It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. There are questions like this that are hard to answere as being true boots on ground. I did a short extra tour with the 97th Trans in Cam Rahn Bay, they had 30 or so LCUs that hauled artillery projectiles and other stuff including fuel up many of those rivers. Lol. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. 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. as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. My new Iraq War novel, Three Wise Men should ne out sometime next year, I was at Camp Eagle, and worked in Production Control. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Combat Vets served in country. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. Every single day 22 veterans commit themselves to death. The total goes up every day. He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. This included Westmorland and Abrahms. About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. Agent Orange was sprayed on the Jungle areas, and Melathion (Insecticide) was sprayed on Base Camps. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. 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. Today, the state with highest number of Vietnam veterans is California, with 596,130, followed by Florida with 519,224. The last three I knew had lost a lot of weight, two had each lost a lung. My government murdered me. ******************************************************* The funny thing,(not so funny) is that when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. They are NOT Veterans. to Ken Drombosky Almost 1500 died their last day. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! Why do the vets who served during the Vietnam War era have to be so devisive? Hometown: New York City. Guys like me know the difference. three years on and off in vietnam . 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. Seems there are a lot of phony ones out there trying to scam the system which takes away from the true Vietnam Vets. 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! There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. Most of those who flew had Air Medals which are a combat medal. I have always rounded up to 3,000,000 served in Vietnam..and I read someplace where of that number, only 10% were actually in combat. Perhaps, another RPG impacted and careened us sideways knocking me unconscious. I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. 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 % . In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Your not a vet if you never stepped foot in another country. i thank every soldier for their service, i do not exaggerate my actions. Gordon, I agree. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? Question One: Are we talking Vietnam Veterans or Vietnam Era Veterans. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. References:https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/how-many-vietnam-veterans-are-still-alive.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War, The Armys FY 2023 budget request is ~$177.5 Billion. Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. 1st cav div. Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. His combat medal was an Air Medal. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. i do not remember the moss but the went on quite a while. 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 oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. 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. stay safe. Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. I realized what control I had in the cosmos. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. RVN. By the time I got to vin long the nva was gone and Charlie was pretty much non existent, he new we had snakes, the closest I got to him was when I was on the perimeter waiting for him to crawl thru the wire. 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? We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. Age: 84. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. Here are two additional sources of information (added 9-3-2022) updated in 2021: https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. In addition, the US lost two F-111As, three F-4s, two A-7s, two A-6s, one EB-66, one HH-53, and one RA-5C. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - MilitaryPerson.com How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? I will have to disagree with the CIB being the only combat veterans The Battle of Soui Tre 3-21-1967 at Fire Support Base Gold Operation Junction City, the 2/77 Artillery 18 105s and the 3/22 Infantry A & B Cos the enemy lost 881 KIA and UNK WIAs, we lost counting the landing in the 19th 55 KIA & 287 WIA, within an hours Westmorland and other Stars were there claiming this Victory (14 Stars on the battlefield) The Artillery are every bit combat veterans with the infantry and many other FSB battles as well I have a CIB and did 22 months in country late including TET. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. 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. Now 69 years/old. A Vietnam Era Veteran is everyone who was serving in the military while the Vietnam War was going on. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. I went on about 500 missions. Not sure where we were. 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. You were in Combat!!! Thats sad and should stop. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. We were near AF ranch hand ops and many of my buds still alive from then have the cancers, diabetes, amputations and such. Things that they did not tell you. SFC Chester D Carpenter, I liked it very much this war was up close and personal to me I first thought if the French were there for over twenty years what could we do from the beginning this was a war about money and troops paying the high price in blood I will not name names but Agt Orange was used in Korea they knew how harmful it was I had two personal losses my Navy pilot and my best friend a Marine he came home but never could come to terms with life again, John, I need to talk to you about this article. Then upon returning I would be stationed in Camp Enari, away from most of the intense fighting, and protected by the whole 4th. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. Infantry Division. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. 11B20 and proud of it. Been there, seen it, did it. I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? First and most important who is a Vietnam veteran? Why the Shame? Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. When all was done and the Army was cleaning up the details of the action, they decided to award CIBs to the officers and not to enlisted. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. 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. we had a building where the company stored our property. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including being named one of the "Top 10 Educators to Watch" by Education Week magazine. I am a solid 10. How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? I served in Quang Tri (70-71) and took two types of Malaria pills. My 2.6 million figure refers to American vets. Stolen Valor the American Way! I needed the rest! How many Vietnam vets die each day? - nobelvoice.com She is new to that post, having spent 20+ years as head of coding & analysis at NSA. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. We all bleed red. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. 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. That means bullets where flying at me and I killed people in combat. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. If you assumed that 500,000 new troops served there every year from 1962-1975, you still couldnt get to 9,000,000 serving there, so using the peak number is not realistic. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. It should be duly noted that these numbers do not include the 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. I flew as a crew chief / door gunner from dec 12 th 1965 till dec 15th 1967,I may not have had my boots on the ground out side the wire but we flew close air support , every time you grunts got your ass in a sling we were there to help you, i was on old B model gun ships low and slow ,I was shot down three times, so i dont think your cib means that much to me. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Tell it like it is. So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? Then there was peace. 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 also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. may we all be the last man standing. Age: 77. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. The VA researchers analyzed the death certificates of 21 states to create the 2010 national estimate for veterans from all age groups. And yes I was sprayed with Agent Orange. How many veterans die each day? Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. Youll have to look for it, but a long time ago I posted the most recent VA numbers I could find. The term I like to use is Together We Served. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. It's estimated that tens of thousands of veterans have returned to Vietnam since the 1990s, mostly for short visits to the places where they once served. That makes more sense. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. What numbers do the VA have? 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? was i a veteran by the numbers? I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes there were 500,000 plus in Vietnam at the time. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. One was daily and the other weekly. 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. 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. 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 asked him to give me his number, he did not put a number on it just that he was Not. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. My son, James, is 16 and has autism. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. We did what we felt needed doing. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I always ask if they know what a fuck you lizard was. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. But often, it does. 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. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. I served 2 tours late 1966 to late July 1968, TET and the rest as an infantry platoon sgt Also served in Korea 1963 and considered a Korean war vet as that war has never ended. This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . and US, 7 Valuable Life Lessons My Navy Dad Taught Me, Understanding The Five Branches of The Military, 3 Things That Could Happen To the Military in a Recession. 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. 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. I served until April 28, 1969 !!!!!!!!!!!! I,m getting older bot I remember combat pay and jump pay were both $55 dollars. If I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. we both served and i think that is what distinguishes us from draft dodgers or people that claimed bone spurs or kept getting deferments those are the people i despise. There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. Combat was what we did. Which Statement Best Describes How Americans In The 1960S Felt About The Vietnam War? With the Americal after I got back I had maps. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR How many WWII veterans die each day? The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. Heres my article about Canadians who fought in Vietnam: https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/. 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. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. How many Vietnam vets are dying each day? - Quick-Advice.com 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. So that means probably from 700,000 to 800,000 of us are still alive. Return to reality. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. Certainly leaves some doubt about the numbers because why are we including the years from 1954 to when the actual American forces entered hostile missions? A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110. How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? Born: 01/29/1945. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Everyone that served and was in combat which means they were in the line of fire (received it and returned it in some form or fashion) deal with their dark side in various ways. Perfect. Hunter killer division. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. but i was happy to serve. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 4-39th, 9th Div. **********************************************************. Born: 08/27/1943. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? Does anyone else remember ? i know what a combat veteran is. How many vietnam veterans are still living. I started this post a year ago, it was a simple question. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. Im going with 2.9 and saying the person who wrote 9.2 has the seing disease whereas they see everything in reverse. If the ratio of approximately 10% remains the same about 314. But to me, Nam is my whole universe i.e. How many Vietnam veterans have died from Agent Orange?