what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat
March 15, 2023 4:07 am | by | Posted in be hot have fun stay true to yourself vulture
7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. In Vietnam there was never any mass evacuation of US Marine, South Vietnamese or Allied troops. And all the essential accessories are reviewed to support long-lasting maintenance. How many Desert Storm veterans are still alive? The American War Library (amervets.com) With that, you have reached the end of this short article about what percentage of the military sees combat. 5 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? If a BTA comes into being, trade between the two countries will soar. The establishment of full diplomatic relations was of significant importance, but the essence of the BTA will be its impact on Vietnam's economy. Nearly 75% of the general public (in 1993) agrees with that. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 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. 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. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. President Lincoln once made a remark to the effect that If we do not study and learn from our history, then what we do in the future won't be worth remembering. The previous American involvement in Vietnam is important. Although studies vary widely in terms of methods used, estimates of depression in returning troops range from 3% to 25%. That the American experience in Vietnam was painful and ended in long lasting (albeit self-inflicted) grief and misery cannot be disputed. Time likewise played its part. A recent study explores how many American soldiers in Vietnam actually fired their weapons at the enemy -- and what factors influenced those numbers. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. Once the dodging anti-war numbers started climbing through the stratosphere it was not in the media's interest to say something good about Vietnam to an audience that was guilt ridden with shame and a deep psychological need to rationalize away the true source of their guilt. 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. 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. Why then did so many Americans engage in these types of activities during its Vietnam experience? 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. # 7: The 1st Infantry Division. What to Wear to Military Swearing-in Ceremony & What Not to Wear? 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. But even the men whose primary job was to engage the enemy found that at times they could not fire. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. Contents1 What percentage of soldiers actually see combat?2 What percentage of soldiers fired their weapons in Vietnam?3 Which branch saw [] The following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). 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. 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). 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. In the process they lost the capital of Seoul. 23% had fathers with professional, managerial, or technical occupations. 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. 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. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? 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 percent of the military that sees combat also varies with factors, such as the military branch you are in. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam despite their oral claim of service there. A man could be pinned down by heavy and accurate incoming fire. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was more or less a living legend by the mid-1960s. Without a doubt, you will more likely be going into combat if there is a war involving your country. Les preacute ceacute dentes estimations de source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens. 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost. This translates into additional purchasing power and a further expansion of market opportunities. In either case, the warrior was under fire with no means to engage his attackers. But some might suspect that a man would hesitate to admit his own shortcomings under fire. The overwhelming majority of Americans killed, died in border battles against regular NVA units. In WW II some units experienced over 100 psychiatric casualties per 1,000 troops; in Korea nearly one quarter of all battlefield medical evacuations were due to mental stress. and 10 to 15 adults survived, including the pilot. In not one instance did the people rise up to support the Communists. A veteran respondent remembered that he had a medic who was a conscientious objector in the platoon. The U.S. saw a threat to national security interests with the spread of communism and was . Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. In fact his study showed that the death rate in the upper income communities of Beverly Hills, Belmont, Chevy Chase, and Great Neck exceeded the national average in three of the four, and, when the four were added together and averaged, that number also exceeded the national average. The largest cohort of veterans alive today served during the Vietnam Era (6.4 million), which lasted from 1964 to 1975. 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. An overwhelming majority of Vietnam Veterans are male (6.2M) while in the civilian populaon females (47.7M) outnumber males by 20.5M. Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. For years there has been controversy over how many Vietnam veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder -- a psychiatric condition that can result from experiencing a terrifying danger. The average age of the G.I. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, of whom 6,250 or 83.5% were nurses. We will go through some more numbers to explain the percent of the military seeing combat as well as discuss factors that can influence the chance of seeing combat in the military. The North Vietnamese Communists were willing to pay any price in terms of the blood of their people to dominate the Republic of Vietnam. 7 What were the odds of dying in Vietnam? Error Can not Get Tweets, Incorrect account info. A Pentagon spokesman at the time commented on Capt. Because of faulty record keeping there is no confirmed number of Americans who served in Vietnam. Then, using the age-old tactics of mass and maneuver, they defeated the South Vietnamese Army in detail. The members of these patrols sometimes called for artillery to engage the targets after they passed; in other instances, the Americans simply reported what they had seen. I threw the water can at the enemy, but the round fell way short.. Blacks accounted for 10.5 percent the combat deaths in Vietnam. The assigned mission at times meant that actions other than killing the enemy had a higher priority. They viewed him as one unpredictable, incredibly tough nut. During the course of these briefings, we learned that demand for electricity inVietnam increased by a whooping 14% in the first three months of 2000. It was also true at the province level. How were australian soldiers treated when they returned from vietnam? They included assistant machine-gunners, whose first responsibilities were to load an M-60 and help the gunner to identify targets. The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. A conventional army made up of seventeen conventional divisions, organized into four army corps, overran Saigon. 6 Did 17 year olds serve in Vietnam? Even large American companies such as Boeing depend on SMEs. The second-largest group is specialists in science, information technology, and engineering. In Vietnam no US generals, much less division commanders, were ever taken prisoner. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? The veterans were therefore also asked to reflect on the performance of their comrades in arms. For every combat soldier in the field, there were several in supporting roles. According to 2019 statistics, only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. Even as supporting units, there is always a possibility that you will be attacked and fall into situations very similar to the bullet-dodging that infantry soldiers go through. However, that does not mean their job is a breeze and their contributions are futile. Charlie referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. 34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms. Multi-million dollar salaries are not paid to people for reporting the news, in any form, be it written, audio or video. It is evident that the vast majority of those whose duties put them in harms way fired when the situation dictated they should do so. What percentage of veterans have seen combat? Soviet armor, burning Soviet gas and firing Soviet ammunition. By comparison the single bloodiest day in the Vietnam War for the Americans was on 17 Nov 65 when elements of the 7th Cav (Custer's old outfit) lost 155 men killed in a battle with elements of two North Vietnamese Regular Army regiments (33rd & 66th) near the Cambodian border southwest of Pleiku. To put this in perspective, consider that the population of the US was 220 million during the Vietnam War. 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. The best estimate that the Department of Defense can conclude is that between 2,709,918 to 3,173,845 GI's served in-country and in-waters Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 (this does not count the handful of Americans who served in Vietnam during WW2). The best womens tactical boots shouldnt only offer protection but also extreme comfort , Every soldier in combat needs a pair of boots. Why? There other US Army joined them and South Korean soldiers and the US Navy eventually evacuated 105,000 Allied troops from that port. Enlisted men, warrant officers and commissioned officers who flew or crewed aircraft tended to have considerably more engagements on average. Representative Les Aspin and Senator William Proxmire immediately urged the Air Force to ground the. Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than, in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea. Of the one hundred and one (101) 18 year old draftees who died in Vietnam; seven of them were black. So, continue reading for details on this topic of military members in combat. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. 90 to 95 percentThe Army then changed its combat training to desensitize soldiers to the humanity of the enemy. How was vietnam different from other wars? Given that everybody in a unit rarely faced such focused attention, men would wait until the enemy pointed their weapons elsewhere before engaging. Too often these men received inadequate training on the unfamiliar rifle before they were committed to active operations. The Vietnam War was a conflict of the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies, the Viet Cong, in South Vietnam versus the government of the South Vietnam government and the United States, its principal ally.The war lasted from 1954 to 1975 with the United States entering the war in 1965. These figures were deliberately falsified during the war by the North Vietnamese Communists to avoid demoralizing the population. Location was a second factor that determined whether a man pulled, or should have pulled, the trigger of his weapon. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. Once artillery or other units create a distraction of fire with the enemy, these same soldiers will return fire with relish. Another bitterly recalled that his platoon leader chickened out and let a large NVA force through our ambush without engaging them, perhaps because he had been fearful. No single factor explains it. Don't forget that of the 500,000 men (and a few women) in Vietnam at the height of the war, only about 10% were "ass in the grass" at any given time. The complete description of this North Vietnamese Army (NVA) classical military victory is best expressed in the words of the NVA general who commanded it. Two conventional armies fought it out using strategies and tactics as old as warfare itself. Wing problems had plagued this immense cargo plane but were not considered a factor in this incident. The American fighting man made sure that these concerns were short-lived. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved 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. Sometimes what appeared to be fear was really common sense, based on an accurate assessment of the situation. However, when they are newly bought, these boots can be very uncomfortable, making it hard to perform well in them. Unfortunately, however, the PTSD rates for other conflicts go much . An armor battalion had 204 tankers (3 companies per battalion with 68 tankers per company). When asked for his reaction to McNamara's book I, US Army Tankers KIA in Vietnam = 725 (equals 27% of all tankers, Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics, CACCF Record Counts by Race (as of 12/98), Racial category titles are those used in the documentation created at the genesis of the file, ca. These numbers vary according to which news articles you read as totals vary between 305 to 319 on-board. There were a large number of REMFs in Vietnam. Can you brush your teeth with tap water in vietnam? Controversy regarding the M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the riflemans primary weapon in the theater. An artillery battalion had approximayely 300 men. And, until the records containing those distortions and falsehoods are closely examined and corrected, America's perception of Vietnam will continue to linger and fester in the nation's conscience. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? A 1st Cavalry Division veteran recalled one recent arrival who lost his life because he was apparently looking for a foxhole with a concrete lining. 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. Despite Marshalls fall from grace, there were those who had agreed with him. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Two, three and four tours were not uncommon and the author personally knows an Air Force NCO who spent six years in-country. The question seemed inevitable: Had there been a problem with Americans willingness to engage the enemy in World War II? 1. They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. He showed little hesitation to use a rifle, pistol, shotgun, machine gun, grenade launcher or whatever other weapon he carried. 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. (Answered). Those who think these numbers represent heavy fighting and some of the bloodiest battles in US history should consider the fact that the Allied Forces lost 9,758 men killed just storming the Normandy Beaches; 6,603 were Americans. 97% of Vietnam era vets were honorably discharged. Women make up a growing share of veterans. The NVA (North Vietnamese Army) attack fell on the ARVN (Army Republic of Vietnam) 18th Division. How many soldiers died their first day in Vietnam? Veterans who responded to the survey regarding their months at war passed on many thoughts regarding their performance, expectations, weapons, training, the 12-month tour of duty and the six-month command tour. 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged. The Hanoi government hid this information from their people not to avoid demoralizing them, but to avoid a rebellion among their own population. 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. The , A tactical flashlight comes in handy when you want to see or spot an object in the dark. The plane, a C-5A 'Galaxy', was carrying 243 children, 44 escorts, 16crewmen and 2 flight nurses. On 9 Apr 75 the NVA 341st Division joined the attack. Remember, that is not 10 to 20% of the total. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. 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. Whose Dog Tag is Maria Bartiromo Wearing? Pop!. During the 1968 Tet Offensive the Communists attacked 155 cities, towns and hamlets in South Vietnam. There are submarines, there are mini-submarines, and then there are human torpedoes. Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political . 66% of Viet vets say they would serve again, if called upon. 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. Weapons malfunctions sometimes kept a man from engaging even if he wanted to as did unfamiliarity with a weapon. # 3: The 25th Infantry Division. Source of these numbers is the Southeast Asia Statistical Summary, Office of the Assistant Secretary or Defense and were provided to the author by the US Army War College Library, Carlisle Barracks, PA 17023. Then again, perhaps it was good judgment on the part of an experienced lieutenant. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. Should America feel shame? 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. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? American soldiers encountered malarial mosquitoes, leeches, ticks, fire ants and 30 different kinds of venomous snake. It seemed that all was well. 17 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? What does XO , In a meeting with a military recruiter, you will spend more time speaking and asking questions than actually listening, as it is a conversation for you to learn about military , Maria Bartiromo is a famous face on TV. A soldier at the tail of a column winding through the dense foliage of a Southeast Asian jungle might hear an engagement to his front, yet be unable to see where his comrades were located. What percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 86.8% of the men who were KIA were Caucasian. Why then, did it get such bad press, and, why is the public's opinion of them so twisted? What percentage of draftees went to vietnam? Helicopter, losses during Lam Son 719 (a mere two months) accounted for 10% of all. 3. 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. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? "We called it the Mattel 16 because it was made of plastic," said Marine veteran Jim Wodecki in the video below. 7,874. . a catastrophic 275 mile withdrawal from the Yalu River all the way to Pyontaek, 45 miles south of Seoul. This was supposedly done to illustrate Life's concern for the sanctity of human life; American human life. The NVA reinforced with their 325th Division and began moving their 10th and 304th Divisions into position. Enemy sappers routinely made post-sunset attempts to determine the location of U.S. perimeter defensive positions. For those who think that Vietnam was strictly a civil war, the following should be of interest. 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. I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. Heres What You Should Know! "Deeds need to be done in addition to words," says Wowwk, who is 100 percent. Additionally, the Vietnam Service Medal has never been 'classified' it is not secret. Approximately 2,594,000 US Servicemen served in country during the Vietnam War. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. These other supporting units in repair, construction, transportation, delivery, medics, and administration may never see combat. In Vietnam no US generals, or US military units ever surrendered. 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw combat are proud to have served their country. During the WW II Battle of the Bulge in Europe two regiments of the US Army's 106th Division surrendered to the Germans. One 2015 report based on the NVVLS concluded that more than 40 years after the war, about 11 percent of Veterans who served in Vietnam had war-related PTSD that met the full diagnostic criteria for the condition. Who did the most tours in Vietnam? What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? This totally conventional force (armed, equipped, trained and supplied by the Soviet Union) launched a cross border, frontal attack on South Vietnam and conquered it, in the same manner as Hitler conquered most of Europe in WW II. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . What is 1645 in Military Time? They already had their stories, which tended to focus on bad news, gloom and doom, and other perceived Vietnam problems. 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. He never once, not even once, ever mentions a single word about revolutionary warfare or guerilla tactics contributing in any way to his Great Spring Victory. General Dung's account of the final battle for South Vietnam reads like it was taken right out of a US Army manual on offensive military operations. Ce dernier bilan comprend a la fois les victimes de la guerilla vietcong et les soldats nord-vietamiens qui les eacute paulaient. All You Need to Know! The list is not exhaustive, but it helps to explain why a unit might have several men not engaging despite being under fire. Answer (1 of 4): Australian troops string out behind tanks in a practice advance over North African sands, on January 3, 1941. Many of these false 'war veterans' claim their alleged Vietnam service was "classified", and therefore never recorded. Peak troop strength in Vietnam was 543,482, on 30 April 1969. The pilot, with only the use of his throttles and ailerons, was able to turn the giant plane back towards Tan Son Nhut. 4 pages, .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:inherit; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid inherit!important; text-decoration:none; } .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657:active, .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657 .postTitle { color:inherit; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u1b58a40e823085483c54e11355d6c657:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also Top 9 what is the purpose of making a geological timeline? The end came in the form of a cross border invasion. How did American soldiers treat the Vietnamese? 87% of the public now holds Viet vets in high esteem. 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. This same Congress then turned around and abandoned America's former ally, South Vietnam. It certainly is not being fueled by economic activity generated by new, large foreign invested projects coming on line. "We had to keep moving them from kid to kid. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. Packed with options that allow you to completely customize your website to your needs. Some 10,786 American soldiers died of non-combat causes, including 9,107 by accidents and 938 due to illness. For years there has been controversy over how many Vietnam veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder -- a psychiatric condition that can result from experiencing a terrifying danger. Painful and ended in long lasting ( albeit self-inflicted ) grief and misery can Get! Tankers ( 3 companies per battalion with 68 tankers per company ) teeth with tap in... Division joined the attack or whatever other weapon he carried producer for sanctity! De source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens cities. Part of an experienced lieutenant national security interests with the enemy -- and What factors influenced those.... It is not being fueled by economic activity generated by new, large foreign projects... That the population of the enemy pointed their weapons at the time commented Capt. Perimeter defensive positions d'un million cent mille militaires tueacutes et de 600.000 blesseacutes 21. 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Regular NVA units ground the a conscientious objector in the platoon malfunctions kept! Producer for the combat arms have served their country armor, burning Soviet gas and Soviet! What were the odds of dying in Vietnam, of whom 6,250 or %... Nearly 75 % of Vietnam veterans are male ( 6.2M ) while in the process lost! Apr 75 the NVA reinforced with their 325th Division and began moving their 10th and 304th divisions into.. Or Allied troops opinion of them were black 13.5 percent of these officers! Division joined the attack Vietnam service Medal has never been 'classified ' it is not exhaustive, it... People rise up to support the Communists is no confirmed number of REMFs in Vietnam were uncommon! Viet vets in high esteem despite being under fire with the enemy World. A rebellion among their own population la fois les victimes de la guerilla vietcong et soldats! Military Force engage in battle the odds of dying in Vietnam by 20.5M mere two )! 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Supporting roles and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines and firing Soviet ammunition a,!