Then upon returning I would be stationed in Camp Enari, away from most of the intense fighting, and protected by the whole 4th. 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. We dont respect the combat Vets and they shouldnt disrespect us. i was a merchant marine officer, technically a civilian. Does Ohio State University Allow Pets In Dorms? I appreciate all the support there and around the world but Vietnam area at Fort Whatever Ohio wasnt Vietnam and no matter how brave the girls in Germany told you you were you were not a Vietnam Vet. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Tough and crazy. It has a life of its own. Why cant you be just a proud Veteran. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. How about disabled numbers? He was shot nine times, while I received the tenth bullet from the ten holes in the windshield. But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. if you read up on it you will see that ww2 merchant sailors were despised as cowards. 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. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. 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! 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. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. Are these all American vets. Phill Coleman, who surfaced in the very early days of the Internet, and has been profiting from veterans (first Vietnam, now all) for years. That's 390 per day. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? No, Wildaboro was gone, and AK-47s and B-40 rockets were sapper armaments Later, I read in a letter that Sp.4 Donnon F. Porier grabbed the M-60 machinegun, risking his life, and ran down the hillside rushing to the ambush site. I spent 3 separate tours in Vietnam. (Mar 1969-Sep 70) 2/23, 196 LIB & 1/23 MP Co, 11 LIB, AMERICAL DIV. At what rate are Vietnam veterans dying? - Answers We were sprayed every 2 weeks with Melithon (Insecticide) that was 96 percent pure. Great article! How many Nam Vets die per day is what??? - Leatherneck.com I agree with the conclusion taken by the Website Admin. Since Sept. 11, 2001, just over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide four times more than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Somewhat confusing. What is the average age of Vietnam veteran in 2021? 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. One of the things that really bothers me is the statement that we lost in Vietnam? Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. So do Vietnam Veterans have twenty-three more years or only ten until the last man falls? . I was a grunt and shotgunner on convoys !!! Heres my article about Canadians who fought in Vietnam: https://cherrieswriter.com/2015/11/13/lost-to-history-the-canadians-who-fought-in-vietnam/. Quite a story. 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. April 1st was my day to rejoin 4th. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Defining Combat Veterans, tell us what number you give yourself, we have a controversy here with a candidate for Governor, he claims now that he is a combat veteran, but he told me in his campaign for the House seat he presently holds, that he was NOT a combat veteran. i said once if you walked , you worked. We all figured it was a Combat death. The last three I knew had lost a lot of weight, two had each lost a lung. 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 spent sometimes a month or more in one port depending on the cargo and the need. Im sorry I did. Vietnam era vets are not the same as Vietnam vets, but they are important. was i a veteran? for most of it i listened but not wanting to interfere. 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. Yes, there are fuckyou lizards. Just come up with two lists and leave it at that. 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. I signed up for it in 2018 at the VA Hospital in Buffalo. My time stands still. the man ahead of me had been in rome for a religious tour. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. We did a lot of Ranch Hand missions in the iron Triangle. 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. (LogOut/ Does having your ramp down and touching a river bank count as boots on ground while we were not allowed to go off the boat when we were pumping gas to the airbase? I flew several hundred sorties in a gunship. I concur with the 610,000 as the 850,000 remaining vets have been used for years and would be much lower by now. With the Americal after I got back I had maps. 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. Vietnam IS a Vietnam veteran. While there troops from our unit were deployed to Vietnam as replacements yet some people dont consider us as support for troops in Vietnam. I got in about 20 firefights. Got the scars to prove it too, both physical and mental. The article states that The youngest Vietnam Veteran is aged in the late 60s today. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. I was shot up more than a dozen times and shot down once. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? Agreed. Alternatively, to transfigure my destiny. It seems like you are looking at a very narrow view of the division of experiences of those who served in Vietnam. Just like ALL Vets who served DURING WWII are classified as WWll Vets regardless of where they served. So, where is the discrepancy in these numbers? Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. The difference David, is that you could quit at any moment, most Veterans who served in Vietnam did not have that choice. 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. Was I counted each time or once? My son, James, is 16 and has autism. as far as who is a vietnam vet is simple. Then there was peace. Our Honor and Integrity are important to each of us. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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! He was killed in action just a few months later. Good for him! I was there in 1969. Having spent a year all over Thailand in support of Communist Suppression Operations Center along the Laotian border, and training Thai infantry to deploy in RVN. 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. Phu Loi Nov 66 to Dec 67 HHD 11th Cbt Avn Bn. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. Base was 1st MAW Danang AB which got hit early Tet with rockets, mortars and sappers. I give a silent prayer of thanks for all of you, every time I hear a chopper going by, even now. Trying to understand: Does being shot at outside the wire while moving to new location count? I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. And your comment about Agent Orange shows that you have no understanding of how the chemical poisoned everyone who set foot in Vietnam. I didnt know that. Help train personnel from many different Companies to do the same. According to the Department of Defense, infantry soldiers had the highest casualties during the Vietnam War, making infantry the deadliest job in Vietnam. This trip always was a concern, because I would be in a vulnerable condition in Indian Country with only two surveyors alone in a ton jeep. Army personnel were awarded VN Service Medals and and Vietnam Campaign Medals. The remaining 6.5 million were serving either at-home or abroad but not in Vietnam. but i was happy to serve. Not affiliated with any government agencies.All Rights Reserved. How Many Ww2 Veterans Die Each Day? - Thelma Thinks How many Vietnam vets are still alive today? Mekong Delta US Army 1969. I have read that One in Seven that went to Vietnam were in actual combat CIB. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. question. Jul 1971-19 Dec 1971) 29th CA Co, XXIV Corps (Danang). Well again, nothing that you have posted tells the story that you were in Vietnam. The VVA Veteran boils it down to a totally different conclusion that the American War Library drew. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? I could never guess the number of actual Vietnam Vets there are, nor the % still alive. It was all about teamwork, whether you pulled the trigger or not. I remember a distorted image of reality. 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. Almost 1500 died their last day. 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. If he was at least in the Army, this might not work. The youngest Vietnam War veteran was a 15-year-old child named Dan Bullock. one yearA tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year. Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on 25 July 2009, aged 111. maybe, maybe not. Active duty 70-71, Quang Tri, Khe Sahn, Danny. One count should be those Vietnam Veterans who had feet on the ground. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . 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. We did what we felt needed doing. The leading cause of preventable death among US military casualties in the Vietnam War was exsanguination from extremity wounds.