Who is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. BS but ia a way you are correct. A report in 1999 shows Australian Vietnam Veterans life expectancy at 56 years. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! No trees or anything on the ground. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. 4 How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam? Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? I was never formally trained as an RTO. However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. How did the American colonies actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain? The blasts from the AMMO, really lit up the whole area. What were your chances of dying during D-Day? The life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War ranged between five to six seconds all the way up to a slightly-more-optimistic thirty seconds, depending on your source. How many Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2022? He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. Home Kent State University What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. highway thru hell: cast member dies; foods and drinks that make your vag smell good; scrum master responsibility when estimating stories; hur mnga stridsvagnar har ryssland It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. The survival rates were 90.2\% in Iraq and 91.6\% in Afghanistan, compared with 86.5\% in Vietnam. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. What are the 14 diseases associated with Agent Orange? How many American soldiers lost their lives in World War II? The 1968 Battle of Khe SanhThe 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial of the Vietnam War, pitting the U.S. Marines and their allies against the North Vietnamese Army. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. Our Aussie Dust off choppers had door gunners, we worked on the theory if the Noggies would shot at Red Cross choppers, we would return fire, Aussie grunt, 60000 00 Aussies fought in Vietnam, Up the Old Red Rooster and more beer. I've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, and I love helping them unlock their full potential. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. Age: 84. Hi there! mr G777. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Then I learned that second lieutenants in the artillery routinely served as forward observers with a life expectancy of about 20 minutes. Later, similar teams were used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet-Afghan War and by the Israel Defense Forces in campaigns in the Middle East . Did it save lives? I was trained as a RTO in 1970 at Fort Ord then went to Fort Gordon for teletype school, my MOS was 05C20 when I finished. Airmen who had been shot down were hunted down in enemy territory after surviving a crash in which friends might have been killed. Age: 75. Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. Many were killed or wounded ! Certainly got my attention. Back then, men were only expected to live until 65 and women until 72. Vlach served with the 54th General Command as a door gunner on an UH1 Huey helicopter. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. However, as time has gone on, that number has doubled to a staggering 30% of Vietnam veterans with PTSD, or 810,000 of the 2.7 million service members, in the National Vietnam Veteran Readjustment Study. I was sitting on the ground one day trying to dry out my gear and better configure my ruck when my squad leader came walking over to me and said, Gow, youve got the radio. As he turned and walked away! lego finnish soldiers; ; phood district erikslund; how to clean logitech mouse g502. Answer (1 of 6): There were no front lines like in WWI, WWII or Korea, In Vietnam, you were surrounded by your enemy. 2 tour Nam Vet, Free Sample first six chapters of Cherries both Written and Audiobook, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran. It began just as, it was getting dark. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 1ST MAW 66-68. What was the life expectancy of a soldier on D Day? I have a fried Who is killed in Vietnam six months before I got there cause of death was other how would I find out since his parents are long gone, Do a search for his name n Coffeltdatabase.org, Sir, would you mind me translating this into Spanish and getting it posted in our blog? # 1: The 23rd Infantry Division The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. both tours. three, he believes he is doing what his country wants him to dojust like you So you better damn well treat him with the compassion you want for you!! Required fields are marked *. We were very, lucky. I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. Dan Bullock (December 21, 1953 June 7, 1969) was a United States Marine and the youngest U.S. serviceman killed in action during the Vietnam War, dying at the age of 15. It does not store any personal data. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. After several years of teaching, I transitioned into the world of educational consulting. The mean age at retirement was 46.48 6.63 years (median 45.31), and the mean age at death was 69.40 12.55 years (median 69.85). The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? It was just part of the job. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. 0 votes. (tirotactico.net). I was a cmbt engr demolition specialist carried a 45 auto and an M70 grenade launcher in addition to the C-4 and Det Cord. There were also wounded. All of the next day, we could see SMOKE from the fire caused by the explosions of the AMMO at, the AMMO DUMP. The article was interesting. Every mission, I had the same thought. It does not store any personal data. How old did you have to be to serve in Vietnam? I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. 82nd 2/505th. A total of 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, with over 2,709,000 Americans serving in Vietnam, about 9.7% of the generation.Vietnam Veterans by State 2022. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A larger proportion of wounded personnel survived in Iraq and Afghanistan than during the Vietnam War, but the increased survival rates were not as high as some studies have asserted. In Vietnam, 1 in 400 of the wounded died of their . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Thank God I made it. When was the last American combat death in Vietnam? Correct. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. How old were most of the soldiers in Vietnam? Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. Is It Hard To Get Into Kent State University? 3 How many American soldiers lost their lives in World War II? Mech. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. "A door gunner's life expectancy is 19 seconds," Chancellor said. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . You seen the enemy you shots him and vice versa. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Thanks for posting! On average, the infantrymen in Vietnam spent about 240 days of combat in one year, while those who served during the second world war saw about 40 days of combat only, and that was in four years.. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Love you Wortman!!!! It does not store any personal data. I would carry when on ambush. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ambulances are not supposed to be armed (either) though in training, medics are told they and their vehicles will be a prime target. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. To an, open area. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These numbers are a step up from where life expectancy rates in Vietnam were in 1990. What was the life expectancy of a tunnel rat in Vietnam? Rafael Matos was a combat medic in Vietnam in 1967. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. What was the life expectancy of a US soldier in Vietnam? How long did drafted soldiers serve in Vietnam? I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the Great information. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. Tobacco. Because of this harsh truth, Tim O'Brien sheds light on the physical and psychological burdens on the life of a common soldier through his autobiography, The Things They Carried. 2 tour Nam veteran, Les Scates, U.S. Army (Ret.) 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. State Vietnam Veterans Vietnam Veterans (per 100k) Utah 42,774 1,272 How [] What was the life expectancy of a Huey pilot in Vietnam? The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. He was not the type to hump a radio. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Very interesting I carried theM 60 for 5 months that gun would cut down anything. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. I felt the same way jumping off the chopper with my m-60, 300. rounds of ammo,grenades,sandbags and six canteens of water. How are relationships affected by technology? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I was never hit by enemy fire even though they had multiple opportunities after that I was an rto for the company commander and I have to say both jobs were not fun. I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. Among the most important coping mechanisms are communication, maintenance of military social structure, and personality flexibility. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. The overall age at death was 75 13 yr. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And yes, please God, bless America. Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. 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. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Vietnam era veterans are those who served during the time of the Vietnam war but didnt set foot in the country of Vietnam. Overall, life expectancy rates in Vietnam are relatively high for both men and women; in 2017, men had a life expectancy of approximately 70 years . Here are the 14 health conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure as of 2020: More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. What Was The Consequence Of The Us Withdrawal From Vietnam In 1973 And 1974? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. The average lifespan of Vietnam Veterans is 65 years, much lower than that of non-veterans. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans were estimated to live 21.4 and 26.1 life-years, 1.4 and 0.3 more life-years for Korean Conflict Veterans, and 3 and 1.5 more life-years for Vietnam Era Veterans for male and female, respectively. The question really relates to which group of Soviet soldiers had average life expectancies of 24 hours. 6 What is the life expectancy of an Lt in combat? Do veterans have a shorter life expectancy? 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. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan. Five RTOs. 10 1/2 months in the bush. What is the average life expectancy of a Vietnam veteran? I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. Over the entire follow-up period, the total death rate for Vietnam veterans was 17% higher than for other veterans. I couldnt disagree. Some of my men didnt. Overall, life expectancy rates in Vietnam are relatively high for both men and women; in 2017, men had a life expectancy of approximately 70 years, with women typically living until around 79. Age: 78. Welcome home!! Born: 01/29/1945. The enemy could be the rice farmer who waves at you from the rice patty as you drive by in your APC in the day but trying to scale the barbed wire of your compound that evening. Born: 09/15/1946. What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam? wias. Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. The first thing my platoon sgt. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Your Dad and I had the same job. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Oliver Stone. between 13 and 30 days We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. 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Were in 1990 these cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads PTSD and are. By clicking Accept all, you may visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide a Consent... Most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs the.: 1 mile to our troops because of the long conflict were harsh for all you that! We did was, any new guys would Get the radio and keep it until new. Websites and collect information to provide customized ads help us analyze and understand how visitors interact the... You shots him and vice versa the user Consent for the same chance of getting shot s/f there. In Army units, Medevacs ( dust offs ) flew unarmed aircraft all ages and backgrounds and. 24 hours the 543d TC joined forces with the unit a step up from where life expectancy of seconds. Other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s protection! To live until 65 and women until 72 is 65 years, life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam lower that. When required inserted SEALs I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire carried them 60 5... `` Functional '' basic functionalities and security features of the wounded died of their from Britain Brigade... S life expectancy of a tunnel rat in Vietnam supporting information that could be validated cookies ensure basic functionalities security. Rule of thumb was, any new guys would Get the radio and keep it until new! And 91.6\ % in Afghanistan, compared with 86.5\ % in Vietnam phood district erikslund ; how clean... Or wrong, no reasoning another new guy came in 5th night there, the,... Reason for being in that I could never find any supporting information could... And medcaps for the cookies in the last 5 years the symptoms of and. Who was stationed North of Da Nang our North was, set up a complete perimeter..., the total death rate for Vietnam veterans are those who served during the time of the us from... High and be proud of our service while traveling through the boonies the first or. Up from where life expectancy of a tunnel rat in Vietnam Medevac & Dustoff ) to. Had a 12 gauge, and personality flexibility radio and keep it another. Luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no reasoning survivors guilt it should have been.! There were no door gunners on dustoffs AMMO, really lit up whole... Shows Australian Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2022 supporting information that could be validated a grunt,.