I can tell you that those who served in Thailand should definitely be considered Vietnam Vets. Straining to regain my feet again, I staggered a few strides to my right and throe myself forward, with all I was worth, collapsing finely into the vegetation face up. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War? the draft board made that very clear. 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. There are questions like this that are hard to answere as being true boots on ground. 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. Im glad you made it back! 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. Unless they kept track by service or SSN, how many Vietnam Veterans are there ? in only 6-10 years.. . the merchant marine needed every officer and sailor they could find. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. Very devisive infighting among all the service members who served at a time when it was not popular. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. No reflection on your daily activities, just a friendly piece of information. Our medic gave them out every Monday. Does receiving a few mortar rounds inside the wire of our compound count? Why the Shame? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. How many vietnam veterans are still living. Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Apparently, its been agreed upon that 800,000 Vietnam veterans had passed away by the year 2000. Canandaigua, NY What is the average age of Vietnam veteran in 2021? I know the difference, do you ? Tough and crazy. 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 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 pulled up to the local tailor shop to fix some of my fatigue pants. 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. Veteran Suicide Data and Reporting - Mental Health Served most of my time on LZ Professional. As I started to slowly stagger upright towards the opposite side of the road, trying with all my might to gain my balance, I went down hard. As anti-war vet , all these years later, I respect yall and your stories. How many veterans die each day? - Answers I meant any one that stepped foot in I certainly dont agree on the 9 million in country. That means bullets where flying at me and I killed people in combat. 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. Served until April 28, 1968 !!!!!! As a child I knew several WWII veterans. Finally got all the right stuff together; received benefits couple months ago. We just hoped the pilot put us where we were supposed to be. As soon as I was wounded, I was thrown into a world that I was alone! NO, some who got to sleep in the same bed night after night, yet were low slow flying targets by day are NOT REMF. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. I am a solid 10. (LogOut/ as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. But having said that, here are some sources: Vietnam War Veterans, and honoring all who served: Memorial Day 2021 But having spent a little time thinking about it, I go with the 2m figure. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. Splitting out the numbers of combat and era vets are separate questions. Thank you for taking the time to read this. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. How Many Vietnam Veterans are Alive Today? - CherriesWriter He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. Got home after the war, never spoke about my service, never went hunting again, never cut my feeling back on! Those of us on the battlefield who bled and many died would take issue with your opinion. And, if you think 75% of actual Vietnam Vets (especially after Covid, and more than 50 years of time) are still alive, youre kidding yourself. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. I served in the 101st airborne infantry battalion in 1968, the time of the Tet Offensive. Then later we were transferred to Camp Red Ball. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). 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. Findings are made available to the public in an Annual Report. And a count of military that flew over Nam bombing etc. Please do all you can to inform our fellow vets that the VA presumes Agent Orange exposure if you were in-country. we had a building where the company stored our property. It should be duly noted that these numbers do not include the 2500 to 3000 US Air Force troops stationed in Guam, Thailand, and other countries that were involved in the Vietnam War effort. The group in my AIT Class were all happy about this. The politicians and fake news along with the Berkeley professors lost it for the American people after that. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Combat Veterans know who they are, pretenders know that they are not.. We, the U.S. have lost over 158,000 American lives to the Vietnam war and that count is still rising. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. off the ship i went out with airforce on resupply, went out with troops through rubber plantations, ran from gunfire in saigon and chulon. Thank you for being there to help us when called. We all had a job to do. 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? While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. Whether you were sprayed or not makes no difference, and YOU ARE NOT required to prove anything other than being present in Vietnam. My brother claims he is a Vietnam veteran. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). we got one daily the other one weekly. 2.8 million tour because some guys just couldnt get enough! Where do they thinly get Ella enemys came from? VA released VetPop 2020 which is VA's new official estimate and projection of the Veteran population. Door gunner with the 191st AHC Bounty Hunters. Jorge Otero Barreto. Not 499 days between dec 67 & april 68? it is the duty of the community to stay behind their warriors to heal them and at the back of them when they come back. 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. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? but i was happy to serve. I dont have a CIB to show for it, but I most certainly was in combat. The first impact of a rocket was twenty meters to the left and ten meters behind as the rocket flew over its target. 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. Combat veteran means far more than having a CIB. how would you define a clerk typist who stayed in saigon and never went into the field. Assuming were talking solely about U.S. Vietnam veterans, all I would add is that anyone who served in the military and entered the war zone is technically a Vietnam veteran. 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. Non combat Vets served elsewhere. What percentage of Vietnam vets are still alive? All the others are Vietnam ERA Vets. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. What qualifies you as a viet Nam vet would be if you stepped foot on the soil. (LogOut/ Their is a new book about to be released by Bill Comeau that tells a similar story of the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Duel with the Dragon about the Battle of Soui Tre that I fought in. Motherfucker? There is no definitive answer to this question as it depends on the specific situation and the individual's age, health, and military experience. and for the most part, we had no weapons. The total goes up every day. Change). 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.