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. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. But to me, Nam is my whole universe i.e. My name is Ananda. ho, i could not . 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. Pop, POP POP. A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? Cheers, It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! It is an all-too-common misunderstanding that to be affected by Agent Orange you had to have been sprayed, and/or you are required to prove that to the VA. i served and i was affected like nearly every other person who spent time there. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how I struck a tree and rebounded into the open again still a sitting duck. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. 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. We saved many a guy after you brought him to us from the boonies. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! Im still here after all the BS of AO has really messed up my life with illnesses, surgeries ect since 1975, noting problems while I was in Vietnam in 69, and confirmed. 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. Funny, none of them were called WWII Era Veterans. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. 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. March 29, 1973Part of what was called Operation Homecoming, the first 20 POWs arrived to a heros welcome at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. next with 1st of 12th cav. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. Today, the state with highest number of Vietnam veterans is California, with 596,130, followed by Florida with 519,224. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. Born: 08/27/1943. 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. I do not know where that number 1 in 14 came from, but in my time in the Army 1962-1970 it was in the range of 1 in 8 to 10 using the total manpower % . He was carrying a BAR, killed fighting an infantry action, and the desk jockeys decided he did not meet requirements for a CIB. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? However, any veteran who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, is presumed by the VA to have been exposed to Agent Orange. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. We all figured it was a Combat death. David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as thgatr uis hgow many died in WWIU, Sorry my spell check went nuts If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. i agree with many who feel that a private who served his time in new jersey is not a vietnam vet. . USA, (Ret.). We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. 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. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. I read a statistic somewhere that one in seven where in actual combat. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. This part of Pleiku Province is a combination of mountains, triple to single canopy jungle and/or open valleys. Mean 69 maybe? Army National Guard: 336,000, https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/how-many-vietnam-veterans-are-still-alive.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. 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. 4-39th, 9th Div. 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. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. 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). maybe, maybe not. I agree, 10% in combat, sounds right! But having said that, here are some sources: go to the top of this article and choose the magnifying glass and search for Canadians in Vietnam to read an article on this website about them. 400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. That is exactly what I was going to post. How many Canadian WWII veterans are still alive? Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. NO! Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? He was killed in action just a few months later. I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. How many Nam Vets die per day is what??? - Leatherneck.com 1st cav div. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? I believe the aircrews flying out of those places were take issue with not in harms way. In 11 days of December 1973, 16 B-52s were lost over North Vietnam during Linebacker II. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. How many Vietnam vets are dying each day? - Quick-Advice.com The now call them Vietnam era veterans. 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. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? 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. Agent Orange was sprayed on the Jungle areas, and Melathion (Insecticide) was sprayed on Base Camps. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. Nor, do they know about what is referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam war, which occurred on 15 May 1975, eight days after the legally defined end date of the Vietnam era; 7 May 1975. I knew what life in-store for me in my recovery had- years of pain and disabilities while I waited for my next adventure. In 2019, the most . How many ww2 veterans are still alive 2021? We have been betrayed by all Globalists. Apparently Infantry is the operative word. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. It was 3:30pm when I entered the slowest aspect of the trip. I do not know how many others served with us. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Not sure where we were. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. Which Statement Best Describes How Americans In The 1960S Felt About The Vietnam War? April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. Peter: 67N2F, 119th AHC 68-69. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. 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. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. Now 69 years/old. We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. If they enlisted or were drafted before 1975, they likely are in their late 60s now. 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. it really did not matter, every officer had a masters license. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. The Vietnam War was an undeclared war between the US and Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. My time stands still. DamnIll be 76 in March. How many US Army died in Vietnam War? - 2023 These Veterans are now in or about to reach . We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. Anyone suggesting that only a CIB award means you were a combat veteran is very uninformed The Battle of Soui Tre March 21, 1967 the men of the 2/77 Artillery were every bit infantry as well as Arty that day and many many other FSB battles. U failed to remember the last name on the Wall was in 1975. hello, Me? Forget 1954, let use a true date of 1962 (first advisors) It seems to be all about syntax. The roar was deafening; through the shattered windshield, I saw the truck go out of control. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. It makes a big difference because stating that only one-third of Vietnam veterans are still alive today is much harsher than stating that three-quarters of Vietnam veterans are still alive and well. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. Today is Sun 22 Aug 2021 but the actual date HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED as the US is SENDING GIs BACK! Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? 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. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? but i was happy to serve. How Many Veterans Commit Suicide A Day? - Veteran Warrior Outreach Here are some statistics on the veterans of the Vietnam War. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. Somewhat confusing. I don't know about you guys, but it kind of gives me the chills. the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. Vietnam Veterans are dieing faster than World War Two veterans do to Agent Orange contamination . But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. 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. We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. Change). There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. 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. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. Perfect. Just because some idiot politician or people want to say you were not a war vet unless you saw combat dont feel bad most of those people found ways to evade even getting drafted. Serving in combat waters.