It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. 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. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - MilitaryPerson.com Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. no body turned down extra hands, and my india purchased white shirt and shorts made me attractive target in the event of a problem, and provided some humor to the 130 crews. How many ww2 vets left 2021? was i a veteran? it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Born: 04/07/1937. 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. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. they sucked. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. nothing exists or will exist in another time. One moment is eternity- the next may never!. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. How many ww2 veterans are still alive 2021? How many Vietnam veterans have died from Agent Orange? I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. All the others are Vietnam ERA Vets. in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. Anyone suggesting that only a CIB award means you were a combat veteran is very uninformed The Battle of Soui Tre March 21, 1967 the men of the 2/77 Artillery were every bit infantry as well as Arty that day and many many other FSB battles. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. It was what it was. Where do they thinly get Ella enemys came from? Question Two. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR 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. Very true One of those is my younger brother. I appreciate the fact that I Sam in the combat group that won the war against the communist rabble during their Tet Offensive in 1968. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. These Veterans are now in or about to reach . and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. 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 !!!!! 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. stay safe. How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. The debate depends on only two numbers. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. 997 guys died the first day they stepped in Nam. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. I heard them offen. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. 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. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. Then there was peace. Perhaps, another RPG impacted and careened us sideways knocking me unconscious. 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! She is new to that post, having spent 20+ years as head of coding & analysis at NSA. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. to Ken Drombosky Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. As a retired Green Beret, his assessment and stats of the war are accurate. 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. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. 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. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. I concur with the 610,000 as the 850,000 remaining vets have been used for years and would be much lower by now. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. waited and waited for our slot in port. 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 started this post a year ago, it was a simple question. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. 1st cav div. I find it best not to remember that time. Army Reserve: 189,500 Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. I only spent one overnighter. Thats sad and should stop. Unless they kept track by service or SSN, how many Vietnam Veterans are there ? Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. 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 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. 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. Later, and Welcome Home to all Vietnam Veterans!!! By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Nevertheless, if my name was Tom, Dick, or Harry I would have perished, but I could not put my parents through the same ordeal as Aunt Palma and Uncle Frank. Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. They were smokers. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? no , i could not quit. Straining to regain my feet again, I staggered a few strides to my right and throe myself forward, with all I was worth, collapsing finely into the vegetation face up. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Some idiot in DC decided to do this. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. ******************************************************* As stated in the previous post I too can spot a fake in 10 seconds. I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . It does not store any personal data. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. eventually i commented that i had flown into dong ha on resupply missions , having become bored with my mates work on merchant ships that spent long weeks at da nang. may we all be the last man standing. I entered an L shaped ambush. 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. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. 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. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. next with 1st of 12th cav. Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. John, Copyright 2022 MilitaryPerson.com 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. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. As an analogy I will use familiar figure of that time. they did not get metals. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? If you assumed that 500,000 new troops served there every year from 1962-1975, you still couldnt get to 9,000,000 serving there, so using the peak number is not realistic. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. He never did ,Thank god ,because I ended up marrying a beautiful woman and we have the most precious and beautiful daughter. Of the 2.7 million men and women who served in land forces in Vietnam, only about 600,000 are still alive. I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. They wore the Vietnam Service Medal. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He was carrying a BAR, killed fighting an infantry action, and the desk jockeys decided he did not meet requirements for a CIB. The Vietnam Nam Veteran and the Vietnam Era Veteran is defined by law ,, am I correct???? Everyone knows this. If you served in country on a ship in the gulf or dropped 2000 pound bombs you are a vietnam vet. Home Kent State University How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Aside from that, I have always doubted any fact stated by the NY Times; although the federal government is no better. I volunteered for 3 TDY tours 18 months total. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. My government murdered me. As a Combat Infantry Veteran those who allow people to assume that they experienced actual combat because they refer to themselves as a Vietnam Vet. i went to dong ha several times. three years on and off in vietnam . That means bullets where flying at me and I killed people in combat. Question One: Are we talking Vietnam Veterans or Vietnam Era Veterans. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo Dear Mr. Hutson Jr How old are Vietnam vets now? I went on about 500 missions. Not sure what to think about the article. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. OH, SHIT- I heard the impact of the Rocket Propelled grenade (RPG) to my left; `this is it, I yelled! Our side would have collapsed without you. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. 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. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. What percentage of Vietnamese died in the Vietnam War? - 2023 In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. 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. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? 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. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. Certainly leaves some doubt about the numbers because why are we including the years from 1954 to when the actual American forces entered hostile missions? (LogOut/ I was there in 1964-1965 then 1967-1968 then my last tour was 1971-1972. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. it eas a very loud high pitched, not human and the sound was fuck you. I,m getting older bot I remember combat pay and jump pay were both $55 dollars. I served 2 tours late 1966 to late July 1968, TET and the rest as an infantry platoon sgt Also served in Korea 1963 and considered a Korean war vet as that war has never ended. What report or reference confirms it? As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. Thank you. Pop, POP POP. VA released VetPop 2020 which is VA's new official estimate and projection of the Veteran population. 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. I think its just a generalization but should be cleared. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! 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. i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. 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. 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. Please respond! (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. 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. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. 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/. When all was done and the Army was cleaning up the details of the action, they decided to award CIBs to the officers and not to enlisted. Over 100,000 US Vietnam Vet Suicides To Date! - Rense There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. Air medals say combat support flying night spook missions around Haiphong from 68 -71. i thank every soldier for their service, i do not exaggerate my actions. Often cited as the last verified American POW from the Vietnam War, Garwood was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly was released in 1973 along with the other U.S. POWs as part of the Paris Peace Accords. I served in an artillery unit. 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.. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? 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. 400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. Chester/Gordon, 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. GREAT Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? 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. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Combat was what we did. 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. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. How many Vietnam veterans are dying . Mark Stanley was gone. Statistics on PTSD in Veterans | US News Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. 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. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? 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. How Many Veterans Commit Suicide A Day? - Veteran Warrior Outreach Funny, none of them were called WWII Era Veterans. A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. Era vets are important but dont count. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Non combat Vets served elsewhere. in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. What that included Im not sure today but understood it to be in naval & in country. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. One was daily and the other weekly. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. About 30000 Canadians came into the us to join up. Was back at LZ Bayonet the last part of my tour after being medevaced off of Professional and in the hospital at Chu Lai. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. Their lives should be given importance. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. 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. USA, (Ret.). And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. 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. Div., 67-68. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? 11B20 and proud of it. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. I was there in 69-71 also sprayed Im 74, inlisted 1968 spent 2 tours in Vietnam Im now 73, Comments left by my fellow Vietnam vets are very useful. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. 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 Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? Scavenger1, I agree with you. I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. 109, 000 died in the service during this period. The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. why not compare them?. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. Ah. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Dave, Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Are we counted as two people or have they accounted for us already. . Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Deaths per day . 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.
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