Im going to put that review officer in my shoes as a 20 y/o medic. Roughly 300-thousand veterans have died from Agent Orange exposure -- that's almost five times as many as the 58-thousand who died in combat. The VA rejected 80 percent of the requests, but decisions often appeared to be haphazard or contradictory, depending on what desks they landed on, the AP found. According the them there was a giant wall that stopped all aerial spraying and river flow from the rivers into the Gulf of Tonkin where we got our drinking, cooking and bathing water just like the Aussie sailors in the Gulf the Aussie government through scientific studies found that drinking the water from the Navy desalination processors actually concentrated the dioxins rather than filter them out. During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. If you read the Taps in their mag there seems to be an alarming rate of NamVets dying in theirlate fifties and early sixties. Lost a friend after a going away party when he took one last flight the day after the party. It was apparently based on an estimate that 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans had died by 2000. He would not comment on the findings, but said everyone who tested positive was notified. second tour. How Many Veterans Are Enrolled In College? Still listen to 1960s rocknroll and those songs take me back to the Mekong Delta But he remains angry that other veterans' last days are consumed by fighting the same government they went to war for as young men. I may be able to help you with your claim. He and I just emailed each other on Jan. 2, 2011. http://edschultz.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=63544, MY MINISTRY: http://web.mac.com/rthorne2/Site/TRUTH_REVEALED_MINISTRY.html, De Nomie, William D. Sgt. I am unable to find the museums referred to, though I find a National Vietnam War Museum and a Veterans Memorial Museum. Of the 50 blood samples submitted, more than 20 percent came back positive or bordering positive for liver fluke antibodies, said Sung-Tae Hong, the tropical medicine specialist who carried out the tests at Seoul National University in South Korea. When I returned to the U.S. from Nam I remember walking thru LAX terminal in uniform and having people call me names, one having attempted to spit on me. I never want to see another hurt person as long as I live. The Vietnam veterans, we couldnt believe it. he was back home in Texas he made it. . Millions served in Vietnam. (Reuters Health) Higher than average death rates among Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that combat trauma may still be affecting veterans health even decades after the war, according to a new study. Thanks Jim, that was very thorough. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 10 . Semper Fi to your hubby. I get to testify and present them with the story of a 20 y/o medic carrying dead and wounded around for 14 months in country. We read this article at our last meeting thanks again. I am 70 and suffer from several health problems with a10% disability; all I believe attributed to my service in Vietnam or the Gulf War. OK I found the source and and researching this more. Jerry Engel/New York Post Archives/NYP Holdings, Inc./Getty Images, The society really was ill-prepared to give these guys what they deserved, says Christian Appy, professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of three books on Vietnam. There are currently 83,204 unaccounted for U.S.personnel, and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office at the Pentagon reports that this number includes 73,547 service members from World War II, 7,883 service members from the Korean War, 126 service members from the Cold War, 1,642 service members from the Vietnam War, and six service members from Iraq and other recent conflicts, including three Defense Department personnel. Guy C. Lamunyon It is believed that there were 58,318 casualties among United States soldiers alone. Had my good times, as well as bad times, after leaving the US Army, April 10, 1970 I always look at that date as my second Birthday Mike you write well and to get to core issues. (Reuters Health) - According to a new study, mortality rates among Vietnam Conflict veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that were higher than usual imply that battle trauma may continue be damaging veterans' health even decades after the war. It was after returning to the U.S. and while en route to the hospital that Wowwk first encountered hostility as a veteran. to indicate what they want but I do have to believe that these may be close 800k approx left, sort of sobering uh. and welcome home to all my brothers. looking around. But what are you doing in addition to saying thank you?. He said the approval came right after his doctor wrote a letter saying his bile duct cancer was "more likely than not" caused by liver flukes from the uncooked fish he and his unit in Vietnam ate when they ran out of rations in the jungle. Bill Ray/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images, The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American service members and wounded more than 150,000. Age: 78. He was 15 years old and had been in-country nearly one month. Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day. Nearly three out of four of those cases were also denied, even though the government posted a warning on its website this year saying veterans who ate raw or undercooked freshwater fish while in Vietnam might be at risk. I went fucking ballistic. but sofar nothing how many are reallyleft? Hopefully since most of us are inot our 60s now we have past the heart attacks and cancers that seem to get you in the 50s and maybe the rate will now slow. 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. And I believe the qualifier thereis that many were claiming to be combatvets when in reality the ratio of logistics to grunts was about 9:1 therefore the large number suggested was true Vietnam Veterans, just not combat vets. for years, all I asked for was a good nights sleep. We saved a lot of people and seen some bad stuff. if you check the http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com and search the Obits section, you can see two of the most recent: Are Vietnam vets respected? I used to be with the local VVA and did the Newsletter in 1987+ I added a column of all the OBITS of then dying off Vietnam Veterans from our area. Hope that helps. He was among those who got the call. This study was limited by the relatively short follow-up and the young age of the veterans. Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veterans age approximated to be 60 years old.. Some, like Wowwk, say they had invectives hurled their way; others, like naval officer Ford Cole, remember being spit on. The ages of those who served in Vietnam varied anywhere from 55 to 97 years old. 101st Airborne 1971 that stuff got into everything -even breathing it in did a # on everyone that is how the guys in the navy got it. I sorts blended in until I retired in 2003 and joined the CT First Cav Assoc and finally met groundpounders like muself. I am a Nam Vet with Ischemic Heart Disease (ISD),an illnessfinally acknowledged that was caused by AO in Oct 2009 by VA Secretary Shineski. 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. The only qualifier may be that there is a misunderstanding about what In Country means. C.I.B. I was a aircraft sheetmetal repairman. Working on a story for my veterans paper at my website and found your blog on this subject. Pretty hard to quantify those one car accidents at 2am, from the smell of diesel. I will check on this for you. It is anticipated that the overall number of veterans would fall from 19.5 million in the year 2020 to 13.6 million in the year 2048. Might any of our readers speculate about why this may be? The Vietnam War lasted from 1964-1973the longest war in American history. On June 7, 1969, Bullock was killed by small arms fire while on night watch at An Hoa combat base. 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. I would like to see the source for this estimate that there are only 850,000 Vietnam Veterans still alive. This figure far exceeded the expected suicide ratio when balanced by demographics and applied to ONLY those that had served in country. Base, then to NY. got rocketed big time because it was the start of the TET offensive. ) Mike Baughman holds a 1971 photo of himself in his U.S. Army uniform at his home in Danville, California on Aug. 2, 2016. What happens if you eat too many brussel sprouts? The AO stuff is just so hard to tolerate as it still invades so many of us. IE 11 is not supported. Was an 11B grunt with the First Air Cav (C1/7) in 71/72. How old would the youngest Vietnam vet be now? I received a memo from the Virginia VA dated March 9, 2010 stating that although VA was required to publish the new regulation by March 12, 2010 (in accordance with the Agent Orange Act of 1991 stipulating timeframes for action), VA would be unable to meet that date. Ischemic heart problems. How old did you have to be to be drafted in Vietnam? Its better than nothing. My buddy Jim was stationed with MAG-11. At the same time all my friends whom never served had good jobs and new cars etc. Last name: "None of them have even heard of it before. Its mostly the exact opposite. Be careful of Appeals. See for yourself in 2000 there were 2.7 million Vietnam Veterans alive: http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf Went looking for a new job,on foot walking many miles every day,but when they foung out that i was a vietnam veteran they would not hire me.Some would ask if I was a Drug addict 0r killed people etc. Why are my bok choy leaves turning yellow? Were going to demand an official review to a hearings officer. Born: 09/15/1946. I was wondering about these statistics. tell everyone that was their to go & get a blood test to check for agent orange 1st comes diabetes then prostate cancer thats what a dr told me yesterday. Im sure the Agent Orange was the cause of most health issues. Hi Mike, The disability compensation that some veterans get from the VA is factored into the average for veterans. Walker another 4 year RA, he left Germany volunteered for Vietnam, assigned to You dont have parades for soldiers coming home from a war they lost.. god bless america,and our veterans. of I had 6 close buddies in Vietnam. Its better than them walking away and not even recognizing you. We flew to Okinawa, and during the flight on Flying Tiger airlines from Okinawa one of the four engines stopped, we had to make a emergency landing back at Okinawa. They are getting old, as time passes away from history those part of it become history themselves. #16174111 - 05/03/12 07:01 AM (10 . Two of my long-time friends are in-country veterans. What was the average age of a US combat soldier in Vietnam? I just got my crystal ball back from the shop. This was partly due to the logistics of the never-ending conflict. It has been a great experience. It means Hill of Sacrifice. Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer Both are unlikely to life to 70, and both have suffered life-threatening diseases already which they are lucky to have survived. My English teaching assistant at the U of A, in 1971, called me a baby killer, and spat on the ground. Dear Friends abd fellow vets, 7512 I am unable to find the museum websites referred to, though I find a National War Museum and a Veterans Memorial Museum. Required fields are marked *. Some may have escaped the digs and harsh words and that is good but make no mistake those things did happen. "It was surprising," he said, stressing the preliminary results could include false positives and that the research is ongoing. According to an estimate by the New York Times, there were 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in the year 2000.Of those, 1.1 million had passed away.It was also estimated that there will be a total of 138,000 Vietnam veterans who will pass away every year from this point forward.Editorial note from the administrator of the website: For me, the estimate from two years ago of 610 thousand seems to make the most sense. I found out later that most of the men who enlisted for 4 years volunteeredfor The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. I am an in country vet and 59 years old, your article wasvery informative. Needless to say neither of us flew again after that, he is 100% PTSD . He was the youngest American service member to be killed in the Vietnam War. We who served America do not deserve this treatment. Why are Vietnam vets dying so fast? I have written letters for soldiers I personally witnessed in combat situations and almost all were evaluated and received long over-due compensation. Originating from New York City, Tom Selleck. MarDivPhoto on Oct 9, 2009 refers to the American War Museum website, and mike_brewer on Oct 12, 2009 refers to the Vietnam War Museum, both as the source of the number 850,000 living Vietnam veterans. So, lets say there were not more, just, alot. It is still tragic. GOD BLESS ALL VETS. The collective emotion of the country was divided, says Jerry Lembke, a Vietnam veteran, sociologist and author of The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam. Alcohol induced psychosis and death from toxicity is not suicide, or is it? Veterans returning from Vietnam were met with an institutional response marked by indifference. How do I unlock Wattpad stories without paying? They may look appealing but can actually take up to 5 years to schedule a hearing. Sorry about the delay here in answering. What amazes me however is that so many of my comrades who served in Vietnam and who suffer from many of the maladies associated with this war would serve again. This article highlights the eligibility criteria and important information for filing a claim for benefits. But for claims, I have found the DAV (I have to join) to be a real kick ass outfit. His name is Ray Alvarado and you can Google his name or USS Rhona and read a wild story. Give me a week. Locality: Detroit, in the state of Michigan. I may have some choice words to express as well. (Reuters Health) - Higher than average death rates among Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that combat trauma may still be affecting veterans' health even decades after the war, according to a new study. "I've personally dealt with muscle loss, neuropathy and atrial fibrillation. Endemic in the rivers of Vietnam, the worms can easily be wiped out with a handful of pills early on, but left untreated they can live for decades without making their hosts sick. It is believed that less than 850,000 of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam are still living today; the age of the youngest American Vietnam veteran is around 60 years old. Related:More evidence Agent Orange causes cancer. Although I have to plan most everything I do so as to avoid the things that still bother me..-I started looking up my VN buddies a few years ago,, so far Ive located 10 men that was in my CompanyTalk to them on a regular basis.Bad part is that out of the 10 men 7 of us have major mental and physical problems. I found out later Baughman, who is thin and weak, recently plucked out "Country Roads" on a bass during a jam session at his cabin in West Virginia. Especially if you are happily married. What order should I watch Flowers in the Attic series? to 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. Is there anyone who actually has documented evidence of the Viet Nam vet suicides? A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a. Jaundice, itchy skin, weight loss and other symptoms appear only when the disease is in its final stages. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? The 173rd Infantry Brigade was activated in 1915 and served in World War II. Born: 01/29/1945. If it is any comfort, one of my VVA pals reminds me that VVA only has a total of about 45,000 members nation wide, so it represents and very small part of all who served. It can take decades for symptoms to appear. Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. Thanks for the clarification. ive been asked a few times over the years if im a combat vet. Your email address will not be published. Any numbers on this would be greatly appreciated. Yes some do fabricate stuff. It was Bob Kerrey. So long ago-time tames the memories and makes them Kind!!!! At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. Good luck and take care -Jim. When my wife and I go to a restaurant I always ask for a booth or table by the wall, so I can see whats going on around me. Except for one, we were all medics. In 2018, the median income of Vietnam veterans and that of non-veterans was almost equivalent: It was significantly lower for veterans, who had served their country between the ages of 63 and 78 at the time, coming in at $63,300 as opposed to the average of $65,000 for nonveterans. I would like to see how much that differs from the civilian population and are they no. We were driving home from the airport when I heard the news. THERS IS ONLY ONE KIND OF COMBAT VET..ONEWHOWAS IN COMBAT. Like I always said .we died in Nam , just havent fallen over yet.Too bad all the imposters dont die just as quick or quicker. Criteria for Eligibility Age 67. tell me what you think about the article I just wrote about former Senator Alan Simpson, at TucsonCitizen.com His comments about Agent Orange victims are going to keep me up nights! I spent nearly thirty years as an officer and still teach them. He immediately scheduled further tests, discovering he had two cysts on his bile duct, which had the potential to develop into the cancer, known as cholangiocarcinoma. Had to fight the VA for years , Diabetes , neropathony and heart attack 14 years ago. please pardon the French. By June, Wowwk had been wounded twicethe second time seriouslyand was sent back to the United States for treatment at Bostons Chelsea Naval Hospital. just to crunch no. in only 6-10 years.. *STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY VIETNAM VETERANS: * I have had cancer in the crease of my neck were a knot on a kerchief rubbed, and sores in my scalp were the canvas of the helmet sat on my head. He gets cremated and tossed into the ocean with no fanfare. Just realized that this is the day Ho Chi Minh died! The odd thing, I was at Tripler Hospital today and learned something interesting. What percentage of Vietnam veterans actually saw combat? Do you mean more information about Agent Orange? The number of claims submitted reached 60 in 2017, up from 41 last year. Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). I too have found the Veterans War Museum to be a bit odd at times. i just found out that they will not cover navy personal that didnt go ashore & do have agent orange in there blood . information Im used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets. Patsy T. Mink, (U.S. House of Rep-Hawaii) get honored with a burial in Punchbowl. Mike I was on the USS America CVA 66 in 1970 and as such am part of the Blue Water Navy that is being shunned by the VA and congress. . Check out the VA web-site and your local Vet Center. 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. Because they will be OLD and it their turn. Jorge Otero Barreto. I do not know or care, where your stats came from. so in 2190 days.from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive. No it does not mean that you are not a combat veteran. THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE been there: Somethings Ill never do: So the last 14 years we are dying too fast, only the few will survive by 2025. Best wishes, I just watched a VN movie about the Hanoi Hilton.. Most Vietnam Veterans are in their 60s and the average lifespan for a male in USA is 74. Tragically, though, many veterans have since died waiting for their approval and related benefits. 65-66 and Fed-67. i have been 100% dav. Please post the SOURCE of this statistic. And before we ate our food they came from the beach and were to be sprayed along with everything else that the VA is making this presumption for having boots on the ground for even one minute. I have been attending my unit Reunions since 1990, and at least 40 % of our Unit is deceased.