Do I count as one or three Vietnam Veterans? Id like to ask a question. I did work with Korean Troops. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. 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. The wheels were bouncing crazily as the tires encounter deep furrows dug in the hard dirt from the last monsoon. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". I was searching aria, even though these ruts are a real bitch! I was jostled and jerked by the truck over the dusty road. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. I remember that the minute we came around the coast and headed up for Vung Tau, as merchantmen on American Export LInes ships, we got a sizeable war zone increase in our pay. 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! Since the fall of Saigon and Operation Baby Lift occurred in 1975, wouldnt an 18 year old at that time be 64 or 65 today ? I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. My number one issue is running into a FAKE. 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. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. Does having your ramp down and touching a river bank count as boots on ground while we were not allowed to go off the boat when we were pumping gas to the airbase? Was back at LZ Bayonet the last part of my tour after being medevaced off of Professional and in the hospital at Chu Lai. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Gordon, I agree. Our medic gave them out every Monday. 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. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? Tough and crazy. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. no problem with the spell checking. I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. 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. Like you I am sick of ERA Veterans claiming to be in country. I remember lots of the names Evana, Eagle, Bastone, Granite, Ripcord, Maryanne. It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Enlisted 7/70. There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. I served in Quang Tri (70-71) and took two types of Malaria pills. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 Been there, seen it, did it. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. The VA researchers analyzed the death certificates of 21 states to create the 2010 national estimate for veterans from all age groups. And, if you think 75% of actual Vietnam Vets (especially after Covid, and more than 50 years of time) are still alive, youre kidding yourself. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. After 20 some years of filing claims and multiple appeals (DAV advocate,) have given up on the VA. Do I count as a real Vietnam vet? was i a veteran? 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. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. 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! I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. I have VSM on my DD215 which deleted the AFEM on my DD214. The group in my AIT Class were all happy about this. This answer is: Perhaps, another RPG impacted and careened us sideways knocking me unconscious. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. all of the participants in this thread are veterans. 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. Smokey Platoon. Where is this one in twelve figure from? 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. I PULL GUARD DUTY THE FIRST NIGHT ANY ONE EVERY STAYED THERE. Lots of people say they served in Nam, but dont remember their unit, where they were at in country or any buddies or officers names, since I served with D 2/1 196th LIB as a Combat Medic in 1968, I carried a company Roster and had to give each EM a malaria pill each day, I learned everyones name, dont remember them all after 53 yrs but go to reunion when I can. FEAR Part of the SOP on the Plei Do Lim (PDL) Flash Outpost (OP) was to make a supply run every four days back to the survey section at HHB. I knew what life in-store for me in my recovery had- years of pain and disabilities while I waited for my next adventure. I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. 4-39th, 9th Div. My whole essence was involved it the quest of one more heartbeat, one more breath, one more gasp of pain averting energy, one moment at a time. 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. 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. Our side would have collapsed without you. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. Pop, POP POP. . 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. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). With the Americal after I got back I had maps. In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. We had it good compared to grunts..tdy pay, flight pay, combat pay plus side gigs. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. I do not believe that the question of who is a Vietnam Veteran is that difficult Assignment to a unit stationed in country is 1 criterion, another is the number of days assigned and served in country Combat at sea of pilots from carriers and rescue crews that flew over the country and those downed I think that there are really 2 classes of Vietnam Veterans, combat and non-combat that is a more difficult designation to separate As a combat platoon Sgt engaged in several large battles and many smaller fire fights, nights being mortared with shells exploding in the trees above The VA needs to add one more medical anomaly, Chronic Butt Pucker for all combat veterans. Not sure where we were. in one way or another. Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. We all figured it was a Combat death. Scavenger1, I agree with you. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. Hell no. Lol. was i a veteran by the numbers? The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. According to the Pentagons Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, there are currently 83,204 unaccounted for U.S. personnel, including 73,547 from World War II, 7,883 from the Korean War, 126 from the Cold War, 1,642 from the Vietnam War, and six from Iraq and other recent conflicts, including three Defense. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. 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. to most of them, it was another port and another war. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. 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. I can smell a fake and phony 10 seconds after we meet !!!!! you tell me. It seems to be all about syntax. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? He was carrying a BAR, killed fighting an infantry action, and the desk jockeys decided he did not meet requirements for a CIB. The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. 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. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. it is much easier to say who was not. I was also at LZ Bayonet. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. He was killed in action just a few months later. serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. Me? and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds. My question, How many guys are I still alive refers to the ones who were in direct combat action? Of the nearly 3Mil that served, only one in twelve were in fire fights. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. How Did The Campus Shootings Demonstrate The Continued Divisions Within The Country? So the vets that actually saw combat numbers are swelled by the rear echelon members to 600,000. yet there were millions that signed up or were drafted. we had a building where the company stored our property. There were approx. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. War is Heck!!! Im sorry I did. Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. Served most of my time on LZ Professional. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. they deserve that recognition. 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. I know I was there and have several cancers! The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc. 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. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. it eas a very loud high pitched, not human and the sound was fuck you. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? i said once if you walked , you worked. three years on and off in vietnam . How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? Era vets are important but dont count. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. The Vietnam Nam Veteran and the Vietnam Era Veteran is defined by law ,, am I correct???? Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. I was all over in 7 years. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? A Vietnam Era Veteran is everyone who was serving in the military while the Vietnam War was going on. Thank you in advance! 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. It was only a short ride. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. Army Reserve: 189,500 If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. This trip always was a concern, because I would be in a vulnerable condition in Indian Country with only two surveyors alone in a ton jeep. Serious danger along those river banks. Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. I was driving the OPs 3/4-ton, 4X4 truck down the main dirt highway from Camp Enari entering the Ville and Mark Stanley was a passenger in the cab. Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. Age: 77. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. The funny thing,(not so funny) is that when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. In the highlands we had to take one every day in addition to the once a week pill. The average annual payment was $18,100. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. It takes military personnel to support the troops on ground or ships in war territory waters. Div., 67-68. My 2.6 million figure refers to American vets. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. Copyright 2022 MilitaryPerson.com I am not sure how it can be calculated, how to distinguish actual combat veterans, as that reality is a risk factor for contact with an enemy force. I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. 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. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. Serving in combat waters. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. 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. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. 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. Defining Combat Veterans, tell us what number you give yourself, we have a controversy here with a candidate for Governor, he claims now that he is a combat veteran, but he told me in his campaign for the House seat he presently holds, that he was NOT a combat veteran. 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. I made a mistake !!!!! Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. What report or reference confirms it? I suppose we were rear echelon, but I dispute anyone calling us REMF. If you are a pretender go stand in front of the mirror and tell that lie one more time so you can watch yourself steal the respect from an actual COMBAT VETERAN A/3/22 3rd Brigade 4th ID Dau Tieng 12/66 to 1/68. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. Past history shows ALL Veterans of previous Wars were classified as Vets of those wars regardless of where they served. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. 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. 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. 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. All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). We had a dustoff attached to us. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. I got the disability benefits at age 79. 2010-11-24 14:32:32. Using the 2.7 million and assuming one hundred thousand did two tours, I would use the six hundred thousand as the amount still living, due mainly to the delays in Agent Orange treatments and PTSD delays with the sucides from 1970 approx. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. That's 390 per day. I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? 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. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . 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.. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! Excellent questions. I was there in 1969. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. My Company was A Co, 5th Trans Bn, 101st Abn. As you did not disclose what position you did or did not fill in Vietnam, or did not set foot in Vietnam, I will assume you are not a combat veteran, maybe not a Vietnam Veteran either. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. Not sure what to think about the article. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. The dust settled back to normality, as if man did not exist. Pop, POP POP. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. I was with the 1st Inf Division from July 67 to June 68 and we received $15 overseas pay and $65 combat pay a month. We need more honest Veterans. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. My mom had all three sons in the war my twin brother and i were drafted he got combat I got artillery the younger one joined the air force . YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. Your not a vet if you never stepped foot in another country. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? Our service was diminished while there and continues being disrespected by those who lump all Vietnam-Era vets with those whose lives were on the line. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. I believe the aircrews flying out of those places were take issue with not in harms way. In 11 days of December 1973, 16 B-52s were lost over North Vietnam during Linebacker II. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 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. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. 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. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? We all served the same, but different. Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. The first impact of a rocket was twenty meters to the left and ten meters behind as the rocket flew over its target. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect.
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