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. from Fallen Leaves, Broken Lives By Edward Tick His combat medal was an Air Medal. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. How many WWII veterans die each day? Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. This situation has been an issue for years longer than any of us has been around. 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 Vietnam War was an undeclared war between the US and Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 You do not need to establish anything other than that. I do not know how many others served with us. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. Pop, POP POP. the draft board made that very clear. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Bill, Im sorry I did. next with 1st of 12th cav. I left this Sunday, as other mornings, to make a supply run and a code book and frequency transfer to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB); to gather C-Rations, mail, and most importantly to acquire our new radio codes of the confidential frequencies for this period. The definition of Combat Veteran is NOT if you have a CIB. How Many Ww2 Vets Die Each Day - Realonomics 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. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. With an estimated 6 million Vietnam Veterans currently living in the U.S. or abroad, VA remains dedicated to serving all Veterans of the Vietnam Era., All troops were sent home in April 1973. Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. 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. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. How many veterans die each day? 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. Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Jorge Otero Barreto. This part of Pleiku Province is a combination of mountains, triple to single canopy jungle and/or open valleys. was i a veteran by the numbers? John, i thank every soldier for their service, i do not exaggerate my actions. Thanks for your responses. How about disabled numbers? Here are some statistics on the veterans of the Vietnam War. So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. Unless they kept track by service or SSN, how many Vietnam Veterans are there ? At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. How many VN vets die each day? - Answers How old are Vietnam vets now? How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? all of the participants in this thread are veterans. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. but i was happy to serve. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. Mike. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Thats sad and should stop. Every grunt I know would say no. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . Like you I am sick of ERA Veterans claiming to be in country. He got a letter from his wife telling him she was divorcing him and marrying his best friend. I salute all Veterans, and those Pencil pusher, clerks, medics, fire-fighters, etc., all had jobs to do to support everyone, they deserve respect as well, as without them no one should have had the tools necessary to accomplish any mission! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. We all figured it was a Combat death. Vince. 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. Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. Vietnam War Veterans, and honoring all who served: Memorial Day 2021 He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? 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. Copyright 2022 MilitaryPerson.com If I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. no , i could not quit. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? - Thelma Thinks You are certainly a Vietnam Vet, and I know the danger that you were in As an Infantry (CIB) Sgt I spent part of my second tour with the 97th Trans out of Cam Rahn Bay, they operated @28 LCUs hauling projectiles up those rivers, always a risky business. Age: 77. Look up the military definition of combat. Not sure where we were. serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Gordon, I agree. 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. Im glad you made it back! I was there in 1969. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. I am a solid 10. 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. Enjoy today's Memorial Day and please take time to "Remember". I am not sure how it can be calculated, how to distinguish actual combat veterans, as that reality is a risk factor for contact with an enemy force. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. they sucked. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. it is branded on you. Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. We all served the same, but different. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. I agree, 10% in combat, sounds right! 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. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. Everyone that served and was in combat which means they were in the line of fire (received it and returned it in some form or fashion) deal with their dark side in various ways. 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 one question I have is how many in country vets did multiple tours over there. All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. Thank you for being there to help us when called. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. If you served in country on a ship in the gulf or dropped 2000 pound bombs you are a vietnam vet. . I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later Dear Mr. Hutson Jr Hell no. . 1st cav div. The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . My question, How many guys are I still alive refers to the ones who were in direct combat action? Of the nearly 3Mil that served, only one in twelve were in fire fights. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. Numbers can always be manipulated. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. Guys like me know the difference. What that included Im not sure today but understood it to be in naval & in country. He arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam in early May, 1972 when he was still 17 years of age. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. (LogOut/ But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. 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. We had a dustoff attached to us. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/, https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War WebInvestigator.KK.org by F. Kaskais, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Self Improvement Life Hacks, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Top Pin Answers, A Day in the Life of an Infantry Point Man in Vietnam. The exact percentage of surviving Vietnam War veterans is not known, but it is estimated to be around 25% of the total number of veterans who served during the war. Things that they did not tell you. Past history shows ALL Veterans of previous Wars were classified as Vets of those wars regardless of where they served. The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. fired on coming up river, a few other things. Return to reality. Wiki User. It was 3:30pm when I entered the slowest aspect of the trip. What is the life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. We had a 10,000 gal balloon full of gas while we watched for someone shooting at us or placing a bomb on the bottom of our boat. 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. we were all on the same side of the aisle. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. Since you were with an aviation Battalion do you remember our flight pay as Army Aircrew ? Bob, If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! Im now 74. The funny thing,(not so funny) is that when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. I remember lots of the names Evana, Eagle, Bastone, Granite, Ripcord, Maryanne. Veterans support veterans, their stories and we bristle at those who would steal their history, we are not Valor Police, but those who pretend are an insult to those of who struggle with that past. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. If you are a pretender go stand in front of the mirror and tell that lie one more time so you can watch yourself steal the respect from an actual COMBAT VETERAN A/3/22 3rd Brigade 4th ID Dau Tieng 12/66 to 1/68. There are no foolproof questions. The remaining 6.5 million were serving either at-home or abroad but not in Vietnam. 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. to most of them, it was another port and another war. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. My squad leaderSteve Cook wrote, Dont Cry for Us Saigon. He gives stats. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. Navy ships were classified as Blue Water ships. Im a 1967-68 Vietnam combat veteran. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. References:https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/how-many-vietnam-veterans-are-still-alive.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War, The Armys FY 2023 budget request is ~$177.5 Billion. And yes I was sprayed with Agent Orange. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. How many US Army died in Vietnam War? - 2023 As stated in the previous post I too can spot a fake in 10 seconds. Since Sept. 11, 2001, just over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide four times more than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. 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. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. I started this post a year ago, it was a simple question. Lol. I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. GREAT Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. 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 does not store any personal data. 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. None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. in only 6-10 years.. . We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! 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. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. I flew as a crew chief / door gunner from dec 12 th 1965 till dec 15th 1967,I may not have had my boots on the ground out side the wire but we flew close air support , every time you grunts got your ass in a sling we were there to help you, i was on old B model gun ships low and slow ,I was shot down three times, so i dont think your cib means that much to me. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . Smokey Platoon. It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. They term era should be shit canned. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. Nha Trang (TET 68), Based on data through September 30, 2020, VetPop2020 provides a projection of the Veteran population at each fiscal year end from 2020 to 2050. yep I wonder also. I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! 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. How many Vietnam veterans are dying everyday? i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. Good for him! 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. Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! Born: 01/29/1945. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. IF you didnt get any extra pay better have a good excuse .like to hear it. Bob Kerrey. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. Ive often wondered how many of us are left. I still consider myself lucky every day! Canandaigua, NY What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). 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! Due to TCDD among other toxic substances, we are dying off faster than other American men born between 1944-1950. Educate your self and search the web for the last battle of the Vietnam war. USA, (Ret.). Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. My Company was A Co, 5th Trans Bn, 101st Abn. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. Deaths per day . many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. My name is Ananda. How many Vietnam veterans have died from Agent Orange? Now 69 years/old. We all bleed red. How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day? But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. Are these all American vets. Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. BAM! How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - MilitaryPerson.com Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . I think its just a generalization but should be cleared. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. The third cancer was the charm as it was declared Presumptively caused by Agent Orange in 2021. 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 is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. DamnIll be 76 in March. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". it is much easier to say who was not. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. 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. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. 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. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - The New York Times But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. A Vietnam Era Veteran is everyone who was serving in the military while the Vietnam War was going on. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. 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. i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. 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. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. That's 390 per day. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. My number one issue is running into a FAKE. young men and woman who were there and did get fired on, or were in danger, should be recognized . I recall combat pay (Hazard DutyPay) at $60 dollars a month. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. I KNOW MY STATS BECAUSE I WAS THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBER (20 YRS) on the New Jersey Agent Orange Commission, including four years as Chairman. 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. maybe, maybe not. Question Two. stay safe. I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. Born: 08/27/1943. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. 1968, 69. My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. Often cited as the last verified American POW from the Vietnam War, Garwood was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly was released in 1973 along with the other U.S. POWs as part of the Paris Peace Accords. 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. may we all be the last man standing. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. i think the definition should not be restricted by whether you wore khakis or como. they did not get metals. Today is Sun 22 Aug 2021 but the actual date HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED as the US is SENDING GIs BACK! Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? 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. 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.
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