life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam

As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phucs brothers were killed in this incident. There were also wounded. 5 seconds. never happened,we lost two sweep team members and some Such as in the song Jimmy by M.I.A look at aaja in the dictionary My indian boyfriend told me is meaning come to me, 6 Answers I have never had or heard of that particular brand, but have had several here in Canada, plus a number in the Caribbean and Asia, and there all the same, small cut hot dogs in a can, no need q now please.. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas:? Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365). Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. We were told in training that the life expectancy of a machine gunner was about seven seconds from the moment the first round was fired. It was reported as an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for the U.S. forces. Then I dropped back down in the streambed to organize our ammo. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . John Doever Answer (1 of 12): It heavily depends. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. Life Expectancy by Country and in the World (2023) - Worldometer The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. I look over to The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! El subjuntivo By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. In the First Armored Division, now part of the 23rd Infantry Division, commonly known as the Americal Division, combat medics were called into action every day because the fighting was now. My bud, Price took over as RTO. It began just as, it was getting dark. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. In a strange country scared shitless .I was a minesweeper.My first time out on a mission they put me on the drag line fifty yards from the road which was route 1, Then all hell broke lose Average age of men killed: 23.1 years Total Deaths: 23.11 years Enlisted: 50,274; 22.37 years Officers: 6,598; 28.43 years Warrants: 1,276; 24.73 years E1: 525; 20.34 years Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. Nervous, I set up my gun on the hill and loaded a new hundred-round belt. Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. said to me. "The Cotton Balers, damn fine Soldiers." The Battalion returned to Fort Benning on October 11, 1970 and was inactivated. I personally carried 300 rounds of ammo at all times, one belt in the gun and two across my chest. I never even got a shot off. Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. I was told to show the new guy how to use it properly. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. We soon learned that the NVA troops were very different from the local guerrillas we had fought around Tuy Hoa. US Wings is a verified SAM Contractor and DLA Supplier and is officially listed as a manufacturer/retailer in the US Department of Commerce's Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA) Made in the USA database. Now we know. Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. Supported by a shoulder strap, No. We were probably not too far away on that day. I remember hearing somewhere about an RTO who wasnt getting the info out correctly and the Lieutenant (Kennedy) grabbed the mic and said My RTO Is Foxtrot Uniform. I never understood why they didnt put M60s on Medevacs (once the VC shot them down) but then, we now know they never intended to win that war in the first place. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? _____ 1. Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at all. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. The next morning, the blasting could still be, heard. Units would send a thorough report of their KIA and WIA, battle action coordinates, estimated enemy troop strength, enemy unit KIA/captured and any known direction heading. We were like sitting Ducks. (Getty Images) Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. Soon I could take the gun apart and put it back together in the dark. Change). Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? At that time, an infantry company consisted of about 150 men. I was a medic on one for two yrs and the only weapon I was issue was a six-shot .38. 1 Gun. 4 Paul Domke, who carried extra belts of ammo and fed them into the gun. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. In my humble opiniona maneven leaders should often recalculate their adversaries capabilities and limitations and his own limitations as wellwhen 10,000 miles from home against a determined worthy foein a strange landThe objective of Lam Son 719? Vietnam War soldiers We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. Flipping the safety off, I scanned the jungle in front of me. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Found NVA bunker complex. For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? Well he didnt make it. He was killed in an ambush along with three others. my left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts As some said, averages are meaningless. I, in turn, would take an M16 rifle, which felt like a feather in comparison. Arthur Parker and Spc. US Wings is a veteran-owned business and an official supplier to the US Military. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. 101st Airborne Division. Unable to reach Company A, my company pulled back, formed a perimeter and called in air and artillery support. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). 1 gun! Everyone laughed. 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 some troops's serving times) Sponsored by Primal Labs All the comments and replies are of absolute truth, I was only 18 when I got to Nam ,Im a country boy from NC so here I am As of April 14, 2017, there are 1,611 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War across Vietnam (1,258), Laos(297), Cambodia(49), and China(7). 4329 0 obj <>stream In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. Two rounds smashed into a log inches above my head. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. to the empployees was very informative. I am convinced the same NVA soldier who shot at me moments before had killed my good friend, a budding doo-wop singer from Long Island, New York. During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served was: 9,492,958. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. If you ask people who live in these countries that won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. They kept coming up the hill bringing more bodies to me until all seven had been found. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. The jungle seemed to want No. The next three weeks passed uneventfully. I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. They were not randomly selected but simply the best at doing it. We fought to an agreed stalemate. If it was 1941 and you were an average Soviet soldier, your life expectancy on the front line was days, not weeks, thanks to the ongoing german offence. I loved it. Two of my closest friends in the company, Spc. When I was assigned to the M60 in advanced individual training, I decided that if I had to be a gunner I would learn everything there was to know about the weapon. The Vietnam War was the first American war in which Black and White troops were not formally segregated, and even saw significant growth in the number of African Americans engaged in battlefield combat, [1] though some de facto segregation still occurred. 6 Answers They say Kali Ma Theyre referencing this scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: What is the life expectancy of an army infantry soldier? We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. No. Total fantasy. Eventually I found a spot where the bed leveled off and began firing on the NVA. The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. The enemy fire ceased, and we made arrangements to collect our dead before continuing on to Company A. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. Love this analysis. Well, according to current mortality and morbidity statistics for the USright around 77.5 Years! But, once the enemy lays down his weapon, I want YOU TO REMEMBER THREE THINGS: 1, HE IS A SOLDIER, JUST LIKE YOU.2, HE IS AWAY FROM HOME And family, just like you. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. They were a great bunch. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Nixon Presidential Papers. The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. B)Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x. Jimmy aaja -M.I.A. Me molesta que mis padres no ______ (cuidar) su alimentacin.. 3. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. Back home he returned to hairdressing and got a job at Kenneth Salon in New York City working with top models and fashion magazine editors. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). We were very, lucky. I traveled to Fort Lewis, Washington, and trained there for 10 months before deploying to Vietnam as specialist 4. 1 Gun before my luck ran out. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. My heart was pounding out of my chest. Bruce Grandstaff and my best friend, Sgt. It called for release of all U.S. prisoners, withdrawal of U.S. forces, limitation of both sides forces inside South Vietnam and a commitment to peaceful reunification. Love you Wortman!!!! I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total destruction of the Viet Cong elements in South Vietnam. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. One of them gazed in our direction, lowered his AK 47 assault rifle and fired six shots. happened. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I didnt want any medals. They were held in special regard after the Normandy landings, when 225 Rangers scaled cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc on June 6, 1944 under intense enemy fire. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam - lbgf.org David H. McNerney, who assumed command of the company when all of its officers were killed or wounded, was presented with the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony in September 1968. Look for the blue accessibility symbol floating on every page of our website and click on it to tailor your viewing experience to your particular disability. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. Company B arrived in-country with four rifle platoons, and each platoon was armed with two M60s. His best friend is 86 and still alive. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. As soon as he did, a round hit him in the forehead, blowing out the back of his skull. I served in A Company 3/22 of the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry 12/66, then Hq Co 2/12 of the 3rd Brigade 25th Inf until the night of the TET offensive end of January 1968 and returned home July 18 1968. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. I was wasting ammo and didnt even have a target! That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. Some of my men didnt. 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). (LogOut/ 3 Answers C5H5N in water > C5H5NH+ & OH- Kb = [C5H5NH+] [OH-] / [C5H5N] 1.5e-9 = [x] 1. When the Company B units that landed on the opposite side of the river got to the bank, some troops reached in and pulled the enemy from the water. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. Sgt. Postservice Mortality in Vietnam Veterans : 30-Year Follow-up - JAMA Screaming Eagles! Thanks for the perceived loss and the countless assassinations and torture visited upon Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians goes mainly to the American media and their undying support-by-misrepresentation of the anti-War movement in the United States. Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. Great reading. Shortly before 11 a.m. on May 18, the point squad in Company Bs 2nd Platoon spotted three NVA soldiers walking on a trail near the Cambodian border and attempted to capture them, but the NVA dashed off into the jungle. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. The Australian Vietnam veteran study assessed the postservice mortality of 19 205 Vietnam veterans and 25 677 non-Vietnam veterans through 1981. 17 photos showing the life of an elite US Army Ranger They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. Suddenly, I heard my name shouted from the Company B command group. PLEASE HELP!!! Then one hot, sunny day, while walking across rice paddies, we suddenly received small-arms fire from Viet Cong in some distant hills. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Fortunately, it was recorded on Spotify and can be listened to here: Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. If you have other information let me know. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. 82nd 2/505th. Its not all written down. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ We were expecting, an attack. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the VietnamWar? One was holding a carbine. Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds. Vietnam War the helicopters that came in to transport soldiers were the hardest hit with mass casualties . https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. The dead were placed on ponchos. Then he said youre on a FB, the enemy always knows your location, can pretty much attack at will, and you really dont have the capability to retreat. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? If anything went wrong, I could easily kill some of our soldiers. I think what is missing is the fact that the life expectancy of those firing at us was much shorter than those that they were firing at. Point, slack and compass. Opinion | What a Combat Medic Still Carries - The New York Times For example: 7*x^2. It means, IF (!) endstream endobj startxref As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. Originally I went to the 543d TC. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . A soldier or Marine in Vietnam had a 98% chance of survival if he was evacuated within the first hour of being injured the best odds in the history of American warfare up to that time. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Everyone in the company hit the dirt.

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