In my Book if you didnt step foot in Nam Your sure not a Vietnam Vet, Period. Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Divarty (how ironic), and with my DEROS (Date I returned to the States) in the end of May boarding The BIG Bird, flying across the Pond and back to the World! serveved in nam 67 to 68 and 69 to 70. both tours in the 1st cav. Last one left was about 15 to 20 years ago. 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. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. One good way to detect a phony is to ask him what his MOS was. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. Era vets are important but dont count. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. The total goes up every day. I am a solid 10. They used the same aircraft, and there was anything left in the aircraft, whatever the spray for the day was added, so you got both. State-Level Veteran Suicide Data: 2020 Update Tough and crazy. they sucked. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? I was C 3/17 Air Cav. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. 4-39th, 9th Div. Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? I was confused. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. How many Vietnam veterans are still alive? (2023) makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. That means bullets where flying at me and I killed people in combat. I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! Additionally, the American War Library approximated that around 164,000 Americans who served at sea in Vietnam waters during the same time are still alive today. If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? The VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. yep I wonder also. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. **********************************************************. Bless you and your family Those of us who live day to day with that medical time bomb know the pain you suffered before he passed, and the endless pain of loss ever after. Those who do not remember where in country they were, WHERE NOT THERE.. Or suffering from a complete mental memory disorder. None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? As you did not disclose what position you did or did not fill in Vietnam, or did not set foot in Vietnam, I will assume you are not a combat veteran, maybe not a Vietnam Veteran either. Steve It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click, Vietnam: The War that killed Trust (GuestPost), Gold Star Families Memorial Monument DedicationCeremony. The term I like to use is Together We Served. Korea had 2 divisions in Vietnam The White Horse & Tiger Divisions The Australian Military was also present but I do not know the numbers There could be others. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. 35th CBSG, 315th CAMS Working on C-123,s. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. His combat medal was an Air Medal. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. 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. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. I needed the rest! We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. Luck of the draw my twin that received a silver star got the luck of the draw made it home. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Dec 1967 Dec 1968 & Jan 1969 Nov 1969. 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. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. Thank you in advance! Yes. John, i was not a supporter of the war but i did my job. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). 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! young men and woman who were there and did get fired on, or were in danger, should be recognized . Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. Best answer: How many Vietnam vets die each day? Also consider the thousands that served multiple tours. Most likely Les considers those who werent in-country as REMFs. Deaths per day . Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. all of the participants in this thread are veterans. I only spent one overnighter. Look up the military definition of combat. At what rate are Vietnam veterans dying? - Answers Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . Should be simple enough but not, Not all ships are blue water ships. More Veterans Die By Suicide Than In Combat. But It's Preventable - WBUR 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. Nha Trang (TET 68), There are still a lot of us left by some miracle! Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. The site is owned and run by a crook and charlatan named (?) There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. (52. years later) All with the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Air Borne Division. I know I was there and have several cancers! We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting - Mental Health In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! 101st Airborne Division 69-70 They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. Now 69 years/old. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . If you assumed that 500,000 new troops served there every year from 1962-1975, you still couldnt get to 9,000,000 serving there, so using the peak number is not realistic. Real combat veterans will share with other combat veterans as their stories have many similarities. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. How old are Vietnam vets now? One moment is eternity- the next may never!. 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. I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. Very true One of those is my younger brother. 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. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. eventually i commented that i had flown into dong ha on resupply missions , having become bored with my mates work on merchant ships that spent long weeks at da nang. So, when we talk about Vietnam vets who are living or dead, we should be talking STRICTLY about Vets who participated in the Vietnam War. If we dont include forces in Thailand or Guam why are we including anyone except Navy pilots, because I dont remember any deep water people who were subjected to enemy hostilities. Separately I am working on an article that analyzes how many States are over or under represented in terms of their number of KIAs during and right after the war., Dr. Paul Scipione There is a bird in India that says Did you Do it? The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Perhaps, another RPG impacted and careened us sideways knocking me unconscious. The only good thing was 22 days off my tour. Where is this one in twelve figure from? The remaining 6.5 million were serving either at-home or abroad but not in Vietnam. 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. 45-50 years from now (and I bet no-one will want to My time stands still. If they enlisted or were drafted before 1975, they likely are in their late 60s now. I saw plenty of people providing direct combat support to the effort in. You were in Combat!!! 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 than 75 percent of Vietnam veterans still living and breathing today. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. IF you didnt get any extra pay better have a good excuse .like to hear it. 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. Im 75 and served in South Vietnam (30 Dec 1967-68) A/504th MP Bn. But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. 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. However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. I was the first male born to the Puccetti family after his death, so my parents received permission to name their son after Dante. The other number of significance is the number of Viet Nam veterans killed by Dow chemical. i agree with many who feel that a private who served his time in new jersey is not a vietnam vet. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive? - MilitaryPerson.com This was with conversations with them while waiting our turn to be seen in the VA. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. I saw the truck bounce towards the trees. we both served and i think that is what distinguishes us from draft dodgers or people that claimed bone spurs or kept getting deferments those are the people i despise. 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. Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/, https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War WebInvestigator.KK.org by F. Kaskais, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Self Improvement Life Hacks, Three maps remind us of the horror of the Vietnam War | Top Pin Answers, A Day in the Life of an Infantry Point Man in Vietnam. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. The definition of Combat Veteran is NOT if you have a CIB. Posted in these groups: Vietnam War American History Posted >1 y ago i never saw them again, but i knew we had shared something that was filled with pride, sadness, and the passage of time. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. . Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. 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. Div., 67-68. In the first part of the journey the mountain would act as a radio (my lifeline) barrier between Camp Enari and the PDL fortified Ville. 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. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. what i am saying is that there were all kinds of service, and if you think the definition is being in country and being shot at, then i qualify and so did my shipmates. I was all over in 7 years. no problem with the spell checking. 2.4 million man who served in Nam approx. Im 71 and waiting to see if Ill be the last one standing. Served most of my time on LZ Professional. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. 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. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. 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. A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a. 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. Your not a vet if you never stepped foot in another country. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. Okay.Ill be the one to tell it like it is, even though everyone here, as well as everyone else, knows the truth already! Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. The now call them Vietnam era veterans. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. We all served the same, but different. Helicopter crewmen did not receive the CIB, but they fought every day. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. Question Two. I have spoken at many VETS EVENTS, and done interviews with the media .. Never get tired of people telling me Thank You for your service, and absolutely love hearing WELCOME HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please respond! just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! I served until April 28, 1969 !!!!!!!!!!!! As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. How many Canadian WWII veterans are still alive? 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. Interesting, no way is 75 percent f real vets are alive today? You go, brother! Has every CIB wearer actually done that? Vietnam War Veterans, and honoring all who served: Memorial Day 2021 by your definition, cia personal in civilian clothes were not veterans. How many Vietnam veterans have died from Agent Orange? I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. 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. as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. It takes military personnel to support the troops on ground or ships in war territory waters. I agree with the rest of your post, and so did the Army. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. Perfect. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? My uncle John was in Company A, 290th Engineer Combat Bn during WWII. to 1984 approx. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) That's 390 per day. I know the difference, do you ? He was 18 years, 2 months and 1 day old. 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. Dr. Paul A. Scipione 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. 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. If they reply that they do not talk about their experiences They are not Combat Veterans maybe not even Vietnam Veterans. Jorge Otero Barreto. 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. What is the life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? How many Vietnam Vets die per day? Everyone knows this. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Granted, most of them were deployed for the durationa WWII vet I knew was gone 4 years without coming back to the states. OUR COMPANY STARTED LONG BINH COMPOUND IN SEPT OF 1965, DALLAS WATERFILL EMAIL dallaswaterfill@yahoo.com, Was in Vietnam Dec. 1968 to Dec. 1969, Phan Rang AFB, RVN. 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. he and the other gentleman did not seem to know about each other , but they ended up speaking about the tours in country, both had served some time at dong ha. I was hoping for more accurate numbers. 2010-11-24 14:32:32. . I agree Vietnam vets are fewer. My brother was stationed in the Air Force in 1975 and flew missions over Vietnam. i spent three years to and fro, with about 2-3 months in vietnam on every trip. Without fanfare or much recognition. 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. was i a veteran by the numbers? 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. 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! wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. Did your foot ever touch the ground? (How Convenient), Hi. Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. I would not believe the NYT. How many Vietnam vets die each day? - nobelvoice.com 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. no body turned down extra hands, and my india purchased white shirt and shorts made me attractive target in the event of a problem, and provided some humor to the 130 crews. Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. I went on about 500 missions. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. She has worked in schools all over the world, and has developed groundbreaking curricula that have helped countless students excel. Then we went back to the Boonies. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. Served at Quang Tri Combat Base )QTCB) 71-72) Same here. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. and US, 7 Valuable Life Lessons My Navy Dad Taught Me, Understanding The Five Branches of The Military, 3 Things That Could Happen To the Military in a Recession. 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. My Company was A Co, 5th Trans Bn, 101st Abn. earned their stripe. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. Some advisors embassy guards, but all combat units left. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. Dont know about the MM but everyone got the same combat pay whether a grunt or clerk. I got angry at him even saying that he was a vet of the war. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. 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. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. 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. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. When we find that number we can start to determine those of us still standing. We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. Having studied the war for years, I believe that the correct figure for those on the ground in South Vietnam is 2.6 million.
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