Remember Waco, Texas, March 8th, 1998
Vietnam Stats you may not know of:
Average age during tour: 19
Racial percentages: 88.4 Caucasian & Hispanic, 10.6 Black, 1% 'Other.'
Draft percentage: 25
Honorable Discharge: 97%
Members with High School: 79%
Economic status: 76%-lower or middle income level, 75%-family above poverty level, 50%-middle income family.
* The 1% called 'Other' was Native Americans and Oriental Americans.
Total Force (1961-1975):
Active Duty Vietnam Era: 9,087,000 (9.7% of their generation. Most in history of USA)
Served in Vietnam borders: 2,594,000 (40 to 60% exposed to combat)
Served in country & offshore: 3,403,100
Women in Vietnam: 7,484 (83.5% were nurses)
Peak Troop strength: 543,482 (April 30, 1969)
Casualties:
Hostile deaths: 47,378
Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
Wounded: 303,704
Severely Disabled: 75,000
Lost limbs: 1,081
Married men killed: 17,539
Nurses killed: 8
Draftees killed: 17,725 (30.4% KIA [killed in action])
Race KIA: 86.8% Caucasian or Hispanic, 12.1% Black, 1.1% Other
Average age of KIA: 23
Highest State death rate: West Virgina-84.1% men per 100,000
~ It was recently released (2003), that there were over 4.5 million northern Vietnamese casualties. No mention was made to the wounded: 'injuries,' 'loss of limbs,' 'civilians,' etc. I find it dreadful that they call those who were 'killed' in action, 'casualties.' That's a 'casual' word, now isn't it? J.L.
* All sources: DoD (Department of Defense) & National Archives, via Jason's Freedom of Information Act requests.
~ Posted herein, September, 2003.
(Jason Leigh is an active member in good standing with The American Legion and his name is inscribed on the Special Member Rolls of Honored Veterans).
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