Are you oneof the lucky ones? Only 31%still alive.

[nvbirdman]

I'm one of the 31%.
31% makes me a minority.
I want government assistance.

 

[vito]

I served in RVN from 8/70-7/71, most of it with the 326th Med Bn, 101st Airborne (Airmobile) at Camp Eagle. I was older than most, as a 27 year old married with children Captain at the time. Sobering to know that only 31% of us are still around. To the best of my knowledge I had no direct exposure to Agent Orange, but between heart disease and quintuple bypass surgery, plus renal cancer requiring the removal of one of my kidneys, plus many other ailments I guess I am really lucky to still be around. I actually consider myself to be in pretty good health, good enough to ride my bicycle for a 10-15 mile ride on nice mornings and my motorcycle as often as I can.

 

[mohavesam]

All for nothing but LBJ's ego.

 

[harley08]

You can THANK LBJ a Dimocrap for those wasted lives!!

We all hate Dumb-O-Craps!

 

[vito]

This thread was from 2016, so now in 2022 the number of Vietnam vets is undoubtedly lower yet. I recently visited a dying Vietnam Vet who was about as young today as such a vet could be, 67 years old. After one visit (I do this as a volunteer with a hospice organization) he died.

But I am skeptical of the data in the OP. I know a number of fellow Vietnam Vets who are alive and well and don't personally know of any that have died since the end of that War. The 31% figure just doesn't make sense to me. Those that are listed on the Vietnam War Wall total about 59,000 which is just over 2% of those that served in country.

 

[RSIno1]

Sobering stats - I hadn't thought of % but it seems right. Out of 6 close friends who went to VietNam I have 2 left. One died in country One to cancer One in an accident One to Agent Orange (Parkinsons) last year. I was amazed at how fast he went downhill.

 

[Chief 101]

"Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old."

At the age of 60 as of today he would have been born in 1962...that would make him too young to have served in Viet Nam...Maybe this was written much earlier so some of the numbers could have changed...

 

[jimbo1096]

Thanks for the downer, now I'm depressed!

 

[warren5421]

USN 1968-1975 Enlisted. USSN 609 B If I remember right Dwight D. Eisenhower had troops in county during his presidency. I think Johnson caused a lot of death to test new weapon design

 

[hittman]

...Maybe this was written much earlier so some of the numbers could have changed...

This thread was started in 2016 so …. There’s that LOL

 

[eveled]

The youngest to die was Dan Bullock. 15 years old!

 

[blume357]

In looking at those statistics in hind sight we could have won the war and not had one single casualty... if we had just sent men over the age of 62. Which is not a bad idea when ever considering a war...just send in the old saber waving politicians....

 

[g5m]

I wonder what the current numbers are.

 

[Old and grumpy]

USN. Henderson DD785. 71-73 Combat ribbon Christmas eve 72. VC didn't get the note from Henry about the ceasefire. They are dead.

 

[bookemdano]

Guess I'm one of the 33% though the doctors keep trying to kill me.
Dano

 

[JiminMaine]

I'm one of the really lucky ones. Enlisted in 1968 and farthest West the Navy ever sent me was Glakes. Retired in 1991.

 

[bobski]

i was 17 when my ship came back from frequent wind, so i have good odds to be the last nam era vet living 30-40 years from now. i hope.

 

[Old and grumpy]

Gods speed Bob.

 

[welldoya]

My Dad passed away in 2014. I still remember him coming home from Vietnam in 1966.