Lost my Vet to Leukemia just after this count was done. i would like to confuse the issue a bit more. to 1984 approx. 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. Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? 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. Was in 82nd and served from a firebase up North to near South China Sea down South, remember some names but 53 years. Dave, 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. My name is Ananda. 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. Estimating the number of suicides among Vietnam veterans Unconfirmed reports that 50,000 or more Vietnam veterans have committed suicide give the impression that these veterans are at exceedingly high risk of suicide compared with other veterans and nonveterans of the same age. The last number of Viet Nam veterans alive today was 730,000, which would equate to around todays number of 610,000. Div., 67-68. Bob Kerrey. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. I was C 3/17 Air Cav. 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. The NOISE ringing in my ears, the torment, the muggy damn heat, and the distance echo of gunfire ALL STOPPED! But if the 800,000 number is right then it has to be out of the 9,000,000 and not out of the 2.6 million. I was in 1st Battalion 26 th Infantry HMP 1st Infantry Division in 68 November 68 to January 69. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. I served in an artillery unit. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? There were approx. One was daily and the other weekly. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! If you fired a weapon in defense, outside the wire,, and your boots were on the ground in VN you are a COMBAT vet. the average combat vet in Nam was 240 days. All the others are Vietnam ERA Vets. Canandaigua, NY On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . As a child I knew several WWII veterans. I had encountered a learning experience, and inspirational contact with the celestial. Spent a year in training and ended up a buck Sargent airborne ranger. Other than guard duty i was not in combat but the perimeter at Long Binh was regular defoliated and we experienced rocket and mortar attacks. I 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! Some, like myself did not serve a full 12month tour. We who were in Vietnam know who we are and dont need anyone telling us what they think. Of the 2.7 million men and women who served in land forces in Vietnam, only about 600,000 are still alive. Our side would have collapsed without you. Damn it, government could have sent anyone serving at any time to 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. for myself, being bored sometimes, and anxious to see and do more, i volunteered and went on a number of supply missions to the fire bases. Overall, the death rate of Vietnam veterans seems to be rather consistent if not better than other people their same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. No one paid any attention to them and this non-controversy continues. 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. NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. In my book, they are all Vietnam Vets, just like the guys back home who never went overseas are WWII or WWI veterans. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. Bob ONeal, Lt.Col. Those experiences vs the ones of the rear echelons are grossly different. Im now 74. Perfect. We hauled cargo to the bases and for a few months I hauled hitest gas to the airbase at DongHa. when we carried ordnance we had to accept 50 cal fire from the shore on the way to saigon. References:https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/how-many-vietnam-veterans-are-still-alive.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War, The Armys FY 2023 budget request is ~$177.5 Billion. I was the first male born to the Puccetti family after his death, so my parents received permission to name their son after Dante. Vince. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 4:22 PM CherriesWriter Vietnam War website wrote: > pdoggbiker posted: This is a controversial post. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. from Fallen Leaves, Broken Lives By Edward Tick 101st Airborne 25th Infantry 82nd Airborne 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Do I count as one or three Vietnam Veterans? Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. Had several replies over the years that this was not a cause. I,m getting older bot I remember combat pay and jump pay were both $55 dollars. 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! Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? After Tet it was quiet. Im a 1967-68 Vietnam combat veteran. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. BTW, Why would this conservative believe anything the New York Times says anyway! **********************************************************. 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. We got a personal visit from 10 Generals (no joke). There were 7000 Canadians that joined the US military to fight in Vietnam. Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. I recall combat pay (Hazard DutyPay) at $60 dollars a month. 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 . My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. 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. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. I have had stage III melanoma, stage III squamous cell throat cancer and now stage II bladder cancer. I did work with Korean Troops. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. The 9 million was the total number of people in the military during 64-75 . but i was happy to serve. So that means probably from 700,000 to 800,000 of us are still alive. Army Reserve: 189,500 Served most of my time on LZ Professional. 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. Avoiding the specifics & particulars is a sign of fraud or a deeply disturbed relationship to their past. 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. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? 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. Sorry for your loss of your loved one. take a look at my article titled a pale smoke google it . Seems there are a lot of phony ones out there trying to scam the system which takes away from the true Vietnam Vets. I do not know how many others served with us. While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. When you spend most of the time out in the Bad Lands, bad things happen. But having said that, here are some sources: . The jungle sat still except for the dirt road with my truck speeding along. 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. no , i could not quit. How old is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? I am a solid 10. The Korean War was not supported by the ENTIRE nation, actually that is why it is known as the Forgotten War. In the enormity of the cosmos, Vietnam is inconsequential, covered over by days dust! These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. USA, (Ret.). In country Vietnam Vets are the only Vietnam Vets. However, according to the Veterans Affairs Administration, there are an estimated 38,000 veterans die each day. he was wearing his VIETNAM ERA VETERAN cover. 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. 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). SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Serving during the TET offensive and time after. 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. I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. Not sure what to think about the article. Oliver Stone. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). The average annual payment was $18,100. Been there, seen it, did it. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. Thats sad and should stop. That was our regimen along the Cambodian border, too. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Im sure that you all know that claiming to be a VFWar when you are not is a federal crime with severe legal penalties. The insistence to include Vietnam-ErA vets with those who served in-country results in a ridiculous skew to any meaningful stats. I bounced all around and slowed almost to a stop, and I downshifted and ground to first gear while checking my watch. I was out of my earthly shell. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. I was there in 1964-1965 then 1967-1968 then my last tour was 1971-1972. RVN. I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. Our 2003 NJAOC Desk Guide to the unique health issue of Nam vets and our children is still the Gold Standard. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. We and they generally slept in the same bunks in the same tent if we werent up on call during the night. We did what we felt needed doing. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. ooops !!!! I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. 23 Div and finally MACV Tm 87, 43 RCAT 18th ARVN Div. What other conclusions have been made about the percentage of Vietnam veterans who are still alive? 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. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. i never saw them again, but i knew we had shared something that was filled with pride, sadness, and the passage of time. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? back and forth to the us, carrying every thing you could imagine. 100,000 or more to suicide and most of those occurred after the men came home. We all bleed red. September 27, 2022 by Editorial Team. 9.2 million served on active duty (5 August 1964 to 7 May 1975) 2,590,000 served in the combat zone. The Vietnam Veterans of America have cited that they will remain an organization until last man standing. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. maybe, maybe not. A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. While that's a staggering figure is, the actual amount could be higher. Enlisted 7/70. He objected, and was assigned as an interpreter attached to the American Embassy in Sweden. We are working on a feature article How Many Of Us Are Still Alive: that will show a complete Actuarial Model that shows the likely number of us still alive (725,000 to 750,000 out of 2.4 million) and the likely progression of our deaths. 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. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. 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.. Vietnam 2/722/73. Please respond! in only 6-10 years.. . Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. There are questions like this that are hard to answere as being true boots on ground. 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. I do not, however, have a CIB. I agree with the rest of your post, and so did the Army. i do not denigrate their service or define them as inferior. He signaled a repeat, and the second rocket impacted on target. 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. 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. I am unsure of how many Native peoples joined the US marine corps and volunteered for combat duties. A veteran of the Vietnam War is a person who PARTICIPATED in the Vietnam War. 8,113,000 are still alive (May 2000) Post navigation I only spent one overnighter. Separate war. They're generally in their 90s and about 245 die each day according to the VA. At 95 Army veteran Lincoln "Linc" Harner still remembers the war. (1st time to operate a river boat 2nd time to evacuate injured Marines. Thank you in advance! The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. Agent Orange is a Herdicide. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. three years on and off in vietnam . Various percentages of actual Vietnam Veterans is bothersome. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. 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. to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. Thank you for being there to help us when called. 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. 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. I was with 4th Med Bn. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! But as to how many of us have died since then, I havent a clue. Nha Trang (TET 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. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). For a mile or so the road cut through the jungle like a tunnel; the vegetation brushing against the sides and roof hid what lurked in the shadows. I got in about 20 firefights. 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! Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. Since you were with an aviation Battalion do you remember our flight pay as Army Aircrew ? The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. I managed to stand again, stepped, and hurled myself into the jungle. I WAS IN THE 85TH ORD COMPANY . Our medic gave them out every Monday. i think the definition should not be restricted by whether you wore khakis or como. 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. Could they be considered Vietnam veterans then? 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. Those an in the Era the we were in Vietnam but they are not Vietnam Vets by any stretch of you imagination. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? 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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . So yes, we did indeed see combatoften. The average number of Vietnam War veterans who die each day is 390 deaths. Later, and Welcome Home to all Vietnam Veterans!!! and i abhor those who say they served when they were plumbers in texas and talk of medals they never earned. I was on the initial invasion into Cambodia, that battle was 15 REMFS against 300 NVA> The next day we went in with the 25th infantry. we had a building where the company stored our property. I knew I had to stand up again, even though I made a better target; my staying in the open road would be a death sentence. a few years ago i was flying from rome to possibly germany or holland on the way back to montreal. I could type and did all the reports. It could be a Yard, Don Porier, or a sapper. I went into shock and lost conscienceless. With the Americal after I got back I had maps. I raised my left leg and body up and pushed off that knee with my left hand. Are we counted as two people or have they accounted for us already. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A, who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. 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. Suddenly, I was in front of the truck near the grill. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. However, any veteran who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, is presumed by the VA to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Regardless of their MOS or the details of their service, veterans have more in common with each other than they have differences, and ALL deserve to be honored. 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. we had a crew of about 42, spent weeks at anchor in vung tau or da nang. I have heard many stories (more in the past 30 years) of people claiming to be a combat veteran, maybe seeking some kind of hero status or valid excuse for why they are where they are. 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. That's 390 per day. we spent sometimes a month or more in one port depending on the cargo and the need. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. I saw the edge of the dirt, the jungle growth, the nearby trees, while I heard the world explode. 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. scipione@geneseo.edu give me a date between June 25, 1968 thru June 25 1969 and I can tell you where I was in country. So, nearly 300,000 over the 14 years of their operations, a far cry above the 2500-3000 referenced in the article. Dave V. 1st Battalion, 14 th FA, Americal Division, VN, I Corps. guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS.