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. Aint this fun? This battle resulted in the loss of 13 Marines (10 in combat, 3 were left behind and executed by the Khmer Rouge, 2 Navy Corpsmen, and 3 Air Force pilots. I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. 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. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. This answer is: i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. Like you I am sick of ERA Veterans claiming to be in country. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. to most of them, it was another port and another war. But I guess I knew where I was if we were at a base. Pop, POP POP. Thank you in advance! How many ww2 vets left 2021? Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. Agent Orange was sprayed on the Jungle areas, and Melathion (Insecticide) was sprayed on Base Camps. Combat was what we did. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. I opted for love! Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 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! How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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? I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. 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. Has every CIB wearer actually done that? after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. There is no definitive answer to this question as the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day varies depending on the specific situation. Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . 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. 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. 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! I am trying to see if the NJ Adjutant Generals Office still has a couple copies around. Guys like me know the difference. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. 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. 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. Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. How many Canadian WWII veterans are still alive? Most of the time as a grunt without a map. We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. I think The NY Times has conflated he number of Viet Nam veterans with those who served in the military during the years 1960-1975. I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. Why all this devisiveness. 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. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. may we all be the last man standing. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. Other sappers were shooting their AKs at any targets. The exact percentage of surviving Vietnam War veterans is not known, but it is estimated to be around 25% of the total number of veterans who served during the war. We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. They are NOT Veterans. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. 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. 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. i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. Quite a story. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. 11B20 and proud of it. 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. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. Age: 78. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. If they enlisted or were drafted before 1975, they likely are in their late 60s now. U failed to remember the last name on the Wall was in 1975. hello, for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. I would hope they are considered Vietnam combat Vets. As well, those who served in Thailand in late 1973-1975 are often looked down upon as not being real Vietnam Veterans. We are, as we helped conduct many support missions in the region, helped with draw assist during the fall of Cambodia, S. Vietnam and Laos. Then, I stopped at the 5th. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. I know I was there and have several cancers! I can smell a fake and phony 10 seconds after we meet !!!!! Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. NO! When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Assuming were talking solely about U.S. Vietnam veterans, all I would add is that anyone who served in the military and entered the war zone is technically a Vietnam veteran. It served my pain well as a lifeless, mean spirited dark soul destroying everything in front of me. Im glad you made it back! That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. I turned left into the open valley dirt road that lead to the OP, crossed the blue line (river or stream on a map) and raced through the dense, triple canopy jungle to the open valley floor. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. Can You Join the Military With Depression? If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in 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). These Veterans are now in or about to reach their 80's. How many Vietnam vets . Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. I dont know why we have to make this simple arithmetic drill so difficult. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo Lets ask somebody on Facebook where we can get all the correct true data and facts. 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. scipione@geneseo.edu The average annual payment was $18,100. We have been betrayed by all Globalists. Depends on where you were. This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. They used the same aircraft, and there was anything left in the aircraft, whatever the spray for the day was added, so you got both. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. they sucked. They're generally in their 90s and about 245 die each day according to the VA. At 95 Army veteran Lincoln "Linc" Harner still remembers the war. Not sure where we were. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Home Kent State University How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. If you served in country on a ship in the gulf or dropped 2000 pound bombs you are a vietnam vet. and for the most part, we had no weapons. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. 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. OH, SHIT- I heard the impact of the Rocket Propelled grenade (RPG) to my left; `this is it, I yelled! 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. I WOULD SURVIVE! Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. 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. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. We havent forgotten that time of our lives, and remember full well, that most of these ERA Vets joined these other branches in a desperate attempt to avoid service in Vietnam. Everyone did their assigned job; some just got better assignments. Combat Veteran means being awarded a CIB. If you were shot at, in an incoming rocket attack, had to protect during a ground attack, you could bleed and die, you were in Combat. It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. Age: 75. 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. The remaining 6.5 million were serving either at-home or abroad but not in Vietnam. we were all on the same side of the aisle. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. 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. Some where along the way after returning home & towards, if not after the end of involvement, the number Id heard/read was 5 million US military served. It seems to be all about syntax. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. DamnIll be 76 in March. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. Learn something new everyday. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. Past history shows ALL Veterans of previous Wars were classified as Vets of those wars regardless of where they served. Pop, POP POP. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. But the 23 months I spent doing my duty as outlined our government to assure you had a way to be resupplied means I, and those like me, am a Vietnam Veteran. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. I know the difference, do you ? It does not store any personal data. 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. we got one daily the other one weekly. Im sorry I did. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. 1st cav div. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes there were 500,000 plus in Vietnam at the time. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. Vietnam Veterans are dieing faster than World War Two veterans do to Agent Orange contamination . 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. My sister found enough info to get my brother in laws ship re-classified as a brown water ship and proved he was sent in country by the ships commander (Newport News). 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. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. 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. Stolen Valor the American Way! Funny, none of them were called WWII 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. That's 390 per day. One other thing I would like to know, when Jane Fonda was sitting on that anti aircraft gun in Hanoi did they let her try to use it. If you served at all, anywhere, during WWII, you are a WWII vet. The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? 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. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. Now 69 years/old. GREAT Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. 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. Deaths per day . Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. earned their stripe. question. You were in Combat!!! And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? There are 500,000 Korean War veterans still living, but about 600 of those die every day, according to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. I served in Vietnam from Jul 68 to Jul 69. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. The wheels were bouncing crazily as the tires encounter deep furrows dug in the hard dirt from the last monsoon. In addition 18 US AF Security Police personnel and their 5 person aircrew were killed responding to the incident (the seizure of the USS Mayaquez), some do not recognize them as combat related deaths either. the draft board made that very clear. The politicians and fake news along with the Berkeley professors lost it for the American people after that. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. Ive seen start dates for the VN war as 1954, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1965. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. 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. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. RE: WHO are Vietnam Vets ?. 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. the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. I made a mistake !!!!! I agree, 10% in combat, sounds right! But often, it does. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. CIB. Kenneth, your definition of combat veteran is so wrong on so many levels that it would be funny if it did not besmirch the service of so many good men, alive and dead. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. The debate depends on only two numbers. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Served most of my time on LZ Professional. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. Our medic gave them out every Monday. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. Very helpful for this Viet Nam vet, at 73 and a little long in the tooth I I find that my understanding of the time I spent in Viet Nam comes into sharper focus as time goes by and the reality of what happened and what I did to participate makes me proud especially because I volunteered for Viet Nam at the age of 17. Another long time friend served on the Riverine Force actually served on John Kerrys boat and is mentioned prominently in his book, told me stories about being ambushed, as those boats made a lot of noise. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.