On average, two 1st Cavalry Division soldiers awoke to their last sunrise every day of the 612 years the unit was in Vietnam. 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. The overwhelming majority of Americans killed, died in border battles against regular NVA units. Convincing evidence pointed to his having fabricated his World War II ratio-of-fire values, still so widely accepted at the time. The best tactical belts are made of strong webbing and durable buckles. 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. But even the men whose primary job was to engage the enemy found that at times they could not fire. What month is the cheapest to fly to vietnam? Nearly 80 percent engaged 50 or fewer times. All Rights Reserved en.trandaiquang.org - 2023. They were in Vietnam, but weren't serving in a combat arm. 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. Others are equally passionate about the M-16s alleged mechanical unreliability. It is also obvious that this increase is being driven by consumer demand. The below information is from www.lzsalley.com (101st Airborne), 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam Era (28 February 1961 - 7 May 1975), 8,744,000 personnel were on active duty during the war (5 August 1964-28March 1973), 3,403,100 (including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the SE Asia, Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand and sailors, 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam, Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964, Of the 2.6 million, between 1 and 1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in, combat, provided close combat support or were at least fairly regularly. Why did soldiers hate the M16? 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. 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. 87% of the public now holds Viet vets in high esteem. # 3: The 25th Infantry Division. 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. But they do not appear on TV and in military posters. Why? The plane was enroute to Travis AFB in California. 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. Was thailand involved in the vietnam war. At least 50 of the children were in the lower cargo level of the plane. The charge that the poor died in disproportionate numbers is also a myth. 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 what the highly regarded Brigadier General Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall, better known as S.L.A. This article was written by Russell W. Glennt and originally published in the April 2002 issue of Vietnam Magazine. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. The US Congress voted them out. How did American soldiers treat the Vietnamese? President Johnson just authorized an increase in U.S. military presence and by fall of 1965 over 150,000 soldiers had descended to Vietnam to fight in the war. Led mainly, by those prominent media types who made their bones (and in the process garnering fame and fortune to boot) back in the Good old days by reporting bad things about Vietnam. Finally, one veteran recalled his simply being outgunned as he stood naked on top of a shower stall put-ting water in. Dec 1974: North Vietnamese invade South Vietnamese Province of Phouc Long located north of Saigon on Cambodian border. The memorial was then officially dedicated. Because of faulty record keeping there is no confirmed number of Americans who served in Vietnam. They viewed him as one unpredictable, incredibly tough nut. 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. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. This was true despite the fact that the parent divisions reported being at, or slightly over, authorized strength. WW II again. Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam when the percentage. I should also mention that all these interviews took place in air-conditioned comfort, in places with names like Caravelle, Equatorial, Omni, Saigon Prince, etc. But first, a few relevant comparisons. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Given that everybody in a unit rarely faced such focused attention, men would wait until the enemy pointed their weapons elsewhere before engaging. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. It is not an uncommon question, but most military enthusiasts or soon-to-be service members get it wrong. 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. During that year, 1,928 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. Only nine of the 1st Cavalry Division veterans reported that they never personally fired on the enemy, a far different result from what Marshall had written was the case in the Pacific and Europe. They included assistant machine-gunners, whose first responsibilities were to load an M-60 and help the gunner to identify targets. 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. At that time black males of military age constituted 13.5 percent of the American population. . "We had to keep moving them from kid to kid. 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem. Jannah is a Clean Responsive WordPress Newspaper, Magazine, News and Blog theme. By comparison, at the peak of the War there were 545,000 US Military personnel in Vietnam. Again, the US Army War College Library provides numbers. A quick word about the South Vietnamese government lacking support from the people, and of the so called Popular support for the Communists. Seventeen year-old James Calvin Ward was one of them. Montana 32,361 2,933 It is not normal behavior for Americans to idolize mass murdering despots, to champion the cause of slavery, to abandon friends and allies, or to cut and run in the face of adversity. 2023 Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 310, VVA310.orgAll rights reserved. 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. The second largest cohort of (Time Converter Included), What Military Bases Are in Arizona? 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. Actually served in Vietnam: 38% Marine Corps Draft: 42,633. In the process they lost the capital of Seoul. Other items: Only 25 percent of the US Military who served in Vietnam were draftees. You may have seen this in military books or films. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. . Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. The average education level of the enlisted man in Vietnam was 13 years, equivalent to one year of college. 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. Poor training that improperly prepared soldiers for combat underlay other cases of failing to engage. Unlike what the military gives off as an impression, only a small portion of soldiers actually go into combat. More than 3.4 million deployed to Southeast Asia (1) and approximately 2.7 million of those served in the Republic of Vietnam (2). 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.. They were short of gunners on helicopters, because the life expectancy was somewhere between 13 and 30 days, he said. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. One of the many things , Swearing-in is a formal ceremony that marks the start of your career in the military. Marshall continued in his role as analyst and self-proclaimed military historian before, during and after the Korean War, authoring many more books and frequently appearing as a guest lecturer at Fort Leavenworth and other installations around the United States. In Vietnam no US generals, much less division commanders, were ever taken prisoner. The second basic group consisted of others who accompanied those of the first group. In 1969 Nixon started troop withdrawals that were essentially complete by late 1971. In 1969 the weekly average death toll from highway accidents in the United States was 1,082. As for brutality: During WW II the US Army executed nearly 300 of its own men. Some did it over and over. His description of the mass and maneuver were exquisite. Whose Dog Tag is Maria Bartiromo Wearing? 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). Controversy regarding the M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the riflemans primary weapon in the theater. All of them shared borders with Laos. Mar 1973; Last US POW released from Hanoi Hilton, and in accordance with Paris Agreements, last American GI leaves Vietnam. A Pentagon spokesman at the time commented on Capt. Moore noted that he was tempted by the opportunity to join his riflemen in firing on the enemy during fighting at LZ X-Ray in 1965, but he resisted the temptation. According to 2019 statistics, only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. For those who think that Vietnam was strictly a civil war, the following should be of interest. ", Air Force Sgt. 12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races. 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. Xuan Loc was the last major battle for South Vietnam. But, Vietnam is catching up. What to Wear to Military Swearing-in Ceremony & What Not to Wear? 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. Also, do not forget to share this with others! When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. By 8 Apr, Operation Baby Lift had resumed with the arrival of 56 orphans to the U.S. At the time of the crash over 18,000 orphans were being processed for evacuation from South Vietnam for adoption in the U.S. and other countries. 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam . On the other hand, if you are bummed out that you will not be involved in a lot of action like you expecteddo not be. Day in, day out it did not matter how long they had been soldiers, how many months of combat they had seen, or even that the enemy was about to overrun their position. Vietnams wildlife posed its own dangers. In detail, there are 10 wings leading up to combat. Given a Vietnamese population of approximately 38 million during the period 1954-1975, Vietnamese casualties represent a good 12-13% of the entire population. It was the only year during the U.S. participation in the conflict in which more than 10,000 Americans lost their lives. Often every man fired during a contact; at other times, only a few had the opportunity. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Many of these false 'war veterans' claim their alleged Vietnam service was "classified", and therefore never recorded. The most common military personnel are mechanics. So, the apex Vietnam-era veteran will be 78.6 around Sep. . Why did the US lose the war in Vietnam? Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam. During the Civil War, at the Battle of Bull Run, the entire Union Army panicked and fled the battlefield. 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. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? The question seemed inevitable: Had there been a problem with Americans willingness to engage the enemy in World War II? Of those who enlisted, 79 percent had high school diplomas. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? An Infantry battalion had 656 infantrymen (4 companies per battalion with 164 men per company). 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. So, continue reading for details on this topic of military members in combat. 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. Fifty four percent of the Americans killed in Vietnam were killed in the four northernmost provinces, which in addition to Quang Tri were Thua Thien, Quang Nam and Quan Tin. What is 1645 in Military Time? The former South Vietnam was made up of 44 provinces. 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. List of 8 Bases, What Happens if You Refuse a Military Draft? Most of these sentences were for the rape and or murder of civilians. They sought to cause the Americans to fire so that muzzle flashes would give the defenders positions away. In WWII at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, the Germans overran elements of the US Army. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? 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. 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. 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. 2. So, continue reading for details on this topic of military members in combatWhat Percentage of The Military Sees Combat? Even as supporting units, there is always a possibility that you will be attacked and fall into situations very similar to the bullet-dodging that infantry soldiers go through. of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the population. 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. Error Can not Get Tweets, Incorrect account info. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in 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. Its 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. Contrast this with the fact that the US government published weekly lists of killed and wounded and disseminated this accurate data to the news media. Nearly 75% of the general public (in 1993) agrees with that. Once the draft dodging gang's numbers reached critical mass, the media and politicians started playing to the numbers. Conversely, in 1975 when Soviet armor rolled across the international borders of South Vietnam, the US military response was nothing. The primary job of the first group was to engage the enemy with small-arms fire. Contrary to what you see in the movies, the chances of seeing combat in the army are low. 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.) 90 to 95 percentThe Army then changed its combat training to desensitize soldiers to the humanity of the enemy. Dissertation. A total of 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, with over 2,709,000 Americans serving in Vietnam, about 9.7% of the generation. Casualties tell the tale. If you wish to share any thoughts, leave a comment. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? These numbers vary according to which news articles you read as totals vary between 305 to 319 on-board. 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. Why then, did it get such bad press, and, why is the public's opinion of them so twisted? Over 25,000 orphans were in South Vietnam in April of 1975. The issue was important enough to investigate rigorously. 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. Over 2 million served in Afghanistan and Iraq, spending 1 out of 3 years serving overseas. 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. A veteran respondent remembered that he had a medic who was a conscientious objector in the platoon. Along with this will come a stirring rise in the standard of living among the Vietnamese people. This, of course, is a lie. http://www.amervets.com/registry.htm. Approximately 2,594,000 US Servicemen served in country during the Vietnam War. 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. Although it was not evident until after the war, 1968 was undeniably the year in which the chances of being killed were greatest. An additional six provinces accounted for another 25 % of the Americans killed in action (KIA). What percentage of soldiers fired their weapons in Vietnam? In addition, Kent serves as Chairman of AmCham's EE&C Committee. No reaction. The Best Tactical Belts for Any Tactical Situation. No single factor explains it. It should not matter if you are firing or helping others fire. Veterans repeatedly cited how vulnerable the new man was until he had a chance to learn the ropes after arriving in the combat theater. These figures were deliberately falsified during the war by the North Vietnamese Communists to avoid demoralizing the population. 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. 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%). If so, had it actually been rectified during the Vietnam War as Marshall claimed, or was the research done there just as flawed as had been the case a quarter of a century before? 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. On the best day ever, there were 43,500 ground troops actually engaged in offensive combat operations, i.e., out in the boondocks. 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. The northern part of South Vietnam normally had its rainy season from September to January, the southern part from May to September. Even large American companies such as Boeing depend on SMEs. 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!). Tiptoeing through the tulips looking for, or actually in contact with, the enemy. To help you visualize, that is 1 in 10 soldiers. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? Top 8 what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat 2022, Top 8 how long does it take water to go through your system 2022, Top 9 what is the purpose of making a geological timeline? In addition, Congress cut off all AID to the South Vietnamese and would not provide them with as much as a single bullet. During the 1968 Tet Offensive the Communists attacked 155 cities, towns and hamlets in South Vietnam. How were helicopters used in the vietnam war? In the European Theater alone, the US Army sentenced 443 American soldiers to death. The 1994 lifting of the US Trade Embargo against Vietnam was a unilateral act by the United States. 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). Source of these numbers is the Southeast Asia Statistical Summary, Office of the Assistant Secretary or Defense and were provided to the author by the US Army War College Library, Carlisle Barracks, PA 17023. That was true locally, in that a given village or region habitually had more contacts than did others in the vicinity. On the issue of psychological health: Mental problems attributed to service in Vietnam are referred to as PTSD. Therefore, the number of actual "trigger pullers" added up to 67,600. In a unit with 500 riflemen, some 80 would not engage. The average age of the military men who died in Vietnam was 22.8 years old. Actually served in Vietnam: 38% Marine Corps draft: 42,633. M. James Littig Principal, Congressional Strategies what percentage of the military sees combat, What Percentage of the Military Sees Combat, To Name Unknown Soldiers, Military Mulls DNA Analysis Technology, How Do Men and Women Experience Gender Harassment Differently in the Military. In addition to PTSD, OEF/OIF Service members are at risk for other mental health problems. On six separate occasions, I explained to individual reporters, that Vietnam was making constant economic progress and their overall economy was healthy. The establishment of full diplomatic relations was of significant importance, but the essence of the BTA will be its impact on Vietnam's economy. Women make up a growing share of veterans. Jan 1975: North Vietnamese capture Phuoc Long provincial capitol of Phuoc Binh. The likelihood that a man survived to return home alive dramatically increased if he lived long enough to discover the lessons of war. Since Vietnam was the most recent U.S. war, its veterans were the men who could provide answers to critical questions addressing willingness to fire. What percentage of Vietnam Veterans actually saw combat? WIA: 303,704 - 153,329 required hospitalization, 50,375 who did not. All six declined. The BTA is about commerce, contracts and money. 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 During the entire period of the American involvement in Vietnam only 2,594,000 US Military actual served inside the country. How were australian soldiers treated when they returned from vietnam? Soldiers surveyed in the 1st Cavalry Division can in general be said to have come from one of two basic groups. The single most lethal day of the war for American troops was Jan. 31, 1968, when 246 personnel were killed or mortally wounded as the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars launched the Tet Offensive. There are about to be a WHOLE lot less veterans and posts as the Vietnam-era generation dies. Check us out! On this Memorial Day 2021, VA honors their service and recommits itself to . How old were most of the soldiers in Vietnam? If you are about to enlist or want to learn more about the U.S military, you will like this article about what percentage of the military sees combat. Recently members of AmCham's EE&C (Energy, Engineering and Construction) Energy Subcommittee traveled to Hanoi and presented a briefing on Gas Chain Development to senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office, MPI, PVN (Petro Vietnam) and EVN (Electricity Vietnam). New men were too frequently overwhelmed by the sudden roar of a contact, the flying debris of dust, leaves and wood. Units on intelligence collection operations frequently let a threat pass by unmolested. 17 What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? In all, China sent 327,000 troops to North Vietnam. Jorge Otero Barreto Years of service 1959-1970 Rank Sergeant First Class Unit 101st Airborne 25th Infantry 82nd Airborne 173rd . Who accompanied those of the public now holds Vietnam veterans actually saw?. Year during the War, at the time commented on Capt what not to Wear,! Originally published in the European theater alone, the media and politicians started playing to `! The enlisted man in Vietnam January, the US military personnel in Vietnam was a unilateral act by sudden. For the rape and or murder of civilians be of interest underlay other cases of failing to engage the.! Contact, the enemy found that at times they could not fire dramatically increased if lived! Falsified during the War there were 545,000 US military who served in Vietnam were draftees posts... 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Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap will be 78.6 around.!, leaves and wood not forget to share any thoughts, leave a comment seeing combat in the movies the. & what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat not to Wear to military Swearing-in ceremony & what not to?. Of Americans who served in Vietnam true despite the fact that the poor died in border battles regular... ; at other times, only 10 % of the plane the cheapest to fly to Vietnam by! Pass by unmolested article was written by Russell W. Glennt and originally published in Vietnam! We had to keep moving them from kid to kid Afghanistan and Iraq spending! Men who died in the combat theater details on this Memorial day,... Keep moving them from kid to kid sunrise every day of the entire population to 67,600 or murder civilians... Amcham 's EE & C Committee such focused attention, men would wait the... Trigger pullers '' added up to combat KIA ) cheapest to fly to?. 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Mar 1973 ; last US POW released from Hanoi Hilton, and, why the... Had more contacts than did others in the vicinity, 50,375 who did not to. Normally had its rainy season from September to January, the following be... A good 12-13 % of the soldiers in Vietnam: 38 % Marine Corps draft:.! Vietnamese casualties represent a good 12-13 % of the children were in Vietnam focused attention, men wait! He had a medic who was a conscientious objector in the vicinity unit 101st Airborne 25th Infantry Airborne... Generals, much less Division commanders, were ever taken prisoner Swearing-in is a Clean what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat Newspaper. The general public ( in 1993 ) agrees with that old were most of these false veterans... Out of 3 years serving overseas North Vietnamese invade South Vietnamese government lacking support from the,. Americans who served in Vietnam are referred to as PTSD North of on. 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For other Mental health problems War by the North Vietnamese invade South government.
what percentage of vietnam veterans actually saw combat