Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. These are numbers never heard before & I would not include those before the advisers were sent over in the early/mid 60s. Well thank God congress got it right putting the definition into law, otherwise those who served there would not be eligible for many VA benefits, particularly Agent Orange claims. we got one daily the other one weekly. Without a doubt Helicopter Crews are COMBAT VETS, to fly so low & slow over the most hidden turf below.. On landing at LZ Gold March 19, 1967 we lost 6 Hueys and 7 pilots. 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. Today, the state with highest number of Vietnam veterans is California, with 596,130, followed by Florida with 519,224. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. About 30000 Canadians came into the us to join up. I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! The site is owned and run by a crook and charlatan named (?) 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. I believe the aircrews flying out of those places were take issue with not in harms way. In 11 days of December 1973, 16 B-52s were lost over North Vietnam during Linebacker II. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. so the cia men who changed from suits were not vietnam veterams when they went into laos and cambodia? 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 % . All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. If you were in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange, period. Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. 109, 000 died in the service during this period. 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? the draft board made that very clear. 101st Airborne Division, 1969-70 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. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. All Lawyer adds is for 2 percent, do you think that this was a greater risk for Cancer. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. stay safe. 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 average annual payment was $18,100. And yes I was sprayed with Agent Orange. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. and for the most part, we had no weapons. Vietnam Vet_combat. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. I went on about 500 missions. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). I always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. 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 entered an L shaped ambush. Guys like me know the difference. Porier was firing from the north, while the three Cobras choppers were engaged the sappers trying to kill me. Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. I remember lots of the names Evana, Eagle, Bastone, Granite, Ripcord, Maryanne. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. 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. 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. Born: 01/29/1945. Not sure what to think about the article. There were approx. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. RVN. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. To say that the Air Force in Thailand and Guam was too far away to be in harms way shows you have no idea what Navy and Air Force aircrews do. This battle resulted in the loss of 13 Marines (10 in combat, 3 were left behind and executed by the Khmer Rouge, 2 Navy Corpsmen, and 3 Air Force pilots. 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. Heres a fact: Jeffery Lynn Scheller, USN, born July 31, 1954 was Killed In Action on October 1, 1972. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. This answer is: There are no foolproof questions. i sailed with some in vn at the end of the work lives. Every grunt I know would say no. We who were in Vietnam know who we are and dont need anyone telling us what they think. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. There are questions like this that are hard to answere as being true boots on ground. Me? It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. As a child I knew several WWII veterans. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. Return to reality. guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? We have been betrayed by all Globalists. 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. Whether you were sprayed or not makes no difference, and YOU ARE NOT required to prove anything other than being present in Vietnam. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. they sucked. I got the disability benefits at age 79. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. Floyd James ThompsonHe was one of the longest-held American prisoner of war in U.S. history that was returned or captured by troops, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam and Laos, and in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. Born: 09/15/1946. My sister found enough info to get her husbands ship re-classified to a Brown Water ship due to his operation of a river boat and also medical evac of Marines, while he was assigned to the flagship, the Newport News, Prior to that any sailor who served aboard the Newport News, that applied for disability connected with Agent Orange, was denied. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. A veteran who served in the Vietnam War would be in their early 70s to late 90s today, depending on their birth year. According to the American War Library website, it was concluded by the Department of Defense that their best estimate is that between 2,709,918 and 3,173,845 GIs served in Vietnam and its surrounding waters between the years 1954 and 1975. Not sure where we were. It is an all-too-common misunderstanding that to be affected by Agent Orange you had to have been sprayed, and/or you are required to prove that to the VA. 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. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. 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. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. Their is a new book about to be released by Bill Comeau that tells a similar story of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Duel with the Dragon about the Battle of Soui Tre that I fought in. It revises and replaces the estimate and projection in VetPop2018. How about disabled numbers? According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. it is much easier to say who was not. 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 spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. Hunter killer division. 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. 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. (LogOut/ 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. Granted, most of them were deployed for the durationa WWII vet I knew was gone 4 years without coming back to the states. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. We did what we felt needed doing. The politicians and fake news along with the Berkeley professors lost it for the American people after that. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. I salute all Veterans, and those Pencil pusher, clerks, medics, fire-fighters, etc., all had jobs to do to support everyone, they deserve respect as well, as without them no one should have had the tools necessary to accomplish any mission! We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. 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. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. Id like to ask a question. in viet nam, because of the unions, they got more money. nothing exists or will exist in another time. So, with the lower estimate of 610,000, over 2.1 million VN vets have died since 1975 thats an average of 44,000/year. The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. The term I like to use is Together We Served. it was one of the smaller airbus aircraft. The way many of us were treated on returning from that war, but in truth it was only a war for very few of those who served there. Served most of my time on LZ Professional. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? According to DCAS Vietnam casualty files, the following casualty were sustained outside of S. Vietnam: 728 in Laos, 523 in Cambodia, 1,120 in N. Vietnam and 10 in China. i am not saying i was a hero, but i am saying that i did the job and i did not argue. 4-39th, 9th Div. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. 400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. Combat Veteran means being awarded a CIB. My new Iraq War novel, Three Wise Men should ne out sometime next year, I was at Camp Eagle, and worked in Production Control. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. 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. From what my son in law says (Apache gunship pilot) they also flew a tremendous number of combat hours everyday, And I know from what few stories he did tell (hes now deceased) they often had mortar rounds incoming. Vietnam War veterans can suffer from a variety of physical and mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug and/or alcohol problems, and hearing loss. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! Bob, Age 20y 11mo. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. I know the difference, do you ? My question, How many guys are I still alive refers to the ones who were in direct combat action? Of the nearly 3Mil that served, only one in twelve were in fire fights. You guys were the lifeblood of our war effort. Believe it or not, I still have every pay voucher..and in 1967 Hazard Duty Pay was $65. I know what I did while there in 1975, protecting USAF resources and aiding in the support of many end of the war mission. it eas a very loud high pitched, not human and the sound was fuck you. Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. Interesting, no way is 75 percent f real vets are alive today? I was there in 1969. Very helpful for this Viet Nam vet, at 73 and a little long in the tooth I I find that my understanding of the time I spent in Viet Nam comes into sharper focus as time goes by and the reality of what happened and what I did to participate makes me proud especially because I volunteered for Viet Nam at the age of 17. Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. 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. Lol. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. 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. 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. 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. Pop, POP POP. They wouldnt know the truth even if they tripped over it. I was in Vinh Long in 1965, Mekong delta area. Needless to say, I set them straight about his lying BS, and moved out the next day. It is called the Stolen Valor Act., Dau Tieng A Co. 3/22 Inf. These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. We all served the same, but different. 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 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. A lot of guys broke out with rashes every time that sprayed for mosquitos, using Melithon, which was every 2 weeks over all Base Camps. 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. 11B20 and proud of it. fired on coming up river, a few other things. Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. The now call them Vietnam era veterans. But having said that, here are some sources: Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. Learn something new everyday. They term era should be shit canned. How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. (Crew Chief 1970-71) 25 AVN 25 INF (1971-72) C/16 CAV. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. I was on merchant ships for three years in viet nam. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? War is Heck!!! Was I counted each time or once? Most of the time as a grunt without a map. Approx 58,000 in Vietnam. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. 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. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. Div., 67-68. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. Ah. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. I could type and did all the reports. We dont forget, and resent the tail gating by those who, during the war, did all they could to avoid it, and now desperately hope others will conveniently forget this fact, and give them some of the respect they never earned. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. 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.Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. There are still a lot of us left by some miracle! I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. The Vietnam Nam Veteran and the Vietnam Era Veteran is defined by law ,, am I correct???? What Major Is Kent State University Known For? He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. That's 390 per day. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. Melathion was 96% pure. So it only makes sense that for those very few of the 9+ million in the service during those years so be able to distinguish themselves. Bob Kerrey. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. How many Vietnam Vets die per day? 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. 240 300 World. As a retired Green Beret, his assessment and stats of the war are accurate. Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. Born in 1953, he joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15 and was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner. 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. maybe, maybe not. Often cited as the last verified American POW from the Vietnam War, Garwood was taken to North Vietnam in 1969, and reportedly was released in 1973 along with the other U.S. POWs as part of the Paris Peace Accords. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. they deserve that recognition. TRUE, yes more may have had a mortar or rocket land in the vicinity, or heard a sniper round shot, but the manpower rule is 1 out of 7 10 is an actual seek out and engage the enemy, tip of the spear veteran. Luck of the draw my twin that received a silver star got the luck of the draw made it home. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. no problem with the spell checking. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. Smokey Platoon. Cheers, In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. 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. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. The 25th Infantry Division, in III Corps, issue two different Malaria Pills. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? 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 was carrying a BAR, killed fighting an infantry action, and the desk jockeys decided he did not meet requirements for a CIB. If the ratio of approximately 10% remains the same about 314. Current Status of Unaccounted-for Americans Lost in the Vietnam War. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. 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. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr may we all be the last man standing. I was there in 1964-1965 then 1967-1968 then my last tour was 1971-1972. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. Question Two. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. I spent 3 separate tours in Vietnam. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. USA, (Ret.). His Engineer company was tasked to fight as Infantry, and they did. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. It was a free-fire zone, and a nearby flight of gunships was engaged in shooting up the western valley. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. (How Convenient), Hi. I suppose we were rear echelon, but I dispute anyone calling us REMF. Peter: 67N2F, 119th AHC 68-69. I remember that the minute we came around the coast and headed up for Vung Tau, as merchantmen on American Export LInes ships, we got a sizeable war zone increase in our pay.