Vietnam Casualities

Topic came up at a meeting last night concerning Vietnam causalities from certain parts of my state SC.
I looked at the "WALL" via internet and came up with this list. I had no idea how many from my county that I personally knew.

FWIW

19 Veterans from Vietnam on the wall.
Ages from 41 to 19
Average age of the 19 at time of “Start Tour” or Combat was 24 years old.
Longest Time any were in Combat was 11 months, shortest time 1 month.
Average Time of Combat of the 19 was 5.7 months.
The 41 year old served in the 101 First Airborne for ten years prior to Vietnam, but re-enlisted for Vietnam , he was the one that made it for 11 months.
Youngest made it 1 month and 12 days.
These numbers come from their profile and are calculated from these notations. (1) START TOUR, (2) INCIDENT DATE, AND (3) CASUALTY DATE…….


There were others probably younger.. These, as I stated were from my county.:icon_salut:

john

There are many surprising things about Viet Nam casualties. For example, the Marines suffered more casualties in Viet Nam than in WWII -- understanding that "casualties" means killed AND wounded. Thanks to quicker evacuation and better medicine, more wounded survived in Viet Nam than in WWII, so the Marines had fewer dead in Viet Nam, but the combined figure for dead and wounded was greater.


The heaviest casualties were among Infantry officers and helicopter pilots.


Casualties were just about proportionately divided by race, socio economic group and so on. Minorities did not take higher casualties, with one exception: Catholics. Catholics, making up 25% of the population took about 28% of the casualties.

If our government had followed the recommendations of Col. Dewey in 1945, these casualties would have been avoided. Regards, Clark

Recently National Geographic had a documentary on "The Boys of Company C", and the casualties were staggering. Company C had 26 men killed and 105 wounded for an 82% casualty rate.

According to NG their company was the last one to stay together through boot camp and as well as their Vietnam tour.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johnny P

Recently National Geographic had a documentary on "The Boys of Company C", and the casualties were staggering. Company C had 26 men killed and 105 wounded for an 82% casualty rate.

According to NG their company was the last one to stay together through boot camp and as well as their Vietnam tour.

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The company I commanded, A-1/61 In had 16 company commanders during it's time in Viet Nam. Seven were killed and eight wounded. One, Ed Vernon, lost an arm and was sent home. The rest of us were treated in-country, went back and were wounded again. That's 22 Purple Hearts among 16 men, or 138% casualties.

the published statistics always show it in "glorifying details".
For example, my unit, Alpha Troop, 3rD Sqdn, 4th Cav, 25th ID. got into it all week long from Aug 19 through Aug 24th, 1968.
If you look on the "virtual wall" it says "ONLY" 5 of us got Killed. Well, at full strength, our cavalry troop would have 7 APCs, and 3 M48A3 tanks per Platoon, and 3 "line" platoons. So, NOT counting the HQ section, we'd have roughly 21 APC's and 9 tanks. Roughly 160 to 180 men!!
On Aug 25th, (I found this out many years later at a cavalry reunion from some one who was "uninjured" and still there) I found out that there were only 11 MEN uninjured, and 3 APC's left and ZERO tanks!. We also had the Wolfhounds Infantry Company with us (I don't know which one), and a battery of Artillery at a NDP near the Ben Cui Rubber Plantation next door to the Michelin Rubber! I have no idea how many casualties they took.
it was claimed we got hit by about 1500 NVA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes indeed, "ONLY 5 KILLED". They didn't count me and many others like me who ended up crippled for life!!!!!!
WARS SUCK, especially when the LOSERS in congress decide in advance NOT TO WIN!!
OH, and PS, I have 3 Purple hearts myself but the VA tells me I was in a "non-combat unit". !!!!!!!!!!

I have 4 photos of destroyed APC's from 3/4 cav during tet of 68 sad day all lost on the same day.

My first tour, I was an adviser with the 18th ARVN Division. I was there for the ambush at Suoi Cat. You can read about it here http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/ebook/p/20.../chapter11.htm


The ARVN unit I was with came out from Xuan Loc, Division HQ and arrived near the end of the battle.

The 19th of June will be the 50th anniversary of the massacre at Fire base Tomahawk. The fire base was staffed, predominantly by members of Battery C of the Kentucky Guard from Nelson County Kentucky. Only about 8 of 120 were from outside of Nelson County. The battery had been activated the previous year and was shipped as a group. 14 men were killed and nearly 70 were wounded. It was a sad sight to see several white hearses arrive at the cemetery with the bodies.