how many vietnam vets die each day

I was on merchant ships for three years in viet nam. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. and for the most part, we had no weapons. I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! Non combat Vets served elsewhere. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. Been there, seen it, did it. was i a veteran? 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. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! 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. Everyone knows this. 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 When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. 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. Interesting, no way is 75 percent f real vets are alive today? I still consider myself lucky every day! It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? It seems to be all about syntax. . Bob Kerrey. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. We had a dustoff attached to us. No, Wildaboro was gone, and AK-47s and B-40 rockets were sapper armaments Later, I read in a letter that Sp.4 Donnon F. Porier grabbed the M-60 machinegun, risking his life, and ran down the hillside rushing to the ambush site. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. all of the participants in this thread are veterans. How many Vietnam veterans are dying everyday? Dear Mr. Hutson Jr But having said that, here are some sources: We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. Pop, POP POP. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Then upon returning I would be stationed in Camp Enari, away from most of the intense fighting, and protected by the whole 4th. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? How many ww2 vets left 2021? He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. they sucked. I am a Proud US Army Veteran retired in 1984. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! I only spent one overnighter. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! How many Vietnam Vets die per day? There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. Wiki User. 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. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. Age: 77. 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. It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. 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. The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. His Engineer company was tasked to fight as Infantry, and they did. 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. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. How many Vietnam veterans died from Agent Orange? I heard them offen. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? What numbers do the VA have? The 9 million was the total number of people in the military during 64-75 . Excellent questions. It was difficult for me to move. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. Was back at LZ Bayonet the last part of my tour after being medevaced off of Professional and in the hospital at Chu Lai. I would say anyone who has drawn Vietnam Hazard Duty pay, 30 dollars for every month or part of any month, in or over country, should qualify. That's 390 per day. 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. Enlisted 7/70. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). Age: 78. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. 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. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. I used this experience and we cut down the Helicopter replacement time from about 2 1/2 weeks to 2 to 4 days. Serving in combat waters. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? Exiting the jungle, still at the foot of the mountain opposite from my defenses; the mountains bulk acted as a radio barrier between help from S3 at Enari or the SFs at the Ville. Nor, do they know about what is referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam war, which occurred on 15 May 1975, eight days after the legally defined end date of the Vietnam era; 7 May 1975. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. I am glad that you make Dante, I know the struggle has been long, but the spirit soars and the tale told Live long my brother, None of us are very far away from those days A harrowing experience that can never be diminished by time. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. 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. Why the Shame? We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. Vietnam War veterans can suffer from a variety of physical and mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug and/or alcohol problems, and hearing loss. scipione@geneseo.edu How many vietnam veterans are still living. Yes, Vietnam War veterans are still eligible for various benefits and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including disability compensation, health care, and education benefits. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? Educate your self and search the web for the last battle of the Vietnam war. In fact, the first two advisors (MAJ Dale Buis and MSG Chester Ovnand) killed by the enemy died in an attack on their base near Bien Hoa on July 8, 1959. it is branded on you. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? 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. They used the same aircraft, and there was anything left in the aircraft, whatever the spray for the day was added, so you got both. 1968, 69. Granted, most of them were deployed for the durationa WWII vet I knew was gone 4 years without coming back to the states. The jungle sat still except for the dirt road with my truck speeding along. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. 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. 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/. i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. Me? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". . Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. Dr. Paul A. Scipione 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. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. Here are some statistics on the veterans of the Vietnam War. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. Ah. to Ken Drombosky Born in 1953, he joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15 and was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. CIB. Kenneth, your definition of combat veteran is so wrong on so many levels that it would be funny if it did not besmirch the service of so many good men, alive and dead. Then, I stopped at the 5th. If my math is correct, are you going on 68 years old ? There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? I WOULD SURVIVE! Nobody can bad-mouth Huey pilots and crews. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. 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. I was all over in 7 years. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 in one way or another. 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. The percentage of fatalities that resulted from this was 7.9%. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. In 2019, the most . Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? was i a veteran by the numbers? I served in Quang Tri (70-71) and took two types of Malaria pills. During the Vietnam War, Air Force C-123 planes sprayed millions of gallons of herbicides over the jungles of Southeast Asia to destroy enemy crops and tree cover. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. i think the definition should not be restricted by whether you wore khakis or como. I was drafted in Sep 1966, went to Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75 until Oct. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. Hometown: New York City. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. As a retired Green Beret, his assessment and stats of the war are accurate. The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? retired university professor to most of them, it was another port and another war. Yes. 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. 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. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. I needed the rest! The VA researchers analyzed the death certificates of 21 states to create the 2010 national estimate for veterans from all age groups. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. Music That Moves the Military. i am not better, but i am not worse. 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. Cheers, Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. ARP. RE: WHO are Vietnam Vets ?. My sister found enough info to get her husbands ship re-classified to a Brown Water ship due to his operation of a river boat and also medical evac of Marines, while he was assigned to the flagship, the Newport News, Prior to that any sailor who served aboard the Newport News, that applied for disability connected with Agent Orange, was denied. 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 Veterans by State 2022. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. REAL Vietnam War veterans are all those who are officially authorized the Vietnam Service medal and possess official military-issued documentation to confirm their medal authorization. 1st cav div. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. I know . I saw plenty of people providing direct combat support to the effort in. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Vietnam 2/722/73. I flew as a crew chief / door gunner from dec 12 th 1965 till dec 15th 1967,I may not have had my boots on the ground out side the wire but we flew close air support , every time you grunts got your ass in a sling we were there to help you, i was on old B model gun ships low and slow ,I was shot down three times, so i dont think your cib means that much to me. 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. First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. I was there in 1964-1965 then 1967-1968 then my last tour was 1971-1972. We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. It makes a big difference because stating that only one-third of Vietnam veterans are still alive today is much harsher than stating that three-quarters of Vietnam veterans are still alive and well. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. he and the other gentleman did not seem to know about each other , but they ended up speaking about the tours in country, both had served some time at dong ha. I was also at LZ Bayonet. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 Numbers can always be manipulated. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. 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. Some likely in error (or on purpose to avoid Agent Orange Claims). As I moved my right hand to change gears, it just blew apart, as red blood and parts of my hand flew everywhere instantaneously, but in slow motion I seemingly was catapulted onto some parallel universe. Bob, What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. 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. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. Look up the military definition of combat. question. no problem with the spell checking. Navy ships were classified as Blue Water ships. All the others are Vietnam ERA Vets. That is your opinion and youre entitled to it, I disagree very strongly. So that means probably from 700,000 to 800,000 of us are still alive. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day. I find it best not to remember that time. Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 . That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. Even in this age of computers and accountability just goes to show ya ,people still cant Add or do Math . a clerk typist got benefits. 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. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. 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. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? It took about 30 years for the government to acknowledge we were even there. The dashboard gauges and the gearshift lever approached, as I hit the dashboard with my left side and my head crashed to the floor; My spirit rejoined and I was protected by the firewall. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. You were in Combat!!! i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. we were all on the same side of the aisle. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Their lives should be given importance. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. I do not believe we were counted as vets. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. I managed to stand again, stepped, and hurled myself into the jungle. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. GREAT Im going with 2.9 and saying the person who wrote 9.2 has the seing disease whereas they see everything in reverse. Agent Orange is a Herdicide. The veterans are a very important asset to the country. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. You do not need to establish anything other than that. This accurate accounting gives us persepective on the cost of current and future wars. we spent sometimes a month or more in one port depending on the cargo and the need. I made a mistake !!!!! I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. I have VSM on my DD215 which deleted the AFEM on my DD214. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. Dave, The total goes up every day. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. I salute all Veterans, and those Pencil pusher, clerks, medics, fire-fighters, etc., all had jobs to do to support everyone, they deserve respect as well, as without them no one should have had the tools necessary to accomplish any mission! How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? I and other merchant marine did. We just hoped the pilot put us where we were supposed to be. Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. 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. But a growing army of strangers is. yep I wonder also. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. 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. But to me, Nam is my whole universe i.e. what kind of surgery did brayden smith have,