The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website the button is located at the top right of this page. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! I was drafted in Sep 1966, went to Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75 until Oct. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. I used this experience and we cut down the Helicopter replacement time from about 2 1/2 weeks to 2 to 4 days. 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. I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. He arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam in early May, 1972 when he was still 17 years of age. The last three I knew had lost a lot of weight, two had each lost a lung. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I realized what control I had in the cosmos. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. I remember lots of the names Evana, Eagle, Bastone, Granite, Ripcord, Maryanne. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr (LogOut/ i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. I am a Proud US Army Veteran retired in 1984. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. My whole essence was involved it the quest of one more heartbeat, one more breath, one more gasp of pain averting energy, one moment at a time. Next determined those Veterans who were awarded the Vietnam Service ribbon. that conversation has stayed with me. The 9 million was the total number of people in the military during 64-75 . The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. Era vets are important but dont count. I and other merchant marine did. In the highlands we had to take one every day in addition to the once a week pill. 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. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. Yep we got briefings then helloed into some ridge in who knows where. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . The total number of is estimated at 2.8 million US veterans who were exposed to the poisonous chemical while serving and later died. I was drafted in May of 1966 specifically for the reactivation of the 9th Infantry..so B Co., 4/47th/9th Inf. I do not know how many others served with us. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. 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. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. This trip always was a concern, because I would be in a vulnerable condition in Indian Country with only two surveyors alone in a ton jeep. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. RVN. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. Ah. A veteran of the Vietnam War is a person who PARTICIPATED in the Vietnam War. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. this exclusiveness does no one any credit. 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 !!!!! I started this post a year ago, it was a simple question. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. 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. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. But the 23 months I spent doing my duty as outlined our government to assure you had a way to be resupplied means I, and those like me, am a Vietnam Veteran. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. If you were shot at, in an incoming rocket attack, had to protect during a ground attack, you could bleed and die, you were in Combat. Jorge Otero Barreto. 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 _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. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. These Veterans are now in or about to reach their 80's. How many Vietnam vets . Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. Gordon, I agree. I agree, 10% in combat, sounds right! i said once if you walked , you worked. Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. Pop, POP POP. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. I WOULD SURVIVE! I will have to disagree with the CIB being the only combat veterans The Battle of Soui Tre 3-21-1967 at Fire Support Base Gold Operation Junction City, the 2/77 Artillery 18 105s and the 3/22 Infantry A & B Cos the enemy lost 881 KIA and UNK WIAs, we lost counting the landing in the 19th 55 KIA & 287 WIA, within an hours Westmorland and other Stars were there claiming this Victory (14 Stars on the battlefield) The Artillery are every bit combat veterans with the infantry and many other FSB battles as well I have a CIB and did 22 months in country late including TET. I know . I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. Quite a story. His combat medal was an Air Medal. They are NOT Veterans. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. How old are Vietnam vets now? A phantom drifted over and raised me up to unconsciousness. Before I passed out, I was being picked up off the jungle floor by some entity. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. the draft board made that very clear. 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 ? It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. That is your opinion and youre entitled to it, I disagree very strongly. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. The Vietnam War was an undeclared war between the US and Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? If my math is correct, are you going on 68 years old ? Alternatively, to transfigure my destiny. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? they deserve that recognition. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. There was a huge difference between tours of duty also. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? no disrespect here. 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. There are no foolproof questions. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. We are not ashamed of our service or the fact we killed and had friends die, far more than we care to remember. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! 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. 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. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. Dave, I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. 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. The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110. Hometown: New York City. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. So do not throw stones at some who got to lay in the same bunk night after night, just because we slept in a dirty hole night after night. This part of Pleiku Province is a combination of mountains, triple to single canopy jungle and/or open valleys. Their is a new book about to be released by Bill Comeau that tells a similar story of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Duel with the Dragon about the Battle of Soui Tre that I fought in. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. i am not better, but i am not worse. Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. 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. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. so the cia men who changed from suits were not vietnam veterams when they went into laos and cambodia? 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. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. A number 1/2 the peak, say 250,000 still seems high but would come closer to 3,000,000 number serving. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. for the sake being more realistic, I served from June 1962 to April 20 1970, and was always told it will vary from 1 in 7 to 1 in 10. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. According to the American War Library website, it was concluded by the Department of Defense that their best estimate is that between 2,709,918 and 3,173,845 GIs served in Vietnam and its surrounding waters between the years 1954 and 1975. I was on the initial invasion into Cambodia, that battle was 15 REMFS against 300 NVA> The next day we went in with the 25th infantry. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. I changed emails and cant reach you!! 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. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? These are numbers never heard before & I would not include those before the advisers were sent over in the early/mid 60s. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 but i was happy to serve. 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. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. My mom had all three sons in the war my twin brother and i were drafted he got combat I got artillery the younger one joined the air force . All five of the CIDGs we dropped off that morning filed into the back of the truck, but unlike the cab the back had a canvas top and sides. IF you didnt get any extra pay better have a good excuse .like to hear it. We all had a job to do. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. 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. C 3/17 Air Cav. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. Age 20y 11mo. Thank you for being there to help us when called. About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). give me a date between June 25, 1968 thru June 25 1969 and I can tell you where I was in country. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. was i a veteran by the numbers? Over 8.7 million Americans served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era from 1964 to 1973 (1). in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. you tell me. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. 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. Due to TCDD among other toxic substances, we are dying off faster than other American men born between 1944-1950. Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. Be content with your service, and leave it there. I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes there were 500,000 plus in Vietnam at the time. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. Im glad you made it back! Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? 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. The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. 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. How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? The Vietnam Nam Veteran and the Vietnam Era Veteran is defined by law ,, am I correct???? Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. ooops !!!! i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. Was I counted each time or once? may we all be the last man standing. Lol. Serving in combat waters. Hazardous duty pay was $65 and overseas pay varied by rank $8 to $ 16. Oliver Stone. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. I have spoken at many VETS EVENTS, and done interviews with the media .. Never get tired of people telling me Thank You for your service, and absolutely love hearing WELCOME HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. 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.