how many vietnam vets die each day
(1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. Non combat Vets served elsewhere. I didnt know that. ho, i could not . Div., 67-68. I was out of my earthly shell. 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. So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. I am glad that you make Dante, I know the struggle has been long, but the spirit soars and the tale told Live long my brother, None of us are very far away from those days A harrowing experience that can never be diminished by time. I used this experience and we cut down the Helicopter replacement time from about 2 1/2 weeks to 2 to 4 days. I dont know why we have to make this simple arithmetic drill so difficult. 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. 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. am i two Vietnam veterans or one. 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. When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. 2.4 million man who served in Nam approx. Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. go to the top of this article and choose the magnifying glass and search for Canadians in Vietnam to read an article on this website about them. ago. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. OUR COMPANY STARTED LONG BINH COMPOUND IN SEPT OF 1965, DALLAS WATERFILL EMAIL dallaswaterfill@yahoo.com, Was in Vietnam Dec. 1968 to Dec. 1969, Phan Rang AFB, RVN. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. We were near AF ranch hand ops and many of my buds still alive from then have the cancers, diabetes, amputations and such. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Im a 1967-68 Vietnam combat veteran. As I moved my right hand to change gears, it just blew apart, as red blood and parts of my hand flew everywhere instantaneously, but in slow motion I seemingly was catapulted onto some parallel universe. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. Vietnam 2/722/73. September 27, 2022 by Editorial Team. And though did not serve in actual combat, as you describe it, we were shot at & mortared on occasion. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. I changed emails and cant reach you!! About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. Vietnam Veteran ages range from 55 to 97 years old. that conversation has stayed with me. Apparently Infantry is the operative word. I was drafted in May of 1966 specifically for the reactivation of the 9th Infantry..so B Co., 4/47th/9th Inf. 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. (How Convenient), Hi. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. I think by now weve pretty much said all that can be said about this question. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. I remember a distorted image of reality. 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. good stuff !!!!! if you slept in the same bed more than 4 nights a week you were a REMF doesnt make you a abad guy but you are a remf. These Veterans are now in or about to reach . What is the average age of Vietnam veteran in 2021? How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? As a Combat Infantry Veteran those who allow people to assume that they experienced actual combat because they refer to themselves as a Vietnam Vet. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. Separately I am working on an article that analyzes how many States are over or under represented in terms of their number of KIAs during and right after the war., Dr. Paul Scipione FEAR Part of the SOP on the Plei Do Lim (PDL) Flash Outpost (OP) was to make a supply run every four days back to the survey section at HHB. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. To that we can add those who served in adjacent waters and countries, but 2.6 is likely the closest figure to those in country. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? I have spoken at many VETS EVENTS, and done interviews with the media .. Never get tired of people telling me Thank You for your service, and absolutely love hearing WELCOME HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. Having spent a year all over Thailand in support of Communist Suppression Operations Center along the Laotian border, and training Thai infantry to deploy in RVN. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Funny, none of them were called WWII Era Veterans. 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. As you did not disclose what position you did or did not fill in Vietnam, or did not set foot in Vietnam, I will assume you are not a combat veteran, maybe not a Vietnam Veteran either. How many Canadian WWII veterans are still alive? I knew I had to stand up again, even though I made a better target; my staying in the open road would be a death sentence. Needless to say, I set them straight about his lying BS, and moved out the next day. Tell it like it is. for myself, being bored sometimes, and anxious to see and do more, i volunteered and went on a number of supply missions to the fire bases. The trucks grill was a few feet away should I crawl underneath or try to hide in the nearby jungle? 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. earned their stripe. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. 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. 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. we had a crew of about 42, spent weeks at anchor in vung tau or da nang. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. of the 1st cav div. My government murdered me. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. 4-39th, 9th Div. Enlisted 7/70. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. I was also at LZ Bayonet. in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. 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. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. 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). This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). 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. 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. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! Born: 04/07/1937. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. Hell no. The one question I have is how many in country vets did multiple tours over there. Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? and by the way, they never got benefits after their time at sea. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. I dont remember the exact number but remember it was over 500,000 in country and the number was the most ever at one time as the article was about Nixon beginning troop withdrawals that would continue until 1975. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. Enjoy today's Memorial Day and please take time to "Remember". why not compare them?. A few days later I was in fatigues on a C-123 to Da Nang, and a month later driving Hai Van Pass to Phu Bai with 3rdRRU Mobile Det (ASA). My new Iraq War novel, Three Wise Men should ne out sometime next year, I was at Camp Eagle, and worked in Production Control. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. 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. . I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 . 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. I was at 6 different LZs from Aug 67-Aug 68, with a 4th Medical Battalion aid station (D Company), and I never heard of a fuck you lizard. Serious danger along those river banks. 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. In country Vietnam Vets are the only Vietnam Vets. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. 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. I only spent one overnighter. What was the cause of preventable deaths in the Vietnam War? and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. Era vets are important but dont count. Then there was peace. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). 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. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. BAM! I was there in 69-71 also sprayed Im 74, inlisted 1968 spent 2 tours in Vietnam Im now 73, Comments left by my fellow Vietnam vets are very useful. Here are some statistics on the veterans of the Vietnam War. He is absolutely obsessed with military and different men who have served, The definitive statistics come from the VAs Million Vietnam Vets database, which will continue until we are all gone. It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? Thank you. The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. Where do they thinly get Ella enemys came from? 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. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. 240 300 World. How old is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. If field infantry personal awarded a CIB having engaged the enemy are a ten (10), what are the field artillery units at a fire base like FSB Gold in Operation Junction City. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. it is much easier to say who was not. a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. It has a life of its own. I believe we were all there doing our duty and deserve to be called a Vietnam Veteran. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. yep I wonder also. This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. It too bad that guys that never fought think for some reason they deserve credit for being in Vietnam when they werent. I would not believe the NYT. Most of those who flew had Air Medals which are a combat medal. So that means probably from 700,000 to 800,000 of us are still alive. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? Learn something new everyday. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. Bob Kerrey. Lying on my back in the underbrush, watching the blue sky, bleeding on the jungle floor alone. All Lawyer adds is for 2 percent, do you think that this was a greater risk for Cancer. I appreciate the fact that I Sam in the combat group that won the war against the communist rabble during their Tet Offensive in 1968. was i a veteran by the numbers? While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. That is correct, Dow Chemical is responsible for three times as many Viet Nam veteran deaths as the NVA and the VC. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Luck of the draw my twin that received a silver star got the luck of the draw made it home. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. Please respond! RE: WHO are Vietnam Vets ?. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. They are a ten (10), they fought alongside the infantry defending the perimeter. Are these all American vets. What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. 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. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. I know from my time with the 3/25 that you dont need to be a ground pounder to see more then your share of combat. But a growing army of strangers is. Thank you for being there to help us when called. All opinions graciously welcomed. I struck a tree and rebounded into the open again still a sitting duck. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. 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. Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. 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. Be content with your service, and leave it there. My 2.6 million figure refers to American vets. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I will never forget the pop pop pop, pop pop of an AK-47 in rapid-fire, but I heard the far off rattle of a M-60 machine-gun through the roar; Why I thought of PFC Wildaboro and his escapade with the machine gun that OTHER sun-drenched afternoon! In fact, the first two advisors (MAJ Dale Buis and MSG Chester Ovnand) killed by the enemy died in an attack on their base near Bien Hoa on July 8, 1959. **********************************************************. to 1984 approx. Today, the state with highest number of Vietnam veterans is California, with 596,130, followed by Florida with 519,224. You go, brother! We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. The veterans are a very important asset to the country. 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. Granted, most of them were deployed for the durationa WWII vet I knew was gone 4 years without coming back to the states. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. If you served in any other places you are a Veteran, ERA is an embellishment of your service. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). 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. How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. We are not ashamed of our service or the fact we killed and had friends die, far more than we care to remember. Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. Since you were with an aviation Battalion do you remember our flight pay as Army Aircrew ? I asked him to give me his number, he did not put a number on it just that he was Not. It was difficult for me to move. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . I left the Ville at 3:00pm. It does not store any personal data. 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. We all figured it was a Combat death. A few people were killed. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. 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. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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.. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. All who served In Country and the those outlying areas in support should be considered Vietnam Vets. Not sure what to think about the article. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. waited and waited for our slot in port. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. I do not believe we were counted as vets. nothing exists or will exist in another time. Army Reserve: 189,500 March 29, 1973Part of what was called Operation Homecoming, the first 20 POWs arrived to a heros welcome at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. The Nation supported WWI & WWII, the entire Nation was involved in the war effort. I am trying to see if the NJ Adjutant Generals Office still has a couple copies around. One sapper shot off a whole magazine of armor piercing bullets at the drivers side windshield of the truck, and glass was flying in all directions. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. But having said that, here are some sources: scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. It served my pain well as a lifeless, mean spirited dark soul destroying everything in front of me. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. 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. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. One moment is eternity- the next may never!. It would cause great pain to them; reminiscent of what occurred to the family of my namesake, my first cousin Dante Michael Puccetti. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. I was searching aria, even though these ruts are a real bitch! I was jostled and jerked by the truck over the dusty road. It takes military personnel to support the troops on ground or ships in war territory waters. This is a controversial post. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. a clerk typist got benefits. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once.