It is believed that less than 850,000 of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam are still living today; the age of the youngest American Vietnam veteran is around 60 years old. Look up the webstite. I was in uniform for 26 years and served honorably and faithfully. If you fought in Vietnam you were watching your . By June, Wowwk had been wounded twicethe second time seriouslyand was sent back to the United States for treatment at Bostons Chelsea Naval Hospital. I discovered the VA and local Vet center and was walked through the process to get compensation for PTSD and Diabetes. It means Hill of Sacrifice. A fellow soldier in the 134th assault helicopter company with me shot and killed himself just down the hall from where I slept while I was sleeping. The 173rd Infantry Brigade was activated in 1915 and served in World War II. On June 7, 1969, Bullock was killed by small arms fire while on night watch at An Hoa combat base. For a decade, as one person was shipped off to fight, another was returning. One last ramble. he quickly pinned me up against the wall with a knife to my throat. Even though I served 7 months on an A-Team, I wasnt eligible for the flash because I got my CIB BEFORE I was assigned to the group. In my military career, I personaly wrote CIB support letters for over 20 non-11B soldiers whom I knew had spent more than 180 days in a forward deployed posture and were under combat conditions, 6 receiving purple hearts none received the CIB. one thing they have mentioned is verified stressors. you guys, but kinda gives me the chills, considering this is the kind of James Ward was one of at least 18 juvenile soldiers killed at Vietnamfive were 16, like him, 11 others were 17, and one was 15 and had forged his birth certificate to join. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? Nice Web. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. Check out the VA web-site and your local Vet Center. What amazes me however is that so many of my comrades who served in Vietnam and who suffer from many of the maladies associated with this war would serve again. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? I dont have any but ONE Viet Vet friend still alive, he and I served in Marines 1st marine Airwing, 1967 at Da Nang Air Base and left the day befor TET offensive started Jan 1, 1968. Do you think there shouldnt be any baggage there? In my mind they were throwing out a SWAG. Locality: Detroit, in the state of Michigan. Neither of us has since flown again. I am an in country vet and 59 years old, your article wasvery informative. Jorge Otero Barreto. According the them there was a giant wall that stopped all aerial spraying and river flow from the rivers into the Gulf of Tonkin where we got our drinking, cooking and bathing water just like the Aussie sailors in the Gulf the Aussie government through scientific studies found that drinking the water from the Navy desalination processors actually concentrated the dioxins rather than filter them out. Deeds need to be done in addition to words, says Wowwk, who is 100 percent disabled from his Vietnam wounds. In popular culture, the stereotype of the broken, homeless Vietnam vet began to take hold thanks to films like The Deer Hunter (1978), Coming Home (1978) and First Blood (1982). Is there anyone who actually has documented evidence of the Viet Nam vet suicides? sent back to the 4/18 artillery, the same unit I left in Germany. There are tons of Era Vets who are categorized as Vietnam Veterans, which is sort of true, but they are Vietnam ERA Vets, and never left the United States. I am slowly dying from AO and my country has once again tried to spit on me. . I have heard to many times of other shipmates getting ischemic heart disease or diabetes I for one had a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery but no boots on the ground. Had my good times, as well as bad times, after leaving the US Army, April 10, 1970 I always look at that date as my second Birthday There is only ONE KIND OF VIET NAM VET,,ONE WHO WAS THERE. Were going to demand an official review to a hearings officer. Soon we won't have any World War II Veterans remaining. No one can do a C & P exam in that short of time. Needless to say neither of us flew again after that, he is 100% PTSD . Hi Mike. Yer pal, Ferraeri Bubba. Mike. After all these past years, Ive never left country,took me years to live again. How long did a soldier have to serve in Vietnam? It was after returning to the U.S. and while en route to the hospital that Wowwk first encountered hostility as a veteran. During that year, 1,928 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. what does that tell u? In case you havent been paying attention these past few decades after you When my wife and I go to a restaurant I always ask for a booth or table by the wall, so I can see whats going on around me. when i arrived at my unit, 2/11th acr, how battery, a scruffy looking latino guy who happened to be back in the rear, convinced me, i needed to volunteer to go out to e-troop, in his stead, (hed already been out there 6 mo. And instead of getting return peace fingers, I got the middle finger.. It was Bob Kerrey. I do know this. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. The only qualifier may be that there is a misunderstanding about what In Country means. Weve used them up we need young ones. During the Vietnam War, a total of 9,087,000 military people were on active service, with over 2,709,000 Americans serving in Vietnam. I had 6 close buddies in Vietnam. I get to testify and present them with the story of a 20 y/o medic carrying dead and wounded around for 14 months in country. But the specter of Vietnam still lingers, and some of that wars veterans view such acts with a wary glance. Mike. We built houches in 1967. Ant help would be greatly appreciated. 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THERS IS ONLY ONE KIND OF COMBAT VET..ONEWHOWAS IN COMBAT. I showed this to a non vet to see if I was not clear (PTSD) and he was shocked at the number of Nam Vets who were passing away. best regards. I was a Medic with the 93rd Evac. Names were called, Vets were spit on, along with not being respected by our own did happen. Mike. OK I also am wary of statistics thrown out on the web, being a former Marine and a Viet Nam Vet I looked up the numbers from one of the sources indicated.. found that the Naval Health Institute who crunches no. Some of the responses did not come through our site in a timely fashion. Your email address will not be published. Why are my bok choy leaves turning yellow? The obituarities almostevery day in our area list someone who served in Vietnam. the word from the rear was we werent authorized cib. I too have found the Veterans War Museum to be a bit odd at times. statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE. Most Vietnam Veterans are in their 60s and the average lifespan for a male in USA is 74. Endemic in the rivers of Vietnam, the worms can easily be wiped out with a handful of pills early on, but left untreated they can live for decades without making their hosts sick. V.F.W. All my Vet friends died from suicide, cancer, heart attack (drinking themselves to death). but sofar nothing how many are reallyleft? Think I might be carrying some baggage? I knew how to get more than enough for everything I needed. How did American soldiers treat the Vietnamese? Protestors demonstrate for full benefits for all US veterans, including Vietnam War veterans in July, 1974. You should document that to the Patient Advocate Office. The Vietnam veterans, we couldnt believe it. I spent nearly thirty years as an officer and still teach them. For the family whose son is just coming back, you arent going to have a public welcoming home ceremony when someones son just down the road was just sent off to Vietnam., As the war ground on and became increasingly hopeless, the military personnel put through this kind of revolving door of service came to represent something many Americans would rather not accept: defeat. At a time when I was paying $300 a credit, my entire educational benefit was $126. And when it came to finding a job, he was met with thinly veiled disgust and discrimination from law firms upon learning he was a Vietnam infantry veteran. Everything else is pure bullshit..1969-1970 GRUNT 11 bravo in the jungle..and damn PROUD of itSCREW ALL THE FAKERSNO MAN ENOUGH TO BE TRUE. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Especially if you are happily married. How Many Veterans Are Enrolled In College? Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for disability compensation benefits because of exposure to Agent Orange. I hope you all know that if you were in country and have diabetes you are basically automatically qualified for soem degree of compensation their is a presumptive connection as there is with various cancers. But looking out the window and seeing civilians stop to watch the small convoy of hospital-bound vehicles, his excitement turned to confusion. I just wonder how many of us boots on decks guys are going to be dying off before the VA and congress realize that we are due for our agent orange exposure also. Walker another 4 year RA, he left Germany volunteered for Vietnam, assigned to served in-country . Often asked: What To Say In A Letter To A Veteran? 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. So, lets say there were not more, just, alot. It is still tragic. 1 The excess mortality, especially through motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, and accidental poisonings, occurred mainly in the first 5 years after discharge from active duty and involved. Im going to put that review officer in my shoes as a 20 y/o medic. How many Vietnam vets are dying each day? My buddy Jim was stationed with MAG-11. According to the DVA 490,135 in country Vietnam Veterans died during the years 2000-2007 and that translates to approximately192 per day. MarDivPhoto on Oct 9, 2009 refers to the American War Museum website, and mike_brewer on Oct 12, 2009 refers to the Vietnam War Museum, both as the source of the number 850,000 living Vietnam veterans. They all understand. The disability compensation that some veterans get from the VA is factored into the average for veterans. You must (with very few exceptions) have a high school diploma. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in VietNam ?!?!? Thus, a follow-up mo. I am a Marine Vietnam Vet (6/67-7/68) & a MarineDesert Shield/Storm Vet. What a joke. If not mustard gas, then agent orange, the the Gulf syndrome. I am not sure anyone will ever quantify the exact number of suicides. The last Vietnam Vet will die in 2047. Did not know his name but I couldnt bring myself to walk by his A/O after this happened. The USS Rhona was blown up with a German missile. Can you send flowers anonymously through 1800flowers? See for yourself in 2000 there were 2.7 million Vietnam Veterans alive: http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf I would like to see how much that differs from the civilian population and are they no. just to crunch no. Aloha How many brain cells will you have by then? at the time i wasnt concerned, though, some of the guys working as fos, who were planning on a military career, were trying to get cibs. Vietnam was a lost war, and it was the first major lost war abroad in American history, Lembcke says. Last name: I do not know or care, where your stats came from. 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. does not receiving a cib mean im not a combat vet? I knew we were losing our numbers fast but not nearly as fast as we are, thank you for the education. Same goes with the SF flash. Thank you. Yes some do fabricate stuff. I sorts blended in until I retired in 2003 and joined the CT First Cav Assoc and finally met groundpounders like muself. The dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982 began the process, but many identify the Gulf War of 1990-91with its national flag-waving, yellow-ribbon cultural mobilization and the grand celebrations of a successful campaignas ending Vietnam Syndrome. The Iraqui and Afghan war vets are getting PTSD Tx. Born: 04/07/1937. Another who is 85,from Colorado and was on the USS Rhona in Tunisia in the early stages of WWll who filed his claim at age 80 for PTSD. There census number is quite high, but I do not think it is this high.). Criteria for Eligibility Ive been trying for 17 years now. What is the average lifespan of a veteran? It has been a great experience. Mike: Thanks for the unexpected note. That is a very large amount, equating to around 23.6 million. It can take decades for symptoms to appear. As of the last Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. 390 deaths Considering the kind of information available about the death rate of WWII and Korean War Veterans, publicized information indicates that in the last 14 years Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Heres the rub. Racial and Ethnic Groups 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 Millions Men Women. 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. Sen Jim Webb when he was Secretary of the Navy wrote an excellent article how the media, and in some cases the goverment gave birth to the myth that all Nam vets were in some way impaired or Rambos waiting to happen. Like our Vietnam Brothers, who followed a decade after us, there is a bond that can never be broken between us. Do you mean more information about Agent Orange? thanks rich. i forgot to mention in my above comment,that i was in the first infantry division,(the big red one),charlie company,2nd battalion,16th infantry regiment,rangers,in vietnam. I believe they may be using no. not too many left, Vietnam Veterans Dying Breed. Went looking for a new job,on foot walking many miles every day,but when they foung out that i was a vietnam veteran they would not hire me.Some would ask if I was a Drug addict 0r killed people etc. They can assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring Vietnam Veterans and their families. In war, there are no unwounded soldiers The 69-year-old, who lives in Port Jefferson Station, New York, didn't have any symptoms when he agreed to take part in the study, but hoped his participation could help save lives. 2015if any.. Please look at his webpage: Scientific Wild Ass Guess. Looking for people who served in the 134th assault helicopter co. from 1971 to 1972. Yes the war was not popular but we did go and do our duties we were trained to do. Hundreds of veterans have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while fighting in Southeast Asia. How many Vietnam War vets are left? Vietnam Veterans of America/ Vietnam Veterans Die Early/ Epidemiology for Vietnam Veterans/ Agent Orange Deaths, http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf, http://edschultz.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=63544, http://web.mac.com/rthorne2/Site/TRUTH_REVEALED_MINISTRY.html, Transcendental Meditation Retreat At Picture Rocks Retreat House, Veterans Across America Black Out Walmart Black Thursday. HEROLD, W.Va. A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Some, like Wowwk, say they had invectives hurled their way; others, like naval officer Ford Cole, remember being spit on. I am ex medic one-oh-worst airborne div. I have followed out governments proclivity to repeat errors endlessly. -----In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. I was wondering about these statistics. Astonishing! (fact check note by Mike Brewer. They cannot deny your ISD. This is hard to believe, It may precede a counter-appeal. Everytime there is a major airline crash in the news, we email it to each other and joke that would have been US if we kept flying. Says here, 2047. I was transfered to the 201st aviation co. in Nha Trang in 1972 to finnish my tour . ps in only 6-10 years.. *STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY VIETNAM VETERANS: * Please post the SOURCE of this statistic. As a combat veteran of Marine Corps having served in Vietnam, I have always known that we seem to have a mortality clock that ticks a bit faster than then that of the standard for insurance actuaries. Its called Mekong Protocol. Pete, be sure to ask your DAV guy if he thinks you have exhausted the Reconsideration process. Recently, a local widow of a serviceman received a shock when. The Vietnam War lasted from 1964-1973the longest war in American history. Age: 77. I was never a prisner but could relate to some of the tings the men talked about.I can also relate to the tinngs you talk about,, Any time Im around a crowd (large or small) I like to be where I can keep up w/everything going on around meUse to have panic attacks really bad if I had to be in publicWith help from VA mental health and medication Im now a lot better off.. What is a combat vet? Just a note of trivia. We returned home to an uncertain future with no skills needed in the civilian world, we would make our way the best we could in this Both are unlikely to life to 70, and both have suffered life-threatening diseases already which they are lucky to have survived. Im a Life member of VVA, DAV and AMVETs; spend almost two years in Vet Nam as Medic with 145th Avn Btn AND 11th ARVN Airborne Brigade. Over time, swelling and inflammation of the bile duct can lead to cancer. we went to the 1st sargent and he said ok. i went out for 7 or 8 mo. He would not comment on the findings, but said everyone who tested positive was notified. Starting to live with zest at 60 aint so bad. I was never spit on and in fact the only real negative stuff I saw when I got back was that lots of folks just didnt want to hear from us about our experiences. looking around. They quickly filed paperwork with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, for disability payments. I left the Corps in 1970 and went to work as a Police Officer in a large southern city. I do not concur with this figure. lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive.. in only 6 years.. I have been attending my unit Reunions since 1990, and at least 40 % of our Unit is deceased. Best wishes, I just watched a VN movie about the Hanoi Hilton.. They mainly noticed that people seemed uncomfortable around them and did not appear interested in hearing about their wartime experiences.. According to figures provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States, 530 Vietnam veterans pass away every single day. He was 15 years old and had been in-country nearly one month. Born: 09/15/1946. I have never had or felt the same camaradrie I experienced serving two tours I am rated 100% disabled and damn happy to be privileged and capable of pushing out this small Blog. Any anecdotal evidence that has come my way over the years is not from books. The following are some 61% of those killed were younger than twenty one and 11,465 of those killed were younger than twenty years of age. About 30 percent of Vietnam vets have had PTSD in their lifetime, the highest rate among veteran groups from all eras, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD. However, the unit is most well-known for its exploits during the Vietnam War, which took place between 1955 and 1975. Of the 50 blood samples submitted, more than 20 percent came back positive or bordering positive for liver fluke antibodies, said Sung-Tae Hong, the tropical medicine specialist who carried out the tests at Seoul National University in South Korea. tell everyone that was their to go & get a blood test to check for agent orange 1st comes diabetes then prostate cancer thats what a dr told me yesterday. Which took place between 1955 and 1975 the word from the VA and Vet... 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