All five of the CIDGs we dropped off that morning filed into the back of the truck, but unlike the cab the back had a canvas top and sides. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. We had a 10,000 gal balloon full of gas while we watched for someone shooting at us or placing a bomb on the bottom of our boat. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. How many VN vets die each day? - Answers More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. Alternatively, to transfigure my destiny. 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. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". earned their stripe. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. So he goes to Camp Wolter Texas for his 11 month school (they pay them E-5 during training) then just few weeks before graduation he declines to sign the extension for his Warrant Officer Status, they send him to Vietnam as a private to Phan Rang to ride security on fuel convoys (safe Gig) he never had to fire a weapon. i said once if you walked , you worked. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. and for the most part, we had no weapons. Are these all American vets. 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 do appreciate what they did, from the hero medevacs to those gun ships who flew into madness to help save our asses knowing that mortar rounds fall from above, RPGs & macjine gun rounds were in mass supply with the moniker attached To whom it may concern. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. to Ken Drombosky 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. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . 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. You do not need to establish anything other than that. But a growing army of strangers is. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. . David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as thgatr uis hgow many died in WWIU, Sorry my spell check went nuts Deaths per day . 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. It was difficult for me to move. Dave, So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. I understand that they only got about 300,000 of us, but that is a huge, decent number, considering how cynical we Nam vets can be about studies. Last I heard the database indicated that the Median Age of Death of Nam vets was reached at least three or four years ago. No, Wildaboro was gone, and AK-47s and B-40 rockets were sapper armaments Later, I read in a letter that Sp.4 Donnon F. Porier grabbed the M-60 machinegun, risking his life, and ran down the hillside rushing to the ambush site. Guys like me know the difference. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. You can sleep in it. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Cheers, Pop, POP POP. Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. I still consider myself lucky every day! 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. We all had a job to do. I find it best not to remember that time. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. Steve I have one, but I fought a ferocious battle at FSB Gold at the beginning of Operation Junction II March 21, 1967, the artillery guys in Vietnam were every bit an infantryman as well, they suffered mortar & rocket attacks, enemy probes and attacks They were lucky in some ways that they did not have to crawl through the shit every day. Defining Combat Veterans, tell us what number you give yourself, we have a controversy here with a candidate for Governor, he claims now that he is a combat veteran, but he told me in his campaign for the House seat he presently holds, that he was NOT a combat veteran. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). No two people standing side by side performed the same duties. from Fallen Leaves, Broken Lives By Edward Tick 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. Wiki User. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). you tell me. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? But having said that, here are some sources: Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. But if the 800,000 number is right then it has to be out of the 9,000,000 and not out of the 2.6 million. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. We need a better more definitive for VIETNAM Vet. BAM! I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. 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. 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. 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. One moment is eternity- the next may never!. How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day? You are certainly a Vietnam Vet, and I know the danger that you were in As an Infantry (CIB) Sgt I spent part of my second tour with the 97th Trans out of Cam Rahn Bay, they operated @28 LCUs hauling projectiles up those rivers, always a risky business. However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. 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! Born: 01/29/1945. Got a nice break the last 5 months, got to drive a bird colonel around Chu Lai as he delivered classified info all over the base !!!!! Other than guard duty i was not in combat but the perimeter at Long Binh was regular defoliated and we experienced rocket and mortar attacks. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. and by the way, they never got benefits after their time at sea. i served and i was affected like nearly every other person who spent time there. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - MilitaryPerson.com i went to dong ha several times. Past history shows ALL Veterans of previous Wars were classified as Vets of those wars regardless of where they served. 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 % . Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. 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. In my mirror I saw its beam illuminate each and every particle of dust that my passing vehicle spewed into the air; thus creating a mobile, magical, camouflaged chamber of brightly dancing fairies shielding me from harm. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How many Vietnam vets die each day? - nobelvoice.com Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. Exhausted! Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. 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. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. 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. 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. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? After Tet it was quiet. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? Im now 74. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. The now call them Vietnam era veterans. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. Almost 1500 died their last day. Please respond! (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. DamnIll be 76 in March. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). Without fanfare or much recognition. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? Things that they did not tell you. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? Serving in combat waters. they did not get metals. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. it eas a very loud high pitched, not human and the sound was fuck you. They were smokers. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. We all served the same, but different. To this day, I dont know how I was transported from the right-side dirt shoulder but ending up in the center of the dusty road. I went on about 500 missions. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. My government murdered me. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. Numbers can always be manipulated. Regardless of their MOS or the details of their service, veterans have more in common with each other than they have differences, and ALL deserve to be honored. How many Vietnam vets are dying each day? - Quick-Advice.com Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. 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. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. Dec. 5, 1967 to April 28, 1968 is 144 days. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. In the first part of the journey the mountain would act as a radio (my lifeline) barrier between Camp Enari and the PDL fortified Ville. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? Then there was peace. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. What is the average age of Vietnam veteran in 2021? guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. ago. Combat Vets served in country. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . Exiting the jungle, still at the foot of the mountain opposite from my defenses; the mountains bulk acted as a radio barrier between help from S3 at Enari or the SFs at the Ville. There are no foolproof questions. 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? It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. Yes. no disrespect here. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? Pop, POP POP. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. i am not better, but i am not worse. Now 69 years/old. 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. Thats sad and should stop. Perfect. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. They are NOT Veterans. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. Bill, My son, James, is 16 and has autism. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. I WOULD SURVIVE! I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. They are paying on Melathion settlements (Watch TV, and it as on 2 to 3% purity, used inside US) There are no living Veterans that I know of. The report is based on national death certificate data currently available through 2020. 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). The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. Believe it or not, I still have every pay voucher..and in 1967 Hazard Duty Pay was $65. (LogOut/ Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) 4-39th, 9th Div. 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! The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. 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. We had a dustoff attached to us. 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. The Truth About 22 Veteran Suicides A Day - Task & Purpose 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. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. Question One: Are we talking Vietnam Veterans or Vietnam Era Veterans. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day.