Presently, I approached the road to the top of PDL hill, and I was thinking what a beautiful day this would have been if this were some other place in some other world. Bob Kerrey. It allows the website owner to implement or change the website's content in real-time. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. I served as a Navy Corpsman, Fall of Saigon. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. . I WOULD SURVIVE! Im proud to be a surviving vet and the men who served with me then and those after me. The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today with life expectances estimated at 86 years old (for normal people). I think 9+ million total in US military service during the peak years of the Vietnam War and 2.6 2.7 million in Nam and its waters and air space is right. How Many World War 2 Veterans Die Each Day? My body was throne backwards into the seat and rebounded forwards; bent over at a 90-degree angle from my waist. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. 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. I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. Agent Orange is a Herdicide. It was what it was. I would not believe the NYT. 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 VA conducts the largest national analysis of Veteran suicide rates each year. Born: 01/29/1945. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? 2010-11-24 14:32:32. My husband was also a door gunner (191st AHC gunship) but he was there later than you (70-71). If you are diagnosed with a condition that they know is caused by exposure to the chemical, they will presume that condition is service-connected. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. all of the participants in this thread are veterans. 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. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 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. I concur with the 610,000 as the 850,000 remaining vets have been used for years and would be much lower by now. Also, some do not consider those who served in Thailand as Vietnam Vets. 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. i thank every soldier for their service, i do not exaggerate my actions. 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. None of us could have done our job without the support of troops around the globe. ahead of me in the next row was a man conversing with another man about two rows ahead of him. It would cause great pain to them; reminiscent of what occurred to the family of my namesake, my first cousin Dante Michael Puccetti. 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. Yes. The first US advisors that I can find evidence of arrived in country in 1955. Dear Mr. Hutson Jr A few times Id meet a group of guys claiming they were all Nam Vets. 8,113,000 are still alive (May 2000) Post navigation it is branded on you. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. We were sitting ducks to support our artillery & infantry troops, so talk your trash! 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. Tom, to me, the CIB says everything; the wearer is a soldier who has earned the right to it and deserves respect. YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. 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. Then we went back to the Boonies. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. Based on data through September 30, 2020, VetPop2020 provides a projection of the Veteran population at each fiscal year end from 2020 to 2050. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. 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. 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. makes no diff, if you were a grunt or cook. Wiki User. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. I was only there 9-months but others served multiple tours, so I tend to believe the 2.7 3.0 million is probably an accurate number. 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. Nebraska Farm Boy, that had to go to County Agent Classes before buying any chemicals. Yep feet never left the ground except to do my mos. I understand that they only got about 300,000 of us, but that is a huge, decent number, considering how cynical we Nam vets can be about studies. Last I heard the database indicated that the Median Age of Death of Nam vets was reached at least three or four years ago. Just a minor clarification, not all of us were on the groundJust being picky. wounded evaced) then Am 3/21 196th LIB. Hunter killer division. Alice, my sister lost hers in Oct 2020 from throat cancer due to agent Orange. The funny thing,(not so funny) is that when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. 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. As a retired Green Beret, his assessment and stats of the war are accurate. no disrespect here. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. was i a veteran by the numbers? C 3/17 Air Cav. Editorial comment by website administrator: Personally, Im going with the 610,000 estimate of 2 yrs. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. All I know is that Im a Vietnam Combat Vet. How many ww2 vets left 2021? That was our regimen along the Cambodian border, too. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. What is left of them is in Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, and they still smell today. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . Melathion was 96% pure. we had a building where the company stored our property. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. 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. Every grunt I know would say no. I have lived with the 2.7 million number having served in Vietnam all along and believe the Times estimate refers to Era vets having served around the world during those war years. We certainly were in close combat often during my tour in 69-70. ho, i could not . https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Should you have a question or comment about this article, then scroll down to the comment section below to leave your response. 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. Anyone who says you guys werent there will have to fight me. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. To say that the Air Force in Thailand and Guam was too far away to be in harms way shows you have no idea what Navy and Air Force aircrews do. In my Book if you didnt step foot in Nam Your sure not a Vietnam Vet, Period. But the bad news is that Charlie knew exactly where they were . I always felt this was the maximal danger of the trip. AFAIC, anyone within the bounds of South Vietnam was on the ground. In or out of a compound or an LZ or anywhere else. What Major Is Kent State University Known For? When he first got out we roomed together, and I came home from school one day s clss was canceled. i served and i was affected like nearly every other person who spent time there. Bien Hoa & Phu Bai, two badly polluted areas! and i remember that we talked about how much we would make if we lost a finger or an arm. I read a statistic somewhere that one in seven where in actual combat. as soon as it was ammo or arms, we were machine gunned where ever we went. The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. 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. Where is this one in twelve figure from? Tom Selleck. According to Department of Veterans Affairs' projections, Vietnam Veteran deaths will hit 103,890 this year, about 285 a day. 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 !!!!! Some idiot in DC decided to do this. Check your POW list. A veteran who served in the Vietnam War would be in their early 70s to late 90s today, depending on their birth year. It does not store any personal data. Sgt. I know . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. the draft board made that very clear. Here are two additional sources of information (added 9-3-2022) updated in 2021: https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htmhttps://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. I was on a boat floating up and down rivers for 19 months. I was in Nam in 1968 and 1969 as a combat Marine. remember) there will likely be a debate as to how You go, brother! The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. We all had a job to do. https://news.va.gov/89450/vietnam-war-veterans-honoring-served-memorial-day-2021/. The wheels were bouncing crazily as the tires encounter deep furrows dug in the hard dirt from the last monsoon. ONLY Vietnam Vets are separated into two categories. Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. Lol. The average ww ii vet was in combat 10 to 12 days. i am not saying i was a hero, but i am saying that i did the job and i did not argue. The stroke wasnt assumed until after 2000 & heart not until 2010. I think by now weve pretty much said all that can be said about this question. 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. The oldest living Vietnam War veteran is believed to be a man named Larrivee Ronald A , who was born in Feb, 24, 1935. BAM! I remember that the minute we came around the coast and headed up for Vung Tau, as merchantmen on American Export LInes ships, we got a sizeable war zone increase in our pay. I certainly dont agree on the 9 million in country. 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. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam War and its Warriors, then subscribe to this blog and get notified by email or your feed reader every time a new story, picture, video or changes occur on this website the button is located at the top right of this page. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. Canandaigua, NY I was drafted in Sep 1966, went to Vietnam Aug 67-Aug 68, and Im 75 until Oct. Oliver Stone. We dont forget, and resent the tail gating by those who, during the war, did all they could to avoid it, and now desperately hope others will conveniently forget this fact, and give them some of the respect they never earned. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? 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. I was a REMF but was on my 4th pair of boots. Thank you for being there to help us when called. Can You Join the Military With Depression? My number one issue is running into a FAKE. We are not ashamed of our service or the fact we killed and had friends die, far more than we care to remember. i said once if you walked , you worked. The debate depends on only two numbers. It only had the National Defense ribbon on the cap. **********************************************************. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. Vietnam Veterans are dieing faster than World War Two veterans do to Agent Orange contamination . stay safe. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? I was searching aria, even though these ruts are a real bitch! I was jostled and jerked by the truck over the dusty road. Who is the oldest living Vietnam veteran? Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. Somewhat confusing. More than 300,000 Veterans were wounded during the Vietnam War. 1 in 14 men pulled a trigger in Nam. Frantically searching to find that one resource in my spirit to survive. I PULL GUARD DUTY THE FIRST NIGHT ANY ONE EVERY STAYED THERE. 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. We grunts do hold chopper crews in the highest regard! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. Agent Orange is impacting that timeline and those serving around the world were not affected by this wonderous life-robbing gift. How Many B 52S Were Shot Down During The Vietnam War? VA's Veteran Population Projection Model estimates that there are approximately 6.1 million living Vietnam War-era Veterans, as of 2021. as we end our lives we should never forget that each served, in some way. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. 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! Mean 69 maybe? On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 4:22 PM CherriesWriter Vietnam War website wrote: > pdoggbiker posted: This is a controversial post. Good for him! Each averaged 2500-3000 personnel on a yearly rotating bases, groaning and shrinking based on the missions being conducted. I only spent one overnighter. Please do your own due diligence on the American War Library before citing them on ANYTHING, ever. I to served two tours 67-68 and 69-70,first with 1st of 8th cav. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. I remember a distorted image of reality. Thats sad and should stop. 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. I was a merchant marine officer on cargo ships, american export lines, for three years, back and forth to viet nam. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. In the highlands we had to take one every day in addition to the once a week pill. Everyone knows this. 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). Infantry Division. The 30 September 2007 Veterans Administration estimate places the daily deaths of WWII US veterans at 1,000 per day. 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 would like to confuse the issue a bit more.