OH, SHIT- I heard the impact of the Rocket Propelled grenade (RPG) to my left; `this is it, I yelled! 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. I was there in 69-71 also sprayed Im 74, inlisted 1968 spent 2 tours in Vietnam Im now 73, Comments left by my fellow Vietnam vets are very useful. That was our regimen along the Cambodian border, too. However, he did not return to the United States until March 22, 1979. Les, in IMHO being a Vietnam Veteran has nothing to do with combat. 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! I knew what my death would mean to my mother, my father, and the rest of my family and friends. i TO AM A VEITNAM VET. guy next to me was shoot dead I think that counts. It served my pain well as a lifeless, mean spirited dark soul destroying everything in front of me. Agent Orange is a Herdicide. NOTE: in 2010 Census 13.2 Million claimed to be Vietnam Veterans. my larger point is that , in my opinion, they were veterans. Though Thailand was not designated a combat zone. I had several Canadians in our Company in Vietnam. I had a Swedish citizen in AIT, with orders to go to Vietnam. Depends on where you were. I Never got to Korea but I have friends who got a medal for service in Korea. How many Vietnam veterans are dying everyday? In the article, the writer quotes Patrick S. Brady of Vietnam Veterans of Americas magazine. Our med company was on 6 different LZs during the year I was with them, supporting the 3rd Bde 4th ID. 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. When I opened my mouth and started talking about Nam, Id get this response, We dont talk about Nam .In my opinion we should tell everyone about our combat experience. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? But often, it does. Even if his job depended on them doing theirs well. . Bill, He received every military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Last one left was about 15 to 20 years ago. Although my time had come, my death brought a realization that, I WOULD NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO DYE IN THAT JUNGLE. I discovered a conviction, antithesis to my beliefs, that it was not the North Vietnamese Army that sealed my fate, nor the soldier that touched off the RPG that distorted my body; I had the power from GOD to go to the next phase in my journey. 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. My mom had all three sons in the war my twin brother and i were drafted he got combat I got artillery the younger one joined the air force . Ive also created a poll to help identify my website audience before leaving, can you please click HERE and choose the one item that best describes you. Your numbers are way off on the number of Air Force personnel serving in Thailand during the Vietnam war. Number who served in country and number who served DURING the Vietnam War regardless of where they were deployed. 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. 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. The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died 5 May 2011, aged 110. Only believing what Fox & Friends has to say is really what you need to question Most things in the NYT does get critical peer review and push back when questionable Fox NOT SO, look at the crap coming out of Tucker Carlson, now that is scary extreme BS, The picture tells far more than a Thousand Words, it is that thousand yard stare, and any veteran who was out there can fill in the blanks of what they were thinking at that moment Offshore ocean sailing is a lot like being out trucking thru the jungle Minutes , hours day upon day of monotony and boredom, interrupted by moments of fright & terror I know that thousand yard stare, and many a time since I have found myself back there in my mind, staring at whatever and seeing nothing but what was in my mind. What report or reference confirms it? Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska. Around 2.7 million troops were stationed in Vietnam either on land, within its airspace, or in its waters. If we arent able to > determine WHO is a Vietnam Vet, then how can one determine how many of us > are still alive today? This accurate accounting gives us persepective on the cost of current and future wars. I was thinking that in 10 days I would be on R&R in Taipei, Formosa. We may never know who actually served and were in country during the fight. These numbers are probably as good as any well ever find and are from 2019 and 2021 respectively. Its been over 50 years and its time Vietnam Vets stop arching among themselves. Interestingly, the research concludes that Vietnam veterans seem to be dying at a similar rate to World War II veterans. Even more telling is how many Vietnam combat veterans are still alive today? 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. Last troops departed on 29 March, 1973. Waiting for a slight pause in the clamor in my ear, I decided to escape towards the cover of the Bush. Ah. 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. Do not consider yourself a 10, unless you are a 10. but i was happy to serve. Systematically, a surveyor from the Plei Do Lim (PDL) flash Out Post (OP) had too physically exchanged the old for the new code-book and radio frequencies for the facility. Who really cares who stepped foot on land. We all served the same, but different. In January 1945, the Bn was attached to the 3d Infantry Division near the Colmar Pocket, south of The Bulge. The exact percentage of surviving Vietnam War veterans is not known, but it is estimated to be around 25% of the total number of veterans who served during the war. just an aside.I was at dinner the other night with my wife and at the next table was an honest Veteran. I was drafted and sent to Germany 66-68 because of the Vietnam War in the 4Armored Division. One moment is eternity- the next may never!. 4 Carl Dodd Former Police Officer Author has 18.5K answers and 25.3M answer views 10 mo I could type and did all the reports. Bless you and your family Those of us who live day to day with that medical time bomb know the pain you suffered before he passed, and the endless pain of loss ever after. How many Vietnam vets have died from Agent Orange? Some idiot in DC decided to do this. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. give me a date between June 25, 1968 thru June 25 1969 and I can tell you where I was in country. after spending 1968 with 3/25 0f 2nd field forces and 1970 with the 1/12 cav. many US MILITARY PERSONNELL served in Afghanistan from the start to when the last GI got on the last plane/helicopter out. The wheels were bouncing crazily as the tires encounter deep furrows dug in the hard dirt from the last monsoon. Tom Selleck. The truth is that until Vietnam veterans can agree amongst themselves what constitutes a real Vietnam vet, the debate may continue. Clearly, the New York Times is referring to Vietnam-era veterans, not Vietnam veterans. Their names are at least on the wall thanks to the efforts of many service organizations and Congress. Check out this post and see if you can figure this > out. Christmas Night, Midnight, a guy in the next Bunker committed suicide. I believe you mean the malaria pill was once a week. Still, other sources like the New York Times claim the number of Vietnam veterans is actually somewhere around 9.2 million. My spirit was above my body and I was looking down at myself bouncing around in the drivers side. What that included Im not sure today but understood it to be in naval & in country. maybe, maybe not. To my understanding, Army aviation unitsAssault Companies, Cav Troops, ARA units etc., had the highest casualty rates of any TO & E unit in Vietnam. The debate depends on only two numbers. it was printed in the ny times and cherries writer. 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 !!!!! What do you think? ho, i could not . Hazardous duty pay was $65 and overseas pay varied by rank $8 to $ 16. Scavenger said you had to be fired on in viet nam to be a veteran. It was difficult for me to move. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in US history and, for that reason, its unclear how many people actually served during this struggle. Every veteran has his/her duty station recorded on the individual DD214 or 201 personal military forms. Check out this post and see if you can figure this out. The fear returned, as I knew he was of small stature. C 3/17 Air Cav. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. 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. I arrived in country Dec. 5, 1967. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In 2019, the most . When we DEROSed we were given 6-8 pills to continue taking them every week. 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. 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! We had a lot of support vets near Saigon. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Therefore there are a lot fewer combat veterans from Vietnam. Spot on. It caused extreme political unrest and was widely protested. As Ive mentioned before, I dont think posing this question was intended to be divisive among veterans, but it has turned out to be. Far as Im concerned, they are all Vietnam Vets and this devisiness should STOP! 610,000 figure is more accurate., NYT was referring to VN Era Veterans. Return to reality. 3rd Brigade 4th ID attached to the 25th ID 111.40 & 112.40 later these became 11B.40 & 11C.40. Not sure what to think about the article. Each BUFF had 6 crewmen onboard. Fact: Everyone who served during the Vietnam War are classified as Vietnam Era Vets. 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. (How Convenient), Hi. I went on about 500 missions. NO REAL VET FAILS TO REMEMBER HIS MOS. My mos was 11B and the army in its great wisdom sent me to an aviation unit in the Mekong delta. How Many Vietnam Veterans Are Still Alive In 2022? The military stopped the. This cookie is used by the website's WordPress theme. It's estimated that tens of thousands of veterans have returned to Vietnam since the 1990s, mostly for short visits to the places where they once served. Vietnam was very different, it was not supported by our Nation, the draft of so many young men to fight in a country that few could ever find on a map, let alone now anything about. Having served two tours on the ground, as they say, I find it depressing. Does anyone else remember ? BTW, Marys father was a Marine in Nam and died when she was only a few years old. Where do they thinly get Ella enemys came from? I dont see how there can be any dispute about this. Every grunt I know would say no. Those of us who wear air crew wings probably saved your ass more than once. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 15 of us REMFs were surrounded by the 33rd NVA June 13 1970. Had an easy tour given what i was trained for before I got there. 58,184 died in the combat zone or from combat wounds. How many Vietnam veterans died from Agent Orange? 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. I knew what life in-store for me in my recovery had- years of pain and disabilities while I waited for my next adventure. I am unsure of how many Native peoples joined the US marine corps and volunteered for combat duties. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? remember) there will likely be a debate as to how The first advisors were sent in country much earlier than 1962. You can sleep in it. We who were in Vietnam know who we are and dont need anyone telling us what they think. I did work with Korean Troops. 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. https://www.americanwarlibrary.com/personnel/vietvet.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. I know . But serving in any capacity in Vietnam makes that service person a War vet. 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. The funny thing,(not so funny) is that when we carried peaches and beer, no problem. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan. 109, 000 died in the service during this period. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? Now 69 years/old. 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. 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. Things that they did not tell you. I served 2 tours late 1966 to late July 1968, TET and the rest as an infantry platoon sgt Also served in Korea 1963 and considered a Korean war vet as that war has never ended. scipione@geneseo.edu, Yes a Vietnam Veteran, but not a Combat Veteran. Just because some idiot politician or people want to say you were not a war vet unless you saw combat dont feel bad most of those people found ways to evade even getting drafted. I knew place names like War Zone C, Filijo (rubber Plantation), Iron triangle, Bo Lo woods?, I was wounded on the Laos border near a fire base with the 101st. Same aircraft were used and were not cleaned before spraying anything else. To not count us is disrespecting us who also answered the call. as we end our lives we should never forget that each served, in some way. to Ken Drombosky i am not better, but i am not worse. earned their stripe. Are these all American vets. How many Korean War veterans are still alive? I found out from a vet in 2017, filed in 2018. His wife and family should be very proud of him. Steve These Veterans are now in or about to reach . am i two Vietnam veterans or one. But that number will probably go down by at least 50,000 to 75,000 per year.