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. but some men, like myself , were told by their draft board, go to vietnam on your ship. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? Melathion was 96% pure. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. That is exactly what I was going to post. How many Vietnam veterans are still missing? Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. 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. Combat Veteran means being awarded a CIB. Born: 04/07/1937. It was what it was. There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. 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. I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. 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. . The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? Im sorry I did. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. 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. Just because some idiot politician or people want to say you were not a war vet unless you saw combat dont feel bad most of those people found ways to evade even getting drafted. drafted in 1966, Vietnam 1967-68 with the 1st infantry Division.now 75!!!! My government murdered me. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. I left the Ville at 3:00pm. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan. I was only there 9-months but others served multiple tours, so I tend to believe the 2.7 3.0 million is probably an accurate number. The average annual payment was $18,100. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. John, Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. These Veterans are now in or about to reach their 80's. How many Vietnam vets . ******************************************************* I do not believe that the question of who is a Vietnam Veteran is that difficult Assignment to a unit stationed in country is 1 criterion, another is the number of days assigned and served in country Combat at sea of pilots from carriers and rescue crews that flew over the country and those downed I think that there are really 2 classes of Vietnam Veterans, combat and non-combat that is a more difficult designation to separate As a combat platoon Sgt engaged in several large battles and many smaller fire fights, nights being mortared with shells exploding in the trees above The VA needs to add one more medical anomaly, Chronic Butt Pucker for all combat veterans. 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. 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. And i can tell you , we made a lot of money. Id like to ask a question. Exhausted! It is a deeply troubling statistic and has. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. RVN. Then upon returning I would be stationed in Camp Enari, away from most of the intense fighting, and protected by the whole 4th. I PULL GUARD DUTY THE FIRST NIGHT ANY ONE EVERY STAYED THERE. So I was in the Army National Guard during the Iraq War, So I guess I am An Iraq War Veteran. The artillery, Helo crews, combat engineers, in Vietnam are also considered Combat Vets, Well, I guess it just did not count for us Huey Teams (Sky Angels) supporting infantry/artillery units by flying in to lay down suppression fire, flying you into hot LZs, taking you out of the boonies, bringing you ammo and supplies, flying the wounded and dead back to base camp, not to mention Huey night Hawk missions to rectify an enemy ambush for our infantry that would be pinned down with no hope of survival. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. Motherfucker? Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. Age 20y 11mo. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. All the millions of other Vietnam Era Veterans are Cold War Veterans. In addition 18 US AF Security Police personnel and their 5 person aircrew were killed responding to the incident (the seizure of the USS Mayaquez), some do not recognize them as combat related deaths either. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. I think there about 250,000 Virtnam Vets that saw actual combat. Aside from that, I have always doubted any fact stated by the NY Times; although the federal government is no better. 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. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. 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. 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. at DaNang If we came in they set up tents to sleep in and had a big blivet bag for a shower. The military stopped the. I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. Ive reached the age of truth telling, and have grown sick of pretending, and giving trophies to the undeserving I saw good men die, and their loved ones dont deserve this dishonor any longer. Can You Join the Military With Depression? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. 2.4 million man who served in Nam approx. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. even when i went out with the airforce on resupply to fire bases. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. 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. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. After Vietnam I hitchhiked for about 12 years. 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. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? Then we went back to the Boonies. Active Duty: 473,000 It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. I got in about 20 firefights. What is the life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? I know what I did while there in 1975, protecting USAF resources and aiding in the support of many end of the war mission. Change). Every grunt I know would say no. I was C 3/17 air cav. Many Vietnam Vets do not even know about the secret operations from Thailand, now declassified, that probably helped save their rears during some of their combat operations. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. But Officers do not get CIBs But for those Cav troopers who know I have my Spurs. Nha Trang (TET 68), 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. 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. 1968, 69. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. I do not believe we were counted as vets. I flew as a crew chief / door gunner from dec 12 th 1965 till dec 15th 1967,I may not have had my boots on the ground out side the wire but we flew close air support , every time you grunts got your ass in a sling we were there to help you, i was on old B model gun ships low and slow ,I was shot down three times, so i dont think your cib means that much to me. in one way or another. I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. I was ASA, 1960-1963, Ft Dix, Vint Hill Farm, DaNang and PhuBai. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. Almost 1500 died their last day. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. Thank you. i went to dong ha several times. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? 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. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. If we arent able to determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us are still alive today? 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? 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. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Those of us on the battlefield who bled and many died would take issue with your opinion. We have been betrayed by all Globalists. Sgt. I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. A phantom drifted over and raised me up to unconsciousness. Before I passed out, I was being picked up off the jungle floor by some entity. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. Pop, POP POP. How Did The Campus Shootings Demonstrate The Continued Divisions Within The Country? I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. Based on data through September 30, 2020, VetPop2020 provides a projection of the Veteran population at each fiscal year end from 2020 to 2050. Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. There are no foolproof questions. Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day? He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Perhaps the reason for guys is that there were times we had to drink out of bomb craters that were in areas sprayed with Agent Orange. Combat veterans will share their experiences with other veterans especially combat veterans (CIB). Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 . At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. What numbers do the VA have? 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. If my math is correct, are you going on 68 years old ? 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. There was a huge difference between tours of duty also. 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. Me? If the ratio of approximately 10% remains the same about 314. 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! we were all on the same side of the aisle. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Pleiku, Dak To, An Khe. this exclusiveness does no one any credit. Born: 08/27/1943. An AK found its target in my thigh. . They are a ten (10), they fought alongside the infantry defending the perimeter. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. and for the most part, we had no weapons. 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 all over in 7 years. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? How Many Vietnam Veterans are AliveToday? and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! Hell no. 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. If you served in any other places you are a Veteran, ERA is an embellishment of your service. none more than the ERA Vets. If they enlisted or were drafted before 1975, they likely are in their late 60s now. I began to think that was the excuse for NOT being in combat. My Company was A Co, 5th Trans Bn, 101st Abn. 997 soldiers997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. The New York Times reported that claims like those of the American War Library are false and that, instead of only one-third of Vietnam vets remaining, the number points to more like 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. We all served the same, but different. Everyone knows this. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? to most of them, it was another port and another war. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. Depends on where you were. 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! Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. This answer is: I to served two tours 67-68 and 69-70,first with 1st of 8th cav. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. 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.