Over the past three decades The War Library has heard from a thousands of individuals claiming they served in military or combat operations either on land or at sea in Vietnam. Yet these respondents noted at the same time that fear was generally a passing condition; a man not engaging on one occasion could be expected to use his weapon later in the same engagement, or during subsequent battles. Can You Join the Military With an STD? A man could be pinned down by heavy and accurate incoming fire. No reaction. Charlie referred to communist forces in general, both Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. There are submarines, there are mini-submarines, and then there are human torpedoes. Is vietnam airlines part of star alliance? You can browse through our list of the thoroughly hand-picked series of gear that is military-complaint. To put this in perspective, consider that the population of the US was 220 million during the Vietnam War. He tells of being drafted into the North Vietnamese Army in 1968 and fighting for nearly seven years. Several of those I spoke with were from media outlets that had names containing words such as Times, Time, USA, Globe, Tribune, etc. WW II again. 80 percent of those spent some time in an overseas combat zone. And it should be no surprise that at times fear kept men from firing. 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. 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. The question seemed inevitable: Had there been a problem with Americans willingness to engage the enemy in World War II? 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. 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. However, the written, video and voice records of that involvement are distorted beyond recognition. On average, two 1st Cavalry Division soldiers awoke to their last sunrise every day of the 612 years the unit was in Vietnam. Riflemen, door gunners and others who served at the cutting edge, men like the vast majority of those who took my survey, were of course more likely to suffer wounds than others in less exposed specialties. It can light up a dark room, focus on your target far away, or even , When youre hunting or surveying distant objects, it would be ideal to have a good pair of tactical binoculars. 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). We compiled these facts from AP & UPI articles that appeared in the Seattle Times, Seattle P-I and New York Times from 4 April to 8 April of 1975. 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. November 19, 1967 was one of the bloodiest days for American troops in the Vietnam War. If you wish to share any thoughts, leave a comment. Once again there are signs of movement on the BTA front. . Other comparisons are; Malaysia's per capita consumption is nearly 13 times that of Vietnam and even China's consumption is about 5 times that of Vietnam. 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. Therefore, the number of actual "trigger pullers" added up to 67,600. The fact is that top-notch features are quite expensive, but some of , If you are a man of the outdoors, you know perfectly well how a good-quality headlamp is essential. But what some people may not be aware of is the purpose , A tactical flashlight comes in handy for doing missions or outdoor activities in the dark. 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. By comparison, the South Vietnamese had only 352 US supplied tanks and they were committed to guarding the entire country, and because of US Congressional action, were critically short of fuel, ammo and spare parts with which to support those tanks. For one to feel vindicated, as opposed to being vindicated, one must have first been feeling guilty. 34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms. There other US Army joined them and South Korean soldiers and the US Navy eventually evacuated 105,000 Allied troops from that port. In spite of the Case - Church Congressional guarantee, the North Vietnamese were very leery of US President Nixon. Answer (1 of 4): Australian troops string out behind tanks in a practice advance over North African sands, on January 3, 1941. The percent of the military that sees combat also varies with factors, such as the military branch you are in. 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. His description of the mass and maneuver were exquisite. 14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were black. In 1969 Nixon started troop withdrawals that were essentially complete by late 1971. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. 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). New men were too frequently overwhelmed by the sudden roar of a contact, the flying debris of dust, leaves and wood. 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.) 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. Ce dernier bilan comprend a la fois les victimes de la guerilla vietcong et les soldats nord-vietamiens qui les eacute paulaient. Controversy regarding the M-16 rifle and its variants developed soon after it was designated as the riflemans primary weapon in the theater. 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%). 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. Is amazon prime video available in vietnam? Men in well-trained units knew when to detonate a Claymore mine, call for mortar or artillery support, or throw a grenade instead of using a rifle, pistol, machine gun or grenade launcher. Contrast that number with the 50-million plus draft dodging anti-war crowd and you have the answer to why the American view of its Vietnam experience is so skewed. Units on intelligence collection operations frequently let a threat pass by unmolested. 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. 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. Vietnams wildlife posed its own dangers. He concluded that much had changed since those earlier conflicts and that it was not unusual for close to 100 percent of American infantrymen to engage the adversary during firefights in Vietnam. 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. What dangers did American soldiers face in Vietnam? Decades after the fall of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) many former soldiers still wonder why they were fighting. Montana 32,361 2,933 of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the population. Lastly, all Vietnam War operations were declassified in 1993 by US President William Jefferson Clinton, who with USSR President Boris Yeltsin, publicly agreed in signed documents to de-classfy ALL military operations conducted by both countries dating back to WW1 for the specific purpose of accounting for an individual's war service or MIA/POW status! On November 13th, 1982 thousands of Vietnam Veterans participated in a march that ended at the memorial. Two conventional armies fought it out using strategies and tactics as old as warfare itself. 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. 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. I am Everett Bledsoe, taking on the responsibility of content producer for The Soldiers Project. Although it was not evident until after the war, 1968 was undeniably the year in which the chances of being killed were greatest. remaining 77 C-5A's, pointing to the continuing problem of weak wings. I had no business getting involved with the actions of only one company. 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. The following is a guest post by Andrew Huber, Liaison Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP). It seemed that all was well. Once the draft dodging gang's numbers reached critical mass, the media and politicians started playing to the numbers. Previously the B-52s had been used only against Communist troop concentrations in remote regions of South Vietnam and occasionally against carefully selected sanctuaries in Cambodia, plus against both sanctuaries and supply lines in Laos. All of them shared borders with Laos. The plane was enroute to Travis AFB in California. In not one instance did the people rise up to support the Communists. 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. Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. A recent study explores how many American soldiers in Vietnam actually fired their weapons at the enemy -- and what factors influenced those numbers. These veteran PTSD statistics indicate that the Gulf War and Iraq War were similarly traumatic for service members. At the time the USAF had taken delivery of 81 Galaxy's. Again, the US Army War College Library provides numbers. About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. 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. Do not let the movies fool you. Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam when the percentage. Aug 1973; US Congress passes the Case - Church law which forbids, US naval forces from sailing on the seas surrounding, US ground forces from operating on the land of, and US air forces from flying in the air over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Marshall himself visited Vietnam to conduct studies similar to those done during World War II and later emulated in Korea. In all, China sent 327,000 troops to North Vietnam. 5,283 lost. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. By 2040, that number is projected to rise to 17 percent. Given the difficulty of inserting a patrol in many instances, preserving secrecy could easily outweigh the immediate benefit of a few enemy taken under fire. The consequence of a replacements failure to respond could sometimes mean the new mans death. (Detailed Answer), What Does XO Mean in Military? 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. 8 American military women were killed the Vietnam War. Given that everybody in a unit rarely faced such focused attention, men would wait until the enemy pointed their weapons elsewhere before engaging. The complete description of this North Vietnamese Army (NVA) classical military victory is best expressed in the words of the NVA general who commanded it. In addition, Kent serves as Chairman of AmCham's EE&C Committee. The complete description of this North Vietnamese Army (NVA) classical military victory is best expressed in the words of the NVA general who commanded it. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. At first it was thought the crash may have been attributed to sabotage but later ruled-out by the USAF. Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam. Blacks accounted for 10.5 percent the combat deaths in Vietnam. 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? There are 5 main branches in the military: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. How was vietnam different from other wars? Even experienced men could find such situations difficult; they were potentially terrifying when first encountered. 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!). There are about to be a WHOLE lot less veterans and posts as the Vietnam-era generation dies. (Answered). An additional 22% say they sometimes felt proud, and 9% say they seldom or never felt this way. 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2%) of whom died there. As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still unaccounted-for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War. Convincing evidence pointed to his having fabricated his World War II ratio-of-fire values, still so widely accepted at the time. Traynor's efforts to bring the aircraft in safely as "a remarkable demonstration of flying skill." The lessons of Vietnam are there for those willing to learn. How many black soldiers were killed in Vietnam? You may have seen this in military books or films. Members of one group in particular, however, consistently saw much more action: aviators and their door gunners. Some 20 years later, the validity of Marshalls analysis was called into doubt. These figures were deliberately falsified during the war by the North Vietnamese Communists to avoid demoralizing the population. # 5: The 173rd Airborne Brigade. (The national average death. How many distinguished flying crosses awarded in vietnam? That meant enemy infiltration routes were difficult to travel during all but the February-to-May period. How many female soldiers died in Vietnam? . According to 2019 statistics, only 10% of the entire military force engage in battle. WIA: 303,704 - 153,329 required hospitalization, 50,375 who did not. The US Marines, in the 25 days between 19 Feb 45 and 16 Mar 45, lost nearly 7,000 men killed in their battle for the tiny island of Iwo Jima. I might get pinned down and become simply another rifleman. The plane, a C-5A 'Galaxy', was carrying 243 children, 44 escorts, 16crewmen and 2 flight nurses. For every 1,000 Americans in Vietnam in 1968, 28 died, a higher ratio than in any other year. To put Vietnam in its proper perspective it is necessary to understand that the US Military was not defeated in Vietnam and that the South Vietnamese government did not collapse due to mismanagement or corruption, nor was it overthrown by revolutionary guerrillas running around in rubber tire sandals, wearing black pajamas and carrying home made weapons. The Agence France Presse (French Press Agency) news release of 4 April 1995 concerning the Vietnamese Government's release of official figures of dead and wounded during the Vietnam War.HANOI (AP) - April 4. Multi-million dollar salaries (e.g., Cronkite) are paid to entertainers, stars and superstars. Were there factors that made it more likely for some men to fire than others? Lieutenant General Harold Moore recalled what his responsibilities as commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, demanded of him in his classic book We Were Soldiers Once and Young. This totally conventional force (armed, equipped, trained and supplied by the Soviet Union) launched a cross border, frontal attack on South Vietnam and conquered it, in the same manner as Hitler conquered most of Europe in WW II. That was true locally, in that a given village or region habitually had more contacts than did others in the vicinity. The USAF lost 201 Skyraiders to all causes in Southeast Asia . However, among these five branches, there are sub-branches and units. When asked what portion of their fellow soldiers fired during any given engagement, the veterans estimated that about 84 percent of a units 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. 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