Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. 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. 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. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. DamnIll be 76 in March. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. I find it best not to remember that time. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. The military stopped the. 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. Active Duty: 473,000 Hell no. Some likely in error (or on purpose to avoid Agent Orange Claims). Age: 77. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. 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. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. Guys like me know the difference. The jungle sat still except for the dirt road with my truck speeding along. The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. 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. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. Ah. 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. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. 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. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. Era vets are important but dont count. The ERA Vets know perfectly well that they were neverNEVER..in Vietnam, and that this is nothing but a desperate attempt to gain the respect those men earned. Those were the prime draft years, but of course there were a few older guys over there too.This does not include other American men there who are not covered by the A, like civilian contractors. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. If you served in country on a ship in the gulf or dropped 2000 pound bombs you are a vietnam vet. He got a letter from his wife telling him she was divorcing him and marrying his best friend. Does anyone else remember ? Serving during the TET offensive and time after. I could type and did all the reports. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. 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? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I was there in 1964-1965 then 1967-1968 then my last tour was 1971-1972. Gordon, I agree. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). Systematically, a surveyor from the Plei Do Lim (PDL) flash Out Post (OP) had too physically exchanged the old for the new code-book and radio frequencies for the facility. Since the fall of Saigon and Operation Baby Lift occurred in 1975, wouldnt an 18 year old at that time be 64 or 65 today ? As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. I then did a 12 month tour in RVN in 5th SFG. I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. Having spent a year all over Thailand in support of Communist Suppression Operations Center along the Laotian border, and training Thai infantry to deploy in RVN. We have been betrayed by all Globalists. 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. from Fallen Leaves, Broken Lives By Edward Tick ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. I shipped to RVN on the USNS Geiger, manned by Merchant Marines, leaving Tacoma, WA on June 30, 1967 and arriving in Vung Tau on July 21, 1967. I knew place names like War Zone C, Filijo (rubber Plantation), Iron triangle, Bo Lo woods?, I was wounded on the Laos border near a fire base with the 101st. 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. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. This part of Pleiku Province is a combination of mountains, triple to single canopy jungle and/or open valleys. However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. The debate depends on only two numbers. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! He arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam in early May, 1972 when he was still 17 years of age. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. 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. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. 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. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. Their lives should be given importance. 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. Thank you. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. they deserve that recognition. 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 240 300 World. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. 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. 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. 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. one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. They're generally in their 90s and about 245 die each day according to the VA. At 95 Army veteran Lincoln "Linc" Harner still remembers the war. Dr. Paul A. Scipione Age: 84. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. am i two Vietnam veterans or one. 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. Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Luck of the draw my twin that received a silver star got the luck of the draw made it home. 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. I do not, however, have a CIB. i served and i was affected like nearly every other person who spent time there. The roar was deafening; through the shattered windshield, I saw the truck go out of control. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 109, 000 died in the service during this period. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? I served until April 28, 1969 !!!!!!!!!!!! Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? 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. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Was in 82nd and served from a firebase up North to near South China Sea down South, remember some names but 53 years. The veterans are a very important asset to the country. I was C 3/17 air cav. You do not need to establish anything other than that. Hunter killer division. We had a dustoff attached to us. 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. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds. About 30000 Canadians came into the us to join up. 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. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. A few people were killed. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. Next determined those Veterans who were awarded the Vietnam Service ribbon. State-Level Veteran Suicide Data: 2020 Update OUR COMPANY STARTED LONG BINH COMPOUND IN SEPT OF 1965, DALLAS WATERFILL EMAIL dallaswaterfill@yahoo.com, Was in Vietnam Dec. 1968 to Dec. 1969, Phan Rang AFB, RVN. waited and waited for our slot in port. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. VA released VetPop 2020 which is VA's new official estimate and projection of the Veteran population. The first impact of a rocket was twenty meters to the left and ten meters behind as the rocket flew over its target. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In 2019, the most . There were approx. I struck a tree and rebounded into the open again still a sitting duck. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. Great article! All opinions graciously welcomed. Combat was what we did. It is called the Stolen Valor Act., Dau Tieng A Co. 3/22 Inf. 997 guys died the first day they stepped in Nam. First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? I am a Proud US Army Veteran retired in 1984. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. 2025. 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). And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. I have always rounded up to 3,000,000 served in Vietnam..and I read someplace where of that number, only 10% were actually in combat. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. I to served two tours 67-68 and 69-70,first with 1st of 8th cav. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. 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. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. young men and woman who were there and did get fired on, or were in danger, should be recognized . My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. Pleiku, Dak To, An Khe. Can You Join the Military With Depression? fired on coming up river, a few other things. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. 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. i was a merchant marine officer, technically a civilian. 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. How many veterans die each day? This is a controversial post. Ive seen start dates for the VN war as 1954, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1965. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. I did work with Korean Troops. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including being named one of the "Top 10 Educators to Watch" by Education Week magazine. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. 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 agree with the rest of your post, and so did the Army. Bill, yep I wonder also. Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . He was killed in action just a few months later. It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. Not sure where we were. I don't know about you guys, but it kind of gives me the chills. Perhaps the reason for guys is that there were times we had to drink out of bomb craters that were in areas sprayed with Agent Orange. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. But I didnt beat him he just left. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. Considering the number of troops deployed at different times, the build up and the draw down, its inconceivable that there could have been 9m serving in country. i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. My squad leaderSteve Cook wrote, Dont Cry for Us Saigon. He gives stats. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? Quite a story. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. However, like it or not, the U.S. government makes the final decisions on who is officially considered a war veteran and thats really the way it HAS to be. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? It was hot that day; the mosquitoes were going through my mind, and the sun was again brilliant. Our medic gave them out every Monday. You were in Combat!!! three years on and off in vietnam . According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day. This included Westmorland and Abrahms. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. Tough and crazy. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. 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. When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. It was what it was. So, when we talk about Vietnam vets who are living or dead, we should be talking STRICTLY about Vets who participated in the Vietnam War. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. I understand that they only got about 300,000 of us, but that is a huge, decent number, considering how cynical we Nam vets can be about studies. Last I heard the database indicated that the Median Age of Death of Nam vets was reached at least three or four years ago. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. We all served the same, but different. 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. Then we went back to the Boonies. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. Where is this one in twelve figure from? He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. 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 draft board made that very clear. There is a MOUNTAIN of difference in each s experience, combat veterans, those of us who lived and died in the jungle muck, snippers, booby traps, mortar attacks, and the battles with dozens killed and scores wounded. we both served and i think that is what distinguishes us from draft dodgers or people that claimed bone spurs or kept getting deferments those are the people i despise. I am glad that you make Dante, I know the struggle has been long, but the spirit soars and the tale told Live long my brother, None of us are very far away from those days A harrowing experience that can never be diminished by time. I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. I submit, we should use the same standard for Vietnam. I know from my time with the 3/25 that you dont need to be a ground pounder to see more then your share of combat. For a mile or so the road cut through the jungle like a tunnel; the vegetation brushing against the sides and roof hid what lurked in the shadows. Some where along the way after returning home & towards, if not after the end of involvement, the number Id heard/read was 5 million US military served. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. 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. 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. 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. They wouldnt know the truth even if they tripped over it. I think The NY Times has conflated he number of Viet Nam veterans with those who served in the military during the years 1960-1975. So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. good stuff !!!!! 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.
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