If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. i know what a combat veteran is. 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. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. Which Statement Best Describes How Americans In The 1960S Felt About The Vietnam War? C 3/17 Air Cav. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? So I was in the Army National Guard during the Iraq War, So I guess I am An Iraq War Veteran. How many ww2 vets left 2021? The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110. Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. A number 1/2 the peak, say 250,000 still seems high but would come closer to 3,000,000 number serving. Not sure where we were. There is no definitive answer to this question as the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day varies depending on the specific situation. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). fired on coming up river, a few other things. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). I agree with the rest of your post, and so did the Army. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. 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. 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. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. A veteran who served in the Vietnam War would be in their early 70s to late 90s today, depending on their birth year. So, here well dive a little bit deeper into how many Vietnam veterans are estimated to still be alive based on various approximations and predictions. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 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. they did not get metals. If you were shot at, in an incoming rocket attack, had to protect during a ground attack, you could bleed and die, you were in Combat. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. Combat was what we did. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. 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/. 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. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. As an analogy I will use familiar figure of that time. Vietnam Veterans are dieing faster than World War Two veterans do to Agent Orange contamination . Aside from that, I have always doubted any fact stated by the NY Times; although the federal government is no better. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. I and other merchant marine did. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. Veterans support veterans, their stories and we bristle at those who would steal their history, we are not Valor Police, but those who pretend are an insult to those of who struggle with that past. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. 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. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr 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. For the are all Vietnam Vetersns.I was stationed. Tell it like it is. All who served In Country and the those outlying areas in support should be considered Vietnam Vets. I was the first male born to the Puccetti family after his death, so my parents received permission to name their son after Dante. 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. 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. Exhausted! I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Having spent a year all over Thailand in support of Communist Suppression Operations Center along the Laotian border, and training Thai infantry to deploy in RVN. 997 guys died the first day they stepped in Nam. So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. One sapper shot off a whole magazine of armor piercing bullets at the drivers side windshield of the truck, and glass was flying in all directions. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. I remember a distorted image of reality. Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. 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. Sgt. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. I think The NY Times has conflated he number of Viet Nam veterans with those who served in the military during the years 1960-1975. The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! 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. Thank you for being there to help us when called. it is branded on you. I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. What do you think? but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. I know the difference, do you ? A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. We are working on a feature article How Many Of Us Are Still Alive: that will show a complete Actuarial Model that shows the likely number of us still alive (725,000 to 750,000 out of 2.4 million) and the likely progression of our deaths. This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. they sucked. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. Im a 1967-68 Vietnam combat veteran. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? as we end our lives we should never forget that each served, in some way. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I have read about Canadians coming south to fight in Vietnam but have never seen any real authority to support this. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. I do appreciate what they did, from the hero medevacs to those gun ships who flew into madness to help save our asses knowing that mortar rounds fall from above, RPGs & macjine gun rounds were in mass supply with the moniker attached To whom it may concern. 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. These Veterans are now in or about to reach . A few people were killed. 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. Smokey Platoon. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. Pop, POP POP. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? How many vietnam veterans are still living. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. But having said that, here are some sources: Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. we were all on the same side of the aisle. 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. The percentage of fatalities that resulted from this was 7.9%. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. Agent Orange was sprayed on the Jungle areas, and Melathion (Insecticide) was sprayed on Base Camps. I,m getting older bot I remember combat pay and jump pay were both $55 dollars. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. Music That Moves the Military. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. John, 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. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. That makes more sense. 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. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. Door gunner with the 191st AHC Bounty Hunters. Nobody can bad-mouth Huey pilots and crews. So, I must be a VN Vet and VN Era Vet and Cold War Era Vet but not a Cold War Vet because I never got anywhere near the USSR. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. 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. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as that is how so many died in WWII. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". There is a MOUNTAIN of difference in each s experience, combat veterans, those of us who lived and died in the jungle muck, snippers, booby traps, mortar attacks, and the battles with dozens killed and scores wounded. 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. September 27, 2022 by Editorial Team. if you were effected by the first or second tour, or as i did, three years back and forth , then you were , are are a veteran. Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. 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. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. I made a mistake !!!!! Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He is absolutely obsessed with military and different men who have served, The definitive statistics come from the VAs Million Vietnam Vets database, which will continue until we are all gone. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. 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. 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. We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. We who were in Vietnam know who we are and dont need anyone telling us what they think. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas!
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