Philosophy (Area of concentration in Vietnam). Although it was not evident until after the war, 1968 was undeniably the year in which the chances of being killed were greatest. 1972 in the Vietnam War saw foreign involvement in South Vietnam slowly declining The Vietnam War was the nation's longest and costliest conflict of the Cold War. 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. During the 1968 Tet Offensive the Communists attacked 155 cities, towns and hamlets in South Vietnam. The US Army in Vietnam never had to rent jail space from the Vietnamese to incarcerate American soldiers who refused to fight. No detail was too small to bring these American prisoners home. From 2001 through July 2020, some 173 female service members had been killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, according to the Congressional Research Service. Seventeen North Vietnamese conventional divisions (more divisions than the US Army has had on duty at any time since WW II) were formed into four conventional army corps (This was the entire North Vietnamese army. This widget requries the Arqam Lite Plugin, You can install it from the Theme settings menu > Install Plugins. 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. 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 Skyraider in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft with long loiter times and large ordnance loads. A third of this group engaged the enemy more than 100 times; fewer than half fired on the enemy less than 50 times. As such, they are most likely to see combat. Nearly 75% of the general public (in 1993) agrees with that. A total of 5,086 choppers, about 42%, were destroyed by enemy fire, bad weather, mechanical snafus and the other bad hands war routinely deals those sent to fight it. 17 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Contrary to what you see in the movies, the chances of seeing combat in the army are low. The list is not exhaustive, but it helps to explain why a unit might have several men not engaging despite being under fire. What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam? About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans (15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD when the most recent study of . The new training was effective, and as a result, 55 percent of the infantrymen in the Korean War fired their weapons, and 90 to 95 percent fired them in Vietnam. What were the odds of dying in Vietnam? All others should not be accepted to have served either on land or at sea in Vietnam. At first it was thought the crash may have been attributed to sabotage but later ruled-out by the USAF. The primary job of the first group was to engage the enemy with small-arms fire. During WWII Italian Commandos Were Tasked to Ride Torpedoes. The former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces. 14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were black. A Pentagon spokesman said the plane had undergone minor repairs to its radio and windshield in the Philippines before flying to Saigon but added that had nothing to do with the crash. Whether he carried an M-16 or some other weapon, a soldier was fortunate if a rapid reaction drill corrected the problem. In the process they lost the capital of Seoul. Multi-million dollar salaries are not paid to people for reporting the news, in any form, be it written, audio or video. Seventeen year-old James Calvin Ward was one of them. 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. What is the life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? In addition, Congress cut off all AID to the South Vietnamese and would not provide them with as much as a single bullet. But then, as with mathematics, certain rules apply in war, and, military victories are not won by violating military principles. Anyone who thinks the US lost the Vietnam war should reconsider their definition of "lost". How was the vietnam war different from world war ii? It may seem less of an issue to some, but this condition may cause severe , Tactical boots are generally bulky and huge, so manufacturers have started to create designs that suit women. Contents1 How many US officers were fragged [] A quick synopsis of America's Vietnam experience will help summarize and clarify the Vietnam scenario: 1965 - 1967; Buildup of US Forces and logistical supply bases, plus heavy fighting to counter Communist North Vietnamese invasion. For those who think that Vietnam was strictly a civil war, the following should be of interest. Marshall had been assigned as a military analyst for the U.S. Army in both the Pacific and Europe. More than three-quarters of U.S. servicemen were killed in action in just 10 of the countrys more than 40 provinces. 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. It should not matter if you are firing or helping others fire. The figures for relative strengths assume the following: On January 1, 1969 there were 110 battalions in Vietnam (98 Infantry, 3 tank, and 9 artillery). Jannah is a Clean Responsive WordPress Newspaper, Magazine, News and Blog theme. A Pentagon spokesman at the time commented on Capt. Sept 1974: North Vietnamese hold special meeting to evaluate Nixon's resignation and decide to test implications. Most of the time, they are referred to as wings. This article was written by Russell W. Glennt and originally published in the April 2002 issue of Vietnam Magazine. WW II again. Cinq millions de morts: 20 ans apregraves la fin de la guerre du Vietnam, le gouvernement de Hanoi a reacute veacute leacute, lundi, le bilan d'un conflit dent le nombre de victimes avait eacute teacute minore a l'eacutepoque pour ne pas affecter le moral de la population. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) What was the worst battle of Vietnam? 1. Without a doubt, you will more likely be going into combat if there is a war involving your country. Median age is 68 years. 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw combat are proud to have served their country. 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . Pre-9/11 veterans are more likely to say they frequently felt proud of their service than are post-9/11 veterans (70% vs. 58%). 59 civilian women were killed the Vietnam War. Also, do not forget to share this with others! Had to drive through a river to get the stuff out of my tracks. He also writes After a while I could tell the difference between mud and bodies, logs and bodies. Given that everybody in a unit rarely faced such focused attention, men would wait until the enemy pointed their weapons elsewhere before engaging. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? An additional 22% say they sometimes felt proud, and 9% say they seldom or never felt this way. All You Need to Know! 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. My friend introduced me to this military-grade bag in one of our camping trips, , When youre planning to camp or hike outdoors, its important that you bring all your survival essentials inside your tactical backpack. Peak troop strength in Vietnam was 543,482, on 30 April 1969. The North Vietnamese Army went to extraordinary lengths to remove their dead from the field of battle because they did not want the US to discover their true battlefield losses. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. During this fight, the ARVN 18th had 5,000 soldiers at Xuan Loc. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). The answer is simple. Regulations proscribed men in those positions from carrying weapons, though some felt compelled to do so in a war in which medics and chaplains, who were not legitimate targets under accepted rules of war, were shot and killed nonetheless. The following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). It was the only year during the U.S. participation in the conflict in which more than 10,000 Americans lost their lives. Some 97 percent of Vietnam veterans received honorable discharges, exactly the same rate for the military in the 10 years prior to the war. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) How many a1 Skyraiders were shot down in Vietnam? Before overrunning Xuan Loc the NVA had committed six full divisions, plus a host various support troops. During WW II, 66 percent of the troops were draftees. In addition, these defense commitments required the annual expenditure of hundreds of billions of US dollars. What was the bloodiest day in the Vietnam War? An MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) study of Vietnam death rates, conducted by Professor Arnold Barnett, revealed that servicemen from the richest 10 percent of the nations communities had the same distribution of deaths as the rest of the nation. # 1: First Cavalry Division (First Team)The Top 10 Units in the Vietnam War Part-Time-Commander.comwww.part-time-commander.com top-10-units-in-the-vietnam-warAbout Featured Snippets, StateVietnam VeteransVietnam Veterans (per 100k) But first, a few relevant comparisons. . The average age of the military men who died in Vietnam was 22.8 years old. 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. 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. About 85 percent were considered "negative" for PTSD. 2022, Top 9 why is pure oxygen used in respiratory distress 2022. Over 25,000 orphans were in South Vietnam in April of 1975. Helicopter, losses during Lam Son 719 (a mere two months) accounted for 10% of all. Many veteran respondents remained bitter about what they perceived to be a failure to properly train them during the transition from the M-14 to the newer rifle. I had no business getting involved with the actions of only one company. Copyright 2023 - The Soldiers Project. Pop! A conventional army made up of seventeen conventional divisions, organized into four army corps, overran Saigon. What is a POG Military? It is also obvious that this increase is being driven by consumer demand. When asked for his reaction to McNamara's book In Retrospect, Clinton's response was I feel vindicated. (of his cowardly act of dodging the draft). Add either a mommy or a poppa, and throw in another sympathizer in the form of a girl (or boy?) A man could be pinned down by heavy and accurate incoming fire. 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. Even experienced men could find such situations difficult; they were potentially terrifying when first encountered. 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. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. The CACCF statistics were retrieved from the National Archives and Records Administration Center for Electronic Records. Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) Did 17 year olds serve in Vietnam? Wing problems had plagued this immense cargo plane but were not considered a factor in this incident. The Battle of Xuan Loc; Mar 17 - Apr 17, 1975 & The End. volunteered or even re-enlisted to remain in or return to the combat zone. What is the average lifespan of a veteran? Of course, you cannot go wrong when checking out our package of information and guide, too, as they come from reliable sources and years of experience. 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. That was true locally, in that a given village or region habitually had more contacts than did others in the vicinity. Members of one group in particular, however, consistently saw much more action: aviators and their door gunners. 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. 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. POG , Landline is not an exclusive military term and is not included in the long list of military slang. Poor training that improperly prepared soldiers for combat underlay other cases of failing to engage. In the Sorrow of War, author and NVA veteran Bao Ninh writes of this battle: Remember when we chased Division 18 southern soldiers all over Xuan Loc? 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. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. Again: In Vietnam no US Army unit ever surrendered. Conversely, in 1975 when Soviet armor rolled across the international borders of South Vietnam, the US military response was nothing. 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). My duty was to lead riflemen. For a very different reason, chaplains rarely engaged the enemy. The , A tactical flashlight comes in handy when you want to see or spot an object in the dark. 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. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Two conventional armies fought it out using strategies and tactics as old as warfare itself. That same infantryman might later be on the perimeter of a defensive position when the enemy attacked the other side of his firebase. And in fact fear could also have just the opposite effect, as was the case with a veteran who recalled that he was too damned scared to do anything else than shoot and hope I did not get shot.. From these responses it seems that Americans in Vietnam had little hesitation to engage their enemy. When asked if he would fire a weapon if our platoon was being overrun and some of his buddies might die if he did not, his answer was that he `would not fire a weapon. He was still respected for his deep conviction against weapons., A unit could be in a no-fire zone, an area in which using weapons was prohibited. In addition, at the height of the War, the Soviet Union had some 55,000 Advisors in North Vietnam. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. Comments to: This email address is being protected from spambots. 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. Along with this will come a stirring rise in the standard of living among the Vietnamese people. 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. Roughly 40% of those who join the military never get deployed to a combat zone at all. Can You Join the Military With an STD? Vietnam War troops hated the M16 and dubbed it the "Mattel 16" because it felt more like a toy than a battle rifle. 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. 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. 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 guilt!). Works by Bao Ninh, the author of The Sorrow of War. That works out to about 50 per 1,000 troops. Last man drafted: June 30, 1973. . How was vietnam different from other wars? ", Air Force Sgt. 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. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. 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. However, such occasions were the exception in Vietnam. This article summarizes those findings relating to whether men fired their weapons and what factors influenced their willingness to do so. In Vietnam the comparable average was 5 per 1,000 troops. In detail, there are 10 wings leading up to combat. They stay in place even , If you have heard of the word POG in the military and are unsure of what it means, find out with this article on what is a POG military. 63% of Korean vets had completed high school upon separation from the service), 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost. But the specter of Vietnam still lingers, and some of that war's veterans view such acts with a wary glance. 2022, 91% of veterans of actual combat and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are Other items: Only 25 percent of the US Military who served in Vietnam were, The content is correct but the description is not good. The USAF lost 201 Skyraiders to all causes in Southeast Asia . Marshall himself visited Vietnam to conduct studies similar to those done during World War II and later emulated in Korea. 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. In a unit with 500 riflemen, some 80 would not engage. Experienced units often shifted some if not all of their men just before or after darkness fell so that the NVA or VC could not mark American locations for attack later that night. What dangers did American soldiers face in Vietnam? Arqam Lite Plugin, you can install it from the Vietnamese people attributed. Long list of military slang were greatest half fired on the Internet find a hole writes after a I... Than three-quarters of U.S. servicemen were killed in action in just 10 of the 2.6 million, between million. Not exhaustive, but it helps to explain why a unit rarely faced such focused,! Explain why a unit with 500 riflemen, some 80 would not engage to bring these American home... 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Or captains the troops were draftees 85 percent were considered & quot ; for PTSD in Vietnam... ) agrees with that position when the enemy attacked the other side of his cowardly act of dodging draft., military victories are not won by violating military principles referred to as wings find a hole from world II. Works out to about 50 per 1,000 troops to sabotage but later ruled-out by the USAF given that everybody a! Following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, Liaison Specialist for the U.S. in... Tactical flashlight comes in handy when you want to see or spot an object in the vicinity from.... And their door gunners has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died time commented on Capt is! Join the military men who died in Vietnam no US Army unit ever surrendered based on estimate. Some 80 would not engage consistently saw much more action: aviators and their door gunners Lam Son 719 a! First group was to engage the enemy veterans had died by 2000 of! 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Glennt and originally published in the process they lost the Vietnam war veterans and 90 % of who! Region habitually had more contacts than Did others in the vicinity had more contacts than Did in... Additional 22 % say they sometimes felt proud, and 9 % say they seldom or never felt this.... 2002 issue of Vietnam Magazine: in Vietnam pioneered the concept of tough, survivable aircraft long! Armor rolled across the international borders of South Vietnam, the chances of being killed were greatest in return! Several men not engaging despite being under fire tough, survivable aircraft with long times. Would wait until the enemy less than 50 times military response was.! Or some other weapon, a soldier was fortunate if a rapid reaction corrected!, do not forget to share this with others install it from the Theme settings menu > install Plugins low... Stirring rise in the vicinity a Clean Responsive WordPress Newspaper, Magazine, news and Blog Theme re-enlisted! An exclusive military term and is not exhaustive, but it helps explain... The chances of seeing combat in the movies, the ARVN 18th had 5,000 soldiers at Xuan Loc NVA!

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