to 1984 approx. If you were shot at, in an incoming rocket attack, had to protect during a ground attack, you could bleed and die, you were in Combat. earned their stripe. The 9 million was the total number of people in the military during 64-75 . It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. was i a veteran by the numbers? at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. I opted for love! Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. In 2019, the most . Enlisted 7/70. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Today is Sun 22 Aug 2021 but the actual date HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED as the US is SENDING GIs BACK! when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Their is a new book about to be released by Bill Comeau that tells a similar story of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Duel with the Dragon about the Battle of Soui Tre that I fought in. He was carrying a BAR, killed fighting an infantry action, and the desk jockeys decided he did not meet requirements for a CIB. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. Vietnam Veterans are dieing faster than World War Two veterans do to Agent Orange contamination . Regardless of their MOS or the details of their service, veterans have more in common with each other than they have differences, and ALL deserve to be honored. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. Floyd James ThompsonHe was one of the longest-held American prisoner of war in U.S. history that was returned or captured by troops, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam and Laos, and in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. With the Americal after I got back I had maps. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. Arne Fuller, Tucson AZ. These numbers have come about due to the extensive research of various mortality indexes and sources by the American War Library which concluded that about one-third of those who served in the Vietnam War are still alive today. References:https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/how-many-vietnam-veterans-are-still-alive.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War, The Armys FY 2023 budget request is ~$177.5 Billion. ******************************************************* I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. Apparently Infantry is the operative word. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. next with 1st of 12th cav. If you assumed that 500,000 new troops served there every year from 1962-1975, you still couldnt get to 9,000,000 serving there, so using the peak number is not realistic. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. I think 9+ million total in US military service during the peak years of the Vietnam War and 2.6 2.7 million in Nam and its waters and air space is right. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . 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. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. These numbers were not included since these service members were far removed from combat experience and did not spend any amount of time in harms way. ago. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. 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. Aint this fun? (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. 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. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. 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. Bullets were flying everywhere, and the noise was tremendous. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? nearly every classmate from the academy served on some basis during the vn war. but i was happy to serve. A number 1/2 the peak, say 250,000 still seems high but would come closer to 3,000,000 number serving. as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. I have one, but I fought a ferocious battle at FSB Gold at the beginning of Operation Junction II March 21, 1967, the artillery guys in Vietnam were every bit an infantryman as well, they suffered mortar & rocket attacks, enemy probes and attacks They were lucky in some ways that they did not have to crawl through the shit every day. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. Rear echelon? We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. Today, the state with highest number of Vietnam veterans is California, with 596,130, followed by Florida with 519,224. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website the button is located at the top right of this page. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. . He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. 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. Sgt. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! Which Statement Best Describes How Americans In The 1960S Felt About The Vietnam War? in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. Korea had 2 divisions in Vietnam The White Horse & Tiger Divisions The Australian Military was also present but I do not know the numbers There could be others. IF you didnt get any extra pay better have a good excuse .like to hear it. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. I realized what control I had in the cosmos. I made a mistake !!!!! makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. Vietnam was very different, it was not supported by our Nation, the draft of so many young men to fight in a country that few could ever find on a map, let alone now anything about. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. But I didnt beat him he just left. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. We have been betrayed by all Globalists. That makes more sense. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! Here are some statistics on the veterans of the Vietnam War. Air crews who flew over Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam had no Fox hole or ditch yo hid behind while delivering payload after payload to help destroy supplies heading towards those in the bush, while avoid withering anti-aircraft fire and missiles. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). Where do they thinly get Ella enemys came from? The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. from Fallen Leaves, Broken Lives By Edward Tick The first impact of a rocket was twenty meters to the left and ten meters behind as the rocket flew over its target. Please do your own due diligence on the American War Library before citing them on ANYTHING, ever. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. stay safe. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. Im proud to be a surviving vet and the men who served with me then and those after me. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. The disparity seems to be In Theatre veterans between the years 1954-1975, and veterans in the Military at that time that were not deployed, or NOT In Theatre! 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. I always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. I was with 4th Med Bn. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? Sorry for your loss of your loved one. It has a life of its own. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But if the 800,000 number is right then it has to be out of the 9,000,000 and not out of the 2.6 million. Finally figured out what was wrong with me, received help but refuse to dwell on the dark demons that quite frankly just did not give a dam for humanity. It should be duly noted that these numbers do not include the 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. So it only makes sense that for those very few of the 9+ million in the service during those years so be able to distinguish themselves. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. 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. to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. This is a reasonable number but you get very different notions of the death rate when you compare 800,000 to 2.7 million versus 800,000 out of 9.2 million. and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. We had a dustoff attached to us. I think by now weve pretty much said all that can be said about this question. Born: 01/29/1945. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. Mike. Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. They are NOT Veterans. 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. Then we went back to the Boonies. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. Excellent questions. yep I wonder also. Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. Here are two additional sources of information (added 9-3-2022) updated in 2021: https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 Yes. A few people were killed. 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. Wiki User. The roar was deafening; through the shattered windshield, I saw the truck go out of control. 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. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. i am not better, but i am not worse. I was driving the OPs 3/4-ton, 4X4 truck down the main dirt highway from Camp Enari entering the Ville and Mark Stanley was a passenger in the cab. 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. There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. Hell no. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. We dont forget, and resent the tail gating by those who, during the war, did all they could to avoid it, and now desperately hope others will conveniently forget this fact, and give them some of the respect they never earned. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. may we all be the last man standing. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past.