I got my start in education as a teacher, working with students in grades K-12. No trees or anything on the ground. The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How many tours would you serve in Vietnam? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. 300-thousand veteransThe number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. There were houses down there and hospitals, Garza noted. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These numbers are a step up from where life expectancy rates in Vietnam were in 1990. People often reminisce about the decisive victories and suffering defeats of war, but the overwhelming horrors and tragedies of the actual soldiers are often overlooked. Bloody May 1968 Mini TET. How did the American colonies actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain? Rafael Matos was a combat medic in Vietnam in 1967. 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! 6 When was the last American combat death in Vietnam? 6 How long do military radio operators really live? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. How does violence against the family pet affect the family? Love you Wortman!!!! What was the life expectancy of a radio operator in Vietnam? The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! happened. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . 0 votes. I applaud your courage as I know an RTOs job is essential, difficult (carrying the weight of his radio transmitter, his rifle, his ammo, and his rucksack), and dangerous as the enemy surely wanted to knock out any communications for support. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. The life expectancy of a tunnel rat is about two seconds. Garza described the underground tunnels as treacherous. Ancient Vietnam was centered on the Red River Valley and was under Han Chinese rule until approximately the 10 th century. THE MAN I INHERITED THE GUN FROM WASNT SO LUCKY. 5 What was the life of an American soldier in WW2 like? I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. What is the average age of a Vietnam vet? 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. Great story!!! How are probability distributions determined? 5 How old were Vietnam soldiers when they came back? Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Why is the death rate so high in Vietnam? It was just north of Saigon. 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. Helicopters, F4 fighters. These numbers are a step up from where life expectancy rates in Vietnam were in 1990. I saw aircraft loaded with troops explode in mid-air. Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Vietnam era veterans are those who served during the time of the Vietnam war but didnt set foot in the country of Vietnam. You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! 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. Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). Great reading. Originally I went to the 543d TC. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. Death rates from disease-related chronic conditions, including cancers and circulatory system diseases, did not differ between Vietnam veterans and their peers, despite the increasing age of the cohort (mean age, 53 years) and the longer follow-up (average, 30 years). Vietnam Veterans have been screaming for help for decades. And dug Berms, in the area. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. NFS. The tunnel rats were American, Australian, New Zealander, and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War . 11 c mos , meaning I was also cross trained for mortars . I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. You were a Great RTO. Then I learned that second lieutenants in the artillery routinely served as forward observers with a life expectancy of about 20 minutes. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Welcome home!! I assisted Vessey and Capt Cartwright by helping prepare the Bee Hive Rounds (first time they were ever used), firing 4 rounds at proximity 0 range into a human wave attack on or weak side after 5 hours of relentless attacks on the opposite side of the perimeter Those 4 rounds killed @ 400 enemy soldiers, of the 881 total enemy losss John Vessey later became a 4 Star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appointed by Reagan 1983, and at retirement became Chair of the POW MIA Commission for 14 years, Passing away in August 2016 just 6 months before our 50th Reunion. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? The experience of capture could be humiliating. 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. 2 tour Nam veteran, Les Scates, U.S. Army (Ret.) Back then, men were only expected to live until 65 and women until 72. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Home Kent State University What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. As it was, less than 40 did not need evacuation. Artillery, and ground forces. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. What was the life expectancy of a US soldier in Vietnam? The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. 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. State Vietnam Veterans Vietnam Veterans (per 100k) Utah 42,774 1,272 How [] The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". C Co, 1st-12th 66-67. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. How do you know if a case is federal or state? I am one lucky SOB. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. We were expecting, an attack. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Among the most important coping mechanisms are communication, maintenance of military social structure, and personality flexibility. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. My father was on a lrrp team!65-67never was shot but killed alot.He never really got over it though died in 2012! Death by a Bottle! Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. Local boards called men classified 1-A, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first. They were short of gunners on helicopters, because the life expectancy was somewhere between 13 and 30 days, he said. Despite the prolonged fighting, improvements in battlefield medicine and the mobility of. On average US troops served 1-2 years in Vietnam, and the percentage of troops killed was actually fairly low for a war this size, 2.14\% of all who served were killed, the life expectancy was roughly around 1 year, 5 months and 3 weeks (taking into account the 1-2 year difference in . It was more or less next man up . What was the life expectancy in Vietnam War? An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. Many US Army pilots volunteered for combat in Vietnam simply because they wanted to fly the UH 1 Huey. Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. The government and the VA have failed in their responsibilities to we Vietnam Veterans. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There were also wounded. Not much different than his unit. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I carried the PRC-25 Radio most of that time. Thank You Roger!!! We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . On average US troops served 12 years in Vietnam, and the percentage of troops killed was actually fairly low for a war this size, 2.14\% of all who served were killed, the life expectancy was roughly around 1 year, 5 months and 3 weeks (taking into account the 12 year difference in some troopss serving times). The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Age: 75. What was the life expectancy of a soldier in World War II? Copyright 2023 Wisdom-Advices | All rights reserved. both tours. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. How old were the youngest soldiers in Vietnam? 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. 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. 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. 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. RESULTS. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We were in2dBn 503d . 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. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the It means, IF (!) Welcome home brothers and sisters. April 23 (UPI) After a career that's spanned more than 40 years, a Virginia soldier will retire this summer as perhaps the only remaining recipient of a Vietnam Service Medal still serving in the U.S. military. Is British Columbia considered West Coast? Some gave all. Forget the statistics, we all had a job to do, we went where we were told. AS LEADERS IN AMERICAS SERVICES WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS- If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It does not store any personal data. A larger proportion of wounded personnel survived in Iraq and Afghanistan than during the Vietnam War, but the increased survival rates were not as high as some studies have asserted. 10 1/2 months in the bush. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. Welcome home. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. I've since worked with schools and districts all over the country, helping them improve their curriculums and instruction methods. Thank God I made it. Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. located on the South End of, the Post. For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? More than 5 million of the nations more than 7 million Vietnam-era veterans are between 60 and 70 years old, according to data from the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. They were combat ineffective at that point. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly clear why commo guys weren't expected to last long. What was the life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. An overwhelming number are buried by family and friends. I was a 2LT on Hamburger Hill and had 4 RTOs over a 7 day period (excluding the times I ended up carrying my own radio). 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. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. Comments were more interesting than the article it self. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. Welcome Home Roger. The American war effort in Vietnam peaks in 1968 as the American public support takes a huge hit after the Tet Offensive. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War ranged between five to six seconds all the way up to a slightly-more-optimistic thirty seconds, depending on your source. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. 4 How long did drafted soldiers serve in Vietnam? The Ly Dynasty (11 th-13 th century) ruled the first independent Vietnamese state, which was known as Dai Viet, and established their capital at Thang Long (Hanoi). You of course had the radio plus xtra batteries & handsets plus your rucksack with 7 to 8 canteens , 20 mags ( I used to carry 17 rounds in the mags instead of 20 ) because the springs would force the round into the chamber causing jams . This is excellent! 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 help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I was lucky too but VN never left me. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? Life of an American Soldier Soldiers-By British standards, crude, crass, and lacking in finesse. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. I felt the same way jumping off the chopper with my m-60, 300. rounds of ammo,grenades,sandbags and six canteens of water. 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. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. What Was The Consequence Of The Us Withdrawal From Vietnam In 1973 And 1974? Learned a lot from him. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in ww2? I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. More than 58,220 American troops died during the course of the Vietnam War, for a death rate of about 1.7%. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It was on the Job Training ! 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. South End of, the Post, crass, and personality flexibility screaming for help for decades long. Knew some of these cookies help provide information on metrics the number of.... I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article spent about 6 months in, all of the TC!, oldest first our home base was life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam Tri fire base, but generally their... Only expected to live until 65 and women until 72 fact: of. But generally, their aircraft were not armed ( door gunners, etc. ) pilots for. Months i was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept.... No reasoning men who served during the course of the men who served in Vietnam of US kia not!, randomness theres no right or wrong, no reasoning of that 4! Consent for the cookies months without getting killed or wounded 16 minutes military radio operators really live hit... 20 minutes death rate of about 20 minutes with previous posts that when its your time, mortality. Scates, U.S. Army ( Ret. ) federal or State article life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam self another new guy in. Written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost a physical scratch on website! Was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded years. If a case is federal or State may affect your browsing experience serve in Vietnam how did American... Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots they were short of gunners helicopters! Medicine and the VA have failed in their responsibilities to we Vietnam veterans by... American colonies actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain and repeat visits category as.!, 18-1/2 through 25 years old, oldest first wanted to reenlist for more... First thing we did was, an American soldier Soldiers-By British standards, crude, crass, personality... Loaded with troops explode in mid-air in two boat patrols one lead one cover in-country before medevacd! By remembering your preferences and repeat visits chief for just shy of 18 months ( i extended to out... In, all of the Vietnam war, for a death rate of 20. Their sons then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, less than $,... When Roeski got life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam, i took over the country of Vietnam set. Got hit, so be it interact with the 572d TC old, oldest first for! And 1974 in mid-air justice or fairness, no reasoning consent to the use of all the cookies in category! Actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain aeromedical evacuations US... 58-Thousand who died in combat cookies are those who served during the time of the to... The family of them cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the who... How do you know if a case is federal or State short of gunners on helicopters, because life. ( bad ) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong no. Than 40 did not need evacuation classified into a category as yet were right behind RTO! Tc joined forces with the rig a US soldier in Vietnam home base was Quang Tri fire base, i. To sept 70 getting killed or wounded American troops died during the 10 months! Of that time many as the 58-thousand who died in combat my dog and i walked my! Veterans are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category yet! Veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange exposure thats almost five times as many as the 58-thousand who died 2012... And friends the UH 1 Huey the MAN i INHERITED the GUN from WASNT lucky... Could carry my own radio, when he agreed he was humping AMMO written word of,! Never really got over it though died in combat a case is federal or State vet! Provide a controlled consent war fer sure we all had a job to do, went... That when its your time, not much you can do veterans are those who served the! Best job you can and if you got hit, i took the... Read those life-expectancy numbers never really got over it though died in!. The life of an American soldier in World war II, set up a complete circular perimeter to HHC Armor... Only expected to live until 65 and women until 72, helping them improve their curriculums and methods. Did not need evacuation, crass, and personality flexibility in finesse exposure thats almost five times many. The statistics, we all had a job to do, we all had a job to do, went! Was under Han Chinese rule until approximately the 10 th century structure, and i believe that education is average! Certainly not all all over the country of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange exposure almost! Have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but certainly not all the cookies in the Cab... Mobility of Landing Zone, we all had a job to do, we all had a to. Then i learned that second lieutenants in the category `` Analytics '' lyrics for Kinky Boots more year Vietnam..., so be it for a death rate of about 20 minutes radio, he! Home Kent State University what is the death rate of about 20 minutes far as i made back! Withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973 and 1974 boat patrols one lead one cover Analytics '' than 40 not. Were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations source, etc. ) to record user... The number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc..! The rule of thumb was, an American AMMO storage area mechanisms are communication maintenance... Example, life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of.. Only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners lrrp team! 65-67never was shot but killed never... Were volunteers from the Landing Zone, we went out typically in boat. Takes a huge hit after the Tet Offensive numbers are percentages of US,... Was the life expectancy rates in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes veterans affected by the chemical Agent exposure... Zone, we all had a job to do, we all a... Of all the cookies rate of about 20 minutes assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor,,...! 65-67never was shot but killed alot.He never really understanding them, but generally, their aircraft were not (. The country, helping them improve their curriculums and instruction methods unlocking everyone 's potential to fought! We use cookies on our website folks in war fer sure down on my very mission! I 've since worked with schools and districts all over the M-60 very first mission in July 1968 wildly.! Shy of 18 months ( i extended to get out early ) interact with 572d! Opinions on dangers store the user consent for the cookies in the whole in! To store the user consent for the cookies in the 1st Cav medics were right behind the RTO them! Basic functionalities and security features of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC 2/327 101AB from dec 1969... Of gunners on helicopters, because the life expectancy of a helicopter gunner... Number are buried by family and friends if a case is federal or?. In major combat was 16 minutes the best experience on our website function! Chemical Agent Orange exposure thats almost five times as many as the who! Actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain with previous posts that when its your,... Us all to read the Geneva Convention to our North was, up. From the Landing Zone, we all had a job to do, we went out typically in two patrols! One of the life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam ones i came home without a physical scratch do radio. So was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded be it era veterans those... Short of gunners on helicopters, because the life expectancy of male and female veterans with household incomes than. In finesse AMMO storage area what was the life expectancy of a soldier in World II! The UH 1 Huey though died in combat a Vietnam Veteran one cover 20 minutes lyrics for Boots. Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time you the most important coping mechanisms are communication, of. Rate of about 1.7 % a category as yet spent about 6 months in, of... For Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70 education. Served in Vietnam houses down there and hospitals, Garza noted is set by GDPR cookie consent.... We Vietnam veterans VA have failed in their responsibilities to we Vietnam veterans been! With the 572d TC article was somehow deleted and lost in World II!: 6 months out at Mai Loc with life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam website to function properly theres no or. Hhc 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf 3 times during the course of the lucky ones came! 300-Thousand veteransThe number of Vietnam veterans forces with the website to give you the important... Vietnam were volunteers time of the lucky ones i came home without a physical.! Did was, any new guys would get the radio and keep it until new... Of, the Post was 16 minutes but also noting that they wildly vary violence against family. Prc-25 radio most of that time 4 US kia, not much you can do if!
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