Infantry Division. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. I didnt know that. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? Most of the time as a grunt without a map. 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. The site is owned and run by a crook and charlatan named (?) The amount of compensation a Vietnam War veteran can receive varies depending on their individual circumstances, such as their disability rating and the number of dependents they have. That's 390 per day. my point is that they were shot at and in country. Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. i went to dong ha several times. you tell me. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. 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. 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. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. Bullets were flying everywhere, and the noise was tremendous. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. I salute all Veterans, and those Pencil pusher, clerks, medics, fire-fighters, etc., all had jobs to do to support everyone, they deserve respect as well, as without them no one should have had the tools necessary to accomplish any mission! I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Without fanfare or much recognition. I have VSM on my DD215 which deleted the AFEM on my DD214. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. Yep we got briefings then helloed into some ridge in who knows where. What numbers do the VA have? My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. The book by Hal Moore & Joe Galloway We were soldiers once, and young describe what many of us experienced. no , i could not quit. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. 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. He arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam in early May, 1972 when he was still 17 years of age. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? 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. Based on them, and allowing for a couple of intervening years, there appear to be about 600,000 veterans still living who actually set foot in Vietnam or flew in the skies above it. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a. I agree Vietnam vets are fewer. Pop, POP POP. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. How many Vietnam veterans are dying . Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. to most of them, it was another port and another war. I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. We dont respect the combat Vets and they shouldnt disrespect us. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. I then did a 12 month tour in RVN in 5th SFG. If I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. Age: 84. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. What Major Is Kent State University Known For? 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. NO! Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! Born: 01/29/1945. Lol. stay safe. In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 . If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. The term I like to use is Together We Served. It takes military personnel to support the troops on ground or ships in war territory waters. Peter: 67N2F, 119th AHC 68-69. All the millions of other Vietnam Era Veterans are Cold War Veterans. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. I do not know where that number 1 in 14 came from, but in my time in the Army 1962-1970 it was in the range of 1 in 8 to 10 using the total manpower % . The first impact of a rocket was twenty meters to the left and ten meters behind as the rocket flew over its target. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. 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. It served my pain well as a lifeless, mean spirited dark soul destroying everything in front of me. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Ah. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. (LogOut/ i do not remember the moss but the went on quite a while. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2023? I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! 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. These are numbers never heard before & I would not include those before the advisers were sent over in the early/mid 60s. Thank you..Its been many years sinice I left, needed answers, read the 1987 pulitzer prize book on Vietnam, A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan, and later Secrets by Daniel Ellsberg a Marine who worked at the pentagon cable room.both left me so shaken I couldnt finishe either but Ilearned so much. How about disabled numbers? In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. According to DCAS Vietnam casualty files, the following casualty were sustained outside of S. Vietnam: 728 in Laos, 523 in Cambodia, 1,120 in N. Vietnam and 10 in China. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. Later, and Welcome Home to all Vietnam Veterans!!! When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. Quite a story. BAM! If true, 390 VN vets die a day. He was 18 years, 2 months and 1 day old. I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. The dashboard gauges and the gearshift lever approached, as I hit the dashboard with my left side and my head crashed to the floor; My spirit rejoined and I was protected by the firewall. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to The disparity seems to be In Theatre veterans between the years 1954-1975, and veterans in the Military at that time that were not deployed, or NOT In Theatre! If my math is correct, are you going on 68 years old ? Considering the number of troops deployed at different times, the build up and the draw down, its inconceivable that there could have been 9m serving in country. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. Systematically, a surveyor from the Plei Do Lim (PDL) flash Out Post (OP) had too physically exchanged the old for the new code-book and radio frequencies for the facility. 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. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. Age 20y 11mo. Why do the vets who served during the Vietnam War era have to be so devisive? Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? 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. Not sure where we were. They were smokers. That is exactly what I was going to post. With the Americal after I got back I had maps. 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. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. 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. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Somewhat confusing. maybe, maybe not. I was confused. 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. My name is Ananda. 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. 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? No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. Hell no. I and other merchant marine did. Was I counted each time or once? The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. nothing exists or will exist in another time. We had a dustoff attached to us. 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. Check your POW list. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). Serving in combat waters. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. That is your opinion and youre entitled to it, I disagree very strongly. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. 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. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. Army Reserve: 189,500 Im sorry I did. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. That makes more sense. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. 2010-11-24 14:32:32. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. The average annual payment was $18,100. 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. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. 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. Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. This included Westmorland and Abrahms. We need a better more definitive for VIETNAM Vet. nearly every classmate from the academy served on some basis during the vn war. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . Thank you for being there to help us when called. 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. 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. 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. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. it is branded on you. 2.4 million man who served in Nam approx. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. It was only a short ride. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. in only 6-10 years.. . I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. Stolen Valor the American Way! 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. The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. This is a reasonable number but you get very different notions of the death rate when you compare 800,000 to 2.7 million versus 800,000 out of 9.2 million. 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.. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? ago. Cheers, Based on data through September 30, 2020, VetPop2020 provides a projection of the Veteran population at each fiscal year end from 2020 to 2050. Splitting out the numbers of combat and era vets are separate questions. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? He was killed in action just a few months later. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. I WOULD SURVIVE! We did what we felt needed doing. Not sure what to think about the article. Some likely in error (or on purpose to avoid Agent Orange Claims). War is Heck!!! My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. we had a building where the company stored our property. Motherfucker? Enjoy today's Memorial Day and please take time to "Remember". 109, 000 died in the service during this period. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Please respond! best to all. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. Porier was firing from the north, while the three Cobras choppers were engaged the sappers trying to kill me. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. 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? 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . Without a doubt Helicopter Crews are COMBAT VETS, to fly so low & slow over the most hidden turf below.. On landing at LZ Gold March 19, 1967 we lost 6 Hueys and 7 pilots. Things that they did not tell you. Melathion was 96% pure. Air medals say combat support flying night spook missions around Haiphong from 68 -71. Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. Rear echelon? We just hoped the pilot put us where we were supposed to be. It is called the Stolen Valor Act., Dau Tieng A Co. 3/22 Inf. they did not get metals. 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. I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. As I started to slowly stagger upright towards the opposite side of the road, trying with all my might to gain my balance, I went down hard. To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. As an analogy I will use familiar figure of that time. none more than the ERA Vets. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. The roar was deafening; through the shattered windshield, I saw the truck go out of control. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! Sorry for your loss of your loved one. if you slept in the same bed more than 4 nights a week you were a REMF doesnt make you a abad guy but you are a remf. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Seems there are a lot of phony ones out there trying to scam the system which takes away from the true Vietnam Vets. I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. My time stands still. 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. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Heres my article about Canadians who fought in Vietnam: https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! Gordon, I agree. Sgt. Vietnam Vet_combat. . So I was in the Army National Guard during the Iraq War, So I guess I am An Iraq War Veteran. Yes. I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. RVN. 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. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. 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. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). Serious danger along those river banks. 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. Those of us on the battlefield who bled and many died would take issue with your opinion. 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. For a mile or so the road cut through the jungle like a tunnel; the vegetation brushing against the sides and roof hid what lurked in the shadows. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. i am not saying i was a hero, but i am saying that i did the job and i did not argue. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. 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. U failed to remember the last name on the Wall was in 1975. hello, i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. A veteran of the Vietnam War is a person who PARTICIPATED in the Vietnam War. Bill, So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Does anyone else remember ? Hazardous duty pay was $65 and overseas pay varied by rank $8 to $ 16. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. BTW, Why would this conservative believe anything the New York Times says anyway! All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! 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. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Non combat Vets served elsewhere. I would say anyone who has drawn Vietnam Hazard Duty pay, 30 dollars for every month or part of any month, in or over country, should qualify. Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. I got in about 20 firefights. It was 3:30pm when I entered the slowest aspect of the trip. 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. i never saw them again, but i knew we had shared something that was filled with pride, sadness, and the passage of time. Can You Join the Military With Depression? and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. Thank you in advance! I recall combat pay (Hazard DutyPay) at $60 dollars a month. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls?

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