Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

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Drawdown
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Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by Drawdown »

Want to give a Big Thank You to any Vietnam Veterans on here!
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by Ysabel Kid »

NATIONAL VIETNAM WAR VETERANS DAY

All - today is "National Vietnam War Veterans Day". This day has been set aside each year to honor all those who served during the war in Vietnam. The recognition started with the passage of the "Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017". Late in coming, but finally here!

2,709,918 Americans served during the Vietnam War between 1955 – 1975, including 7,484 women. Only about 850,000 are still alive today. Roughly 390 Vietnam Veterans die each day now. The war itself directly took the lives of over 58,000 Americans. The youngest Vietnam veterans would be 60 today.

Here are some sobering statistics:

CASUALTIES: Hostile deaths: 47,378
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC was dedicated on November 10, 1982, with 57,939 names. Since then, 379 names have been added, for a total of 58,318.

8 nurses died -- 1 was KIA.
61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.
Of those killed, 17,539 were married.
Average age of men killed: 23.1 years

Enlisted: 50,274 (average 22.37 years old)
Officers: 6,598 (average 28.43 years old)
Warrants: 1,276 (average 24.73 years old)

Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. The youngest, Dan Bullock from Goldsboro, NC, was only 15 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.

25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during WWII).
Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.

Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).

Wounded: 303,704 -- 153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
Severely disabled: 75,000, -- 23,214: 100% disabled
Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than Korea.

Missing in Action: 2,338 POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity)

As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for, from the Vietnam War.

Diseases/disorders caused by exposure to Agent Orange continue to take a huge toll on Vietnam Veterans who survived the War.

HONORABLE SERVICE
During the Vietnam War 248 Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded.

156 of them were presented posthumously
Army = 161
Marines = 57
Navy = 16
Air Force = 14

97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.
87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem. FINALLY!!!

Please take a moment today to thank a Vietnam Vet!!!
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jkbrea
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by jkbrea »

Welcome Home.
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AJMD429
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by AJMD429 »

.
Glad so many survived at least.
It hopefully was the last war with such high casualties.
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Griff
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by Griff »

I can't speak for anyone but myself... but... my general reaction is: "Sorry, a day late & a dollar short." I'm a Navy vet... I was treated so shamefully by Vet organizations when I first came home, even now... with several friends in positions of influence in those same organizations, I can't bring myself to acknowledge their turn around. In public, if I'm in a good mood, I'll answer, "no need to thank me, I enjoyed almost every minute of my service." If not, you'll be the lucky ones that get no response... (my hearings shot...), or if grumpy, you'll hear a gruff, "...where the (favored Naval expletive) were you in 1973?" It took 20 years before someone outside my family welcomed me home.

YK, if you had to be 17 to join, and the our involvement ended in 1975, the youngest VN vet would be at LEAST 64 years old.

But, to the members of this forum... a sincere thank you... I know that most of you at some point filled out the same blank check I did... and if not, from what you've shared here... know you sincerely mean "Thank You." So again, Thanks.

Griff, USN, '70-'74
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by Ray Newman »

Griff: Agreed! I know numerous others who say the same. I talked to a few of OEF and OIF vets who will also agree with you.

I enlisted in the USMC in 6/64, retired out on disability 3/68. RVN service with Echo Battery (105mm howitzers), 12 Marines 7/65-3/67. Echo provided support direct fire support for 2nd battalion, 9 Marine Infantry Regt. When I came home some people in my old neighborhood looked askance at me or asked: "Where have you been, haven't seen you in 2-3 years." They had an attitude change when I told them I was in RVN. Like you, I have asked some of these well wishers "Where were you in back then? I usually get a dirty look or hear about some high school sports injury that kept them out of service. Funny thing though that "injury" just happens to coincide to the professional sport is then being played. And do not get me even started on my college years.

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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by jeepnik »

I’ve got to say I right there with Griff. For amazingly similar events. Particularly the vet’s organizations. Specifically the VFW.

As to the public, upon my return I was accosted at the airport in San Francisco. I was the one arrested and who spent the night in jail. The two longhaired “citizens” did end up in the ER.

Thanks to the Provost Marshal at the Presidio I was released. The city refused to press charges against the “citizens”.

If you look close you can still see the scar from where I was cut. Bitter, not so much anymore but I do hope the fellow with it had to eat out of a straw for the rest of his life. At least he got to find out what a porcelain urinal tastes like.
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by marlinman93 »

I was one of those lucky ones who got drafted in 1969, but I had already taken the written testing for the Air Force. So when my draft notice arrived I called my Air Force recruiter and begged him to sign me up. Of course he knew what was going on, and after laughing he said, "Got your draft notice huh?"
But he made room by asking another guy if I could take his place, and I was off to basic in less than two weeks later! Spent all my time as a Loadmaster on C141 cargo jets, so never had any time in Vietnam. Dropped one load there in 1971 on a C130 that had their loadmaster get sick, and I filled in.

My homecoming after finishing basic and tech school was much like most everyone else's I knew. Nobody cared where you'd been or what you'd done. You were simply looked down on, spit at, or called names because you were proud to wear your uniform home. I learned quickly that it was better to travel in civies when off duty than your uniform. I still remember walking all the way from Honolulu to the base at Hickam one Friday night, as not one car would pick up a GI with their thumb out. About a 7 mile walk.
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by GunnyMack »

I'm not a vet, a bit too young for Nam, I was only a couple years old BUT I had an uncle that was in a construction battalion in Nam. He was in the thick of it operating dozers and other equipment. The agent orange has finally caught up with him, Parkinson's, diabetes- heck the list goes on with health problems. The VA did him no favors.
My Dad served during Korea, Navy, Alameda( if ya call softball games at Alcatraz against the inmates service :D ) The VA did nothing for him either.
I had every intention of joining the Army, Corps of Engineers but once they found out I had asthma and a bum knee I couldn't... I so wish I had .

Griff I feel most people that THANK YOU are just appreciative of the fact you went, served your time and were able to survive, not for things you may or may not have done. For that my deepest respect goes out to you and EVERY vet from any war.
Gentlemen- THANKS does not come close to what vets deserve.
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by JimT »

I enlisted in '66 ... came back to the States in '69 and was honorably discharged ... wore civvies going home to help avoid the fights. Got a wonderful welcome home from my family. Nothing from others and that's OK. I mostly don't hold anything against those who opposed us who went. We did our duty the best we could. It makes me tear up when I'm in an airport and I see strangers welcoming home GI's. I am not jealous. I am happy that many these days "get it."
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by AJMD429 »

jeepnik wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:12 pm. . . The two longhaired “citizens” did end up in the ER. . . . I do hope the fellow with it had to eat out of a straw for the rest of his life. At least he got to find out what a porcelain urinal tastes like.
:lol: :mrgreen: good for you.
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Griff wrote: Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:18 pm YK, if you had to be 17 to join, and the our involvement ended in 1975, the youngest VN vet would be at LEAST 64 years old.
I though 60 sounded young. I get the same number... youngest would be 63 or 64 now, if they served at the very end, and joined at 17.

Had some buddies with older brothers that served, and one friend who's father served. Most of the fathers in my age group were Korean War vets, some (like my Dad) served in the occupation in Germany (too young for Korean, already out when Vietnam started). I was pretty young but remember how upset my Dad was at how the veterans coming home were treated like they were. He darn near busted our TV each night.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by earlmck »

Sure is good to see our military folks treated nicely; feels so much better this way. We surely know how quick that can turn.

I was lucky and never had bad experiences with vet organizations -- didn't realize it was happening I guess. GI Bill put me through college and Oregon Vet dept gave me a low-interest loan for a house and I feel well-compensated and then some. I do still remember the cute girls meeting us in LAX with a sweet cheer- leader style song:

"Say Hey, Whatta' you say -- How many babies did you kill today?"

Accompanied by slinging a bit of blood (red ink I believe) that made quite a mess on those Navy "whites" that I was fortunately only needing for a couple more days by then...
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Re: Thank You Vietnam Veterans!

Post by TraderVic »

Flying home after my second tour (1974) to SE Asia, I was walking through Twin Cities Int'l in my dress whites to catch a small connector flight to LaCrosse (WI) and some gal came up to me and called me a baby killer. A sign of these times.
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