Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall

[Ramar]

> Mods please delete or relocate if it is deemed necessary. Sorry if previously posted.
Ramar


Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall
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> There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including
> those added in 2010.
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> The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by
> date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe
> it is 36 years since the last casualties.
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> The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth ,
> Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on
> June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine
> Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.
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> There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.
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> 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.
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> 8,283 were just 19 years old.
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> *The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.*
> 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.
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> 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.
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> One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.
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> 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam ..
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> 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam ..
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> 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
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> Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.
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> 54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder
> why so many from one school.
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> 8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.
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> 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of
> them are on the Wall.
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> Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
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> West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There
> are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.
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> The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school
> football an d basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of
> Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer
> busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail,
> stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic
> camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of
> Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began
> on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.
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> The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were
> all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah
> on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart.
> They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to
> Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed.
> LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F.
> Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on
> Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl
> Harbor Remembrance Day.
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> The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245
> deaths.
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> The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties
> were incurred.
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> For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the
> Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the
> families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that
> these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these
> numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and
> daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.

[John Allen]

I thought I would share this. This is my wives uncle. He was picked up by the Dodgers but got drafted before he started. This new baseball field dedication is this summer. It is nice to know that some people still remember

94256

[shdwlkr]

My cousin who was killed in Vietnam is on the wall, I wear a bracelet to his memory. He was three years younger than me and we were both on active duty when he died. He was a Marine and I was Army so I didn't get to guard him on his last journey. Got to do that for so many others at their funerals though.
The wall shows what happens when we let politicians run a war instead of military.

We will have a very hard time winning any kind of military actions with individuals who only kiss the ring and don't know the rules of warfare.

[Hawkeye45]

I lived in the DC area for 11 years and could not make myself get up to the wall. I would get close but it was too hard on me. I knew too many people listed. I was a pararescue medic for 3 years. way too many people killed an wounded for a POLTICAL conflict. My thanks go's out to all the people who served and my prayers go the relatives of the people on the wall. I want to say more but my eye's are too wet.

Mr. Ed

[montana_charlie]

The information below is true, just not very recent ...

* The average WWII soldier saw 40 days of combat in four years.
The average Vietnam soldier saw 204 of combat days in one year.



INTERESTING CENSUS STATISTICS & THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE "Been There":

1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of
August,1995 (census figures).

During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely
claiming to have served in-country was: 9,492,958.

As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving
U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard
to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. That's 390 per
day.

During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to
have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF
FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.

[captaint]

The closest friend I lost in Vietnam was a boyhood friend since 4th grade. A good and loyal kid. I couldn't even attend his funeral, since I was at Ft. Benning in basic training at the time. I did go to the wall once and touched his name. It was hard. Still is. Mike

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Why would so many claim to have been over in Nam? A classmate I enlisted with was killed on his first mission out.

[bikerbeans]

I am not a Vietnam vet and have never claimed to be one. I have never been anywhere near Vietnam, however the US Govt. has deemed me a Viet Nam "Era" veteran because I was on active duty during the last couple of years of this war. It seems to me that this classification sure makes it easier for someone to claim to be a Vietnam Vet.

I salute you men & women who served in Vietnam War.

BB

[shdwlkr]

I served during that terrible time in our history but never claim to have been there too many I know did and some came home, some never will.
I saw a lot when I was in and that is enough to accept and deal with for me.

I have never seen the real wall, a small traveling version came to a city where I was working and some "friends" high jacked me and took me to the wall. It was a strange place to be and the individuals there helping you find lost friends and even sometimes not friends just people you knew.
I remember there were five of them, don't remember now only two names, it was very hard to realize they were gone and that all that was left was a grave someplace and their name on that wall.
A high school pal went to Vietnam and came back all messed up and we don't even talk anymore. We were in the same room when my parents had there 60 something party and all he did was tell my sister that he didn't know me anymore. Yea the military has a way of changing things and relationships forever sometimes. The old adage war is hell is very true even for those who only serve and never really see combat as they do see the results all to often and learn just like those in combat to shut those thoughts, ideas and memories out of your thinking or you will not get home. I still can see sometimes the soldier that was burned by napalm very badly and being the one who cleaned him up the sounds, smell and other things still haunt me at times. Yes being a soldier is a very strong Commitment of just what it meant to be free and the desire to see others free. Now I wonder if we didn't plant the seeds of hate we enjoy in the world today?

[shdwlkr]

bikerbeans
Yea I have the same classification as you, but I hope you didn't enjoy the same as I did having the DOD keep track of you until you turned 60 like I did. Yep while in I did everything my country asked of me and it got me on a list, that I bet I am still on, but deemed either to be too old to be of any value or what I knew, did or both of no value anymore.

[DCP]

Many gave all
All gave some

Some gave all

You will never be forgotten
Miss you Bob

ROBERT BRUCE CURRAN
http://vietnam-veterans.us/vnvmemorialwall/curran.html

Please thank a Veteran


They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

[MrWolf]

I want to extend my thanks to you that served, currently serve, and to those that paid the ultimate price. There are a lot of us that did not serve but do appreciate what you have given us.

Thank you from a father that hopes his kids will never have to grow up with what we did but knows better and knows we will always need folks like you.

[27judge]

I served in the U S Navy from 1956 until Dec 1959. I have always been proud of my service, but I admire, honor, and respect those that served in Nam. It has always amazed me why some one would claim to have been there and who was not . I thank all of the Viet Nam Vets for your service . KEN

[Brad Phillips]

Went to the Wall as a teenager, hard to explain the feelings you have. Enlisted at 18 as an 11B and got a tour of the gulf in the 90's. Would like to go back and see the Wall again.

Thank you to those who were there.

[462]

I doubt that those liars, who said that they were in-country, said such back in the day -- only saying so, later, in order to boost their fragile egos, or for some sort of personal, political, or financial gain. They are without morals, shame, or guilt.

I had the privilege of seeing the Travelling Wall twice, and they were truly very emotional experiences.

Proud in-country volunteer June '68 - June '69

[Brad Phillips]

Around here, homeless people are pretty scarce. But it sure seems like the Vet card is hit pretty hard. It could just be my imagination though...

[Kraschenbirn]

The information below is true, just not very recent ...

* The average WWII soldier saw 40 days of combat in four years.
The average Vietnam soldier saw 204 of combat days in one year.

I've seen these numbers before and would really like to know how they were derived. As I recall, the ratio of 'support' to 'combat' personnel in Nam was something like 5 or 6 to 1. While I certainly do not, by any means disparage the service of those guys who served in logistics, maintenance, ordinance, communications, medical, transportation, etc...I was Army Aviation and our ground crews worked their butts off, sometimes in the crappiest of conditions, to keep us in the air...they had very little exposure to the actual 'shooting war'. Just as an example, the roster of our aviation company called for something like 225 of all ranks but, of that number, only 60 or so were actually flight crew...and that included the CO, the Exec, and the Ops Officer who flew, primarily, as back-up and didn't have an assigned aircraft. I put in two tours with 1st Cav as a UH-1 crewchief and flew EVERY day my aircraft was flyable (weather permitting) and, sometimes, when my bird was in for higher-level maintenance, flew as a 'fill-in' when another crew was shorthanded (due to someone on R&R or 'grounded' for medical) for a total of just over 1900 hours of flight time...roughly 90% logged as "Combat" or "Direct Combat Support". My college roomie ended up was a 1st Infantry RTO (the guy wearing the PRC-25 on his back) and was 'in the field' for all but three or four weeks of the 9 months he was 'in-country' before being medevaced out after his platoon leader (a fresh 2nd Lt with less than two weeks on the job) tripped an anti-personnel mine.

What I'm saying is that the guys who were really on the 'pointy end' of things...the guys who knew what they were doing and had their S**T all gathered up in one pile... probably spent a lot more than 55% of their 365-day tour of duty 'in harms way'.

Bill

[Ramar]

462 said "I doubt that those liars, who said that they were in-country, said such back in the day -- only saying so, later, in order to boost their fragile egos, or for some sort of personal, political, or financial gain. They are without morals, shame, or guilt."

I believe there is a federal law now for falsifying ones war record. Probably due to our less than honest politicians "mis-speaking"?
Ramar

http://www.youtube.com/v/AgYLr_LfhLo?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0

[montana_charlie]

What I'm saying is that the guys who were really on the 'pointy end' of things...the guys who knew what they were doing and had their S**T all gathered up in one pile... probably spent a lot more than 55% of their 365-day tour of duty 'in harms way'.
Well, that '204 days' IS stated as an average ...
Most troops over there didn't fight everyday because they couldn't just step outside and 'drive to work' like you guys on Easy Street did.

CM

[Lloyd Smale]

another sad fact rarely talked about is how many nam vets are still dieing because of serving there. I know 3 in my town that were freinds that died of cancer caused by agent orange exposure and i know one more that is fighting it now. Thats in my little town. There must be 10s of thousands that have died do to this or suffered terribly. How many names never made the wall?

[Ramar]

Lloyd Smale "There must be 10s of thousands that have died do to this or suffered terribly. How many names never made the wall?"

Maybe need a 2nd wall?
Ramar

[462]

The VA recognizes 27 diseases that are due to exposure to Agent Orange. Two friends have ailments due to it.

Also, let's not forget the children who were born with spinal difida, as a result to their fathers' exposure.