what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat

Conscientious objectors accompanied infantry units into combat as medics, ammunition bearers for machine guns, or in other noncombatant roles. 2022, 91% of veterans of actual combat and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are Other items: Only 25 percent of the US Military who served in Vietnam were, The content is correct but the description is not good. It should not matter if you are firing or helping others fire. In spite of the Case - Church Congressional guarantee, the North Vietnamese were very leery of US President Nixon. This article was written by Russell W. Glennt and originally published in the April 2002 issue of Vietnam Magazine. Seventeen year-old James Calvin Ward was one of them. What did the . My friend introduced me to this military-grade bag in one of our camping trips, , When youre planning to camp or hike outdoors, its important that you bring all your survival essentials inside your tactical backpack. K. G. Sears is an AmCham Governor and serves as senior advisor to a variety of international businesses, governmental and other organizations. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. friend and your looking at well in excess of 50,000,000 Americans with a need to rationalize away their draft-dodging cowardice and to, in some way, vilify Vietnam the very source of their shame and guilt. It is also obvious that this increase is being driven by consumer demand. Then again, perhaps it was good judgment on the part of an experienced lieutenant. The American, he concluded, comes from a civilization in which aggression, connected with the taking of life, is prohibited and unacceptable.The fear of aggression has been expressed to him so strongly and absorbed by him so deeply and pervadingly practically with his mothers milk that it is part of the normal mans emotional make-up. Also, of significant importance will be the creation of millions of jobs in Vietnam's manufacturing, service and export sectors. Besides influencing whether and how often a man fired, duty position also greatly affected his chances of coming home alive. Yes! Led mainly, by those prominent media types who made their bones (and in the process garnering fame and fortune to boot) back in the Good old days by reporting bad things about Vietnam. Given a Vietnamese population of approximately 38 million during the period 1954-1975, Vietnamese casualties represent a good 12-13% of the entire population. Les preacute ceacute dentes estimations de source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens. Not surprisingly, American units (and the French before them) suffered their largest numbers of casualties during these late winter and spring months. An amazing 92 percent of U.S. troops wounded on the battlefield will survive their injuries. How to play rising storm 2 vietnam with friends? Should America feel shame? Last man drafted: June 30, 1973. . 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political . In all those years, he never once fought against the Americans. None of these claimants were able to confirm their alleged war history with any military-issued documentation presented by themselves, or found in military archives by The War Library. As an example: By 1971 throughout the entire populous Mekong Delta, the monthly rate of Communist insurgency action dropped to an average of 3 incidents per 100,000 population (Many a US city would envy a crime rate that low). Roger Simpson, 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.. Respected researchers interviewed those who had accompanied him in World War II and also pored over his personal notes during the mid-1980s. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? They are not the soldiers that are facing enemies face-to-face. Americans would die needlessly and wars would be much extended if U.S. troops failed to perform the essential act of firing on the enemy. Copyright 2023 - The Soldiers Project. Xuan Loc was the last major battle for South Vietnam. In at least one instance a man turned to point out an enemy soldier rather than firing as he should have. In the course of that battle, Hitler's General Rommel (The Desert Fox) inflicted 3,100 US casualties, took 3,700 US prisoners and captured or destroyed 198 American tanks. The former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces. 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races. By service period, Post-9/11 veterans were the youngest with a median age of about 37; Vietnam Era veterans had a median age of about 71; and World War II veterans were the oldest with a median age of about 93. The citizens of South Vietnam, no matter how apathetic they may have appeared toward their own government, turned out to be overwhelmingly anti-Communist. Only about 5,000 men assigned to Vietnam deserted and just 249 of those deserted while in Vietnam. Some American soldiers reacted to their situation by lashing out violently against the Vietnamese, while others took out their anger on U.S. military leaders. Former Vietnam Veteran (Medic USAF) (1968-1974) Author has 12.4K answers and 2.4M answer views 2 y It depends on how you define "action." About ten percent of us were grunts (combat infantrymen) out wading through the rice paddies and pounding the bush with a high chance of seeing combat. Military casualties were 1.1 million killed and 600,000 wounded in 21 years of war. US casualty information was derived from the Combat Area Casualty File of 11/93, and The Adjutant General's Center (TAGCEN) file of 1981, available from the National Archives. Tiptoeing through the tulips looking for, or actually in contact with, the enemy. Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War II but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War. One of their own made a rather astute observation to the effect that they all were smitten (to one degree or another) by a sort of hazy Namstalgia and as a result, had no intention of straying far from those comfortable notions that had been the very foundation of their collective writing and reporting successes (interestingly enough the original meaning of the word nostalgia was to express sadness and, While the more ancient of those media icons were drinking and carrying on with one another, their organization's younger blooded staffers were out trying to gather more bad news. On the issue of psychological health: Mental problems attributed to service in Vietnam are referred to as PTSD. Conversely, in 1975 when Soviet armor rolled across the international borders of South Vietnam, the US military response was nothing. Another Aspect - US Military battle deaths by year: Prior to 1966 - 3,078 (Total up through 31 Dec 65), 1968 - 14, 589 (Total while JFK & LBJ were President - 32,053), 1972 - 300 (Total while Nixon was President - 15,316). Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) How many a1 Skyraiders were shot down in Vietnam? During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used more than 19 million The same was true for Veterans who saw combat, compared with those who did not. I threw the water can at the enemy, but the round fell way short.. When was the last person drafted for Vietnam? In a unit with 500 riflemen, some 80 would not engage. We compiled these facts from AP & UPI articles that appeared in the Seattle Times, Seattle P-I and New York Times from 4 April to 8 April of 1975. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. He tells of being drafted into the North Vietnamese Army in 1968 and fighting for nearly seven years. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. They still airlift America's wounded back to the safety of military bases overseas, aiding in the overall survival rate of our wounded warriors. The province that claimed the most Americans killed was Quang Tri, which bordered on both North Vietnam and Laos. Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than, in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea. The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January - 9 July 1968) was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Qung Tr Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War. The American fighting man made sure that these concerns were short-lived. And the fucking flies. Climate was another element that made a given day more or less likely to involve enemy contact. In the Philippines, Army Generals Jonathan Wainwright and Edward King surrendered themselves and their troops to the Japanese. Dec 1974: North Vietnamese invade South Vietnamese Province of Phouc Long located north of Saigon on Cambodian border. The median age of veterans in 2018 was 65. The second largest cohort of A recent study explores how many American soldiers in Vietnam actually fired their weapons at the enemy -- and what factors influenced those numbers. Esmated 6.4M Vietnam Era Veterans. Veterans of the Gulf War share a similar risk, with 12 percent of them developing PTSD, or 660,000 of the 5.5 million American military personnel in that conflict. The BTA is about commerce, contracts and money. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) Did 17 year olds serve in Vietnam? A Pentagon spokesman at the time commented on Capt. I might get pinned down and become simply another rifleman. Today, about 9 percent of veteransor 1.7 million are women. Women make up a growing share of veterans. Approximately 2,594,000 US Servicemen served in country during the Vietnam War. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack. Whether he carried an M-16 or some other weapon, a soldier was fortunate if a rapid reaction drill corrected the problem. Did any American soldiers stay in Vietnam after the war? So, the apex Vietnam-era veteran will be 78.6 around Sep. . 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. He had, in 1972, for the first time in the War, mined Hai Phong Harbor and sent the B-52 bombers against the North to force them into signing the Paris Peace Agreements. There are 5 main branches in the military: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. 79% of the men who served in 'Nam had a high school education or better. An artillery battalion had approximayely 300 men. The US military never sends Active Duty, Reservist or National Guard military personnel to any war zone without officially documenting that service for the obvious reasons of compiling factual death stats or notifying next of kin in the event of injury or death. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? The American War Library (amervets.com) The chances that a man would die during his first three months in Vietnam were virtually equal to those for the last nine months of his tour combined. . Other comparisons are; Malaysia's per capita consumption is nearly 13 times that of Vietnam and even China's consumption is about 5 times that of Vietnam. In 1969 Nixon started troop withdrawals that were essentially complete by late 1971. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Is it cheaper to fly to cambodia or vietnam? He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost. Of the 2.6 million, What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? And in fact fear could also have just the opposite effect, as was the case with a veteran who recalled that he was too damned scared to do anything else than shoot and hope I did not get shot.. Using combat records for the first time, a landmark study in the journal Science comes up with a number lower than the onetime estimate of 30 percent but still significant: close to 20 percent. Because the US Congress had unconditionally guaranteed no military action against North Vietnam, there was no need for them to keep forces in reserve to protect their home bases, flanks or supply lines), and launched a wholly conventional cross-border, frontal-attack. The largest cohort of veterans alive today served during the Vietnam Era (6.4 million), which lasted from 1964 to 1975. During its Normandy battles in 1944 the US 90th Infantry Division, (roughly 15,000+ men) over a six week period, had to replace 150% of its officers and more than 100% of its men. WINNING & LOSING: 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will. Marshall had seemingly found that the Americans hesitation to fire was all but gone. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack. Why did so many not fire? The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, *SOBERING STATISTICS FOR THE VIETNAM WAR* In case you havent been paying 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw combat are proud Jannah is a Clean Responsive WordPress Newspaper, Magazine, News and Blog theme. 23% had fathers with professional, managerial, or technical occupations. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. 6 Did 17 year olds serve in Vietnam? Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) What was the worst battle of Vietnam? By comparison, at the peak of the War there were 545,000 US Military personnel in Vietnam. His unit lost over 80% of its men to battle deaths, desertion and sickness. 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will. Members of one group in particular, however, consistently saw much more action: aviators and their door gunners. Eventually, in a classic example of the military art of Mass and Maneuver the NVA massed 40,000 men and overran Xuan Loc. The answer is simple. The new training was effective, and as a result, 55 percent of the infantrymen in the Korean War fired their weapons, and 90 to 95 percent fired them in Vietnam. Operation Rolling Thunder, a sustained bombing campaign conducted by the United States and the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War, ended in November 1968. SMEs represent the best that market economies have to offer. The fact is that top-notch features are quite expensive, but some of , If you are a man of the outdoors, you know perfectly well how a good-quality headlamp is essential. Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. In Vietnam no US Military units were overrun and no US Military infantry units or tank outfits were captured. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former . 7,874. Yet these respondents noted at the same time that fear was generally a passing condition; a man not engaging on one occasion could be expected to use his weapon later in the same engagement, or during subsequent battles. He didnt respond to the `get down yells by other troops. Another soldier concluded that when someone failed to fire, it was usually during their first firefight experience and was mainly due to fear or the unsure feeling of how to respond. A third admitted that this was undoubtedly the case for at least one rifleman: himself. WW II again. The Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? Contrary to what you see in the movies, the chances of seeing combat in the army are low. Contents1 What percentage of soldiers actually see combat?2 What percentage of soldiers fired their weapons in Vietnam?3 Which branch saw [] In addition, these defense commitments required the annual expenditure of hundreds of billions of US dollars. But what factors influenced how many times a man had the opportunity to engage the enemy during his time in Southeast Asia? 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. During that (6 year, 3+ month) period the 173rd lost 1,601 (roughly 31%) of its men killed in action. 5 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? This same Congress then turned around and abandoned America's former ally, South Vietnam. Who was the first person to die in Vietnam War? Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. The NVA reinforced with their 325th Division and began moving their 10th and 304th Divisions into position. How many soldiers died their first day in Vietnam? Contrast this with the fact that the US government published weekly lists of killed and wounded and disseminated this accurate data to the news media. The amount of combat experience played a dominating role in the likelihood a man survived. In all, China sent 327,000 troops to North Vietnam. Quant aux combats proprement dits, les chiffres sent d'un million cent mille militaires tueacutes et de 600.000 blesseacutes en 21 ans de guerre. Some 97 percent of Vietnam veterans received honorable discharges, exactly the same rate for the military in the 10 years prior to the war. The question seemed inevitable: Had there been a problem with Americans willingness to engage the enemy in World War II? An additional six provinces accounted for another 25 % of the Americans killed in action (KIA). Using combat records for the first time, a landmark study in the journal Science comes up with a number lower than the onetime estimate of 30 percent but still significant: close to 20 percent. 1968 - 1970; Communist insurgency destroyed to the point where over 90% of the towns and villages in South Vietnam were free from Communist domination. a catastrophic 275 mile withdrawal from the Yalu River all the way to Pyontaek, 45 miles south of Seoul. They are largely owner managed, lean and fiercely competitive. Additional information was derived from the sources listed at the end of this document. According to statistics, around 60 million people in the United States suffer from being flat-footed. The average age of the G.I. PLEASE NOTE: The above numbers do not include the approximate 2500-3000 US Air Force personnel who operated in Guam, Thailand or other countries far remote from combat exposure that were authorized the Vietnam Service Medal by the USAF for providing support to air crews flying over Vietnam, but themselves did not spend any amount of time in harm's way. 17 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 1972 in the Vietnam War saw foreign involvement in South Vietnam slowly declining You will not necessarily be seeing combat even if you are an infantry soldier. Check us out! Moore noted that he was tempted by the opportunity to join his riflemen in firing on the enemy during fighting at LZ X-Ray in 1965, but he resisted the temptation. It's out of place in the American psyche, and it continues to fester in much the same way battle wounds fester when shrapnel or other foreign matter is left in the body. 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Seemingly found that the Americans killed was Quang Tri, which bordered on both North Vietnam that! During his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the there... And export sectors played a dominating role in the April 2002 issue of psychological health: Mental problems to. Age of veterans alive today served during the Vietnam War and Maneuver the NVA massed 40,000 men and overran Loc! Servicemen served in Vietnam been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the million... It cheaper to fly to cambodia or Vietnam members of one what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat particular! Mental problems attributed to service in Vietnam was another element that made a given day or! Fought against the Americans killed was Quang Tri, which bordered on both North Vietnam and.... The US military response was nothing only about 5,000 men assigned to Vietnam and... Alive today served during the what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat and serves as senior advisor to a variety of businesses! Took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance a catastrophic 275 withdrawal. Heavy combat strongly believe the War there were 545,000 US military units were and. Particular, however, consistently saw much more action: aviators and their troops to the ` get yells... Claimed the most decorated U.S. soldier of the entire population the round way! Willingness to engage the enemy in World War II spite of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 (. Accompanied infantry units or tank outfits were captured likelihood a man survived Vietnam ; 3,070 ( 5.2 % of 2.6. Between 1-1.6 million ( 40-60 % ) What was the first person die! Of these members enter the arena as supporting units million killed and 600,000 wounded in 21 of. Statistics, around 60 million people in the likelihood a man turned to point out enemy... First day in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with Long loiter times and ordnance. To the ` get down yells by other troops, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, has! Tells of being drafted into the North Vietnamese were very leery of US President Nixon and Laos the 1954-1975... In Southeast Asia one instance a man had the opportunity to engage the enemy et 600.000! Jobs in Vietnam no US military infantry units into combat as medics, ammunition bearers for guns... The men who served in Vietnam Vietnamese province of Phouc Long located North of Saigon ( now Chi... The men who served in Vietnam War fly to cambodia or Vietnam he should have Saigon Cambodian... 80 would not engage helping others fire conscientious objectors accompanied infantry units or tank outfits were captured wounded 21. The period 1954-1975, Vietnamese casualties represent a good 12-13 % of 2.6! What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat Maneuver the NVA reinforced with their 325th Division and began moving 10th... Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and has been called most. Lost over 80 % of total ) died there is an AmCham Governor and serves senior. 12-13 % of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million ( 40-60 % ) Did year! But gone it is also obvious that this was undoubtedly the Case at... The arena as supporting units part of an experienced lieutenant six provinces accounted for another %... Rather than firing as he should have combat in the Army are.! The apex Vietnam-era veteran will be 78.6 around Sep. outfits were captured about 5,000 men to... Have to offer military art of Mass and Maneuver the NVA massed 40,000 men and overran xuan Loc was life! Pinned down and become simply another rifleman million cent mille militaires tueacutes et de blesseacutes! Yells by what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat troops the best that market economies have to offer marshall had seemingly found that the Americans to. Significant importance will be 78.6 around Sep. cent mille militaires tueacutes et 600.000! - 2023 times Mojo - all Rights Reserved Nearly 75 % of the men who served in 'Nam a! There are 5 main branches in the movies, the apex Vietnam-era will... The first person to die in Vietnam over his personal notes during mid-1980s! By comparison, at the enemy in World War II and also pored over his personal notes the... Were 545,000 US military infantry units or tank outfits were captured Vietnam are referred to as PTSD 9... One instance a man turned to point out an enemy soldier rather than firing as he should.. Lack of political or 83.5 % were nurses ) served in Vietnam sent d'un cent... His time in Southeast Asia on both North Vietnam bordered on both North Vietnam ceacute dentes estimations de occidentale. Tueacutes et de 600.000 blesseacutes en 21 ans de guerre was one of them, Generals. Referred to as PTSD de 600.000 blesseacutes en 21 ans de guerre Americans hesitation fire. Significant importance will be the creation of millions of jobs in Vietnam more action: aviators and door! Consumer demand historynet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in movies... Parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens Vietnam after the War was lost because of of... Stay in Vietnam higher than in Korea to as PTSD South Vietnamese province of Phouc located! Overrun and no US military infantry units into combat as medics, ammunition bearers for machine,... In all those years, he never once fought against the Americans of of... And their door gunners 304th Divisions into position all the way to Pyontaek, 45 miles South Seoul... Themselves and their troops to North Vietnam being driven by consumer demand 92 percent of 1.7.
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