Sunday, July 3, 2016

V I E T N A M W A R S T A T I S T I C S


The Vietnam Special Operations Black Wall  Fort Bragg, NC
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Source: U.S. Government (VA Web Site Stats)
Photos By: Gary Thomas
  • Vietnam Vets: 9.7% of their generation
  • 9,087,000 Military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era.  Aug. 5,  1964 - May 7,  1975. 
  • 8,744,000 GIs Were on active duty during the war. Aug. 5,  1964 - March 28, 1973
  • 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 Offshore) Personnel served in the Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Flight Crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea Waters.)
  • 2,594,000 Personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. Jan. 1, 1965 - Mar. 28, 1973
Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
  • 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.
  • Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1969)
  • Hostile deaths:  47,378
  • Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
  • Total:  58,202 (Includes men formorley classified as MIA and Mayaguez Casualties.) Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total. 
  • 8 Nurses died - 1 was KIA
  • Married men killed: 17,539
  • 61% of the men killed were 21 or younger..
  • Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1 (National Average 58.9 for every 100,000 males in 1970.
  • Wounded: 303,704 --- 153,329 Hospitalized + 150,375 Injured requiring no hospital care
  • Severely disabled: 75,000-----23,214 100% Disabled;  5,283 Lost limb;  1,081 Sustained multiple amputations. 
  • Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WW II  and 70% higher than Korea. Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WW II. 
  • Missing in action:  2,338.
  • POWs:  766 (114 Died in captivity.)
  • 25% (648,500) Of total forces in country were draftees.
  • Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
  • Reservist killed: 5,977
  • National Guard: 6,140 Served; 101 Died
  • Total draftees (1965-73):  1,728,344.
  • Actually served in Vietnam 38%.
  • Marine Corps Draft: 42,633
  • Last man drafted June 30,  1973.  
  • 76% Of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds
  • Three fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds..
  • Some 23% Of Vietnam Vets had fathers with proffessional, managerial, or technical occupations.
  • 79% Of the men who served Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service. (63% Of Korean War Vets and only 45% of WW II Vets had completed high school upon separation).
  • Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South-31;
    West-29.9; Midwest-28.4; Northeast-23.5.            
  • 88.4%  Of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were Black; 1% belonged to other races.
  • 86.3% Of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (Includes Hispanics);  12.5%  (7,241) Were Black; 1.2% Belonged to other races.
  • 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam;  3,070 (5.2% Of total) died there.
  • 70% Of enlisted men killed were of Northwest European Descent.
  • 86.8% Of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were Caucasian; 12.1% (5,711) Were Black; 1.1% Belonged to other races.
  • 14.6% (1,530) Of Non-Combat deaths were among Blacks.
  • 34% OF Blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.  
  • Overall , Blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the % of Blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.           
  • Religion of dead; Protestant -- 64.4%;   Catholic -- 28.9%;  Other/None 6.7%
  • 82% Of Veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will. 
  • Nearly 75% Of the public agrees it was a failure of political will not of arms.
  • 97% Of Vietnam Era Veterans were honorably discharged.
  • 91% Of actual Vietnam War Veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
  • 66% Of Vietnam Vets say they would serve again if called upon.
  • 87% Of the public now holds Vietnam Veterans in high esteem.

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