gone and Charlie was pretty much non existent, he new we had snakes, the closest I got to him was when I was on the perimeter waiting for him to crawl thru the wire. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. Lots of people say they served in Nam, but dont remember their unit, where they were at in country or any buddies or officers names, since I served with D 2/1 196th LIB as a Combat Medic in 1968, I carried a company Roster and had to give each EM a malaria pill each day, I learned everyones name, dont remember them all after 53 yrs but go to reunion when I can. That is exactly what I was going to post. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? young men and woman who were there and did get fired on, or were in danger, should be recognized . Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. nothing exists or will exist in another time. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. My son, James, is 16 and has autism. if you were effected by the first or second tour, or as i did, three years back and forth , then you were , are are a veteran. And yes I was sprayed with Agent Orange. I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how When I opened my mouth and started talking about Nam, Id get this response, We dont talk about Nam .In my opinion we should tell everyone about our combat experience. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. i went to dong ha several times. We saved many a guy after you brought him to us from the boonies. According to the American War Library website, it was concluded by the Department of Defense that their best estimate is that between 2,709,918 and 3,173,845 GIs served in Vietnam and its surrounding waters between the years 1954 and 1975. I,m getting older bot I remember combat pay and jump pay were both $55 dollars. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. Things that they did not tell you. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. Hundreds of Vietnam vets infected by a slow-killing parasite - NBC News You are certainly a Vietnam Vet, and I know the danger that you were in As an Infantry (CIB) Sgt I spent part of my second tour with the 97th Trans out of Cam Rahn Bay, they operated @28 LCUs hauling projectiles up those rivers, always a risky business. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. Every grunt I know would say no. So the vets that actually saw combat numbers are swelled by the rear echelon members to 600,000. yet there were millions that signed up or were drafted. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. Oliver Stone. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US hi >, It poses more confusion about what constitutes a Vietnam Vet! as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. It was only a short ride. The total goes up every day. I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes there were 500,000 plus in Vietnam at the time. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. My government murdered me. According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. Thank you in advance! in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. I appreciate all the support there and around the world but Vietnam area at Fort Whatever Ohio wasnt Vietnam and no matter how brave the girls in Germany told you you were you were not a Vietnam Vet. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? - Thelma Thinks But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. Separately I am working on an article that analyzes how many States are over or under represented in terms of their number of KIAs during and right after the war., Dr. Paul Scipione serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. may we all be the last man standing. Im proud to be a surviving vet and the men who served with me then and those after me. It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 I managed to stand again, stepped, and hurled myself into the jungle. And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. Era vets are important but dont count. Assuming were talking solely about U.S. Vietnam veterans, all I would add is that anyone who served in the military and entered the war zone is technically a Vietnam veteran. Did your foot ever touch the ground? I appreciate the fact that I Sam in the combat group that won the war against the communist rabble during their Tet Offensive in 1968. Divarty (how ironic), and with my DEROS (Date I returned to the States) in the end of May boarding The BIG Bird, flying across the Pond and back to the World! Served most of my time on LZ Professional. Lol. To this day, I dont know how I was transported from the right-side dirt shoulder but ending up in the center of the dusty road. Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. no body turned down extra hands, and my india purchased white shirt and shorts made me attractive target in the event of a problem, and provided some humor to the 130 crews. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Age: 78. Their lives should be given importance. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. From what my son in law says (Apache gunship pilot) they also flew a tremendous number of combat hours everyday, And I know from what few stories he did tell (hes now deceased) they often had mortar rounds incoming. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. 2.4 million man who served in Nam approx. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. I know what I did while there in 1975, protecting USAF resources and aiding in the support of many end of the war mission. I would say anyone who has drawn Vietnam Hazard Duty pay, 30 dollars for every month or part of any month, in or over country, should qualify. My name is Ananda. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? I was there in 69-71 also sprayed Im 74, inlisted 1968 spent 2 tours in Vietnam Im now 73, Comments left by my fellow Vietnam vets are very useful. Nevertheless, if my name was Tom, Dick, or Harry I would have perished, but I could not put my parents through the same ordeal as Aunt Palma and Uncle Frank. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. My sister found enough info to get my brother in laws ship re-classified as a brown water ship and proved he was sent in country by the ships commander (Newport News). Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? we got one daily the other one weekly. Believe it or not, I still have every pay voucher..and in 1967 Hazard Duty Pay was $65. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Im 71 and waiting to see if Ill be the last one standing. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Age: 77. I was there in 1969. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - The New York Times We were near AF ranch hand ops and many of my buds still alive from then have the cancers, diabetes, amputations and such. Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. I served in Vietnam from Jul 68 to Jul 69. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day. The way many of us were treated on returning from that war, but in truth it was only a war for very few of those who served there. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? I always ask if they know what a fuck you lizard was. The VA sent out a news release on March 29th, 2022, entitled DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VIETNAM WAR VETERANS. It included the following line, which should put this question to rest. I knew what life in-store for me in my recovery had- years of pain and disabilities while I waited for my next adventure.
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