Note that: “87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.”
Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another -Vietnam
Veterans of America
“Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, less than 850,000 are
estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran’s
age approximated to be 54 years old.” So, if you’re alive and reading this,
how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served
in Vietnam?…don’t know about you guys, but kind of gives me the chills,
Considering this is the kind of information I’m used to reading about WWII
and Korean War vets.
So the last 14 years we are dying too fast, only the few will survive by
2015…if any; if true 390 Vietnam vets die a day. So in 2190 days from
today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive in only 6 years.
These statistics were taken from a variety of sources to include: The VFW
Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer -
1st Recon April 12, 1997.
STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY (??VIETNAM VETERANS):
9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era
(August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975).
8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28,
1973).
2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their
generation.
3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader
Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in
Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1, 1965
- March 28, 1973). Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and
1964. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in
combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to
enemy attack.
7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1968).
CASUALTIES:
The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the
509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
Hostile deaths: 47,378.
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
Total: 58,202 (Includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez
casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the
changing total.
8 nurses died — 1 was KIA.
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
Of those killed, 17,539 were married.
Average age of men killed: 23.1 years.
Deaths -
Average Age? Total Deaths: 23.11 years.
Enlisted: 50,274 –22.37 years?
Officers: 6,598 –28.43 years.
Warrants: 1,276 –24.73 years?
E1: 525 –20.34 years?
11B MOS: 18,465 –22.55 years.
Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.
Highest state death rate: West Virginia – 84.1% (national average 58.9% for
every 100,000 males in 1970).
Wounded: 303,704 — 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured requiring no
hospital care.
Severely disabled: 75,000, — 23,214: 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081
sustained multiple amputations. Amputations for crippling wounds to the
lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea.
Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
Missing in Action: 2,338
POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)
As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from
the Vietnam War.
DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS:
25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed
forces members were drafted during WWII).
Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
Reservists killed: 5,977
National Guard: 6,140 served: 101 died.
Total draftees (1965 – 73): 1,728,344.?·
Actually served in Vietnam: 38%?·
Marine Corps Draft: 42,633.?·
Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.
RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:
88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian;
10.6% (275,000) were black;
1% belonged to other races.
86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics);
12.5% (7,241) were black;
1.2% belonged to other races.
170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.
70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.
86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were
Caucasian;
12.1% (5,711) were black;
1.1% belonged to other races.
14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.
34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.
Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the
percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.
Religion of Dead:
Protestant — 64.4%;
Catholic — 28.9%;
other/none — 6.7%.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:
Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age
groups.
Vietnam veterans’ personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group
by more than 18 percent.
76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class
backgrounds. Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level;
50% were from middle income backgrounds.
Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or
technical occupations.
79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better
when they entered the military service. (63% of Korean War vets and only 45%
of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.)
Deaths by region per 100,000 of population:
South — 31%,
West –29.9%;
Midwest — 28.4%;
Northeast — 23.5%.
DRUG USAGE & CRIME:
There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and
non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group. (Source: Veterans Administration
Study)
Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison – only one-half of one
percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.
85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.
WINNING & LOSING:
82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost
because of lack of political will.
Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of
arms.
HONORABLE SERVICE:
97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are
proud to have served their country.
74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.
87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.
INTERESTING CENSUS STATISTICS & THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE “Been There”:
1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995
(census figures).
During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to
have served in-country was: 9,492,958.
As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S.
Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe,
losing nearly 711,000 between ’95 and ’00. That’s 390 per day.
During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have
served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM
TO BE Vietnam vets are not
The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by
The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military
personnel as having served in-country. Corrections and confirmations to this
erred index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel
confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the
Department of Defense. (All names are currently on file and accessible
24/7/365). Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced
torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist
atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at
all. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians
while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy.
Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while
Communists who did so received commendations.
From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725
Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. The death squads focused on leaders
at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants
such as medical personnel, social workers, and school teachers. – Nixon
Presidential Papers
John A. O’Neal, Pomeranian American
Other than slavery, nazism, fascism and George III, war has never solved any
problems.
GO GREEN!! RECYCLE CONGRESS !!! NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES
Here are some pictures of the Vinh Long 28th/96th avionics shop guys. We had a blast over the labor day weeked hanging out in Branson MO. Back together after 43 years
Our Vietnam buddy Ron wanted to tour the local hospital and stayed for 6 days. Here is picture of Ron getting a shot of morphine. The nurse said “what arm do want to use?”
