Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. you tell me. Im glad you made it back! How many VN vets die each day? - Answers I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. Infantry Division. I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. I always ask if they know what a fuck you lizard was. 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. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR How many Korean War veterans are still alive? Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. If the ratio of approximately 10% remains the same about 314. However I know many many who have died these past 55 years & 6 months since the Battle of Soui Tre March 21, 1967 and I know what is a combat veteran. 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. Not sure where we were. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? Depends on where you were. You can sleep in it. Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. 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. if you read up on it you will see that ww2 merchant sailors were despised as cowards. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? But to me, Nam is my whole universe i.e. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. Im sorry I did. We all had a job to do. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! That makes more sense. Gordon, I agree. Why all this devisiveness. It was only a short ride. The dust settled back to normality, as if man did not exist. Of the 2.7 million men and women who served in land forces in Vietnam, only about 600,000 are still alive. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Guys like me know the difference. . One was daily and the other weekly. Combat was what we did. Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. They are NOT Veterans. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. Well thank God congress got it right putting the definition into law, otherwise those who served there would not be eligible for many VA benefits, particularly Agent Orange claims. GREAT However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? My cousin was with the 82nd and was there when the TET offensive happened. Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. 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. 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. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? Things that they did not tell you. A total of 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, with over 2,709,000 Americans serving in Vietnam, about 9.7% of the generation.Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. Bob, I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? Very true One of those is my younger brother. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. We saved many a guy after you brought him to us from the boonies. Was in 82nd and served from a firebase up North to near South China Sea down South, remember some names but 53 years. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. A veteran who served in the Vietnam War would be in their early 70s to late 90s today, depending on their birth year. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The dashboard gauges and the gearshift lever approached, as I hit the dashboard with my left side and my head crashed to the floor; My spirit rejoined and I was protected by the firewall. 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 spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. That's 390 per day. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Defining Combat Veterans, tell us what number you give yourself, we have a controversy here with a candidate for Governor, he claims now that he is a combat veteran, but he told me in his campaign for the House seat he presently holds, that he was NOT a combat veteran. If we dont include forces in Thailand or Guam why are we including anyone except Navy pilots, because I dont remember any deep water people who were subjected to enemy hostilities. These are numbers never heard before & I would not include those before the advisers were sent over in the early/mid 60s. I have lived with the 2.7 million number having served in Vietnam all along and believe the Times estimate refers to Era vets having served around the world during those war years. I was with the 1st Inf Division from July 67 to June 68 and we received $15 overseas pay and $65 combat pay a month. Our side would have collapsed without you. Are these all American vets. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. He is absolutely obsessed with military and different men who have served, The definitive statistics come from the VAs Million Vietnam Vets database, which will continue until we are all gone. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. But having a CIB does not exclude or diminish in any way the experiences or accomplishments of others, like you, and the wearer of the badge has no right to judge what any other man faced. in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. Navy ships were classified as Blue Water ships. How many Vietnam veterans are still alive? (2023) Vince. He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. Born: 04/07/1937. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. I do not, however, have a CIB. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. Vietnam Veterans by State 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com good stuff !!!!! They wore the Vietnam Service Medal. As a Combat Infantry Veteran those who allow people to assume that they experienced actual combat because they refer to themselves as a Vietnam Vet. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. My sister found enough info to get her husbands ship re-classified to a Brown Water ship due to his operation of a river boat and also medical evac of Marines, while he was assigned to the flagship, the Newport News, Prior to that any sailor who served aboard the Newport News, that applied for disability connected with Agent Orange, was denied. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. Thank you for taking the time to read this. According to the Pentagons Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, there are currently 83,204 unaccounted for U.S. personnel, including 73,547 from World War II, 7,883 from the Korean War, 126 from the Cold War, 1,642 from the Vietnam War, and six from Iraq and other recent conflicts, including three Defense. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. I was only there 9-months but others served multiple tours, so I tend to believe the 2.7 3.0 million is probably an accurate number. I saw plenty of people providing direct combat support to the effort in. Active Duty: 473,000 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. First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? OH, SHIT- I heard the impact of the Rocket Propelled grenade (RPG) to my left; `this is it, I yelled! Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. best to all. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! Agent Orange was sprayed on the Jungle areas, and Melathion (Insecticide) was sprayed on Base Camps. Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. give me a date between June 25, 1968 thru June 25 1969 and I can tell you where I was in country. Certainly leaves some doubt about the numbers because why are we including the years from 1954 to when the actual American forces entered hostile missions? Very helpful for this Viet Nam vet, at 73 and a little long in the tooth I I find that my understanding of the time I spent in Viet Nam comes into sharper focus as time goes by and the reality of what happened and what I did to participate makes me proud especially because I volunteered for Viet Nam at the age of 17. Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. Many Vietnam Vets do not even know about the secret operations from Thailand, now declassified, that probably helped save their rears during some of their combat operations. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. it is much easier to say who was not. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. Thank you in advance! 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. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. The number of Viet Nam veterans, those who served in combat and combat related services (such those flyboys from outside the territory/waters of Viet Nam is about 2.7 million. Forget 1954, let use a true date of 1962 (first advisors) The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. I know . This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. How Many Ww2 Veterans Die Each Day? - Thelma Thinks Sgt. 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. A lot of guys broke out with rashes every time that sprayed for mosquitos, using Melithon, which was every 2 weeks over all Base Camps. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. We havent forgotten that time of our lives, and remember full well, that most of these ERA Vets joined these other branches in a desperate attempt to avoid service in Vietnam. Excellent questions. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. scipione@geneseo.edu This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. I do not believe that the question of who is a Vietnam Veteran is that difficult Assignment to a unit stationed in country is 1 criterion, another is the number of days assigned and served in country Combat at sea of pilots from carriers and rescue crews that flew over the country and those downed I think that there are really 2 classes of Vietnam Veterans, combat and non-combat that is a more difficult designation to separate As a combat platoon Sgt engaged in several large battles and many smaller fire fights, nights being mortared with shells exploding in the trees above The VA needs to add one more medical anomaly, Chronic Butt Pucker for all combat veterans. Approximately 7,500 women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. 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. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. While every GI serving around the world was important to securing our Cold War victory over Communism just as the Vietnam conflict was also, those who served in uniform in the SEA War Theater are the true veterans of the Vietnam War. We all bleed red. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. Where is this one in twelve figure from? Based on data through September 30, 2020, VetPop2020 provides a projection of the Veteran population at each fiscal year end from 2020 to 2050. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. Presently, I approached the road to the top of PDL hill, and I was thinking what a beautiful day this would have been if this were some other place in some other world. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? John, And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. nothing exists or will exist in another time. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. if you slept in the same bed more than 4 nights a week you were a REMF doesnt make you a abad guy but you are a remf. We did what we felt needed doing. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. What is the average age of Vietnam veteran in 2021? A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. I heard them offen. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. Age: 84. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. I concur with the 610,000 as the 850,000 remaining vets have been used for years and would be much lower by now. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. 400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. In my mirror I saw its beam illuminate each and every particle of dust that my passing vehicle spewed into the air; thus creating a mobile, magical, camouflaged chamber of brightly dancing fairies shielding me from harm. (LogOut/ Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. Born in 1953, he joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15 and was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner. Be content with your service, and leave it there. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. How many ww2 vets left 2021? Educate your self and search the web for the last battle of the Vietnam war. Tom Selleck. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Music That Moves the Military. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? To that we can add those who served in adjacent waters and countries, but 2.6 is likely the closest figure to those in country. in only 6-10 years.. . In my Book if you didnt step foot in Nam Your sure not a Vietnam Vet, Period. Arne Fuller, Tucson AZ. 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). The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? 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. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). I served a second tour and know quite a few Marines that did also. 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. Everyone knows this. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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! 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! As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. Last one left was about 15 to 20 years ago. I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. The Truth About 22 Veteran Suicides A Day - Task & Purpose But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. As a child I knew several WWII veterans. i said once if you walked , you worked. 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. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. they sucked. Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item that best describes you. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. His wife and family should be very proud of him. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. TRUE, yes more may have had a mortar or rocket land in the vicinity, or heard a sniper round shot, but the manpower rule is 1 out of 7 10 is an actual seek out and engage the enemy, tip of the spear veteran. Me? How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? - CLJ Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. Can You Join the Military With Depression? As I started to slowly stagger upright towards the opposite side of the road, trying with all my might to gain my balance, I went down hard. Unless they kept track by service or SSN, how many Vietnam Veterans are there ? 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. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. My whole essence was involved it the quest of one more heartbeat, one more breath, one more gasp of pain averting energy, one moment at a time. Our service was diminished while there and continues being disrespected by those who lump all Vietnam-Era vets with those whose lives were on the line. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. 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. i went to dong ha several times. 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. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. Agent Orange is a Herdicide. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. Somewhat confusing. I needed the rest! In the first part of the journey the mountain would act as a radio (my lifeline) barrier between Camp Enari and the PDL fortified Ville. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. The definition of Combat Veteran is NOT if you have a CIB. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. 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. We are working on a feature article How Many Of Us Are Still Alive: that will show a complete Actuarial Model that shows the likely number of us still alive (725,000 to 750,000 out of 2.4 million) and the likely progression of our deaths. Melathion was 96% pure. Enlisted 7/70. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. (LogOut/ I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive.
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