how many vietnam vets die each day
Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. Steve . Vietnam Veterans by State 2023 - worldpopulationreview.com How Did The Campus Shootings Demonstrate The Continued Divisions Within The Country? 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 debate depends on only two numbers. 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. I saw plenty of people providing direct combat support to the effort in. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. I went on about 500 missions. Sgt. i went to dong ha several times. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. 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 % . Without fanfare or much recognition. They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. Ive seen start dates for the VN war as 1954, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1965. You would think the services would know how many were assigned to RVN and direct support of RVN, wouldnt you?? Does having your ramp down and touching a river bank count as boots on ground while we were not allowed to go off the boat when we were pumping gas to the airbase? On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. When all was done and the Army was cleaning up the details of the action, they decided to award CIBs to the officers and not to enlisted. . Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. 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. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Gordon, I agree. I volunteered for 3 TDY tours 18 months total. guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. The remaining 6.5 million were serving either at-home or abroad but not in Vietnam. They are NOT Veterans. Good for him! So that means probably from 700,000 to 800,000 of us are still alive. I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. they deserve that recognition. Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR Yep we got briefings then helloed into some ridge in who knows where. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. it is the duty of the community to stay behind their warriors to heal them and at the back of them when they come back. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as that is how so many died in WWII. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. Enjoy today's Memorial Day and please take time to "Remember". Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. We have been betrayed by all Globalists. He was killed in action just a few months later. As a retired Green Beret, his assessment and stats of the war are accurate. I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. In addition, the US lost two F-111As, three F-4s, two A-7s, two A-6s, one EB-66, one HH-53, and one RA-5C. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. Like you I am sick of ERA Veterans claiming to be in country. Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. I made a mistake !!!!! All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes there were 500,000 plus in Vietnam at the time. I knew I had to stand up again, even though I made a better target; my staying in the open road would be a death sentence. 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. There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. Bullets were flying everywhere, and the noise was tremendous. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. scipione@geneseo.edu Age: 84. So he goes to Camp Wolter Texas for his 11 month school (they pay them E-5 during training) then just few weeks before graduation he declines to sign the extension for his Warrant Officer Status, they send him to Vietnam as a private to Phan Rang to ride security on fuel convoys (safe Gig) he never had to fire a weapon. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. 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. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. I was confused. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. Deaths per day . Now Iv had five and 10 % works. 1st cav div. 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. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. As you did not disclose what position you did or did not fill in Vietnam, or did not set foot in Vietnam, I will assume you are not a combat veteran, maybe not a Vietnam Veteran either. 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. Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. 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. The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. 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. Question Two. i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. was i a veteran? (LogOut/ Every grunt I know would say no. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. 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. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. Age: 78. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. fired on coming up river, a few other things. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. Separate war. question. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? - CLJ Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. 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. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Era vets are important but dont count. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. to most of them, it was another port and another war. 2025. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. what i am saying is that there were all kinds of service, and if you think the definition is being in country and being shot at, then i qualify and so did my shipmates. Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. in one way or another. 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! Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. CIB. Kenneth, your definition of combat veteran is so wrong on so many levels that it would be funny if it did not besmirch the service of so many good men, alive and dead. They wouldnt know the truth even if they tripped over it. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. I did a short extra tour with the 97th Trans in Cam Rahn Bay, they had 30 or so LCUs that hauled artillery projectiles and other stuff including fuel up many of those rivers. I would not believe the NYT. How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. Without a doubt Helicopter Crews are COMBAT VETS, to fly so low & slow over the most hidden turf below.. On landing at LZ Gold March 19, 1967 we lost 6 Hueys and 7 pilots. If you served in any other places you are a Veteran, ERA is an embellishment of your service. the draft board made that very clear. 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 Vietnam veterans are still alive? (2023) One moment is eternity- the next may never!. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! Youll have to look for it, but a long time ago I posted the most recent VA numbers I could find. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. 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. What Major Is Kent State University Known For? I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). 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. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. @Dea KellyWere you on the ground when this happened? So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? How Many Vietnam Vets Die Each Day? - Answers i was a merchant marine officer, technically a civilian. They wore the Vietnam Service Medal. The VA researchers analyzed the death certificates of 21 states to create the 2010 national estimate for veterans from all age groups. 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. 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. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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 think The NY Times has conflated he number of Viet Nam veterans with those who served in the military during the years 1960-1975. Nov.62 I got off a PanAm flight at Tan Son Nhut with a US passport, wearing civilian clothes and colorful floral leis around my neck after a stop in Hawaii. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still unaccounted-for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War. 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. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. I do not, however, have a CIB. and for the most part, we had no weapons. so if you wore chinos instead of camo you are not a veteran? But I didnt beat him he just left. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. 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. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. This is a controversial post. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. The New York Times reported that claims like those of the American War Library are false and that, instead of only one-third of Vietnam vets remaining, the number points to more like 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. What report or reference confirms it? I managed to stand again, stepped, and hurled myself into the jungle. Please do your own due diligence on the American War Library before citing them on ANYTHING, ever. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. Home Kent State University How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? 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. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? FEAR Part of the SOP on the Plei Do Lim (PDL) Flash Outpost (OP) was to make a supply run every four days back to the survey section at HHB. Thank you in advance! We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. How many veterans die each day? - Answers Scavenger1, I agree with you. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to If one in ten saw sustained combat, then there may be as little as 60,000 of us left! It was only a short ride. 4-39th, 9th Div. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. Very true One of those is my younger brother. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. I have heard many stories (more in the past 30 years) of people claiming to be a combat veteran, maybe seeking some kind of hero status or valid excuse for why they are where they are. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. 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. Got a nice break the last 5 months, got to drive a bird colonel around Chu Lai as he delivered classified info all over the base !!!!! Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. In addition 18 US AF Security Police personnel and their 5 person aircrew were killed responding to the incident (the seizure of the USS Mayaquez), some do not recognize them as combat related deaths either. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? - CherriesWriter There are no foolproof questions. 2010-11-24 14:32:32. 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. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. 15 of us REMFs were surrounded by the 33rd NVA June 13 1970. 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! Smokey Platoon. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. After Tet it was quiet. But often, it does. The artillery, Helo crews, combat engineers, in Vietnam are also considered Combat Vets, Well, I guess it just did not count for us Huey Teams (Sky Angels) supporting infantry/artillery units by flying in to lay down suppression fire, flying you into hot LZs, taking you out of the boonies, bringing you ammo and supplies, flying the wounded and dead back to base camp, not to mention Huey night Hawk missions to rectify an enemy ambush for our infantry that would be pinned down with no hope of survival. Active Duty: 473,000 Today is Sun 22 Aug 2021 but the actual date HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED as the US is SENDING GIs BACK! In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. I have read about Canadians coming south to fight in Vietnam but have never seen any real authority to support this. 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. Lets ask somebody on Facebook where we can get all the correct true data and facts. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. We had a dustoff attached to us. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? | RallyPoint About 30000 Canadians came into the us to join up. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. Check your POW list. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. I PULL GUARD DUTY THE FIRST NIGHT ANY ONE EVERY STAYED THERE. John, Quite a story. Ah. The group in my AIT Class were all happy about this. Some likely in error (or on purpose to avoid Agent Orange Claims). Spot on. He got a letter from his wife telling him she was divorcing him and marrying his best friend. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. 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. ago. Whether you were sprayed or not makes no difference, and YOU ARE NOT required to prove anything other than being present in Vietnam. 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. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. 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. why not compare them?. Their lives should be given importance. of the 1st cav div. U failed to remember the last name on the Wall was in 1975. hello, a clerk typist got benefits. nothing exists or will exist in another time. I do not believe we were counted as vets. I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police.
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