Approximately 2,700,000 American men and women served in Vietnam. It was the first war in which the US failed to meet its objectives. It was also the first time America failed to welcome its veterans back as heroes.
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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. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
Did any American soldiers stay in Vietnam after the war?
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. Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting.
How many soldiers did the US kill in Vietnam?
58,220
The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War.
What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?
Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War II but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War.
How old is the average Vietnam veteran?
EsƟmated 6.4M Vietnam Era Veterans. Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). Median age is 68 years. An overwhelming majority of Vietnam Veterans are male (6.2M) while in the civilian populaƟon females (47.7M) outnumber males by 20.5M.
What were the odds of dying in Vietnam?
One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.
What did the Vietnamese call American soldiers?
American soldiers referred to the Viet Cong as Victor Charlie or V-C. “Victor” and “Charlie” are both letters in the NATO phonetic alphabet. “Charlie” referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.
How many Vietnam soldiers died of snake bites?
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. Some 10,786 American soldiers died of non-combat causes, including 9,107 by accidents and 938 due to illness.
How many American soldiers died on their first day in Vietnam?
997 soldiers
997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.
Why America lost the Vietnam War?
America “lost” South Vietnam because it was an artificial construct created in the wake of the French loss of Indochina. Because there never was an “organic” nation of South Vietnam, when the U.S. discontinued to invest military assets into that construct, it eventually ceased to exist.
How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam?
12 months
All US military personnel serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War were eligible for one R&R during their tour of duty (13 months for marines, 12 months for soldiers, sailors, airmen).
How many Vietnam War vets are still alive?
It took a toll on a generation of some nine million members of our armed forces who served during a 20 year period from 1955-1975. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 7.2 million are living today.
Where was the worst fighting in Vietnam?
The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January – 9 July 1968) was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War.
Who did the most tours in Vietnam?
Sergeant First Class Jorge A. Otero Barreto (born 7 April 1937), a.k.a. “the Puerto Rican Rambo” and “Sergeant Rock”, is a former United States Army soldier. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War.
What Army infantry was in Vietnam?
23rd Infantry Division (United States)
| 23rd Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Part of | Regular Army |
| Nickname(s) | Americal |
| Colors | Blue and white |
| Engagements | World War II Northern Solomons Southern Philippines Vietnam War Tet Counteroffensive Sanctuary Counteroffensive |
How many black soldiers served in Vietnam?
300,000 African-Americans
By lowering the education standards of the draft, an estimated 40% of the 246,000 draftees of Project 100,000 were Black. A total of 300,000 African-Americans served in Vietnam.
How big was a platoon in Vietnam?
The Vietnam War was called A Platoon Leader’s War, for the young lieutenants and their troops were often isolated by mountains and triple canopy forests. An infantry platoon is made up of four squads of ten men each; and, like Daniel Boone, the young leaders had independence of thought and action.
What MOS has the highest death rate?
The Marine Corps experienced the highest fatality rates per 100,000 for all causes (122.5), unintentional injury (77.1), suicide (14.0), and homicide (7.4) of all the services. The Army had the highest disease and illness-related fatality rate (20.2 per 100,000) of all the services.
How long did a soldier have to serve in Vietnam?
The majority of service members deployed to South Vietnam were volunteers, even though hundreds of thousands of men opted to join the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard (for three or four year terms of enlistment) before they could be drafted, serve for two years, and have no choice over their military occupational
Which state sent the most soldiers to Vietnam?
Here are the 10 states with the most Vietnam veterans:
- West Virginia (2,928 per 100k)
- Wyoming (2,896 per 100k)
- Alaska (2,720 per 100k)
- New Mexico (2,683 per 100k)
- South Carolina (2,604 per 100k)
- New Hampshire (2,600 per 100k)
- Oregon (2,600 per 100k)
- Delaware (2,567 per 100k)
