Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? 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/. 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. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. 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. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. Deaths per day . The percentage of fatalities that resulted from this was 7.9%. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? Interesting, no way is 75 percent f real vets are alive today? The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US hi >, It poses more confusion about what constitutes a Vietnam Vet! As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. next with 1st of 12th cav. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. According to the Pentagons Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, there are currently 83,204 unaccounted for U.S. personnel, including 73,547 from World War II, 7,883 from the Korean War, 126 from the Cold War, 1,642 from the Vietnam War, and six from Iraq and other recent conflicts, including three Defense. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. stay safe. It would cause great pain to them; reminiscent of what occurred to the family of my namesake, my first cousin Dante Michael Puccetti. One was daily and the other weekly. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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 Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. 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. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. 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. We had a dustoff attached to us. But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. It does not store any personal data. 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.. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. That number stands around 306,000 killed by agent Orange (and other colors). That's 390 per day. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? Ive often wondered how many of us are left. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to Our side would have collapsed without you. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. to 1984 approx. Chester/Gordon, Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? Era vets are important but dont count. 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. Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. Sgt. Pleiku, Dak To, An Khe. Straining to regain my feet again, I staggered a few strides to my right and throe myself forward, with all I was worth, collapsing finely into the vegetation face up. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? 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. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. 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. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. why not compare them?. 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. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. The number of Viet Nam veterans, those who served in combat and combat related services (such those flyboys from outside the territory/waters of Viet Nam is about 2.7 million. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. Combat Vets served in country. My husband was one of those 191st Assault Helicopter Co. Bounty Hunter door gunners. I wonder how many vets died of one of the cancers on the list before it made the list? Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. 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. young men and woman who were there and did get fired on, or were in danger, should be recognized . Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. they sucked. We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. You can sleep in it. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. They wore the Vietnam Service Medal. Bob, It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Be content with your service, and leave it there. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? 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. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? 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. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. My government murdered me. 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. Serious danger along those river banks. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. Been there, seen it, did it. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr BTW, Why would this conservative believe anything the New York Times says anyway! 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. How were WWII veterans & Korean War Veterans accounted for? Thanks for your responses. So the vets that actually saw combat numbers are swelled by the rear echelon members to 600,000. yet there were millions that signed up or were drafted. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? All the others are Vietnam ERA Vets. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? 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. 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. The average lifespan of a door gunner on a Huey in Vietnam was just two weeks. 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. Im 71 and waiting to see if Ill be the last one standing. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. Oliver Stone. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. They are NOT Veterans. I KNOW MY STATS BECAUSE I WAS THE LONGEST SERVING MEMBER (20 YRS) on the New Jersey Agent Orange Commission, including four years as Chairman. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. i think the definition should not be restricted by whether you wore khakis or como. I agree Vietnam vets are fewer. In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. I went on about 500 missions. Are we counted as two people or have they accounted for us already. The dust settled back to normality, as if man did not exist. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm Numbers can always be manipulated. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. C 3/17 Air Cav. She is new to that post, having spent 20+ years as head of coding & analysis at NSA. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (LogOut/ by your definition, cia personal in civilian clothes were not veterans. My time stands still. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. There is a MOUNTAIN of difference in each s experience, combat veterans, those of us who lived and died in the jungle muck, snippers, booby traps, mortar attacks, and the battles with dozens killed and scores wounded. it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. Lots of people say they served in Nam, but dont remember their unit, where they were at in country or any buddies or officers names, since I served with D 2/1 196th LIB as a Combat Medic in 1968, I carried a company Roster and had to give each EM a malaria pill each day, I learned everyones name, dont remember them all after 53 yrs but go to reunion when I can. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. Those were the prime draft years, but of course there were a few older guys over there too.This does not include other American men there who are not covered by the A, like civilian contractors. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! 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. I always ask those who claim to be Compare yourself to the Marines at Fallujah, if they are a 10, what number are you, Thanks for your comment! It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. Depends on where you were. so the cia men who changed from suits were not vietnam veterams when they went into laos and cambodia? Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. This trip always was a concern, because I would be in a vulnerable condition in Indian Country with only two surveyors alone in a ton jeep. Without fanfare or much recognition. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. maybe, maybe not. 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. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. Really, very easy to say if your were able to sleep at night, so being anonymous means you stand up for those words All members of the team are NOT COMBAT VETERANS, My husbands boots werent on the groundthey were in the air and he was definitely a Combat vet. The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. 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. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Finally figured out what was wrong with me, received help but refuse to dwell on the dark demons that quite frankly just did not give a dam for humanity. They term era should be shit canned. ooops !!!! If one in ten saw sustained combat, then there may be as little as 60,000 of us left! wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. two weeksOver 10% of Vietnam casualties were helicopter crew members, and most of those were the door gunners that protected the helicopter, its crew, and its transports, from their exposed position. 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. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website the button is located at the top right of this page. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. How many Canadian WWII veterans are still alive? Yep we got briefings then helloed into some ridge in who knows where. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. Home Kent State University How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? I dont know why we have to make this simple arithmetic drill so difficult. i went to dong ha several times. You may not care but us guys that stepped foot in Nam AND had bullets flying at us, we care, and we are genuine vietnam Combat Vets. I agree with the rest of your post, and so did the Army. It was difficult for me to move. i said once if you walked , you worked. Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. The VA sent out a news release on March 29th, 2022, entitled DISABILITY COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VIETNAM WAR VETERANS. It included the following line, which should put this question to rest. How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. 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. I am an Era vet, and the closest I got was R&R in Thailand. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. Where is this one in twelve figure from? He got a letter from his wife telling him she was divorcing him and marrying his best friend. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. Pop, POP POP. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). Active Duty: 473,000 I know . Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. 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. (LogOut/ This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. My body, accompanied by my mind, was pitched out the right-side door, sliding between the seat and under the dashboard to land on the shoulder of the dirt road alone. The wheels were bouncing crazily as the tires encounter deep furrows dug in the hard dirt from the last monsoon. One moment is eternity- the next may never!. 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. Look up the military definition of combat. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? 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. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc. 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. So, I must be a VN Vet and VN Era Vet and Cold War Era Vet but not a Cold War Vet because I never got anywhere near the USSR. Copyright 2022 MilitaryPerson.com three years on and off in vietnam . I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. She is also a strong advocate for equal opportunity, and she works tirelessly to ensure that all students have access to quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status or race. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. Id like to know what the 1 in 14 men figure is based on. We need more honest Veterans. i am not better, but i am not worse. 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. 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 whole essence was involved it the quest of one more heartbeat, one more breath, one more gasp of pain averting energy, one moment at a time. Arne Fuller, Tucson AZ. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. I made a mistake !!!!! It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. Only believing what Fox & Friends has to say is really what you need to question Most things in the NYT does get critical peer review and push back when questionable Fox NOT SO, look at the crap coming out of Tucker Carlson, now that is scary extreme BS, The picture tells far more than a Thousand Words, it is that thousand yard stare, and any veteran who was out there can fill in the blanks of what they were thinking at that moment Offshore ocean sailing is a lot like being out trucking thru the jungle Minutes , hours day upon day of monotony and boredom, interrupted by moments of fright & terror I know that thousand yard stare, and many a time since I have found myself back there in my mind, staring at whatever and seeing nothing but what was in my mind. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. All opinions graciously welcomed. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . I got the disability benefits at age 79. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. 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. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Pop, POP POP. Great article! i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. Learn something new everyday. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. Good for him! I flew with the 220th Aviation Company (Cat Killers) in 1968. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? 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. While every GI serving around the world was important to securing our Cold War victory over Communism just as the Vietnam conflict was also, those who served in uniform in the SEA War Theater are the true veterans of the Vietnam War. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. If you served in any other places you are a Veteran, ERA is an embellishment of your service. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. Rear echelon? He was killed in action just a few months later. Im a 1967-68 Vietnam combat veteran. Change). I am a solid 10. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. 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. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. 2025. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. Navy ships were classified as Blue Water ships. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . scipione@geneseo.edu nothing exists or will exist in another time. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . Now Iv had five and 10 % works. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. I have heard many stories (more in the past 30 years) of people claiming to be a combat veteran, maybe seeking some kind of hero status or valid excuse for why they are where they are. 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. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. Nha Trang (TET 68), I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. 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. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. in ww2 more merchant men were killed than all the services combined until june 6, 1944. and they were civilians. ago. I shipped to RVN on the USNS Geiger, manned by Merchant Marines, leaving Tacoma, WA on June 30, 1967 and arriving in Vung Tau on July 21, 1967.
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how many vietnam vets die each day