A STATISTICAL PROFILE
IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY
 

These are results of a new survey from
THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND
Washington  DC.

It deals with preconceptions some folks might have
about who Vietnam Veterans really are.

VIETNAM WARRIORS:            

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 GIs 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 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)

CASUALTIES:

a.. Hostile deaths: 47,378
b   Non-hostile deaths: 10,800 Total: 58,202
     (includes formerly classified as MIA and Mayaquez casualties),
     subsequently died of wounds account for the hanging total.

a.. 8 nurses died-1 was KIA.
b.. Married men killed: 17,539.
c.. 61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
d   Highest state death rate: West Virginia- 84.1 (national average
     58.9 for every 100,000 males in 1970)
e.. Wounded: 303,704-153,329 hospitalized + 150,375 injured
     requiring no hospital care.
f.. Severely disabled: 75,000-23,214 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs;
    1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
g.. Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities
     were 300% higher than in W.W.II and 70% higher than in Korea.
h.. Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4%
     compared to 5.7% in W.W.II.
i.. Missing in Action:
    2,338. POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS:

a.. 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees.
b.. (66% of US armed forces members were drafted during W.W.II).
c.. Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
d.. Reservists killed: 5,977.
e.. National Guard: 6,140 served, 101 died.
f..  Total draftees (1965-73)1,728,344.
g.. Actually served in Vietnam 38%.
h..  Marine Corps draft: 42,633.
i..   Last draftee: June 30, 1973.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

a.. 88.4% of those who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian.
b.. 10.6% were black.
c.. 1% belonged to other races.
d.. 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes
     Hispanics)
e.. 12.5% (7,241) were black
f..  1.2% belonged to other races.
g.. 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.
h.. 70% of enlisted men killed were of Northwest European descent.
i..  86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were
     Caucasian
j.. 12.1% (5,711) were black
k.. 1.1% belonged to other races.
l    14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.
m.. 34% of blacks that enlisted, volunteered for the combat arms.
n.. 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:

a.. Protestant-64.4%
b.. Catholic-28.9%
c.. Other/none-6.7%.

SOCIETY-ECONOMIC STATUS:

a.. 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle and working
     class backgrounds.
b.. 3/4ths 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.
c.. 79% who served had a high school education or better. (63% of Korean
    War and only 45% of W.W.II vets had completed high school upon separation).

DEATHS BY REGION PER 100,000 OF POPULATION:
a.. South-31
b..West-29
c.. Midwest-28.4
d.. Northeast-23.5.

WINNING AND LOSING:
a.. 82% of vets who saw heavy combat strongly believe
     the war was lost because of lack of political will.
b.. Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure
     of political will, not arms.

HONORABLE SERVICE:

a.. 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
b.. 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those
     who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
c.. 66% of Vietnam vets say they would serve again if called upon.
d.. 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.
             

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