Vietnam Veterans

Recognition Week, May 1-7

 

Help recognize the more than 3.4 million veterans who served in the Vietnam War during this recognition week. Their service to our country is an important part of our history.

 

Background

 

For many long years, from February 20, 1961 to May 7, 1975, members of our armed forces fought on behalf of the South Vietnamese people.

 

Today, we have the opportunity to not only pause and reflect, but to remember and honor the memory of the more 58,000 men and women who gave so much — the ultimate sacrifice for freedom’s sake.

 

During VFW’s Vietnam Veterans Recognition Week, we also need to use this occasion to honor and remember the more than 3,403,000 military personnel who served in the republic of South Vietnam or elsewhere in Southeast Asia in support of the U.S. military operations in Vietnam.

 

Because of the actions of Vietnam veterans, the flame of freedom burns brighter today than ever before throughout the world. The tradition of service demonstrated by those who served during the Vietnam War provides lasting testimony to the indomitable and tenacious spirit that resides in the heart of our Vietnam veterans.

 

Vietnam War veterans were everyday people made extraordinary by events beyond their control. They did their duty not out of bravado or boldness, but out of a sense of duty and because they had a deep and abiding love for their country.

 

Quite simply, they believed in the promise of the American dream and the essential goodness of America.

Vietnam veterans fought to preserve democracy and freedom, not just here in America, but for all freedom-loving people around the world.

 

The freedom and prosperity we enjoy today is in large part, guaranteed by all of those who served so honorably in Vietnam.

 

All of us need to be forever thankful to all of them for their unselfish devotion and for their courageous willingness to put their life at risk.

We honor them because we appreciate what they have given us. Without their contributions the world would be a much different place … a

darker place. Our Vietnam veterans performed the highest form of public service. They are one of the reasons we stand apart from the rest of

the world as a nation. When it all came down to it, they stood strong, and when it was needed, they answered the challenge.

 

Vietnam veterans are worthy of every praise, monument and memorial that we could offer. But the best way to honor the Vietnam veteran is to help them honor the vow they made to

ensure that every new generation of veterans are appreciated and receive the dignity and respect they have earned: to see to it that every veteran receives the benefits and entitlements they deserve is one way of maintaining a link to the thousands of men and women who helped to secure so many blessings for us.

 

The most generous honor we could bestow to the Vietnam veteran is to use the many opportunities that are afforded us to rededicate our-selves to our country, to America’s veterans and to their families.

 

It is time for the nation to give our Vietnam Veterans their due and thank them for their noble efforts and achievements.

 

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is designating May 1-7, 2005, as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Week.

 

More than 3,403,000 American military personnel served in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia during the war. The service of our armed forces reflected the true dedication they held to America, to freedom and to human rights. Vietnam veterans will tell you they fought for one reason:

 

freedom.

Vietnam veterans often bore the brunt of a nation angry and divided by the war. Despite being treated with disrespect and derision upon returning home, and slighted by a nation that appreciated victory more than honorable service, Vietnam veterans proudly knew they fought the good fight, and their cause was a just one. Vietnam veterans can be proud of their legacy, especially the vow they made to ensure that future generations of veterans will always receive the assistance and appreciation they earned.

Notwithstanding the stereotype sometimes depicted by Hollywood and in the media, the majority of those who served in Vietnam returned home and put the war behind them. Some became doctors or lawyers. Some became teachers or social workers. Some chose to run for political office. All in all, they made a decision to make a difference, to do what they could to make the world better.

The contributions Vietnam veterans have made to America and to society are endless. They deserve nothing but respect and admiration for their dedication to service and country.

 

 

 

 

Vietnam Warriors

Confusion reigns when it comes to numbers and the Vietnam War. Listed below are some figures that may help sort out fact from fiction in many media reports concerning veterans.

 

• Vietnam Vets: 9.7% of their generation.

• 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era

(Aug. 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975).

• 8,744,000 personnel were on active duty during the war (Aug. 5, 1964 – March 28, 1973).

• 3,403,100 (including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).

• 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1, 1965 – March 28, 1973).

• Of the 2.6 million, between 1 and 1.6

million (40-60%) either fought in com-bat, provided close combat support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack. 15% were in combat units.

• Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.

• 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were

nurses) served in Vietnam.

• Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1969).

CASUALTIES

• Hostile deaths: 47,418.

• Non-hostile deaths: 10,811.

• Total: 58,229 (includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties).

Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.

• 8 nurses died — 1 was KIA.

• Married men killed: 17,539.

• 61% of the men killed were 21 years old or younger.

• Highest state death rate: West Virginia — 84.1 per 100,000 males (national average in 1970: 58.9).

• Wounded: 303,704 — 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured who required no hospital care.

• Severely disabled: 75,000 — 23,214

100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.

• Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea.

Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.

• Missing in Action: 2,338 (at war’s end).

• Prisoners of War: 766 (114 died in

captivity).

DRAFTEES VS.VOLUNTEERS

• 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members in WWII were drafted.)

• Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.

• Reservists killed: 5,977.

• National Guard: 9,000 served; 22 KIA.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND

• 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hisp-anics); 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.

• 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian; 12.5% (7,241) were black; 1.2% belonged to other races.

• 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.

• 86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were Caucasian;

12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races.

• 14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths

were among blacks.

• 34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.

• Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.

• Religion of dead: Protestant — 64.4%;

Catholic — 28.9%; other/none — 6.7%.

 

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

• 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds.

• Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle-income backgrounds.

• Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.

• 79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service.

(63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.)

WINNING &LOSING

• 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will.

• Nearly 75% of the general public agrees that it was a failure of political will, not of arms.

AGE &HONORABLE SERVICE

• Average age of the Vietnam War GI: 19 (26 for WWII).

• 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were

honorably discharged.

PRIDE IN SERVICE

• 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.

• 66% of Vietnam vets say they would serve again if called upon (polled in the 1980s).

• 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.

 

Vietnam Vets

in the Public Eye

Successful In Every Field

Some 3.4 million Americans served in the Vietnam War. Many of them came home to make exceptional contributions in their chosen professions. Profiled here are just a few of the Vietnam veterans who are perhaps better known to the general public. But they are just a sampling of the tens of thousands of the war’s vets who have made an outstanding difference in their communities. Despite the negative stereotype perpetuated by the media and Hollywood for decades, Vietnam vets have always played a positive role in the development of their nation.

 

 

COLIN L.POWELL

(1937- ) b. Harlem, N.Y.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State since Jan. 20, 2001, Colin Powell is credited with energizing the morale of that Cabinet department and advancing U.S. interests abroad. As chair-man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), he was regarded as the most powerful and popular

ever. He also was national security adviser (1987-89) and was chair-man of the National Security Council’s policy review group.

During his first tour in Vietnam, Powell was an adviser to the 2nd Bn., 3rd Inf. Regt., 1^st ARVN Div., and later assistant adviser on the division operations staff. From July 1968 to July 1969, he was executive officer of the 3^rd Bn., 1st Inf., 11th Inf. Bde.,Americal Div., based at Duc Pho. Later, he served on the division operations and planning staff at headquarters in Chu Lai.

Powell also chaired America’s Promise—The Alliance for Youth, dedicated to mentoring disadvantaged youth, from 1997-2000.

 

 

J.CRAIG VENTER

(1945- ) b. Salt Lake City, Utah

Scientist (Biochemist)

For his pioneering work as a “gene mapper,” J. Craig Venter is credited with “jump-starting a biological revolution.” Time named him runner up for “Man of the Year” for helping crack the human genetic

code—one of the most important scientific milestones of the century.

A scientific dynamo, Venter has founded four research institutes and one foundation since 1992. Their scope of research includes human genome mapping, biological energy alternatives, pharmaceutical development and possible cures for cancer. He is currently focusing his research on discovering new species of marine life by sampling water from every ocean in the world.

Venter served in the Navy from 1965-68. He was a medical corps-man stationed at the U.S. Navy hospital in Da Nang from July 1967 to August 1968.

One of the most cited scientists in biology and medicine, Venter has authored some 222 research articles. He is a prominent member of several scientific societies and his work has garnered many prestigious scientific awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FREDERICK W.SMITH

(1944- ) b. Marks, Miss.

Businessman Founder of Federal Express

Fred Smith runs the world’s largest express transportation and logistics company. Beginning in 1971, it now operates in 215 countries and has $26 billion in sales. He was essentially the creator of overnight delivery.

Smith’s first tour (March 1967- April 1968) in Vietnam was with companies I, L and K of the 3^rd Bn., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., as a rifle and mortar platoon leader and K Co.’s commander.

Returning to Vietnam in October 1968, he flew 200 missions with Marine Observation Squadron 2, based at Marble Mountain, until July 1969. He earned a Silver Star, two Purple Hearts and a Navy

Commendation Medal for valor.

He has been actively involved with the WWII Memorial (co-chairman) and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He also is a member of the CATO Institute. Smith was named CEO of the year by Chief Executive magazine in 2004.

 

 

JAMES V.KIMSEY

(1937- ) b. Washington, D.C.

Businessman & Philanthropist

A corporate trailblazer who helped shape technological trends, James Kimsey founded America Online, the world’s most widely accessed online service. Today, he is chair-man emeritus, as well as chairman of Kimsey Foundation, a philanthropic institution devoted to assisting disadvantaged youth in Washington, D.C.

Kimsey was a company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division in the Dominican Republic in 1965. From 1965-66, while stationed near Duc Pho in Vietnam, he led a district advisory team and constructed and ran an orphanage. On his second tour, 1968-69, he was assistant to the commanding general of special operations at MACV, where he oversaw projects in the field.

On the boards of 54 non-profit groups, Kimsey also annually donates millions of dollars to many charitable causes. He is co-chairman of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Corporate Council.

 

JAMES H.WEBB, JR.

(1946- ) b. St. Joseph, Mo.

Writer

Characterized as “one of the four or five most important writers in this country,” Jim Webb has written seven books. His First, Fields of Fire (1978), sold 1 million copies. He also is a contributing editor to Parade and a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. He won an Emmy for covering the Marines in Beirut.

A platoon leader and then commander of D Co., 1st Bn., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., Webb fought in the An Hoa Basin from March 1969 to February 1970. He earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars (for valor) and two Purple Hearts.

Webb served as Navy secretary (1987-88), as well as assistant secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (1984-87). He also was the first