400 hundred days of always being ready to fight and protect our 40 Huey helicopters, flew as door gunner a lot. Cheers, The one question I have is how many in country vets did multiple tours over there. Helicopter Units and losses in the Vietnam War, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo, https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? Everything slowed down, and I was alone, above my body that was thrown into the dashboard hitting with my left side. Age: 78. However, typically, the number of World War 2 veterans who die each day is approximately 100. 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. How many WWII veterans die each day? He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. There was a huge difference between the merchant ships i sailed on, no passengers, and vessels like usns geiger. Every grunt I know would say no. no disrespect here. And just as the bell rang he got out of the ring , technically I won the fight. 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. The third cancer was the charm as it was declared Presumptively caused by Agent Orange in 2021. 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. I knew that I was gravely wounded, and bullets were kicking up dust clouds as they were landing around my feet. 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. My sister found enough info to get her husbands ship re-classified to a Brown Water ship due to his operation of a river boat and also medical evac of Marines, while he was assigned to the flagship, the Newport News, Prior to that any sailor who served aboard the Newport News, that applied for disability connected with Agent Orange, was denied. I submit, we should use the same standard for Vietnam. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. My husband was awarded several (door gunner w/191st AHC Bounty Hunters). At 73 years, I plan on beating that date. 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. I managed to stand again, stepped, and hurled myself into the jungle. the draft board made that very clear. It is estimated that there are around 610,000 surviving Vietnam War veterans as of 2023. 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 Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? Age: 75. 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. All five of the CIDGs we dropped off that morning filed into the back of the truck, but unlike the cab the back had a canvas top and sides. We saved many a guy after you brought him to us from the boonies. 101st Airborne 25th Infantry 82nd Airborne 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. How many soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam? I do not like pretenders but do not want to take on the duty of Valor Police. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Aside from that, I have always doubted any fact stated by the NY Times; although the federal government is no better. I don't know about you guys, but it kind of gives me the chills. He was a Private First Class who was killed in action in the Second World War. Tell it like it is. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. I actually vollenteered to go to NAM. One was daily and the other weekly. I was C 3/17 air cav. You were in Combat!!! I know full well it takes many, many hands to make the infantry function but like you saidclaim your time. The roar was deafening; through the shattered windshield, I saw the truck go out of control. Born in 1953, he joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 15 and was sent to Vietnam where he served as a machine gunner. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). I can smell a fake and phony 10 seconds after we meet !!!!! I was with the 1st Inf Division from July 67 to June 68 and we received $15 overseas pay and $65 combat pay a month. That makes more sense. Some idiot in DC decided to do this. 240 300 World. I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. of the 1st cav div. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. it is pointless to debate whether a supply corporal was a veteran. I rode river patrol boats from 1968-9 we were on the rivers but we were there 24hours a day days a week. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. Most of the time as a grunt without a map. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. 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. In WWII and the Korean War, anyone who served in the military was considered a veteran of that war. 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. Somewhat confusing. Currently, it is estimated with data provided by the United States Census Bureau, that there about 100,000 Oregon Vietnam era veterans alive today. Still, the American War Library continues to verify their accounts and come to more concrete conclusions. His Engineer company was tasked to fight as Infantry, and they did. There was a huge difference between tours of duty also. 101st Airborne Division 69-70 Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. Enlisted 7/70. Anyone who served during or because of The Vietnam War IS a Vietnam War Veteran. Thousands of sorties departed from Thailand, Guam, and from aircraft carriers at sea to kill MIGS, bomb factories and bridges, and generally create havoc. Born: 01/29/1945. 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. 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. While I honor those who served worldwide, it comes across as yet another slap in the face to those of us who faced enemy fire. A lot of guys broke out with rashes every time that sprayed for mosquitos, using Melithon, which was every 2 weeks over all Base Camps. Deaths per day . In 2019, the most . I think I know the answer but like youjust being picky. DamnIll be 76 in March. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. We havent forgotten that time of our lives, and remember full well, that most of these ERA Vets joined these other branches in a desperate attempt to avoid service in Vietnam. A Co. 2/8th, First Cavalry, 1968-69. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. 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. And a number of Navy in ships, bombing communist. SP5 Mark Kuzinski 86.6K 296 151 53 53 0 Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. My demons were better left alone and buried away after two tours back to back. Combat Vet, Vet on ships that never touched country, military who were passing through and were on airport tarmac? He was drafted and qualified for Helicopter pilot school. The number of Viet Nam veterans, those who served in combat and combat related services (such those flyboys from outside the territory/waters of Viet Nam is about 2.7 million. Im proud to be a surviving vet and the men who served with me then and those after me. 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. Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. This is a suicide rate of 1 EVERY 65-80 minutes (APPROX). I turned left into the open valley dirt road that lead to the OP, crossed the blue line (river or stream on a map) and raced through the dense, triple canopy jungle to the open valley floor. Very true One of those is my younger brother. My son, James, is 16 and has autism. Vietnam 2/722/73. ho, i could not . I knew I was dying, but I struggled with all my might to stay alive. There is a statistic that has been widely quoted in the veteran community that highlights an estimated 22 veterans a day are committing suicide. Special Forces orderly room to picked-up theyre new frequencies. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. The now call them Vietnam era veterans. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. Merchant Marine officers or crew are not wearing the uniform of the USAs Armed Forces. Spot on. You would think the services would know how many were assigned to RVN and direct support of RVN, wouldnt you?? According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. What numbers do the VA have? While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. Exiting the jungle, still at the foot of the mountain opposite from my defenses; the mountains bulk acted as a radio barrier between help from S3 at Enari or the SFs at the Ville. 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 You can sleep in it. How many Vietnamese citizens died in the Vietnam War?