His combat medal was an Air Medal. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. Then there was peace. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. How many VN vets die each day? - Answers Bill, We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. I then did a 12 month tour in RVN in 5th SFG. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. we got one daily the other one weekly. Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. Im 71 and waiting to see if Ill be the last one standing. I am a solid 10. it is branded on you. 15 of us REMFs were surrounded by the 33rd NVA June 13 1970. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. There are no foolproof questions. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. How old are Vietnam vets now? I think 9+ million total in US military service during the peak years of the Vietnam War and 2.6 2.7 million in Nam and its waters and air space is right. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. 1968, 69. Active Duty: 473,000 yep I wonder also. Youll have to look for it, but a long time ago I posted the most recent VA numbers I could find. Mark Stanley was gone. I dont remember the exact number but remember it was over 500,000 in country and the number was the most ever at one time as the article was about Nixon beginning troop withdrawals that would continue until 1975. 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. we were all on the same side of the aisle. I know I was there and have several cancers! I was out of my earthly shell. i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 . The now call them Vietnam era veterans. But having a CIB does not exclude or diminish in any way the experiences or accomplishments of others, like you, and the wearer of the badge has no right to judge what any other man faced. I always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. 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. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. 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. The veterans are a very important asset to the country. Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? Id like to ask a question. 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. 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. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. These Veterans are now in or about to reach their 80's. How many Vietnam vets . That is exactly what I was going to post. I realized what control I had in the cosmos. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. SFC Chester D Carpenter, I liked it very much this war was up close and personal to me I first thought if the French were there for over twenty years what could we do from the beginning this was a war about money and troops paying the high price in blood I will not name names but Agt Orange was used in Korea they knew how harmful it was I had two personal losses my Navy pilot and my best friend a Marine he came home but never could come to terms with life again, John, I need to talk to you about this article. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. The Vietnam Nam Veteran and the Vietnam Era Veteran is defined by law ,, am I correct???? I remember lots of the names Evana, Eagle, Bastone, Granite, Ripcord, Maryanne. How many Nam Vets die per day is what??? - Leatherneck.com 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. One was daily and the other weekly. It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. Somewhat confusing. From what my son in law says (Apache gunship pilot) they also flew a tremendous number of combat hours everyday, And I know from what few stories he did tell (hes now deceased) they often had mortar rounds incoming. Was I counted each time or once? My cousin was with the 82nd and was there when the TET offensive happened. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. I entered an L shaped ambush. He was 18 years, 2 months and 1 day old. A few days later I was in fatigues on a C-123 to Da Nang, and a month later driving Hai Van Pass to Phu Bai with 3rdRRU Mobile Det (ASA). We were near AF ranch hand ops and many of my buds still alive from then have the cancers, diabetes, amputations and such. How many veterans die each day? And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. You were in Combat!!! Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. To that we can add those who served in adjacent waters and countries, but 2.6 is likely the closest figure to those in country. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? ago. Nobody can bad-mouth Huey pilots and crews. Porier was firing from the north, while the three Cobras choppers were engaged the sappers trying to kill me. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. I was confused. Luck of the draw my twin that received a silver star got the luck of the draw made it home. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. Heres my article about Canadians who fought in Vietnam: https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/. The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. 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. Music That Moves the Military. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. Air medals say combat support flying night spook missions around Haiphong from 68 -71. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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 also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. The term I like to use is Together We Served. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. Spot on. Hundreds of Vietnam vets infected by a slow-killing parasite - NBC News Smokey Platoon. C 3/17 Air Cav. My name is Ananda. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. Was an Armored Cav Platoon leader Nov 67-Mar 68 Lost 4 APCS 4 men in my platoon KIA 12 wounded I think I was in a little combat . they deserve that recognition. We all had a job to do. Infantry Division. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. Thats sad and should stop. I believe we were all there doing our duty and deserve to be called a Vietnam Veteran. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. 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. My government murdered me. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? This included Westmorland and Abrahms. Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. no , i could not quit. 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. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. They are a ten (10), they fought alongside the infantry defending the perimeter. Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. 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. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. 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. Melathion was 96% pure. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) How many REAL Vietnam vets are alive today? - American War Library I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. I changed emails and cant reach you!! and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Has every CIB wearer actually done that? It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. 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. Although my time had come, my death brought a realization that, I WOULD NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO DYE IN THAT JUNGLE. I discovered a conviction, antithesis to my beliefs, that it was not the North Vietnamese Army that sealed my fate, nor the soldier that touched off the RPG that distorted my body; I had the power from GOD to go to the next phase in my journey. Of the 2.7 million men and women who served in land forces in Vietnam, only about 600,000 are still alive. While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. nothing exists or will exist in another time. . Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. ho, i could not . How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day? I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo my point is that they were shot at and in country. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. 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. Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Question Two. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. The way many of us were treated on returning from that war, but in truth it was only a war for very few of those who served there. I do not, however, have a CIB. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. I saw plenty of people providing direct combat support to the effort in. 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. I and other merchant marine 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. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. Chester/Gordon, A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. fired on coming up river, a few other things. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. of the 1st cav div. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. I got the disability benefits at age 79. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! Where is this one in twelve figure from? The book by Hal Moore & Joe Galloway We were soldiers once, and young describe what many of us experienced. 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. I find it best not to remember that time. I served until April 28, 1969 !!!!!!!!!!!! Over 8.7 million Americans served in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era from 1964 to 1973 (1). Their is a new book about to be released by Bill Comeau that tells a similar story of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Duel with the Dragon about the Battle of Soui Tre that I fought in. As an analogy I will use familiar figure of that time. a clerk typist got benefits. I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 . He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. A few people were killed. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. Then, I stopped at the 5th. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. Check your POW list. Excellent questions. i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. Please respond! The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. But I didnt beat him he just left. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. Most of those who flew had Air Medals which are a combat medal. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. You go, brother! The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. Born: 01/29/1945. BAM! As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still unaccounted-for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War. Divarty (how ironic), and with my DEROS (Date I returned to the States) in the end of May boarding The BIG Bird, flying across the Pond and back to the World! One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. 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. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. 240,000 survivingAbout 70 million people fought in World War II and, as of 2021, there are still approximately 240,000 surviving veterans in the United States alone. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. The dust settled back to normality, as if man did not exist. Inappropriate Telegram Stickers, Articles H
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