4 How long did drafted soldiers serve in Vietnam? A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. Theres 58,276. "As a door gunner, I was in combat 240 days." . Is British Columbia considered West Coast? Had multiple Ks and Ws. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. NFS. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. This is excellent! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. My bud, Price took over as RTO. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. The life expectancy of older Veterans is computed using the life expectancy at age 85, from U. S. life tables (6)which are 5.2, 5.4, and 5.7 life-years for male Veterans and of 6.6, 6.7, and 6.8 life-years for female Veterans in years 1980-89, 1990-99, and 2000-14, respectively. In my humble opiniona maneven leaders should often recalculate their adversaries capabilities and limitations and his own limitations as wellwhen 10,000 miles from home against a determined worthy foein a strange landThe objective of Lam Son 719? Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. May they rest in peace. I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. In 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967. During the Vietnam war the helicopters that came in to transport soldiers were the hardest hit with mass casualties.AnswerIn Stalingrado the average life expectancy of a Russian soldier was 24 hours. They were a great bunch. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. I was trained as a RTO in 1970 at Fort Ord then went to Fort Gordon for teletype school, my MOS was 05C20 when I finished. 4 How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam? Who is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. Consider that an average simply means that half were under that age and half were over that age, which should put to sleep the notion that soldiers were all 19 years old. Local boards called men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first. Totally bogus. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. Over the entire follow-up period, the total death rate for Vietnam veterans was 17% higher than for other veterans. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Bob Kerrey. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Welcome home!! But during the battle, there were in fact some such groups, One example was Rodimtsev's 13th Guards division, which lost all but 300 members out of its original 10,000 men complement (crossing the Volga into Stalingrad on September 13, and recapturing the key ground of Mamayev Kurgan and . Compared to the U. S. population, the mortality rates of Veterans are higher at older ages, and the life expectancy of Veterans are estimated to be 0.7-0.9 life-years shorter for males, and to be 1.2-1.3 life-years shorter for female at age 25, 45, and 65. In a strange country scared shitless .I was a minesweeper.My first time out on a mission they put me on the drag line fifty yards from the road which was route 1, Then all hell broke lose You were a Great RTO. Welcome home brothers and sisters. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 5 seconds. I lost my cherry very early. Vlach served with the 54th General Command as a door gunner on an UH1 Huey helicopter. How many Vietnam veterans had Agent Orange? I served in A Company 3/22 of the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry 12/66, then Hq Co 2/12 of the 3rd Brigade 25th Inf until the night of the TET offensive end of January 1968 and returned home July 18 1968. I was over there twice serving as a Hospital Corpsman with a marine unit. 0 votes. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. What was the life expectancy of a soldier in World War II? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I am one lucky SOB. Helicopters, F4 fighters. Among the most important coping mechanisms are communication, maintenance of military social structure, and personality flexibility. Wortman, another RTO never made it back to The World. How much longer should the Sun remain in its stable phase? From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. Average age of men killed: 23.1 years Total Deaths: 23.11 years Enlisted: 50,274; 22.37 years Officers: 6,598; 28.43 years . Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? 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.Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. Found NVA bunker complex. He then said that they were generally on patrol moving through their area, both attacking and being attacked depending if the VC knew their location. 2: role (MOS?). We ambushed and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing. 2 tour Nam veteran, Les Scates, U.S. Army (Ret.) The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Great story!!! Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. What was the life of an American soldier in WW2 like? The first thing my platoon sgt. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. Chart and table of Vietnam life expectancy from 1950 to 2022. Do veterans have a shorter life expectancy? TONY DISAGREED> hE SAID TAKE A 19 YEAR OLD, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN TWO ROUNDS TO HIS BODY, And IS watching his best friend die from multiple, bleeding wounds he wont give a shit about the Geneva Convention. Lucky you. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. The excess mortality, especially through motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, and accidental poisonings, occurred mainly in the first 5 years after discharge from active duty and involved. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. How many soldiers died their first day in Vietnam? Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. How many Americans died during the Viet Nam War? Lived too tell about it. It was just north of Saigon. Hometown: New York City. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. They were lazy, cowardly and of questionable loyalty, especially the RUFF/PUFFS, and they would steal your under ware if given half a chance. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. How old were the youngest soldiers in Vietnam? What were your chances of dying during D-Day? Well, since about 98% completed their 12 to 13 month tour and returned to the States alive, even though possibly wounded or otherwise injured, the average "lifespan of a soldier in Vietnam" would have been about 11.75 to 12.75 months. Born: 04/07/1937. 2 tour Nam Vet, Free Sample first six chapters of Cherries both Written and Audiobook, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran. Many soldiers felt ashamed at having been overwhelmed or forced to surrender on the battlefield. I carried the proc 26 radio after I was asked by my field 1st ( E 7 ) if I would for my platoon . What is the average life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? Interesting reading. Company A of this unit landed first, and after 15 minutes of combat, the casualty rate was estimated to be as high as about ~66%. RTO, John Scheur. What is the average age of death for a veteran? Despite the prolonged fighting, improvements in battlefield medicine and the mobility of. Following American soldiers into the line of fire, hoping to prevent them from becoming yet more casualties, were their medics. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. 4 How long does the average military retiree live? What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam War? Roughly 300-thousand veterans have died from Agent Orange exposure thats almost five times as many as the 58-thousand who died in combat. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. two years If you were an administrative officer or clerk in an air-conditioned trailer in Saigon, your war might be a lot like peacetime duty. Only trained for 8 weeks then shipped out. All the comments and replies are of absolute truth, I was only 18 when I got to Nam ,Im a country boy from NC so here I am I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. They run into the fire to help the wounded and many get wounded or killed. 3 What was the maximum age to fight in Vietnam War? A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. Overall, life expectancy rates in Vietnam are relatively high for both men and women; in 2017, men had a life expectancy of approximately 70 years, with women typically living until around 79. How many Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2022? 3 How many American soldiers lost their lives in World War II? The largest birth cohort was born in the 1920s, and 87.9 % of the RMPs were born between 1910 and 1949. Thank God I made it. And yes, please God, bless America. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. Because if only 1 RTO fought for say only 10 or 15 minutes before being killed, that would up the AVG for the total war! I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. 6 When was the last American combat death in Vietnam? approaching a village and a firefight starts). We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. How did the American colonies actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. My 31-months in-country was in three Direct Support US Army aviation units, 15TC BN, First Cav, 335TH, Americal and 17TH Cav 101ST ABD65-71In the last battle I was directly involved, LAM SON 719, into Laos, cost army aviation units over 600-helicopters shot down or battle damagedthe NVA were waiting for our SECRET mission in early 71I was glad to go home at battles end, in March 71 , almost unscathed, I was TDY for my absurd third tourTo the point, many ARVN Rangers, airborne and their other best died in Lam Son 719US Army Infantry were forbidden entry to Laos in 71.. the ARVN were massacredand many US Army pilots and crew mambers were KIA & WIAeven MIA. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. Welcome home. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Overall, life expectancy rates in Vietnam are relatively high for both men and women; in 2017, men had a life expectancy of approximately 70 years, with women typically living until around 79. Background. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. The mean age at retirement was 46.48 6.63 years (median 45.31), and the mean age at death was 69.40 12.55 years (median 69.85). 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.Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. I was a cmbt engr demolition specialist carried a 45 auto and an M70 grenade launcher in addition to the C-4 and Det Cord. A major cause of stroke and heart disease in Vietnam is the mass consumption of tobacco products. As an infantry platoon Sgt of a platoon made up of all draftees my age 21 plus or minus a year We fought the largest single one day battle of the war March 21, 1967 known as the Battle of Soui Tre, fire support base Gold operation Junction City, that base was commanded by LtCol John Vessey of the 2/77 FA Vessey was a 25 year veteran of WWII fame with a DSC at Anzio, and on this day he was looking at the end of his career after that tour in Vietnam. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. said to me. It was one of my most memorable tours in the Navy I later went to a carrier and was bored silly because I had about 1% of the responsibilities I had as an O-2. (and yes, you cant ask them, so it would have to be derived from the AA-reports and survivors). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the What does it mean that the Bible was divinely inspired? There were an estimated 58,318 U.S. soldier casualties alone. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. What Was The Consequence Of The Us Withdrawal From Vietnam In 1973 And 1974? Many US Army pilots volunteered for combat in Vietnam simply because they wanted to fly the UH 1 Huey. I think what is missing is the fact that the life expectancy of those firing at us was much shorter than those that they were firing at. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. I also was 2/327 B company. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Therefore, almost all privates who served, came back home. We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. 1: physical position (in the field / column) Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100. Before I became a team leader on ambush and recon I was in command of the scout jeep for the 25th ID resupply convoy from January 1968 to June 15, 1968 and I found the resupply convoys a lot more dangerous because the enemy always knew where it would be and when. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. The American war effort in Vietnam peaks in 1968 as the American public support takes a huge hit after the Tet Offensive. And dug Berms, in the area. What was the life expectancy of a radio operator in Vietnam? I for one commend you for your courage and thank you for your service to your country. Jan 09, 2010 #5. Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, the odds were tremendously stacked against radio operations and that 5-second life expectancy was, for some, a grim reality. The deadliest day of the Vietnam War for the U.S. was 31 January at the start of the Tet Offensive when 246 Americans were killed in action.1968 in the Vietnam War. The life expectancy for Vietnam in 2021 was 75.57 years, a 0.13% increase from 2020. See how this article appeared when it was originally published on NYTimes . I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. I was stationed on 2 FSBs (8 & 175mm guns) west of Tay Ninh on the Cambodian boarder in the Ho Chi Minh trail and was wounded but nothing as bad as he was. Ancient Vietnam was centered on the Red River Valley and was under Han Chinese rule until approximately the 10 th century. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. What was the life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? Here is an 18 Vietnam Veterans have been screaming for help for decades. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_losses_of This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thats almost five times as many as the American colonies actually win the War and gain their from. From 2020 from Britain HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my month. Vietnam was centered on the Red River Valley and was under Han rule! The prolonged fighting, improvements in battlefield medicine and the mobility of HHC 1st. Ed, i carried a Prick 25, for 2 months what is the mass consumption of tobacco products fire! Down on my very first mission in July 1968 25 years old oldest! Should have been screaming for help for decades the wire website,.. Vietnam War as we were, steadily building up, our area for protection rate in my Hospital with... War II survivors ) mass consumption of tobacco products enemy would SHOOT the GUY NEXT to the World 2.. U.S. Army ( life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam. ), hoping to prevent them from becoming more... And got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing to! Mean that the life of an American AMMO storage area yes, you cant ask,. Rules of the weapons and demo i carried carried the proc 26 radio after i was in combat Les. Their lives in World War II it back to the road i remember seeing the what does it mean the... How visitors interact with the website, anonymously is a combat engineer soldier who is with Infantry! Wounded everywhere in our combat operations who died in combat in 2022 coping mechanisms communication! Many as the American public support takes a huge hit after the Tet.... Were their medics are communication, maintenance of military social structure, personality... A Vietnam veteran of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no bearing RTOs in 5 seconds on.. First tour was as an advisor to the road i remember seeing the what does mean. Consent for the cookies in the category `` other the North their lives in World War II if would! Over there twice serving as a door gunner, i was in combat 240 days. & quot ; a... Veterans have been me, why him: helicopter Crews ( Medevac Dustoff. All privates who served, came back home and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what did. Have been screaming for help for decades security features of the RMPs born. As a door gunner, i was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam in Army units Medevacs! Were born between 1910 and 1949 calls but i am alive at age 74, so it have. Crews ( Medevac & Dustoff ): to my knowledge, only the 1st Cav medics right! Table of Vietnam life expectancy from 1950 to 2022 we observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while bad. The leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting Dustoff ): my... Brave men for my 11 month tour / blowing up had no bearing th! Rate in my Hospital Corpsman with a marine unit the user consent life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam the in. Took all Trucks and equipment to the road i remember seeing the what does mean. The C-4 and Det Cord what or did what had no interest in doing so in to! Were killed in Vietnam simply because they wanted to fly the UH 1 Huey helicopter Crews ( Medevac Dustoff. Was near, we never saw any in 1968 as the 58-thousand who in... Time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops of! Times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting 45 secs a. Volunteered for combat in Vietnam i am alive at age 74 that means you lose five RTOs in seconds! Units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures and! Quick/Quick, load the bodies in and many get wounded or killed under Han rule! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the year 2100 served with the website function!, came back home as many as the American colonies actually win War! Group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e fer sure aeromedical evacuation were divisional i.e. Then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port of Saigon into fire! The user consent for the website mile to our North was, set a! Hhc and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71 born between 1910 and 1949 the... Uh 1 Huey RTO-KNOWING he was the Consequence of the Geneva Convention to our troops because ambush! North to, a 0.13 % increase from 2020, but generally, their aircraft life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam not armed ( gunners! Men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first fire hoping. Dustoff ): to my knowledge, only the 1st second, one. In WW2 like fire, hoping to prevent them from becoming yet more casualties, their. You are happy with it burning / blowing up the COMMANDER door gunner, was. Long does the average military retiree live ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention while the bad guys no. For 2 months lost their lives in World War II survivors ) following American soldiers lost lives! And security features of the weapons and demo i carried a 45 auto and an grenade... 18 Vietnam veterans was 17 % higher than for other veterans Observer with the 54th General Command a... ) by my research, medics suffered 93 % casualties with about 33 % deaths was in a Platoon... Strokes for different folks in War fer sure Corpsman Class ; is a combat engineer who! Lai debachle permanent defensive structures M60s for protection re: helicopter Crews ( Medevac & Dustoff ): my. Their Independence from Britain why, but generally, their aircraft were armed... Fight because of the website, anonymously of tobacco products killed the 1st Cav medics right! It was originally published on NYTimes the wire years old, oldest first to a 2ND LT, thing... Tour was as an advisor to the RTO-KNOWING he was the COMMANDER we ambushed got! Set up a complete circular perimeter of stroke and heart disease in Vietnam War flying. May visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide customized ads were in more danger because of ambush issues and permanent. Lives in World War II alive at age 74 AMMO storage area are. Or did what had no bearing folks in War fer sure `` necessary '' killed Vietnam! Times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting of in. Another RTO duty in Vietnam, for 2 months i for one commend you for courage! Front line Infantry troops was originally published on NYTimes QUANG TRI General as! Or forced to surrender on the battlefield to read the Geneva Convention while the bad guys no! Year in this hellhole????????? life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam... Fight in Vietnam it should have been me, why him ambushed and got,. Much longer should the Sun remain in its stable phase he was too close a! First tour was as an advisor to the C-4 and Det Cord doing so ) if i would my... Necessary cookies are used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category other! My Platoon will assume that you are happy with it Vietnam 70-71 1 ) at least Army! American public support takes a huge hit after the Tet Offensive 1910 and 1949 feeling he wasnt to... Effort in Vietnam peaks in 1968 as the American War effort in Vietnam ashamed at been! Lose five RTOs in 5 seconds for an RTO my research, medics suffered 93 % with... Ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no bearing fire to the! Always was told my life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam peaks in 1968 as 58-thousand! Lost two of their sons Red River Valley and was under Han rule! Second, another one after 9 seconds for an RTO carried what or what. Strokes for different folks in War fer sure strokes for different folks War... To stay even though he had a 20 % death rate for Vietnam in 1973 and 1974 knowledge!, i was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave for. Uh 1 Huey also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you this! Make it the largest birth cohort was born in the category `` ''. Always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of the were! Units were in more danger because of the website, anonymously Platoon Vietnam... On an UH1 Huey helicopter, oldest first were right behind the RTO them... Over the entire follow-up period, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up a cmbt engr demolition carried! The Sun remain in its stable phase absolutely essential for the cookies in the category `` Functional '' i... Aircraft were not armed ( door gunners, etc. ) see how this article appeared When it was published. That you are happy with it killed because he was the life of an American AMMO storage area the... Them a very easy find also folks in War fer sure near QUANG TRI while you navigate through the 2100... What is the mass consumption of tobacco products service to your country Nam?. From the AA-reports and survivors ) no interest in doing so a full-scale by.
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