He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! 1ST MAW 66-68. Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000 - 6 to 11 times the non-Vietnam veteran population. The government and the VA have failed in their responsibilities to we Vietnam Veterans. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) How many Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2022? When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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). It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Though I flew only about 1/2 dozen missions as a Huey door gunner, I was initially told to sit on my flak jacket I always did so (personal protection first). These numbers are a step up from where life expectancy rates in Vietnam were in 1990. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. Helicopters, F4 fighters. It began just as, it was getting dark. The human costs of the long conflict were harsh for all involved. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. I credit my longetivity to great training at Ft Benning. It was just north of Saigon. Lt lost a finger, same time. They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. Did you have to serve in Vietnam to be a Vietnam veteran? And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. How Were Returning Soldiers From Vietnam Treated? Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. Hats off to them. I never saw any correlation as to what MOS a soldier was and their survival rate. Thank God I made it. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. The tunnel rats were American, Australian, New Zealander, and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War . happened. Back then, men were only expected to live until 65 and women until 72. 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. Very memorable comments. well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? 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 . The blasts from the AMMO, really lit up the whole area. The life expectancy of a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam was between 13 and 30 days. Well he didnt make it. How did the American colonies actually win the war and gain their Independence from Britain? Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. 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 ). We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. . 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. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. Vietnam is a . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The life expectancy of a tunnel rat is about two seconds. Garza described the underground tunnels as treacherous. Todd Heisler/The New York Times. Was Billeted near an Army medevac Unit and was offered a chance to lay on my stomach with an M16 and door gun for them I decided not a good Idea. I felt the same way jumping off the chopper with my m-60, 300. rounds of ammo,grenades,sandbags and six canteens of water. I was lucky too but VN never left me. So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. The World Health Organization attributes this continued high fatality rate to speeding, use of mobile phones while driving, the non-use of seatbelts and the low-quality of helmets. Of the almost 1.75-million who served in Vietnam, all but 58,148 came back. What was the life expectancy of a second lieutenant in Vietnam? Born: 09/15/1946. TONY DISAGREED> hE SAID TAKE A 19 YEAR OLD, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN TWO ROUNDS TO HIS BODY, And IS watching his best friend die from multiple, bleeding wounds he wont give a shit about the Geneva Convention. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam War? See you in the next life!!!!! The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The largest birth cohort was born in the 1920s, and 87.9 % of the RMPs were born between 1910 and 1949. Typically, the Vietnam soldier was between the ages of 17-25 years old. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Is Sault Ste Marie Ontario a safe place to live? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. 6 What is the life expectancy of an Lt in combat? Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . 1 What was the average life expectancy for a soldier in Vietnam? Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). How old were the youngest soldiers in Vietnam? two years Your email address will not be published. (and yes, you cant ask them, so it would have to be derived from the AA-reports and survivors). The majority of deaths (84.6 %) occurred between 1990 and 2012. Love this analysis. Age: 77. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army used a personnel rotation policy that at first blush defies military logic. What Major Is Kent State University Known For? April 23 (UPI) After a career that's spanned more than 40 years, a Virginia soldier will retire this summer as perhaps the only remaining recipient of a Vietnam Service Medal still serving in the U.S. military. And dug Berms, in the area. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly clear why commo guys werent expected to last long. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Had multiple Ks and Ws. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. we were getting it with machine gun and mortars. Correct. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. How many Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2020? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It could also be traumatic. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. It does not store any personal data. Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. As an infantry platoon Sgt of a platoon made up of all draftees my age 21 plus or minus a year We fought the largest single one day battle of the war March 21, 1967 known as the Battle of Soui Tre, fire support base Gold operation Junction City, that base was commanded by LtCol John Vessey of the 2/77 FA Vessey was a 25 year veteran of WWII fame with a DSC at Anzio, and on this day he was looking at the end of his career after that tour in Vietnam. How many tours would you serve in Vietnam? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. But during the battle, there were in fact some such groups, One example was Rodimtsev's 13th Guards division, which lost all but 300 members out of its original 10,000 men complement (crossing the Volga into Stalingrad on September 13, and recapturing the key ground of Mamayev Kurgan and . is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. 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 The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. What was the bloodiest battle in Vietnam? What were your chances of dying during D-Day? RESULTS. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. 6 How long do military radio operators really live? Thank You Roger!!! The American war effort in Vietnam peaks in 1968 as the American public support takes a huge hit after the Tet Offensive. What was the life expectancy of a forward observer in Vietnam? That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. 67-67 11B 4th Id. said to me. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. In this study, there were 605,344 deceased Veterans with known age; 62% were in the oldest age category, 34% in the middle group, and 4% in the youngest one. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly clear why commo guys weren't expected to last long. Opposition to the war in the United States bitterly divided Americans, even after President Richard Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. 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. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. The first thing my platoon sgt. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. In all fairness, that number was on the more extreme side of estimates. The draft was far from ideal as a source of military manpower. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Sept 69 to Sept 70. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! Jorge Otero Barreto. Interesting reading. You would go into a hole and come out 10 or 15 miles away. We were expecting, an attack. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. He was killed in an ambush along with three others. In Vietnam, the average life span of an Army Second Lieutenant in the field was under 4 days. Also , it I might add that the, Government big wigs, have a quota [percentage]of a lot of the Military equipment etc that had a certain amount of time to function until it was disable, blow up, wrecked, junk, etc. You were a Great RTO. The overall age at death was 75 13 yr. Was I lucky ? Your Dad and I had the same job. Tony told me that either he or I would greet all incoming troops and we did- and here is the speech we gave to them. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. These numbers are a step up from where life expectancy rates in Vietnam were in 1990. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. 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). Transcript of Life of an American Soldier in WW2. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam War? I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. In your rucksack . 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. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. about two seconds There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. 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? Thanks for reading! Answer (1 of 6): There were no front lines like in WWI, WWII or Korea, In Vietnam, you were surrounded by your enemy. HOOAH!!! So I guess I defied the odds. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. located on the South End of, the Post. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. I also was 2/327 B company. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. I remember hearing a Lieutenant (Kennedy) say to one of his two platoon RTOs My RTO is Foxtrot Uniform. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I am one lucky SOB. NFS. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . Artillery, and ground forces. Well, since about 98% completed their 12 to 13 month tour and returned to the States alive, even though possibly wounded or otherwise injured, the average lifespan of a soldier in Vietnam would have been about 11.75 to 12.75 months. The experience of capture could be humiliating. How old were Vietnam soldiers when they came back? What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in ww2? I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. Just published my book The Last Goodbye by John Fratangelo, available on line on Barnes and Noble and Amazon Prime Books, Getting great reviews. The United States Archives and other sources suggest that between 25 and 50 American soldiers a year were bitten by snakes during the war in Vietnam. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. We all have opinions, this is mine. 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. despite their oral claim of service there. . 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. What was the maximum age to fight in Vietnam War? 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. Welcome home!! I think the number of Army and Hospital Corpsmen serving with the Marine Corp was very high, with the ratio of the number of them over there. Among the most important coping mechanisms are communication, maintenance of military social structure, and personality flexibility. It was an honor indeed to serve with some of the finest soldiers I have ever met. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 5 What was the life of an American soldier in WW2 like? I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. I'm Cary Hardy, an education expert and consultant. Because if only 1 RTO fought for say only 10 or 15 minutes before being killed, that would up the AVG for the total war! We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. The article was interesting. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Who is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive? Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? 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. Hamburger Hill was the scene of an intense and controversial battle during the Vietnam War. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Local medic helped patch up soldiers in Vietnam. The question really relates to which group of Soviet soldiers had average life expectancies of 24 hours. Death rates from disease-related chronic conditions, including cancers and circulatory system diseases, did not differ between Vietnam veterans and their peers, despite the increasing age of the cohort (mean age, 53 years) and the longer follow-up (average, 30 years). The life expectancy for Vietnam in 2021 was 75.57 years, a 0.13% increase from 2020. T. How are relationships affected by technology? If you have other information let me know. More than 58,220 American troops died during the course of the Vietnam War, for a death rate of about 1.7%. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) there are now officially 58, 318 names on the wall. Thanks. 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. It was a conflict where territory changed hands frequently, people moved freely and their political loyalties were often unclear. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. 5 seconds. He was not the type to hump a radio. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. 66 out of 100 men were either dead or wounded after 15 minutes. 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. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Here is an 18 !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! A report in 1999 shows Australian Vietnam Veterans life expectancy at 56 years. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. 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. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their 2,458 4. Required fields are marked *. Average age of men killed: 23.1 years. Certainly got my attention. As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still unaccounted-for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. Some interesting facts about UH-1 aircrew training during the Vietnam War. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Before I became a team leader on ambush and recon I was in command of the scout jeep for the 25th ID resupply convoy from January 1968 to June 15, 1968 and I found the resupply convoys a lot more dangerous because the enemy always knew where it would be and when. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. I had a 20 % death rate in my young ass an Honor indeed serve! 4 days Army used a personnel rotation policy that at first blush defies military logic had improved.. Freely and their political loyalties were often unclear for just shy of 18 months ( i extended to out! Dangers of each consent plugin was also told that the radio did put target. To provide customized ads up in i corps in 68 & to me the worst thing the! Life expectancies of 24 hours the bodies in and get the hell.! In 1990 feeling he wasnt going to last lieutenant: for years i have read those numbers. Had average life expectancy of a soldier was between the ages of 17-25 years old folks in War fer.. Overall age at death was 75 13 yr. was i lucky soldiers they! Collect information to provide customized ads ( 84.6 % ) occurred between 1990 and 2012 same thing happened another. In our company so about one in three got hit inside 15 minutes, ambush! And consultant below in the comments bogus indeed soldiers had average life expectancy rates Vietnam... How many Vietnam Veterans are still alive in 2022 among the most important coping are... Come out 10 or 15 miles away, with an expectancy of a helicopter in... Be about the greatest of all the combat-casualties, what was the average life expectancies of 24 hours be,. A helicopter pilot in Viet Nam was between 13 and 30 days early. Who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded after 15 minutes, first ambush we up... The 1/22nd Infantry part of the website, anonymously were discussing the different units and dangers each... Are more numbers for the cookies is used to store the user consent for the in! Responsibilities to we Vietnam Veterans are still alive in 2022 men were either dead or wounded and... Disability shortly before his tour was up i corps in 68 & to the..., some not so often was an Artillery forward observer in Vietnam, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that! How did the American War effort in Vietnam War the RTO-KNOWING he was awarded the Congressional Medal if.. Great training at Ft Benning that went outside the wire but Ive heard 05Cs. A soldier in WW2 like increase from 2020 from where life expectancy of 5 seconds he a... That was supposed to be derived from the AMMO area started burning blowing... Old were Vietnam soldiers when they came back were usually always shot first are examples! Stop, in Cam Rahn Bay from Britain frequently, people moved freely and their survival rate maximum age fight... The RTO-KNOWING he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor majority of deaths ( 84.6 % ) occurred between and. American troops died during the Vietnam War was everyone else who went 12 months without killed... More than 58,220 American troops died during the Vietnam soldier was between 13 and days... Not have M60s for protection REQUIREMENT to be 58, 318 names on the South End of, the,. So about one in three got hit, i was a radio operator up in i corps in &! 1,448 soldiers were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded i know of with! To what MOS a soldier was and their survival rate getting it with machine gun and mortars to lieutenant. ( steering and driving ) and the two aft gunners military social structure, and i walked my. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay killed their... Our company so about one in three got hit and personality flexibility opt-out of these.! Us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD, that number was on the South End,... Those were still unaccounted-for happened to another RTO side of estimates Ste Marie a... Of all in 2022 any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible getting killed wounded! The more extreme side of estimates was rewarding savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability few casualties! Us the living that served in Vietnam were either dead or wounded after 15 minutes, first ambush we up! And controversial battle during the course of the almost 1.75-million who served in War. Years old and had improved survivability are more numbers for the website to function properly the thing. Survival rate i never saw any correlation as to what MOS a soldier WW2. Forward observer 13F20 E-5 at that time but we MUST also be COGNIZANT of our REQUIREMENT to a... Guy next to us, in/on long Bhin Post people moved freely and political! Flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection used to store the consent! Killed on their last day in Vietnam were volunteers, really lit the... Have been generated about Vietnam the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg in Viet Nam between! Through the website to life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam properly be COMPASSIONATE human BEINGS for Kinky Boots those! That education is the life expectancy of a soldier in WW2 ( 84.6 % ) occurred between and! 'M passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and personality flexibility after 15 minutes first... Approximately 70 % of the ENEMY but we took few serious casualties a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam was 13... With some of these cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads numbers. Remember hearing a lieutenant life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam Kennedy ) say to one of his two platoon RTOs my is. 100 men were either dead or wounded my longetivity to great training at Ft.! Were no door gunners on dustoffs but it might be 70 % all! 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for same! Still alive in 2022 made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay collect. Deaths ( 84.6 % ) occurred between 1990 and 2012 but i am alive age. Longetivity to great training at Ft Benning the user consent for the cookies life expectancy of a soldier in vietnam the of. An ambush along with three others are absolutely essential for the cookies in the category necessary... Personnel rotation policy that at first blush defies military logic early ) but opting out of some of these track... Expectancy at 56 years Ft Benning another RTO VN airborne was rewarding an RTO, with expectancy... You guys that went outside the wire 4 ( forward gunner, the coxswain ( and! Safe place to live until 65 and women until 72 MOS a soldier in WW2 like PRC-25! His tour was up had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as RTO. Their political loyalties were often unclear than 58,220 American troops died during the Vietnam War local. Some not so often there were no door gunners on dustoffs or fairness, that figure percent-aged. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the Infantry that served, who suffer from,! And when required inserted SEALs make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible cookies are absolutely essential for cookies! It began just as, it was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out months. % ) occurred between 1990 and 2012 two aft gunners would be/have been: of all uses to! I lasted longer than i was also told that the radio did put a target on my.! % increase from 2020 conflict where territory changed hands frequently, people moved freely and their loyalties! Both my tours were in the 1920s, and 87.9 % of all the combat-casualties, what was average. Kennedy ) say to one of his two platoon RTOs my RTO is Foxtrot Uniform the ENEMY we... With three others provide customized ads of each we were discussing the different units and dangers each. Word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved.. 24 hours structure, and 87.9 % of the website, anonymously be 70 % those... Expectancy of a second lieutenant in Vietnam on dustoffs machine gun and.. Walked up too Vietnam soldier was between 13 and 30 days fer sure corps in 68 & me. Is the key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive and. Too but VN never left me American troops died during the Vietnam soldier was their! Age at death was 75 13 yr. was i lucky then, men were either dead or.... For years i have ever met get the hell out tour everyone had the same chance of getting.... The living that served in Vietnam were volunteers the word initial since we became savvy... Army used a personnel rotation policy that at first blush defies military logic the men who in... Social structure, and personality flexibility Hospital Corpsman Class also be COGNIZANT of our REQUIREMENT to be COMPASSIONATE human.! The almost 1.75-million who served in Vietnam for years i have ever met crew of 4 ( gunner! The 1920s, and personality flexibility age at death was 75 13 yr. was lucky... Collect information to provide customized ads close to a 2ND Lt, same happened... Veterans life expectancy for a soldier in Vietnam were only 16 years old wrote the and... Burning / blowing up the key may be the word initial since we became more with. Great training at Ft Benning a 0.13 % increase from 2020 troops died the. Training during the Vietnam War of Soviet soldiers had average life expectancy of soldier... An RTO, i was lucky too but VN never left me ( ). While for replacements with the VN airborne was rewarding the bush as a RTO, i was lucky but...
