rate for males in 1970 was 58.9 per 100,000). ", In a early report the U.S. embassy indicated possibly 100 of the children. Do you have a family member who served in Vietnam? Conscientious objectors accompanied infantry units into combat as medics, ammunition bearers for machine guns, or in other noncombatant roles. It stays his trigger finger even though he is hardly conscious that it is a restraint upon him.. 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 Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. Roughly eight-in-ten (79%) say they would advise a . At that time black males of military age constituted 13.5 percent of the American population. And it should be no surprise that at times fear kept men from firing. It is not normal behavior for Americans to idolize mass murdering despots, to champion the cause of slavery, to abandon friends and allies, or to cut and run in the face of adversity. Veterans repeatedly cited how vulnerable the new man was until he had a chance to learn the ropes after arriving in the combat theater. Also, do not forget to share this with others! These numbers vary according to which news articles you read as totals vary between 305 to 319 on-board. The idea that There were no front lines. and The enemy was everywhere. makes good press and feeds the craven needs of those 16,000,000+ American draft dodgers. The Consultant's (Vietnam) Corner Jun 00. If you want to hold your equipment to such utmost standards, here is the place to start. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 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. (Answered), What Percentage of Military Marriages End in Divorce? This time (pretty much the same fashion as before) they could often be seen grouped around their old wateringholes, atop the Rex or in the Caravel, reliving those Thrilling days of yesteryear, swapping stories and reminiscing about youthful adventures, both real and imagined. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) What was the worst battle of Vietnam? What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. Soviet armor, burning Soviet gas and firing Soviet ammunition. The charge that the poor died in disproportionate numbers is also a myth. Actually served in Vietnam: 38% Marine Corps draft: 42,633. The apparent problem was not of the magnitude Marshall had reported for World War II, but losing the firepower of so many soldiers was still no small matter. That the American experience in Vietnam was painful and ended in long lasting (albeit self-inflicted) grief and misery cannot be disputed. During the WW II Battle of the Bulge in Europe two regiments of the US Army's 106th Division surrendered to the Germans. It Didnt End Well. Last man drafted: June 30, 1973. . The United Sates military in Vietnam was the best-educated, best-trained, best disciplined and most successful force ever fielded in the history of American arms. The percentage of soldiers seeing combat depends on a variety of factors. Whose Dog Tag is Maria Bartiromo Wearing? How old were most of the soldiers in Vietnam? Wing problems had plagued this immense cargo plane but were not considered a factor in this incident. As of this date The American War Library estimates that approximately 610,000 Americans who served on land in Vietnam or in the air over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are alive today. It is just 10 to 20% of the 60% who get deployed. Contact Us |Links|Veterans' Radio| Site Map. The , Whether youre planning to go to the woods or range, a tactical backpack comes in handy. In a unit with 500 riflemen, some 80 would not engage. Of those who enlisted, 79 percent had high school diplomas. An artillery battalion had approximayely 300 men. a catastrophic 275 mile withdrawal from the Yalu River all the way to Pyontaek, 45 miles south of Seoul. The flight-recorder was recovered by a Navy diver on 7 Apr 1975 from the bottom of the South China Sea. Other items: Only 25 percent of the US Military who served in Vietnam were draftees. General Dung's account goes into graphic detail on his battle moves aimed at destroying South Vietnam's armed forces and their war materials. A high percentage of Vietnam vets (perhaps 40%?) These Marines and soldiers were squad leaders, first sergeants, platoon leaders and company commanders directing maneuvers, distributing ammunition, calling for fire or performing the many other tasks that success in a firefight demanded. 7,874. 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian, 10.6%. Was thailand involved in the vietnam war. By 2040, that number is projected to rise to 17 percent. These numbers should dispel the notion that Vietnam was some kind of flaming inferno or a huge cauldron of burning dissent. Had The US sustained casualties of 13% of its population, there would have been 28 million US dead. Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). 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). 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 guilt!). Severely disabled: 75,000, 23,214 were classified 100% disabled. 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . In addition, Congress cut off all AID to the South Vietnamese and would not provide them with as much as a single bullet. Determining the location of heavy weapons such as machine guns was especially desirable; those were primary targets during any attack because of their greater killing potential. In the process they lost the capital of Seoul. In either case, the warrior was under fire with no means to engage his attackers. Nothing even remotely resembling that debacle ever occurred in Vietnam. 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. 60% are under the age of 34. (Vietnam veterans are dying at about the same rate as their WW2 fathers.) Helicopter, losses during Lam Son 719 (a mere two months) accounted for 10% of all. Thesoldiersprojectwww.thesoldiersproject.org what-percentage-of-the-military-sees-combatAbout Featured Snippets, The Army is known as the largest military branch. The most obvious is whether or not you are serving during wartime. It was not unusual for an ambush party to let the enemy pass because the Americans were so greatly outnumbered that engaging would have led to disaster. Montana 32,361 2,933 The supporting infantry is spread out thinly as a precaution against air raids: A friend served with the New Zealand army in the North African campaigns; he was a truck . 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. A nation sending its youth to war must prepare them well if those individuals are to survive the experience. Les preacute ceacute dentes estimations de source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens. Public Information Office (15624224100.com) In detail, there are 10 wings leading up to combat. Can you guess its meaning? For example: China has opened its records on the number of uniformed Chinese troops sent to aid their Communist friends in Hanoi. M. James Littig Principal, Congressional Strategies Soldiers surveyed in the 1st Cavalry Division can in general be said to have come from one of two basic groups. 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged. A third of this group engaged the enemy more than 100 times; fewer than half fired on the enemy less than 50 times. A survivor of the crash stated: "Some of us got out through a chute from the top of the plane, but the children (and escorts) at the bottom of the plane didn't have a chance. Contrary to popular belief, they turned in an outstanding performance and accomplished their mission. 86.8% of the men who were KIA were Caucasian. My purpose in this project is to give honest reviews on the gear utilized and tested over time. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Hence, many people , In the world of military languages, another term worth knowing is XO. The northern part of South Vietnam normally had its rainy season from September to January, the southern part from May to September. A recent study explores how many American soldiers in Vietnam actually fired their weapons at the enemy -- and what factors influenced those numbers. He tells of being drafted into the North Vietnamese Army in 1968 and fighting for nearly seven years. The percent of the military that sees combat also varies with factors, such as the military branch you are in. Seventeen year-old James Calvin Ward was one of them. # 4: The 101st Airborne Division. The establishment of full diplomatic relations was of significant importance, but the essence of the BTA will be its impact on Vietnam's economy. So, continue reading for details on this topic of military members in combat. On the other hand, if you are bummed out that you will not be involved in a lot of action like you expecteddo not be. Aug 1973; US Congress passes the Case - Church law which forbids, US naval forces from sailing on the seas surrounding, US ground forces from operating on the land of, and US air forces from flying in the air over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. (Time Converter Included), What Military Bases Are in Arizona? Of the 2.6 million, For kowtowing to the wishes of those craven hoards of dodgers and for bugging out and abandoning their former ally. Fact: Assuming KIAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman (MOS 11B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 22. You will likely not see combat unless you are an infantry soldier with top-notch military competence and are willing to become trigger-pullers. Do not let the movies fool you. These figures were deliberately falsified during the war by the North Vietnamese Communists to avoid demoralizing the population. # 6: The 1st Brigade-5th Infantry Division. Only nine of the 1st Cavalry Division veterans reported that they never personally fired on the enemy, a far different result from what Marshall had written was the case in the Pacific and Europe. On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . You now know the percentage of the military that sees combatnot a lot. These veteran PTSD statistics indicate that the Gulf War and Iraq War were similarly traumatic for service members. volunteered or even re-enlisted to remain in or return to the combat zone. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? What were the odds of dying in Vietnam? Some 10,786 American soldiers died of non-combat causes, including 9,107 by accidents and 938 due to illness. Your email address will not be published. Pat Sajak is a Vietnam War Veteran and was the host of "Good Morning Vietnam". Given that everybody in a unit rarely faced such focused attention, men would wait until the enemy pointed their weapons elsewhere before engaging. 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. Lieutenant General Harold Moore recalled what his responsibilities as commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, demanded of him in his classic book We Were Soldiers Once and Young. You may have seen this in military books or films. Answer (1 of 4): Australian troops string out behind tanks in a practice advance over North African sands, on January 3, 1941. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. His selection of South Vietnam's army as the Center of gravity could have been written by General Carl von Clausewitz himself. Respected researchers interviewed those who had accompanied him in World War II and also pored over his personal notes during the mid-1980s. Personal beliefs did play a role, though a far less pervasive one than Marshall claimed was the case during World War II. The single most lethal day of the war for American troops was Jan. 31, 1968, when 246 personnel were killed or mortally wounded as the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars launched the Tet Offensive. Most of those who perished were in the lowest of three levels in what was then the largest aircraft in the world. 23% had fathers with professional, managerial, or technical occupations. Note: NVA casualty data was provided by North Vietnam in a press release to Agence France Presse (AFP) on April 3, 1995, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. 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. What month is the cheapest to fly to vietnam? Below are brief descriptions of two commonly known wings: A lot of supporting units do not set foot into the combat zone, and those who do are not active in the sense that they are the ones firing and knocking down enemies. limbs, 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. Many of these false 'war veterans' claim their alleged Vietnam service was "classified", and therefore never recorded. 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem. Additional information was derived from the sources listed at the end of this document. According to 2019 statistics, only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. One historian estimates between 150 and 300 US personnel died in Vietnam from the effects of snakebite. A considerable number recalled how the weapon they used during basic and advanced individual training was the older M-14, but that the M-16 was issued on their arrival in Vietnam. Vlach served with the 54th General Command as a door gunner on an UH1 Huey helicopter. 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. What is the average lifespan of a veteran? Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) How many a1 Skyraiders were shot down in Vietnam? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Yes! Multi-million dollar salaries are not paid to people for reporting the news, in any form, be it written, audio or video. In addition, Kent serves as Chairman of AmCham's EE&C Committee. From 2001 through July 2020, some 173 female service members had been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, according to the Congressional Research Service. Recommended reading: Great Spring Victory by General Tien Van Dung, NVA Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Volume I, 7 Jun 76 and Volume II, 7 Jul 76. Since 1988 The War Library has been working to verify the names of all Americans who served in Vietnam, or were authorized the Vietnam War Service Medal. Roughly 40% of those who join the military never get deployed to a combat zone at all. He showed little hesitation to use a rifle, pistol, shotgun, machine gun, grenade launcher or whatever other weapon he carried. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still unaccounted-for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War. Time influenced fatalities in another way, too. Hence, besides the information that she shares, viewers pay attention to her appearance and what she wears. Level of personal experience could be linked to how scared a man was. 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). . The following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). Again: In Vietnam no US Army unit ever surrendered. The crash investigation was headed by Maj. Gen. Warner E. Newby. 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem. Long Beach CA 90805-7549 An overwhelming majority of Vietnam Veterans are male (6.2M) while in the civilian populaon females (47.7M) outnumber males by 20.5M. That may include your food, water, and first aid , If you want to only bring a few items to hiking or other outdoor activity, a tactical fanny pack might be an ideal option than a burdensome large backpack. They were in Vietnam, but weren't serving in a combat arm. These men served as riflemen, machine-gunners, helicopter door gunners, vehicle crewmen or others who were to kill the adversary with the weapon they carried. This article was written by Russell W. Glennt and originally published in the April 2002 issue of Vietnam Magazine. 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. The wealth of every prosperous nation in Asia is directly linked to its trade with the United States. 12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Jorge Otero Barreto Years of service 1959-1970 Rank Sergeant First Class Unit 101st Airborne 25th Infantry 82nd Airborne 173rd . What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms. You make a difference just by being a part of the military. 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.. Interesting Facts about Vietnam | New York City Vietnam , The Vietnam War Commemoration is conducted according to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to help honor and pay tribute to Vietnam Veterans and WIA: 303,704 - 153,329 required hospitalization, 50,375 who did not. Eight members of the Air Force crew perished in the crash. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. The most common military personnel are mechanics. The US Military was not Driven from Vietnam. It can light up a dark room, focus on your target far away, or even , When youre hunting or surveying distant objects, it would be ideal to have a good pair of tactical binoculars. An Infantry battalion had 656 infantrymen (4 companies per battalion with 164 men per company). Pre-9/11 veterans are more likely to say they frequently felt proud of their service than are post-9/11 veterans (70% vs. 58%). Several veterans recalled that they had been on ambushes where they did not spring the trap for just such a reason. At least 50 of the children were in the lower cargo level of the plane. What Not to Say to a Military Recruiter & Other Tips? The North Vietnamese Army went to extraordinary lengths to remove their dead from the field of battle because they did not want the US to discover their true battlefield losses. 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