We all served in our assigned duties, some bled, and some died. Not sure what to think about the article. (LogOut/ Im going with 2.9 and saying the person who wrote 9.2 has the seing disease whereas they see everything in reverse. I stomped the gas and the engine roared- the truck jumped forward and bounced crazily and so did, garbing the steering tightly. maybe, maybe not. I was driving the OPs 3/4-ton, 4X4 truck down the main dirt highway from Camp Enari entering the Ville and Mark Stanley was a passenger in the cab. 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. Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. 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. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. But I didnt beat him he just left. 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.. Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska. 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. Likewise, drafted Sep 66, Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75. Apparently Infantry is the operative word. 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. I got the disability benefits at age 79. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. 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. The total number of is estimated at 2.8 million US veterans who were exposed to the poisonous chemical while serving and later died. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. Heres my article about Canadians who fought in Vietnam: https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. Nobody can bad-mouth Huey pilots and crews. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. Deaths per day . i appreciate i was not in a company and humped for a year. as we end our lives we should never forget that each served, in some way. Last one left was about 15 to 20 years ago. Mark Stanley was gone. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. Motherfucker? RVN. 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. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. I suppose we were rear echelon, but I dispute anyone calling us REMF. My squad leaderSteve Cook wrote, Dont Cry for Us Saigon. He gives stats. 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. I submit, we should use the same standard for Vietnam. Approximately 7,500 women were stationed in Vietnam during the war. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. 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 . makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. Its possible that the youngest living Vietnam Veteran may be 61 years old. This answer is: 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. 240 300 World. He now has a 100% disability as unemployable. If I got in the ring with Cassius clay later known as Mohamed Ali. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. none more than the ERA Vets. If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. 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! It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. They lost about 20 men KIA in late January, many captured. Through my blood-covered face, I could not distinguish whom! 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. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. How about disabled numbers? I meant any one that stepped foot in I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. He showed me his DD214 and low and behold it says he was in Vietnam. Active Duty: 473,000 The one question I have is how many in country vets did multiple tours over there. 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. Nov.62 I got off a PanAm flight at Tan Son Nhut with a US passport, wearing civilian clothes and colorful floral leis around my neck after a stop in Hawaii. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. He was killed in action just a few months later. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, 83.5% being nurses. I find it best not to remember that time. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. Mekong Delta US Army 1969. I do not, however, have a CIB. Arne Fuller, Tucson AZ. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. 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. Depends on where you were. it really did not matter, every officer had a masters license. 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. When were the last Vietnam POWs released? GREAT Reports from the Department of Veterans Affairs say about 240 300 World War II veterans are still alive in 2021. I asked him to give me his number, he did not put a number on it just that he was Not. I wonder if I was not Dante- would I have the inspiration to survive? What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? 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 But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. How many Vietnam War veterans are still alive 2022? Combat was what we did. The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. 499 days, and 10 days in Sydney, Australia !!!!! The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? Posted in these groups: Vietnam War American History Posted >1 y ago 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. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls? we spent sometimes a month or more in one port depending on the cargo and the need. i am not better, but i am not worse. they sucked. Please respond! I wouldnt trust the New York Times study, regardless of their Sources! Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Combat Vets served in country. Seems there are a lot of phony ones out there trying to scam the system which takes away from the true Vietnam Vets. The list of cancers gets longer with each passing year. Nha Trang (TET 68), One sapper shot off a whole magazine of armor piercing bullets at the drivers side windshield of the truck, and glass was flying in all directions. retired university professor My performance as Dante Michael Anthony Puccetti was at its close, and resembling the theater, I was ready to take my curtain call. by your definition, cia personal in civilian clothes were not veterans. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. 4-39th, 9th Div. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. Antonia is a firm believer in the power of education, and she is passionate about helping students reach their full potential. Antonia is a gifted educator, and she is widely respected within the education community. They dont include forces in Guam or Thailand. I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. As stated in the previous post I too can spot a fake in 10 seconds. if you slept in the same bed more than 4 nights a week you were a REMF doesnt make you a abad guy but you are a remf. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110. I appreciate the fact that I Sam in the combat group that won the war against the communist rabble during their Tet Offensive in 1968. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. I served in an artillery unit. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? 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. Well, the government 20 or 25 years later sent us, if asked, a ribbon, card, and metal saying we did. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. Eight Vietnam Veterans Die every day. I left this Sunday, as other mornings, to make a supply run and a code book and frequency transfer to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB); to gather C-Rations, mail, and most importantly to acquire our new radio codes of the confidential frequencies for this period. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. All who served In Country and the those outlying areas in support should be considered Vietnam Vets. 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. I have VSM on my DD215 which deleted the AFEM on my DD214. Aint this fun? Born: 04/07/1937. Air crews who flew over Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam had no Fox hole or ditch yo hid behind while delivering payload after payload to help destroy supplies heading towards those in the bush, while avoid withering anti-aircraft fire and missiles. More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. Change). 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. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. When the 3rd Brigade,82 ABD moved from Camp Rodriguez (I Corps) in October 1968 my first base was Tent Citynear Bien Hoa (III Corps) then my unit was moved to Phu Loi. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. Pop, POP POP. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Bob, guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? 1 How many American soldiers died in Vietnam in 1975? 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. Perfect. Most of the time as a grunt without a map. I can somewhat understand your position since you experienced actual combat. We didnt make it on shore very often but I still feel I was in VietNam. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. I am unsure of how many Native peoples joined the US marine corps and volunteered for combat duties. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. 8,113,000 are still alive (May 2000) Post navigation One moment is eternity- the next may never!. With an estimated 6 million Vietnam Veterans currently living in the U.S. or abroad, VA remains dedicated to serving all Veterans of the Vietnam Era., All troops were sent home in April 1973. Our service was diminished while there and continues being disrespected by those who lump all Vietnam-Era vets with those whose lives were on the line. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". I volunteered for 3 TDY tours 18 months total. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . I was also at LZ Bayonet. nearly every classmate from the academy served on some basis during the vn war. Very true One of those is my younger brother. Combat Vets and Non Combat Vets. Lets ask somebody on Facebook where we can get all the correct true data and facts. Vietnam 2/722/73. The number of people who are Vietnam veterans in the first place is a number that is widely debated. We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. I am a solid 10. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? How many ww2 vets left 2021? DamnIll be 76 in March. to 1984 approx. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? 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? Those were the prime draft years, but of course there were a few older guys over there too.This does not include other American men there who are not covered by the A, like civilian contractors. Only military remaining were Marines at the Embassy. To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. You were in Combat!!! 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. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. I was drafted in Sep 1966, went to Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75 until Oct. For US Vietnam Veterans it's about 66 years vs just about 78 years for non vets. How many Vietnam veterans are dying . If you served anywhere at all, anywherre during WWI, you are a WWI vet. 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. Vince. Were you at Saigon firebase when guys set off grenade in APC ? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. 2 tours I volunteered and my 3rd I re-enlisted. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. As a Combat Infantry Veteran those who allow people to assume that they experienced actual combat because they refer to themselves as a Vietnam Vet. Nor, do they know about what is referred to as the last battle of the Vietnam war, which occurred on 15 May 1975, eight days after the legally defined end date of the Vietnam era; 7 May 1975. I served in Quang Tri (70-71) and took two types of Malaria pills. we had a crew of about 42, spent weeks at anchor in vung tau or da nang. 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. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. Thank you. None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. Perhaps, another RPG impacted and careened us sideways knocking me unconscious. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. I believe we were all there doing our duty and deserve to be called a Vietnam Veteran. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. As the Department of Veterans Affairs studies, each day over 20 veterans take their own lives. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. 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. BTW, Why would this conservative believe anything the New York Times says anyway! 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. 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. no problem with the spell checking. Did your foot ever touch the ground? However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. I was confused. They wore the Vietnam Service Medal. (There are other locations and occupations also, but lets not muddy the waters in this paragraph.) That means bullets where flying at me and I killed people in combat. There are no foolproof questions. Born: 08/27/1943. of the 1st cav div. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I was with 4th Med Bn. (Operation Ranch Hand) that were loaders and used no protection. 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. if you read up on it you will see that ww2 merchant sailors were despised as cowards. I know . To that we can add those who served in adjacent waters and countries, but 2.6 is likely the closest figure to those in country. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. @Dea KellyWere you on the ground when this happened? VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. I served a second tour and know quite a few Marines that did also. It seems to be all about syntax. I spent 3 separate tours in Vietnam. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how 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. Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. I could type and did all the reports. CIB. Kenneth, your definition of combat veteran is so wrong on so many levels that it would be funny if it did not besmirch the service of so many good men, alive and dead. I know the difference, do you ? 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. Then I down shifted entered the worst section of massive ruts and the broken-up roadbed threw the truck all about its grooves. 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. next with 1st of 12th cav. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. Are these all American vets. . The thing is the question/topic here is not how many Vietnam combat veterans are there, or how many Vietnam Era veterans are there; its how many Vietnam veterans are there. Or did you spend 24/7 365 days in the boat? I did a short extra tour with the 97th Trans in Cam Rahn Bay, they had 30 or so LCUs that hauled artillery projectiles and other stuff including fuel up many of those rivers. Awakening, I was the only person there, so the enemy was concentrated on me. BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. I read a statistic somewhere that one in seven where in actual combat. Peter my husband is now deceased but he was a door gunner with the 191 st AHC Bounty Hunters (gunships), Very good. Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. Wiki User. Good disxussiin. The military stopped the. If you have any doubts, take a closer look at your DD-214. I pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. I concur with the 610,000 as the 850,000 remaining vets have been used for years and would be much lower by now. I also had assisted the FAA in 3 fatal Aircraft accidents. 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. Our medic gave them out every Monday. i have read that only one in seven guys that went to Vietnam, were actually in combat. Me? Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. 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. We need a better more definitive for VIETNAM Vet. My mom had all three sons in the war my twin brother and i were drafted he got combat I got artillery the younger one joined the air force . scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. My government murdered me. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. Age: 77. I needed the rest! I do not doubt that it occurred, but can anyone cite a reliable source for this? Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. so the cia men who changed from suits were not vietnam veterams when they went into laos and cambodia? I have been working with Dr. Mary Lynn Reed, Chair of Math and Statistics at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology). Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. Excellent questions. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. In the highlands we had to take one every day in addition to the once a week pill. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. Ive never seen so many people so full of shit trying to answer a question like how many Vietnam veterans are still alive today. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. a clerk typist got benefits. Once I was threatened with death if I mentioned NAM again. While every GI serving around the world was important to securing our Cold War victory over Communism just as the Vietnam conflict was also, those who served in uniform in the SEA War Theater are the true veterans of the Vietnam War. According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. Tell it like it is. (LogOut/ https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm 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. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 11B20 and proud of it. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. waited and waited for our slot in port. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? These numbers do not include the Americans who served in Vietnam during World War II. It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. Another 2,000,000 were in country but worked supply or support [based on 10% rule]. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. I served in 67 69 & had stroke in 93 then heart attack in 2002 with 2d in 2004 .