The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. The average lifespan of a door gunner on a Huey in Vietnam was just two weeks. Our side would have collapsed without you. Dave, it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. This situation has been an issue for years longer than any of us has been around. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? I served in an artillery unit. We dont respect the combat Vets and they shouldnt disrespect us. I suppose we were rear echelon, but I dispute anyone calling us REMF. Bless you and your family Those of us who live day to day with that medical time bomb know the pain you suffered before he passed, and the endless pain of loss ever after. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Learn something new everyday. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . I knew what life in-store for me in my recovery had- years of pain and disabilities while I waited for my next adventure. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. 2010-11-24 14:32:32. 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. Thanks for your responses. so the cia men who changed from suits were not vietnam veterams when they went into laos and cambodia? Alternatively, to transfigure my destiny. 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. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. 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. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. 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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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 third cancer was the charm as it was declared Presumptively caused by Agent Orange in 2021. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. Wiki User. Perfect. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. I struck a tree and rebounded into the open again still a sitting duck. Do I count as one or three Vietnam Veterans? Age 20y 11mo. Tell it like it is. I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. I can smell a fake and phony 10 seconds after we meet !!!!! My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. It was only a short ride. 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 was also at LZ Bayonet. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. The debate depends on only two numbers. 240 300 World. Was back at LZ Bayonet the last part of my tour after being medevaced off of Professional and in the hospital at Chu Lai. To this day, I dont know how I was transported from the right-side dirt shoulder but ending up in the center of the dusty road. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. 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. Vince. The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. 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. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. I am a solid 10. Vietnam was very different, it was not supported by our Nation, the draft of so many young men to fight in a country that few could ever find on a map, let alone now anything about. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. scipione@geneseo.edu @Dea KellyWere you on the ground when this happened? We all figured it was a Combat death. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. My squad leaderSteve Cook wrote, Dont Cry for Us Saigon. He gives stats. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. Everyone did their assigned job; some just got better assignments. 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 ? 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. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! 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. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. The average annual payment was $18,100. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? 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. i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. may we all be the last man standing. They are NOT Veterans. That is your opinion and youre entitled to it, I disagree very strongly. While I honor those who served worldwide, it comes across as yet another slap in the face to those of us who faced enemy fire. This is a controversial post. I then did a 12 month tour in RVN in 5th SFG. Thank you for being there to help us when called. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. In the highlands we had to take one every day in addition to the once a week pill. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. and US, 7 Valuable Life Lessons My Navy Dad Taught Me, Understanding The Five Branches of The Military, 3 Things That Could Happen To the Military in a Recession. There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. Im now 74. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. am i two Vietnam veterans or one. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click, Vietnam: The War that killed Trust (GuestPost), Gold Star Families Memorial Monument DedicationCeremony. 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. (LogOut/ Ive reached the age of truth telling, and have grown sick of pretending, and giving trophies to the undeserving I saw good men die, and their loved ones dont deserve this dishonor any longer. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 . These numbers were not included since these service members were far removed from combat experience and did not spend any amount of time in harms way.. 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. 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. 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. Tough and crazy. There are questions like this that are hard to answere as being true boots on ground. I certainly dont agree on the 9 million in country. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. Excellent questions. You do not need to establish anything other than that. I asked him to give me his number, he did not put a number on it just that he was Not. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. I think its just a generalization but should be cleared. Be content with your service, and leave it there. A lot of guys broke out with rashes every time that sprayed for mosquitos, using Melithon, which was every 2 weeks over all Base Camps. Very true One of those is my younger brother. Thank you..Its been many years sinice I left, needed answers, read the 1987 pulitzer prize book on Vietnam, A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan, and later Secrets by Daniel Ellsberg a Marine who worked at the pentagon cable room.both left me so shaken I couldnt finishe either but Ilearned so much. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? Thank you in advance! Guys like me know the difference. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? All opinions graciously welcomed. Combat Veteran means being awarded a CIB. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. The only good thing was 22 days off my tour. Damn it, government could have sent anyone serving at any time to Vietnam. it really did not matter, every officer had a masters license. as we end our lives we should never forget that each served, in some way. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. I entered an L shaped ambush. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. It served my pain well as a lifeless, mean spirited dark soul destroying everything in front of me. 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. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. Based on them, and allowing for a couple of intervening years, there appear to be about 600,000 veterans still living who actually set foot in Vietnam or flew in the skies above it. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. How Did The Campus Shootings Demonstrate The Continued Divisions Within The Country? Im glad you made it back! How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. It takes military personnel to support the troops on ground or ships in war territory waters. It took about 30 years for the government to acknowledge we were even there. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? 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 site is owned and run by a crook and charlatan named (?) 2025. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! best to all. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. The VA researchers analyzed the death certificates of 21 states to create the 2010 national estimate for veterans from all age groups. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. 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. Splitting out the numbers of combat and era vets are separate questions. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. 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. If field infantry personal awarded a CIB having engaged the enemy are a ten (10), what are the field artillery units at a fire base like FSB Gold in Operation Junction City. Infantry Division. serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. But having said that, here are some sources: If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? 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. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? Separately I am working on an article that analyzes how many States are over or under represented in terms of their number of KIAs during and right after the war., Dr. Paul Scipione It's estimated that tens of thousands of veterans have returned to Vietnam since the 1990s, mostly for short visits to the places where they once served. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Im going with 2.9 and saying the person who wrote 9.2 has the seing disease whereas they see everything in reverse. 240,000 survivingAbout 70 million people fought in World War II and, as of 2021, there are still approximately 240,000 surviving veterans in the United States alone. 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. it eas a very loud high pitched, not human and the sound was fuck you. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. we spent sometimes a month or more in one port depending on the cargo and the need. scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? i went to dong ha several times. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. Past history shows ALL Veterans of previous Wars were classified as Vets of those wars regardless of where they served. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. stay safe. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. I served until April 28, 1969 !!!!!!!!!!!! And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. yep I wonder also. 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. Born: 09/15/1946. Depends on where you were. As a child I knew several WWII veterans. 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 don't know about you guys, but it kind of gives me the chills. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Melathion was 96% pure. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. It is called the Stolen Valor Act., Dau Tieng A Co. 3/22 Inf. A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. **********************************************************. This included Westmorland and Abrahms. The total goes up every day. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. I spent 3 separate tours in Vietnam. And, if you think 75% of actual Vietnam Vets (especially after Covid, and more than 50 years of time) are still alive, youre kidding yourself. to Ken Drombosky 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. Almost 1500 died their last day. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. 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.