Reply #10: These folk's need to be heard. They need a strong voice at the top

[bigtree]

* 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 Gls 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, flight crews based in 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).

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

* 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.

* 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.

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

* Hostile deaths: 47,378.

* Non-hostile deaths: 10,800.

* Total: 58,202 (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 or younger.

* 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; 5,283 lostlimbs; 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.

* POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).


* 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees.

* Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam. · Reservists killed: 5,977.

* National Guard: 6,140 served; 101 died.

* Total draftees (1965-73): 1,728,344.

* Actually served in Vietnam: 38%.

* Marine Corps draft: 42,633.

* Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.

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

* 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 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.

* 70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.

* 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%.

* 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.)

* Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South-31, West-29.9; Midwest-28.4; Northeast-23.5.

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

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

* 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.

* 66% of Vietnam vets say they would serve again if called upon.

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