The definition of Combat Veteran is NOT if you have a CIB. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? 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. RE: WHO are Vietnam Vets ?. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. nearly every classmate from the academy served on some basis during the vn war. 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. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? the draft board made that very clear. Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. . it is the duty of the community to stay behind their warriors to heal them and at the back of them when they come back. It seems to be all about syntax. Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million. Stolen Valor the American Way! He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. 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. you tell me. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. Since Sept. 11, 2001, just over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide four times more than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. I was on the initial invasion into Cambodia, that battle was 15 REMFS against 300 NVA> The next day we went in with the 25th infantry. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. How many veterans die each day? - Answers Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. i thank every soldier for their service, i do not exaggerate my actions. He arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam in early May, 1972 when he was still 17 years of age. 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. The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? The Truth About 22 Veteran Suicides A Day - Task & Purpose Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I served in an artillery unit. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. I dont know why we have to make this simple arithmetic drill so difficult. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. When I opened my mouth and started talking about Nam, Id get this response, We dont talk about Nam .In my opinion we should tell everyone about our combat experience. of the 1st cav div. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. question. I was all over in 7 years. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . 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. I know . I find it best not to remember that time. I remember a distorted image of reality. Why do the vets who served during the Vietnam War era have to be so devisive? If you are diagnosed with a condition that they know is caused by exposure to the chemical, they will presume that condition is service-connected. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item that best describes you. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. by your definition, cia personal in civilian clothes were not veterans. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. This answer is: I do not, however, have a CIB. To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. 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 I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? 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. It was hot that day; the mosquitoes were going through my mind, and the sun was again brilliant. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? | RallyPoint 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. Today is Sun 22 Aug 2021 but the actual date HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED as the US is SENDING GIs BACK! and by the way, they never got benefits after their time at sea. 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. BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. Thousands of veterans die alone every year, with their remains The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. Aside from that, I have always doubted any fact stated by the NY Times; although the federal government is no better. 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. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? 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. retired university professor There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. I made a mistake !!!!! Splitting out the numbers of combat and era vets are separate questions. 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. 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 works only in coordination with the primary cookie. in any event, i went as soon as i was contacted by the draft board. and for the most part, we had no weapons. About 30000 Canadians came into the us to join up. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Check your POW list. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. 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. How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. for the sake being more realistic, I served from June 1962 to April 20 1970, and was always told it will vary from 1 in 7 to 1 in 10. I have heard many stories (more in the past 30 years) of people claiming to be a combat veteran, maybe seeking some kind of hero status or valid excuse for why they are where they are. 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. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. For the are all Vietnam Vetersns.I was stationed. 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. Learn something new everyday. 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. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. Which Statement Best Describes How Americans In The 1960S Felt About The Vietnam War? My son, James, is 16 and has autism. 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. Lets ask somebody on Facebook where we can get all the correct true data and facts. BAM! I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. It seems to be all about syntax. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. He never did ,Thank god ,because I ended up marrying a beautiful woman and we have the most precious and beautiful daughter. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. This part of Pleiku Province is a combination of mountains, triple to single canopy jungle and/or open valleys. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. 1st cav div. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later Great article! An AK found its target in my thigh. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. I used this experience and we cut down the Helicopter replacement time from about 2 1/2 weeks to 2 to 4 days. The last three I knew had lost a lot of weight, two had each lost a lung. I would not believe the NYT. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! My squad leaderSteve Cook wrote, Dont Cry for Us Saigon. He gives stats. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. Our medic gave them out every Monday. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. i went to dong ha several times. Army Reserve: 189,500 Many Vietnam Vets do not even know about the secret operations from Thailand, now declassified, that probably helped save their rears during some of their combat operations. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click, Vietnam: The War that killed Trust (GuestPost), Gold Star Families Memorial Monument DedicationCeremony. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? I served in Vietnam from Jul 68 to Jul 69. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. 8,113,000 are still alive (May 2000) Post navigation The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. I was also at LZ Bayonet. It was 3:30pm when I entered the slowest aspect of the trip. We need a better more definitive for VIETNAM Vet. Nha Trang (TET 68), 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? The book by Hal Moore & Joe Galloway We were soldiers once, and young describe what many of us experienced. 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. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. While I honor those who served worldwide, it comes across as yet another slap in the face to those of us who faced enemy fire. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". VA released VetPop 2020 which is VA's new official estimate and projection of the Veteran population. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. All the millions of other Vietnam Era Veterans are Cold War Veterans. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The percentage of fatalities that resulted from this was 7.9%. that conversation has stayed with me. he and the other gentleman did not seem to know about each other , but they ended up speaking about the tours in country, both had served some time at dong ha. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. 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. 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. 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 always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. In my Book if you didnt step foot in Nam Your sure not a Vietnam Vet, Period. These Veterans are now in or about to reach . Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? Dear Mr. Hutson Jr Bless you and your family Those of us who live day to day with that medical time bomb know the pain you suffered before he passed, and the endless pain of loss ever after. All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. Depends on where you were. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. It would cause great pain to them; reminiscent of what occurred to the family of my namesake, my first cousin Dante Michael Puccetti. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. Granted, most of them were deployed for the durationa WWII vet I knew was gone 4 years without coming back to the states. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. That makes more sense. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? 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. 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. Forget 1954, let use a true date of 1962 (first advisors) . One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. 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. I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! The group in my AIT Class were all happy about this. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. Im going with 2.9 and saying the person who wrote 9.2 has the seing disease whereas they see everything in reverse. Wiki User. The New York Times reported that claims like those of the American War Library are false and that, instead of only one-third of Vietnam vets remaining, the number points to more than 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. How Many Ww2 Vets Die Each Day - Realonomics Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. I am a Proud US Army Veteran retired in 1984. VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. fired on coming up river, a few other things. I think its just a generalization but should be cleared. Floyd James ThompsonHe was one of the longest-held American prisoner of war in U.S. history that was returned or captured by troops, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam and Laos, and in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Leave your thoughts below in the comment section. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. it really did not matter, every officer had a masters license. 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. 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. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. So, when we talk about Vietnam vets who are living or dead, we should be talking STRICTLY about Vets who participated in the Vietnam War. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. was i a veteran? Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. Over 100,000 US Vietnam Vet Suicides To Date! - Rense i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. 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. 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. Been there, seen it, did it.
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