997 guys died the first day they stepped in Nam. There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. It was difficult for me to move. Makes it worse, they were all wheelchair bound. i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! The total number of is estimated at 2.8 million US veterans who were exposed to the poisonous chemical while serving and later died. 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. 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. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. I am a solid 10. Air medals say combat support flying night spook missions around Haiphong from 68 -71. 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. So, here well dive a little bit deeper into how many Vietnam veterans are estimated to still be alive based on various approximations and predictions. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. 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. and for the most part, we had no weapons. If you prefer to differentiate who served in country and who did not, then the arithmetic must divide the groups into two lists accordingly. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. Arrived in country March 1969, subsequently assigned to B Battery 1/14 Arty. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. 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. Damn it, government could have sent anyone serving at any time to Vietnam. Of the 2.7 million men and women who served in land forces in Vietnam, only about 600,000 are still alive. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. Their lives should be given importance. 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. Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. 15 of us REMFs were surrounded by the 33rd NVA June 13 1970. to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. I made a mistake !!!!! Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. Bullets were flying everywhere, and the noise was tremendous. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm 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. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. But I didnt beat him he just left. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. 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. Vince. My left leg hurt like HELLFIRE! Now 69 years/old. good stuff !!!!! Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. I was drafted in Sep 1966, went to Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75 until Oct. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. Now Iv had five and 10 % works. Excellent questions. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. They term era should be shit canned. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. We had a dustoff attached to us. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. Some where along the way after returning home & towards, if not after the end of involvement, the number Id heard/read was 5 million US military served. 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. Apparently Infantry is the operative word. Besides, who says anyone can claim this status or that status just because. USA, (Ret.). We havent forgotten that time of our lives, and remember full well, that most of these ERA Vets joined these other branches in a desperate attempt to avoid service in Vietnam. 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. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. 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. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including being named one of the "Top 10 Educators to Watch" by Education Week magazine. (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. We are not ashamed of our service or the fact we killed and had friends die, far more than we care to remember. About the same number of draft dodgers.or so I was told. I do not know how many others served with us. 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. stay safe. I was all over in 7 years. back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. Seems there are a lot of phony ones out there trying to scam the system which takes away from the true Vietnam Vets. I was C 3/17 air cav. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. 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. Got a nice break the last 5 months, got to drive a bird colonel around Chu Lai as he delivered classified info all over the base !!!!! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Even in this age of computers and accountability just goes to show ya ,people still cant Add or do Math . how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. Steve So Huey pilots and crew were REMFs. However I know many many who have died these past 55 years & 6 months since the Battle of Soui Tre March 21, 1967 and I know what is a combat veteran. Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. It was hot that day; the mosquitoes were going through my mind, and the sun was again brilliant. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. 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). 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. Thats what we did in Vietnam we left and am glad we did. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. Could this be friendly fire on a beautiful Sunday? It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. This could be a simple semantics issue, but what about the Air Force guys who flew over Vietnam. i never saw them again, but i knew we had shared something that was filled with pride, sadness, and the passage of time. Age: 77. I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. 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! No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. We did what we felt needed doing. Antonia Leonard is an education expert who has dedicated her life to helping students achieve their academic goals. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. 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. So, here well dive a little bit deeper into how many Vietnam veterans are estimated to still be alive based on various approximations and predictions. We all figured it was a Combat death. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. If you are a pretender go stand in front of the mirror and tell that lie one more time so you can watch yourself steal the respect from an actual COMBAT VETERAN A/3/22 3rd Brigade 4th ID Dau Tieng 12/66 to 1/68. We all started getting heart attacks around the same time. Or is this a total number of vets with all the other countries that supported us . Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. How many ww2 veterans are still alive 2021? Everyone did their assigned job; some just got better assignments. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. How about disabled numbers? We had a 10,000 gal balloon full of gas while we watched for someone shooting at us or placing a bomb on the bottom of our boat. 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. Exiting the jungle, still at the foot of the mountain opposite from my defenses; the mountains bulk acted as a radio barrier between help from S3 at Enari or the SFs at the Ville. The book by Hal Moore & Joe Galloway We were soldiers once, and young describe what many of us experienced. Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! 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. I served in Vietnam from Jul 68 to Jul 69. We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. The site is owned and run by a crook and charlatan named (?) I did 7 years 66-72 HHC 4/9 Inf and LRRP 25th div, / C 1/327 INF 101st Inf (only 6 mo. It does not store any personal data. Pleiku, Dak To, An Khe. I was a Pilot, Licensed Aircraft Mechanic and Maintenance Inspector before going into the Army. Data Appendix Methods Report Report FAQs. It is called the Stolen Valor Act., Dau Tieng A Co. 3/22 Inf. 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. 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. Has every CIB wearer actually done that? Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? I would hope they are considered Vietnam combat Vets. As well, those who served in Thailand in late 1973-1975 are often looked down upon as not being real Vietnam Veterans. We are, as we helped conduct many support missions in the region, helped with draw assist during the fall of Cambodia, S. Vietnam and Laos. A veteran of the Vietnam War is a person who PARTICIPATED in the Vietnam War. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. I would not believe the NYT. I will have to disagree with the CIB being the only combat veterans The Battle of Soui Tre 3-21-1967 at Fire Support Base Gold Operation Junction City, the 2/77 Artillery 18 105s and the 3/22 Infantry A & B Cos the enemy lost 881 KIA and UNK WIAs, we lost counting the landing in the 19th 55 KIA & 287 WIA, within an hours Westmorland and other Stars were there claiming this Victory (14 Stars on the battlefield) The Artillery are every bit combat veterans with the infantry and many other FSB battles as well I have a CIB and did 22 months in country late including TET. for the sake being more realistic, I served from June 1962 to April 20 1970, and was always told it will vary from 1 in 7 to 1 in 10. The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls? 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. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. . Plane had 4 engines and rarely got shot up although we did have a pilot get a 50 in the leg. we were all on the same side of the aisle. A Vietnam era veteran is certainly not a Veteran of the Vietnam War. Yes. Was an Armored Cav Platoon leader Nov 67-Mar 68 Lost 4 APCS 4 men in my platoon KIA 12 wounded I think I was in a little combat . The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. Born: 04/07/1937. was i a veteran? 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. Im still here after all the BS of AO has really messed up my life with illnesses, surgeries ect since 1975, noting problems while I was in Vietnam in 69, and confirmed. I submit, we should use the same standard for Vietnam. His combat medal was an Air Medal. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. 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. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? Sgt. 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. Based on them, and allowing for a couple of intervening years, there appear to be about 600,000 veterans still living who actually set foot in Vietnam or flew in the skies above it. Again, I see a jumbled view of jungle and sky, and vaguely see a solitary soldier standing over me. REAL Vietnam War veterans are all those who are officially authorized the Vietnam Service medal and possess official military-issued documentation to confirm their medal authorization. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! The commander of the sapper ambush signaled the weapons man to fire the first RPG, and it impacted behind the target. It has a life of its own. it is much easier to say who was not. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. 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. Can You Join the Military With Depression? This situation has been an issue for years longer than any of us has been around. 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. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? Approximately 7,500 women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. **********************************************************. However, like it or not, the U.S. government makes the final decisions on who is officially considered a war veteran and thats really the way it HAS to be. That is exactly what I was going to post. BTW, Why would this conservative believe anything the New York Times says anyway! Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. I know I was there and have several cancers! I was searching aria, even though these ruts are a real bitch! I was jostled and jerked by the truck over the dusty road. You would think the services would know how many were assigned to RVN and direct support of RVN, wouldnt you?? Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. Bob, The New York Times, as always, gets it wrong. These are numbers never heard before & I would not include those before the advisers were sent over in the early/mid 60s. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. David, please do not compare this to Merchant Seaman in WWII who braved the many packs of Submarines etc as thgatr uis hgow many died in WWIU, Sorry my spell check went nuts How many Vietnam veterans are dying everyday? One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. That's 390 per day. Served most of my time on LZ Professional. 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. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. 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. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. Why all this devisiveness. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. 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. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. no disrespect here. we had a building where the company stored our property. serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. We just hoped the pilot put us where we were supposed to be. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. Wiki User. Yes, Vietnam War veterans are still eligible for various benefits and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs, including disability compensation, health care, and education benefits. It was 3:30pm when I entered the slowest aspect of the trip. retired university professor Change). She is new to that post, having spent 20+ years as head of coding & analysis at NSA. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. All who served In Country and the those outlying areas in support should be considered Vietnam Vets. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. Serious danger along those river banks. 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! All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Due to TCDD among other toxic substances, we are dying off faster than other American men born between 1944-1950. 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. Do you by chance remember a Jim Blackshear? Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. I was on LZ Bayonet during 1970 and experienced many of the things you described. If I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. 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. The 9 million was the total number of people in the military during 64-75 . I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? Separate war. I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. Enlisted 7/70. That's 390 per day. 240 300 World. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. 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. Born: 08/27/1943. They wouldnt know the truth even if they tripped over it. 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. I and other merchant marine did. Interesting and certainly thought-provoking. 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? Mike. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. I can assure you there will be those of us alive longer than 10 years from now. one of the ships i sailed on had a captain that was drunk for 5 months. we got one daily the other one weekly. In 2019, the most . Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. 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. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. (LogOut/ Last one left was about 15 to 20 years ago. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. I have done lots of research, read a bunch of historical history, and met and talked to well over 1000 NAM VETS !!!!! There were 7 RoyalThai Air Force bases used during the war, from 1961-1975, three closed between 1972 to 1973. Did your foot ever touch the ground? They are paying on Melathion settlements (Watch TV, and it as on 2 to 3% purity, used inside US) There are no living Veterans that I know of. 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. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. The ERA Vets know perfectly well that they were neverNEVER..in Vietnam, and that this is nothing but a desperate attempt to gain the respect those men earned. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If you served in country on a ship in the gulf or dropped 2000 pound bombs you are a vietnam vet. 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. Although my time had come, my death brought a realization that, I WOULD NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO DYE IN THAT JUNGLE. I discovered a conviction, antithesis to my beliefs, that it was not the North Vietnamese Army that sealed my fate, nor the soldier that touched off the RPG that distorted my body; I had the power from GOD to go to the next phase in my journey. Copyright 2022 MilitaryPerson.com And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc.