Units on intelligence collection operations frequently let a threat pass by unmolested. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. To put this in perspective, consider that the population of the US was 220 million during the Vietnam War. Controversy regarding the M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the riflemans primary weapon in the theater. During the 1968 Tet Offensive the Communists attacked 155 cities, towns and hamlets in South Vietnam. The Vietnam force contained three time as many college graduates as did the WW II force. 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian, 10.6%, (275,000) were black, 1.0% belonged to other races, 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (including Hispanics). 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 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. Before the Normandy invasion (D Day, 1944) the US Army (In WW II the US Army included the Army Air Corps which today has become the US Airforce) in England filled its own jails with American soldiers who refused to fight and then had to rent jail space from the British to handle the overflow. 2. 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. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. This ratio of support to line troops is also comparable with other wars, and helps dispel the notion that every troop in Vietnam was engaged in mortal combat on a daily basis. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? For those who think that Vietnam was strictly a civil war, the following should be of interest. 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. Location was a second factor that determined whether a man pulled, or should have pulled, the trigger of his weapon. For one to feel vindicated, as opposed to being vindicated, one must have first been feeling guilty. The former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces. Average per capita consumption of electricity in the United States is 80 times that of Vietnam. 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. remaining 77 C-5A's, pointing to the continuing problem of weak wings. How was australia involved in the vietnam war? On 17 Mar 75 the NVA Sixth and Seventh Divisions attacked Xuan Loc but were repulsed by the ARVN 18th. Often every man fired during a contact; at other times, only a few had the opportunity. How old is the average Vietnam vet? Marshall himself visited Vietnam to conduct studies similar to those done during World War II and later emulated in Korea. According to statistics, around 60 million people in the United States suffer from being flat-footed. Therefore, the number of actual "trigger pullers" added up to 67,600. 23% had fathers with professional, managerial, or technical occupations. In the European Theater alone, the US Army sentenced 443 American soldiers to death. 7 What were the odds of dying in Vietnam? 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. 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. But what factors influenced how many times a man had the opportunity to engage the enemy during his time in Southeast Asia? Firing their weapons risked compromising a patrols position, whereas resisting the temptation could provide the information-collectors with several more days of unmolested activity. About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . Time likewise played its part. 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.) There other US Army joined them and South Korean soldiers and the US Navy eventually evacuated 105,000 Allied troops from that port. 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw combat are proud to have served their country. Although the habitual coward was rare, 80 percent of those explaining why a fellow soldier did not fire cited fear as one of the causes. 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. The Battle of Xuan Loc; Mar 17 - Apr 17, 1975 & The End. All of them shared borders with Laos. 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. It's ironic that in spite of all the hype and hullabaloo about the Viet Cong and the American Soldiers both were absent from the final battles for South Vietnam. What did the Viet Cong call American soldiers? The primary job of the first group was to engage the enemy with small-arms fire. In the case of the second group, vital duties were left undone if on contact these men first raised rifle to shoulder or drew a pistol to engage. (The national average death. Les preacute ceacute dentes estimations de source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens. 66% of Viet vets say they would serve again, if called upon. Blacks accounted for 10.5 percent the combat deaths in Vietnam. By comparison, at the peak of the War there were 545,000 US Military personnel in Vietnam. That meant enemy infiltration routes were difficult to travel during all but the February-to-May period. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? in 'Nam was 19 (26 for WWII). All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam despite their oral claim of service there. That number was reasonable: About 9.2 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam era . Only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. Contents1 How many US officers were fragged [] In all those years, he never once fought against the Americans. The Galaxy had taken-off from Tan Son Nhut airbase and had reached analtitude of approximately 23,000 feet and was approximately 40 miles fromSaigon when it's rear clamshell cargo doors blew off crippling its flight controls. What Does Landline Mean in the Military? In spite of the Case - Church Congressional guarantee, the North Vietnamese were very leery of US President Nixon. In not one instance did the people rise up to support the Communists. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? If a BTA comes into being, trade between the two countries will soar. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Even large American companies such as Boeing depend on SMEs. This widget requries the Arqam Lite Plugin, You can install it from the Theme settings menu > Install Plugins. There are also special units to assist the designated infantry soldiers in hitting the battlefield. 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. 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. As you know, sap , A tactical belt is used to carry extra gear and shows extreme durability. 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! Most veterans say they would endorse the military as a career choice. [*] Vietnam veterans of other nations are also listed. Once the draft dodging gang's numbers reached critical mass, the media and politicians started playing to the numbers. 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. 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. POG , Landline is not an exclusive military term and is not included in the long list of military slang. This article summarizes those findings relating to whether men fired their weapons and what factors influenced their willingness to do so. Likewise, men quickly learned where the chances of enemy contact were greater. This at a time when America had drawn its Cold War battle lines and as a result had the US Navy protecting Taiwan, 50,000 troops in South Korea and over 300,000 troops in Western Europe (Which has a land area, economy and population comparable to that of the United States), along with ironclad guarantees that if Communist forces should cross any of those Cold War lines or Soviet Armor should role across either the DMZ in Korea or the Iron Curtain in Europe, then there would be an unlimited response by the armed forces of the United States, to include if necessary, the use of nuclear weapons. This was supposedly done to illustrate Life's concern for the sanctity of human life; American human life. However, the written, video and voice records of that involvement are distorted beyond recognition. The Hanoi government revealed on April 3 that the true civilian casualties of the Vietnam War were 2,000,000 in the north, and 2,000,000 in the south. What is 1645 in Military Time? (Detailed Answer), What Does XO Mean in Military? Because of this, Army infantry will see a lot of combat.What Percentage Of The Military Sees Combat?www.operationmilitarykids.org BlogAbout Featured Snippets, Top 10 Units in the Vietnam War# 8: The 11th Calvary Regiment. 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. Comments to: This email address is being protected from spambots. Although it was not evident until after the war, 1968 was undeniably the year in which the chances of being killed were greatest. The most glaring example of the existence of the dodging guilt syndrome can be found in a statement made by the ranking head dodger himself. That same infantryman might later be on the perimeter of a defensive position when the enemy attacked the other side of his firebase. The US Army in Vietnam never had to rent jail space from the Vietnamese to incarcerate American soldiers who refused to fight. He concluded that much had changed since those earlier conflicts and that it was not unusual for close to 100 percent of American infantrymen to engage the adversary during firefights in Vietnam. The NVA reinforced with their 325th Division and began moving their 10th and 304th Divisions into position. Only one other B-52 tail gunner had scored a successful kill against a Vietnamese fighter, though more than 30 B-52s had been shot down throughout the conflict. This same Congress then turned around and abandoned America's former ally, South Vietnam. 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. 2023 Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 310, VVA310.orgAll rights reserved. Error Can not Get Tweets, Incorrect account info. The lessons of Vietnam are there for those willing to learn. All Rights Reserved en.trandaiquang.org - 2023. 1967, CACCF Record Counts by Reason (Cause of Casualty) (as of 12/98), in order of most frequent cause to least frequent cause, CACCF Record Counts by Year of Death or Declaration of Death (as of 12/98), TOTAL NUMBER OF PATIENTS EVACUATED FROM VIETNAM, U.S. ARMY, BY MONTH, 1965-69. 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. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. But what some people may not be aware of is the purpose , A tactical flashlight comes in handy for doing missions or outdoor activities in the dark. From these responses it seems that Americans in Vietnam had little hesitation to engage their enemy. Several of those I spoke with were from media outlets that had names containing words such as Times, Time, USA, Globe, Tribune, etc. 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? And the fucking flies. One historian estimates between 150 and 300 US personnel died in Vietnam from the effects of snakebite. Long Beach CA 90805-7549 The second basic group consisted of others who accompanied those of the first group. In spite of it's wing problems this was only the second crash of a C-5A after over 190,000 combined flying hours by the USAF but the first crash resulting in loss-of-life. Before overrunning Xuan Loc the NVA had committed six full divisions, plus a host various support troops. Mar 1973; Last US POW released from Hanoi Hilton, and in accordance with Paris Agreements, last American GI leaves Vietnam. (Answered), What Percentage of Military Marriages End in Divorce? Works by Bao Ninh, the author of The Sorrow of War. This at a time when only 65% of the military age males in the general American population were high school graduates. 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. These alternatives were means of dealing with a threat without compromising firing positions. 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. Responsive design by BDB Marketing Design, LLC, VVA 310 PO Box 3221 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-3221, Never Again Shall A Vet Return Home From Battle To Be Made To Feel Alone And \Unappreciated, 8,744,000 personnel were on active duty during the war (5 August 1964-28, 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. 97% of Vietnam era vets were honorably discharged. At first it was thought the crash may have been attributed to sabotage but later ruled-out by the USAF. 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. 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. The amount of combat experience played a dominating role in the likelihood a man survived. Time influenced fatalities in another way, too. They were like sacks of water. 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. Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). They were installing air defense systems, building, operating and maintaining SAM (Surface to Air Missiles) sites, plus they provided training and logistical support for the North Vietnamese military. 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. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. During this fight, the ARVN 18th had 5,000 soldiers at Xuan Loc. 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. 3. Yet the observations of these veterans prompt the question of why, on average, nearly two of every 10 men were not firing when their unit was in contact. During that year, 1,928 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. The people did rise, but in revulsion and resistance to the invaders. Served either on land or at sea in Vietnam however, the media and politicians started playing to the Get... 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The peak of the first group accordance with Paris Agreements, Last American GI leaves Vietnam its... That same infantryman might later be on the enemy and shows extreme durability to fight be of interest, that!, What Does XO Mean in military professional, what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat, or technical occupations only %...