Veterans Statistics courtesy of Jack Nicholson

Vietnam Statistics

These are results of a new survey from THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND Wash DC. It plays with preconceptions we may have about who Vietnam really are.

VIETNAM WARRIORS: A STATISTICAL PROFILE IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY
-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 (Jan1, 1965-March 28, 1973).
-Another 50,000 served in Vietnam between 1960 and1964.
-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
-Hostile deaths: 47,378
-Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
-Total: 58,202 (includes formerly classified as MIA and Mayaquez casualties), 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 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. -Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than a WWII and 70% higher than in Korea. -Multiple amputation occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
-Missing in Action: 2,338 POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

DRAFTEES VS VOLUNTEERS
-25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of US armed forces members were drafted during WWII).
-Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
-Reservists killed: 5977. -National Guard: 6,140 served, 101 died.
-Total draftees (1965-73) 1,728,344.
-Actually served in Vietnam 38%.
-Marine Corps draft: 424,633.
-Last draftee: June 30, 1973.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND
-88.4% of those who actual served in Vietnam were Caucasian
-10.6% 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 Northwest 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) on non-combat deaths were among blacks.
-34% of blacks that 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%

SOCIETY-ECONOMIC STATUS
-76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle and working class backgrounds.
-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.
-79% who served had a high school education or better. (63% of Korean War and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation).

DEATHS BY REGION PER 100,000 OF POPULATION
-South-31
-West-29
-Midwest-28.4
-Northwest-23.5

WINNING AND LOSING
-82% of vets 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 arms.

HONORABLE SERVICE
-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.