Lol. you tell me. Pleiku, Dak To, An Khe. My number one issue is running into a FAKE. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. good stuff !!!!! I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. 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. Over 100,000 US Vietnam Vet Suicides To Date! - Rense My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. 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. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. 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. 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. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. I served a second tour and know quite a few Marines that did also. Was in 82nd and served from a firebase up North to near South China Sea down South, remember some names but 53 years. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. However I know many many who have died these past 55 years & 6 months since the Battle of Soui Tre March 21, 1967 and I know what is a combat veteran. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. The military stopped the. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. 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. Forget 1954, let use a true date of 1962 (first advisors) He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. I think by now weve pretty much said all that can be said about this question. We did what we felt needed doing. 1st cav div. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. The Vietnam War was an undeclared war between the US and Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. 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 War Veterans, and honoring all who served: Memorial Day 2021 But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Agreed. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. i said once if you walked , you worked. The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. 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). Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? 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. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. Educate your self and search the web for the last battle of the Vietnam war. 240 300 World. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But having a CIB does not exclude or diminish in any way the experiences or accomplishments of others, like you, and the wearer of the badge has no right to judge what any other man faced. Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. How Many Ww2 Vets Die Each Day - Realonomics The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? 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. Thank you in advance! We havent forgotten that time of our lives, and remember full well, that most of these ERA Vets joined these other branches in a desperate attempt to avoid service in Vietnam. I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. i know what a combat veteran is. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I was on merchant ships for three years in viet nam. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. Served most of my time on LZ Professional. Im proud to be a surviving vet and the men who served with me then and those after me. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. If you are diagnosed with a condition that they know is caused by exposure to the chemical, they will presume that condition is service-connected. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. A number 1/2 the peak, say 250,000 still seems high but would come closer to 3,000,000 number serving. How many veterans die each day? - Answers I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. 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). This battle resulted in the loss of 13 Marines (10 in combat, 3 were left behind and executed by the Khmer Rouge, 2 Navy Corpsmen, and 3 Air Force pilots. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. 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. How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? 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. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. 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 than 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Thats sad and should stop. I made a mistake !!!!! NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. It was difficult for me to move. . And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. I have lived with the 2.7 million number having served in Vietnam all along and believe the Times estimate refers to Era vets having served around the world during those war years. Every grunt I know would say no. I served in an artillery unit. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. If they enlisted or were drafted before 1975, they likely are in their late 60s now. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. they did not get metals. Regardless of their MOS or the details of their service, veterans have more in common with each other than they have differences, and ALL deserve to be honored. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? He got a letter from his wife telling him she was divorcing him and marrying his best friend. I agree, 10% in combat, sounds right! Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. We had a dustoff attached to us. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. 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. I heard them offen. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. Overall, the death rate of Vietnam veterans seems to be rather consistent if not better than other people their same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. 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. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. A Vietnam Era Veteran is everyone who was serving in the military while the Vietnam War was going on. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Most of the time as a grunt without a map. The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. (LogOut/ 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 !!!!! The third cancer was the charm as it was declared Presumptively caused by Agent Orange in 2021. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. I got the disability benefits at age 79. 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. Air medals say combat support flying night spook missions around Haiphong from 68 -71. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. 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. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. 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. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. Everyone knows this. Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting - Mental Health Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. I was with 4th Med Bn. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Sgt. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. drafted in 1966, Vietnam 1967-68 with the 1st infantry Division.now 75!!!! However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? After 20 some years of filing claims and multiple appeals (DAV advocate,) have given up on the VA. Do I count as a real Vietnam vet? 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. The VA sent out a news release on March 29th, 2022, entitled DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VIETNAM WAR VETERANS. It included the following line, which should put this question to rest. While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 . 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. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. two weeksOver 10% of Vietnam casualties were helicopter crew members, and most of those were the door gunners that protected the helicopter, its crew, and its transports, from their exposed position. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. 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. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. I remember a distorted image of reality. 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. The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. John, NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. I still consider myself lucky every day! Born: 01/29/1945. Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! Overall, the death rate of Vietnam veterans seems to be rather consistent if not better than other people their same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 . AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. ******************************************************* What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. i am not saying i was a hero, but i am saying that i did the job and i did not argue. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. Not sure what to think about the article. next with 1st of 12th cav. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. I was searching aria, even though these ruts are a real bitch! I was jostled and jerked by the truck over the dusty road. I know . Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? I was all over in 7 years. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. You do not need to establish anything other than that. Damn it, government could have sent anyone serving at any time to Vietnam. 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. It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. Are these all American vets. Here are two additional sources of information (added 9-3-2022) updated in 2021: https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. and for the most part, we had no weapons. Things that they did not tell you. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. The total number of is estimated at 2.8 million US veterans who were exposed to the poisonous chemical while serving and later died. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. Melathion was 96% pure. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. I meant any one that stepped foot in Hometown: New York City. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. to Ken Drombosky 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. Motherfucker? I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. they deserve that recognition. I always ask those who claim to be Compare yourself to the Marines at Fallujah, if they are a 10, what number are you, Thanks for your comment! one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. RVN. This accurate accounting gives us persepective on the cost of current and future wars. 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. serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR 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. 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. Estimating the number of suicides among Vietnam veterans Unconfirmed reports that 50,000 or more Vietnam veterans have committed suicide give the impression that these veterans are at exceedingly high risk of suicide compared with other veterans and nonveterans of the same age. 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. One was daily and the other weekly. ooops !!!! All opinions graciously welcomed. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. It took about 30 years for the government to acknowledge we were even there. I certainly dont agree on the 9 million in country. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? no problem with the spell checking. 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. 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. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. How many ww2 vets left 2021? And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. question. The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. My 2.6 million figure refers to American vets. 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. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls? The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? 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. 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. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. 400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. 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. 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. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. none more than the ERA Vets. SFC Chester D Carpenter, I liked it very much this war was up close and personal to me I first thought if the French were there for over twenty years what could we do from the beginning this was a war about money and troops paying the high price in blood I will not name names but Agt Orange was used in Korea they knew how harmful it was I had two personal losses my Navy pilot and my best friend a Marine he came home but never could come to terms with life again, John, I need to talk to you about this article. I did work with Korean Troops. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . Very true One of those is my younger brother. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. How many vietnam veterans are still living. and by the way, they never got benefits after their time at sea. Music That Moves the Military. Does anyone else remember ? 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. There are 500,000 Korean War veterans still living, but about 600 of those die every day, according to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. 2025. 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? Thanks for your responses. Active Duty: 473,000 His combat medal was an Air Medal. was i a veteran? We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. There are still a lot of us left by some miracle! And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. Do I count as one or three Vietnam Veterans? Ive often wondered how many of us are left. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. 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. If you assumed that 500,000 new troops served there every year from 1962-1975, you still couldnt get to 9,000,000 serving there, so using the peak number is not realistic. Those of us on the battlefield who bled and many died would take issue with your opinion. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. no , i could not quit. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! Yes. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. My name is Ananda. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. Pop, POP POP. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? The average annual payment was $18,100. I always ask if they know what a fuck you lizard was. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. 11B20 and proud of it. . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. As a child I knew several WWII veterans. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. But having said that, here are some sources: Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. Question One: Are we talking Vietnam Veterans or Vietnam Era Veterans. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. Combat Veteran means being awarded a CIB. Mean 69 maybe? Next determined those Veterans who were awarded the Vietnam Service ribbon. 1968, 69. His wife and family should be very proud of him.
