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. i said once if you walked , you worked. What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. The Vietnam War was an undeclared war between the US and Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. I still consider myself lucky every day! I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. 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. Really, very easy to say if your were able to sleep at night, so being anonymous means you stand up for those words All members of the team are NOT COMBAT VETERANS, My husbands boots werent on the groundthey were in the air and he was definitely a Combat vet. 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. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. I think by now weve pretty much said all that can be said about this question. 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. scipione@geneseo.edu it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. Peter: 67N2F, 119th AHC 68-69. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). Perfect. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. We are not ashamed of our service or the fact we killed and had friends die, far more than we care to remember. Infantry Division. What report or reference confirms it? 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. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. i went to dong ha several times. The book by Hal Moore & Joe Galloway We were soldiers once, and young describe what many of us experienced. Good for him! Born: 08/27/1943. It is an all-too-common misunderstanding that to be affected by Agent Orange you had to have been sprayed, and/or you are required to prove that to the VA. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. Bob, The number of Viet Nam veterans, those who served in combat and combat related services (such those flyboys from outside the territory/waters of Viet Nam is about 2.7 million. It was only a short ride. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. I got the disability benefits at age 79. 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. I was out of my earthly shell. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. 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. Please do your own due diligence on the American War Library before citing them on ANYTHING, ever. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. If we dont include forces in Thailand or Guam why are we including anyone except Navy pilots, because I dont remember any deep water people who were subjected to enemy hostilities. All opinions graciously welcomed. a clerk typist got benefits. 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. 8,113,000 are still alive (May 2000) Post navigation so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr Combat Vets served in country. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? What numbers do the VA have? Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. 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 have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. His wife and family should be very proud of him. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. I have read about Canadians coming south to fight in Vietnam but have never seen any real authority to support this. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? Every single day 22 veterans commit themselves to death. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 . Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. By the time I got to vin long the nva was gone and Charlie was pretty much non existent, he new we had snakes, the closest I got to him was when I was on the perimeter waiting for him to crawl thru the wire. Some likely in error (or on purpose to avoid Agent Orange Claims). the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. I changed emails and cant reach you!! Korea had 2 divisions in Vietnam The White Horse & Tiger Divisions The Australian Military was also present but I do not know the numbers There could be others. when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. Since you were with an aviation Battalion do you remember our flight pay as Army Aircrew ? How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? These Veterans are now in or about to reach their 80's. How many Vietnam vets . I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. In my mirror I saw its beam illuminate each and every particle of dust that my passing vehicle spewed into the air; thus creating a mobile, magical, camouflaged chamber of brightly dancing fairies shielding me from harm. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. I would hope they are considered Vietnam combat Vets. As well, those who served in Thailand in late 1973-1975 are often looked down upon as not being real Vietnam Veterans. We are, as we helped conduct many support missions in the region, helped with draw assist during the fall of Cambodia, S. Vietnam and Laos. It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. Thank you for being there to help us when called. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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 knew I had to stand up again, even though I made a better target; my staying in the open road would be a death sentence. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. So I was in the Army National Guard during the Iraq War, So I guess I am An Iraq War Veteran. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I will never forget the pop pop pop, pop pop of an AK-47 in rapid-fire, but I heard the far off rattle of a M-60 machine-gun through the roar; Why I thought of PFC Wildaboro and his escapade with the machine gun that OTHER sun-drenched afternoon! Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! It has a life of its own. Born: 01/29/1945. Dave, Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. 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. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. Only believing what Fox & Friends has to say is really what you need to question Most things in the NYT does get critical peer review and push back when questionable Fox NOT SO, look at the crap coming out of Tucker Carlson, now that is scary extreme BS, The picture tells far more than a Thousand Words, it is that thousand yard stare, and any veteran who was out there can fill in the blanks of what they were thinking at that moment Offshore ocean sailing is a lot like being out trucking thru the jungle Minutes , hours day upon day of monotony and boredom, interrupted by moments of fright & terror I know that thousand yard stare, and many a time since I have found myself back there in my mind, staring at whatever and seeing nothing but what was in my mind. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. they sucked. Our 2003 NJAOC Desk Guide to the unique health issue of Nam vets and our children is still the Gold Standard. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. I entered an L shaped ambush. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. Just because some idiot politician or people want to say you were not a war vet unless you saw combat dont feel bad most of those people found ways to evade even getting drafted. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. 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. good stuff !!!!! And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. 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. I was drafted in May of 1966 specifically for the reactivation of the 9th Infantry..so B Co., 4/47th/9th Inf. As I started to slowly stagger upright towards the opposite side of the road, trying with all my might to gain my balance, I went down hard. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. 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. They are paying on Melathion settlements (Watch TV, and it as on 2 to 3% purity, used inside US) There are no living Veterans that I know of. I was at 6 different LZs from Aug 67-Aug 68, with a 4th Medical Battalion aid station (D Company), and I never heard of a fuck you lizard. Door gunner with the 191st AHC Bounty Hunters. Then upon returning I would be stationed in Camp Enari, away from most of the intense fighting, and protected by the whole 4th. I dont know why we have to make this simple arithmetic drill so difficult. I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. So he goes to Camp Wolter Texas for his 11 month school (they pay them E-5 during training) then just few weeks before graduation he declines to sign the extension for his Warrant Officer Status, they send him to Vietnam as a private to Phan Rang to ride security on fuel convoys (safe Gig) he never had to fire a weapon. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. 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. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. The disparity seems to be In Theatre veterans between the years 1954-1975, and veterans in the Military at that time that were not deployed, or NOT In Theatre! i never saw them again, but i knew we had shared something that was filled with pride, sadness, and the passage of time. The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds. one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. 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. Learn something new everyday. Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. I served in an artillery unit. I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. Aint this fun? In 2019, the most . 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). SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? 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 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. Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. 1st cav div. So the vets that actually saw combat numbers are swelled by the rear echelon members to 600,000. yet there were millions that signed up or were drafted. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. OH, SHIT- I heard the impact of the Rocket Propelled grenade (RPG) to my left; `this is it, I yelled! i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. 240 300 World. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. yep I wonder also. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. My number one issue is running into a FAKE. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. Question One: Are we talking Vietnam Veterans or Vietnam Era Veterans. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. After Tet it was quiet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It was what it was. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. We had a dustoff attached to us. I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? 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. The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. I do not believe we were counted as vets. Been there, seen it, did it. I made a mistake !!!!! I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. 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. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 2025. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. They are NOT Veterans. Please respond! The veterans are a very important asset to the country. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. She is also a strong advocate for equal opportunity, and she works tirelessly to ensure that all students have access to quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status or race. I used this experience and we cut down the Helicopter replacement time from about 2 1/2 weeks to 2 to 4 days. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. My Company was A Co, 5th Trans Bn, 101st Abn. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. However, any veteran who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, is presumed by the VA to have been exposed to Agent Orange. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. 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. 11B20 and proud of it. This answer is: if you read up on it you will see that ww2 merchant sailors were despised as cowards. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. RVN. Porier was firing from the north, while the three Cobras choppers were engaged the sappers trying to kill me. 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. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? 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. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as thgatr uis hgow many died in WWIU, Sorry my spell check went nuts I appreciate all the support there and around the world but Vietnam area at Fort Whatever Ohio wasnt Vietnam and no matter how brave the girls in Germany told you you were you were not a Vietnam Vet. We need a better more definitive for VIETNAM Vet. Unless they kept track by service or SSN, how many Vietnam Veterans are there ? stay safe. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! 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. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. The New York Times reported that claims like those of the American War Library are false and that, instead of only one-third of Vietnam vets remaining, the number points to more like 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? It was hot that day; the mosquitoes were going through my mind, and the sun was again brilliant. 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. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. 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. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. C 3/17 Air Cav. I meant any one that stepped foot in i am not better, but i am not worse. My time stands still. Other than guard duty i was not in combat but the perimeter at Long Binh was regular defoliated and we experienced rocket and mortar attacks. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. for myself, being bored sometimes, and anxious to see and do more, i volunteered and went on a number of supply missions to the fire bases. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. 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. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. no problem with the spell checking. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. 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. Why do the vets who served during the Vietnam War era have to be so devisive? I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. Presently, I approached the road to the top of PDL hill, and I was thinking what a beautiful day this would have been if this were some other place in some other world.
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