Fw: VIETNAM WARRIORS

Not precisely on topic but several listers have expressed
interest in Viet Nam era.

>Some interesting figures.
>
>The follow interesting analysis is from Dr Jim Reckner,
Director, The
>Vetnam Center, Texas Tech Unversity.
> >   These are results of a new survey from THE VIETNAM
VETERANS MEMORIALFUND
> > Wash DC.  ... ...	.
> >    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
> >	      (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
> >	      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 hanging
> >	      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 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).
> >
> >    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: 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 draftee: June 30, 1973.
> >
> >    RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND
> >	      88.4% of those who actually 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) of 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
> >	      Northeast-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.
>