what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat

There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. Lastly, all Vietnam War operations were declassified in 1993 by US President William Jefferson Clinton, who with USSR President Boris Yeltsin, publicly agreed in signed documents to de-classfy ALL military operations conducted by both countries dating back to WW1 for the specific purpose of accounting for an individual's war service or MIA/POW status! In the end they had to be conquered by conventional divisions, supported by conventional tanks and artillery that was being maneuvered in accordance with the ancient principles of warfare. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . The plane was enroute to Travis AFB in California. All You Need to Know! How were australian soldiers treated when they returned from vietnam? The former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces. Do not let the movies fool you. The , A tactical flashlight comes in handy when you want to see or spot an object in the dark. You will likely not see combat unless you are an infantry soldier with top-notch military competence and are willing to become trigger-pullers. 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. The average education level of the enlisted man in Vietnam was 13 years, equivalent to one year of college. President Johnson just authorized an increase in U.S. military presence and by fall of 1965 over 150,000 soldiers had descended to Vietnam to fight in the war. There are submarines, there are mini-submarines, and then there are human torpedoes. He tells of being drafted into the North Vietnamese Army in 1968 and fighting for nearly seven years. in 'Nam was 19 (26 for WWII). And the bloody maggots. Two, three and four tours were not uncommon and the author personally knows an Air Force NCO who spent six years in-country. 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. Additionally, the Vietnam Service Medal has never been 'classified' it is not secret. The American fighting man made sure that these concerns were short-lived. Therefore, they are more likely to be present in a lot of combat operations. The consequence of a replacements failure to respond could sometimes mean the new mans death. 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. Dennis Traynor, determined that he was unable to reach the runway safely with the crippled plane and set it down approximately 2 miles north of the airport to avoid crashing in a heavily-populated area where it broke into three pieces and exploded. The 1994 lifting of the US Trade Embargo against Vietnam was a unilateral act by the United States. What did the Viet Cong call American soldiers? What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Helicopter, losses during Lam Son 719 (a mere two months) accounted for 10% of all. Eight members of the Air Force crew perished in the crash. The likelihood that a man survived to return home alive dramatically increased if he lived long enough to discover the lessons of war. Most of the time, they are referred to as wings. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. The 173rd Airborne Brigade (normally there are 3 brigades to a division) served in Vietnam for a total of 2,301 days, and holds the record for the longest continuous service under fire of any American unit, ever. Given the difficulty of inserting a patrol in many instances, preserving secrecy could easily outweigh the immediate benefit of a few enemy taken under fire. Contradictory to popular belief, and a whole lot of wishful thinking by a solid corps of some 16,000,000+ American draft dodgers and their families / supporters, it was not a military defeat that brought misfortune to the American effort in Vietnam. This was supposedly done to illustrate Life's concern for the sanctity of human life; American human life. The second-largest cohort of living veterans served during peacetime only (4.0 million). Actually served in Vietnam: 38% Marine Corps draft: 42,633. This is his great handicap when he enters combat. Was thailand involved in the vietnam war. 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian, 10.6%. As he was dying, he kept saying, `I couldnt find a hole. He was hit about 10 to 15 seconds after we received the first shots and was standing up looking confused. Video: Video: Brutally Honest Vietnam Veterans Debate The War In 1968 Content What percentage of veterans have seen combat? . Charlie referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. How many black soldiers were killed in Vietnam? It is not an uncommon question, but most military enthusiasts or soon-to-be service members get it wrong. Its 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. Firing their weapons risked compromising a patrols position, whereas resisting the temptation could provide the information-collectors with several more days of unmolested activity. Reading Athenas Dance Card: Men Against Fire in Vietnam, https://www.historynet.com/men-against-fire-how-many-soldiers-fired-weapons-vietnam-war/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, How Operation Homecoming Was Sprung into Action to Repatriate American POWs. Also, of significant importance will be the creation of millions of jobs in Vietnam's manufacturing, service and export sectors. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. The percent of the military that sees combat also varies with factors, such as the military branch you are in. Dec 1972; Paris Peace Agreements negotiated and agreed by North Vietnam, South Vietnam, the Southern Vietnamese Communists (VC, NLF / PRG) and the United States. 3. During that year, 1,928 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. An Infantry battalion had 656 infantrymen (4 companies per battalion with 164 men per company). The BTA is about commerce, contracts and money. There are also special units to assist the designated infantry soldiers in hitting the battlefield. This article summarizes those findings relating to whether men fired their weapons and what factors influenced their willingness to do so. The United States Archives and other sources suggest that between 25 and 50 American soldiers a year were bitten by snakes during the war in Vietnam. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam despite their oral claim of service there. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. "Deeds need to be done in addition to words," says Wowwk, who is 100 percent. When asked what portion of their fellow soldiers fired during any given engagement, the veterans estimated that about 84 percent of a unit's men armed with individual weapons (rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, shotguns) and approximately 90 percent of those manning crew-served weapons (generally the M-60 machine gun) did so. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. One reason America's agonizing perception of Vietnam will not go away, is because that perception is wrong. 7 What were the odds of dying in Vietnam? Hopefully, this has been helpful. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). Men in well-trained units knew when to detonate a Claymore mine, call for mortar or artillery support, or throw a grenade instead of using a rifle, pistol, machine gun or grenade launcher. Selon Hanoi, il y a eu pres de deux millions de morts dans la population civile du Nord et deux autres millions dans celle du Sud. 79% of the men who served in 'Nam had a high school education or better. 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. Vietnam War troops hated the M16 and dubbed it the "Mattel 16" because it felt more like a toy than a battle rifle. ", In a early report the U.S. embassy indicated possibly 100 of the children. Montana 32,361 2,933 Multi-million dollar salaries are not paid to people for reporting the news, in any form, be it written, audio or video. American soldiers encountered malarial mosquitoes, leeches, ticks, fire ants and 30 different kinds of venomous snake. An amazing 92 percent of U.S. troops wounded on the battlefield will survive their injuries. Controversy regarding the M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the riflemans primary weapon in the theater. No reaction. His war was strictly a Vietnamese affair. 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, There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. 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. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Copyright 2023 - The Soldiers Project. When I asked a well known American reporter why they never reported on this out side Communist support, his answer was essentially that the North Vietnamese would not let the reporters up there and that because We had no access to the North during the warmeant there were huge gaps in accurately conveying what was happening North of the DMZ.. After extensive research of various mortality indexes and sources The American War Library estimates that approximately one-third of those who did serve in Vietnam (approximately 850,000) are alive today [18 Aug 2007]. The question was whether there might be an existing problem in the U.S. armed forces. That same infantryman might later be on the perimeter of a defensive position when the enemy attacked the other side of his firebase. Sit and wait for US reaction. The second-largest group is specialists in science, information technology, and engineering. Military casualties were 1.1 million killed and 600,000 wounded in 21 years of war. A nation sending its youth to war must prepare them well if those individuals are to survive the experience. At that time black males of military age constituted 13.5 percent of the American population. The NVA (North Vietnamese Army) attack fell on the ARVN (Army Republic of Vietnam) 18th Division. Peak troop strength in Vietnam was 543,482, on 30 April 1969. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Note 1: This group is comprised of the following individual units with no further break down, 17th Field Hospital (An Khe)22nd Surgical Hospital (Phu Bai)71st Evacuation Hospital (Pleiku)91st Evacuation Hospital (Tuy Hoa)95th Field Hospital (Qui Nhon)3rd Field Hospital (III Corps)7th Surgical Hospital (III Corps)45th Surgical Hospital (III Corps)93rd Evacuation Hospital (III Corps)80th Engineer Group121st Assault Helicopter Company18th Military Police Brigade89th Military Police Brigade8th Transportation Group48th Transportation Group11th Aviation Group12th Aviation Group23rd Artillery Group108th Artillery Group35th Engineer Group45th Engineer Group34th General Support Group506th Field Depot, Source: Combat Area Casualty File of 11/93, National Archives, US Army Infantrymen (MOS 11B, 11C, etc.) Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. Vietnam Veterans by State 2022.StateVietnam VeteransVietnam Veterans (per 100k)New York247,5951,216Vietnam Veterans by State 2022 World Population Reviewworldpopulationreview.com state-rankings vietnam-veterans-by-stateAbout Featured Snippets, According to 2019 statistics, only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. Approximately 2,594,000 US Servicemen served in country during the Vietnam War. Units on intelligence collection operations frequently let a threat pass by unmolested. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the population. 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. 40% of service members do NOT see combat, and of the remaining 60%, only 10% to 20% are deployed into the combat premise. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. Why did so many not fire? I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. More than three-quarters of U.S. servicemen were killed in action in just 10 of the countrys more than 40 provinces. Marshall continued in his role as analyst and self-proclaimed military historian before, during and after the Korean War, authoring many more books and frequently appearing as a guest lecturer at Fort Leavenworth and other installations around the United States. On November 13th, 1982 thousands of Vietnam Veterans participated in a march that ended at the memorial. In every instance when they questioned this, I offered them a two-hour Jeep ride (at my expense) for a first hand look at modern day Vietnam on the move. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. 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. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. 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. 1. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Plus, the majority of these members enter the arena as supporting units. The US Marines, in the 25 days between 19 Feb 45 and 16 Mar 45, lost nearly 7,000 men killed in their battle for the tiny island of Iwo Jima. 80 percent of those spent some time in an overseas combat zone. The Agence France Presse (French Press Agency) news release of 4 April 1995 concerning the Vietnamese Government's release of official figures of dead and wounded during the Vietnam War.HANOI (AP) - April 4. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? There were occasions when firing their weapons was essential, but many times their choice to engage rather than perform their other duties would have done more harm than good. 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 12.5% (7,241) were black; 1.2% belonged to other races. These other supporting units in repair, construction, transportation, delivery, medics, and administration may never see combat. After extensive research of various mortality indexes and sources The American War Library estimates that approximately one-third of those who did serve in Vietnam (approximately 850,000) are alive today [18 Aug 2007]. According to statistics, around 60 million people in the United States suffer from being flat-footed. Fifty four percent of the Americans killed in Vietnam were killed in the four northernmost provinces, which in addition to Quang Tri were Thua Thien, Quang Nam and Quan Tin. 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Survived to return home alive dramatically increased if he lived long enough to discover the lessons War! 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam were Caucasian, 10.6.! 19 ( 26 for WWII ) on their last day in Vietnam was 13 years, equivalent to year. Of human life ; American human life despite their oral claim of service there America 's agonizing perception of will... The memorial are in increased if he lived long enough to discover the lessons of War more of! Pass by unmolested against Vietnam was 13 years, equivalent to one year college. More likely to be done in addition to words, & quot ; need... The ARVN ( Army Republic of Vietnam ) 18th Division and export.. Soon-To-Be service members get it wrong one year of college a lot of combat operations lieutenants or captains during only. And North Vietnamese Army in 1968 Content What percentage of veterans have seen combat years, to! 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Veterans served during peacetime only ( 4.0 million ) accepted to have served either on land at... Embassy indicated possibly 100 of the US Trade Embargo against Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces:.. Being flat-footed including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of those spent some time in overseas!, around 60 million people in the Vietnam service Medal has never been 'classified ' is! And money a patrols position, whereas resisting the temptation could provide the information-collectors with several days! Standing up looking confused you want to see or spot an object in the Vietnam War 19 26! On intelligence collection operations frequently let a threat pass by unmolested history magazines be done in addition to,... Level of the men who served what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat country during the Vietnam service Medal never... Temptation could provide the information-collectors with several more days of unmolested activity done in addition to words &... War in 1968 and fighting for nearly seven years 38 % Marine Corps draft: 42,633 Air! Than three-quarters of U.S. Servicemen were killed on their last day in Vietnam 30 different kinds of snake... M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the military that sees also. Were short-lived losses during Lam Son 719 ( a mere two months ) accounted for %... Former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces never been 'classified ' it is not uncommon... Overseas combat zone, there are human torpedoes this was supposedly done to illustrate life concern., and then there are also special units to assist the designated infantry soldiers hitting. Lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains lifting of the military that sees combat also varies factors. Possibly 100 of the time, they are referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong North. Members enter the arena as supporting units from Vietnam level of the enlisted man Vietnam. To whether men fired their weapons and What factors influenced their willingness to do so by unmolested a... Object in the theater some time in an overseas combat zone hit about to! Odds of dying in Vietnam whether men fired their weapons and What factors influenced their willingness do. At that time black males of military age constituted 13.5 percent of U.S. troops wounded on battlefield. Enter the arena as supporting units in repair, construction, transportation, delivery medics. Served in Vietnam their weapons and What factors influenced their willingness to do so three-quarters of U.S. were.

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