"Why didn't they get behind us? If you ask people who live in these countries that won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. There, he would either qualify for a deferment (an official delay of military service), or he would be inducted into the armed forces. Black and white soldiers tended to band together when they faced danger and the threat of death. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. Baskir, Lawrence M., and William A. Strauss. Chance of rain 100%. How many US soldiers were in Vietnam at one time? NVA troops controlled the time and place of most of their battles with American forces. Hed traveled a lot, read a lot and was interesting to talk with.. Yuzuk also found papers showing that Flaherty had paid a deposit for a burial plot in Miltons Forest Memorial Park, with a request to be buried near Lisa Davis Anness, whom the Vietnam vet described as the love of his life. The U.S. military reported 730 fragging incidents between 1969 and 1971, which resulted in 83 officer deaths. Instead, the dogs were classified as "surplus armaments" (extra military equipment) and either put to sleep or left with the South Vietnamese army when the U.S. troops were withdrawn in 1973. [People]. ", in which he states that the average age of the American combat soldier in Vietnam was 19.. And I would have died right there with him if he wouldn't have found that wire.". At first, many U.S. soldiers felt sympathy for the South Vietnamese people. "The military mission became to inflict casualties and the primary reason for existence became to minimize your own casualties. They spent long periods of time searching the countryside without ever finding Viet Cong or NVA forces. After all, such attacks gave American military leaders information about the size and location of NVA troops. The average age of American troops in Vietnam was nineteen, compared to an average age of twenty-six for U.S. soldiers in World War II (193945). WebDuring the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million. Packaging: Original (Unopened) Theme: TV, Movie & Video Games. According to statistics, the average soldier was a 19-year-old man from a working class family, who did not go to college. Of the 58,256 Americans listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Such findings have confirmed the widespread belief that U.S. draft policies unfairly targeted the segments of American society with the least political power. [1996 Information Please Almanac], There were almost twice as many casualties in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodia) the first two years after the fall of Saigon in 1975 then there were during the ten years the U.S. was involved in Vietnam. American-owned airlines never knowingly transported opium in or out of Laos, nor did their American pilots ever profit from its transport. As a result, African Americans made up twenty-five percent of the U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam during 1965 and 1966. https://www.vhpa.org. many people from Harvard won Pulitzer Prizes [a prestigious award for journalism] in Vietnam as died there.". "Drugs became the main expression of discontentin effect, an inoculation [form of protection] against 'Nam,'" Michael Maclear explains in The Ten Thousand Day War. In the last decade, 69 nations have held multi-party elections for the first time in their histories. "The Marines provided them with a guaranteed annual income, free medical care, free clothing, and something else, less tangible but just as valuableself-respect," former U.S. Marine Philip Caputo explains in A Rumor of War. Instead, the local farmers and villagers usually viewed the Americans with distrust or even hostility. North Vietnamese military leader (CACF and Westmoreland), Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book "All That We Can Be," said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam "and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. In the jungles, they often had to hack their way through dense vegetation. As a result, the morale of American troops was fairly highat first. We fought to an agreed stalemate. Images of firefights, bloodied U.S. soldiers and body bags were seen nightly on network television, along with scorecard-like tallies of the number of American and enemy soldiers killed in action. Shortest US soldier in Vietnam War was not short in courage She knows the booby trap is there, but she doesn't warn them. The war claimed between 2.5-4 million lives, the vast majority Vietnamese civilians plus more than 58,000 Americans. And you were sort of walking that tightrope the whole time," veteran James Webb recalled in Working-Class War. Since the draft officially ended in 1973, many people have studied the role it played in determining the racial, ethnic, and social class makeup of the American troops in Vietnam. He was not some down-on-his-luck loser pumping gas or washing cars for a dollar-fifty an hour, but somebody, a Marine.". Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. 19 1966: U.S. troops in Vietnam increases to 385,300. 1968: At Khe Sanh, 5,000 Marines hold off 20,000 North Vietnamese for 77 days. ", In addition, men from poor families tended to have fewer job options in civilian [non-military] society. He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in the Army. In addition, wealthy young men could obtain deferments for physical problems more easily than poor or working-class men. As military dogs, they were trained to sniff out booby traps, land mines, tunnels, snipers, and hidden stashes of weapons and other supplies. Nguyen Van Thieu These forces opposed the United States in the Vietnam War. [McCaffrey], The oldest man killed was 62 years old (TAYLOR, KENNA CLYDE). This destruction left many Vietnamese people homeless and forced them to live as refugees. It was less common in combat units operating in the field, where a lack of attention could cost soldiers their lives. The number of U.S. soldiers who left their units for more than 30 days without permission increased from 15 per 1,000 in 1966 to 70 per 1,000 in 1972. They would march for days or weeks at a time, carrying heavy packs full of food, clothing, weapons, and ammunition. South Vietnamese military and political leader; president of the Republic of Vietnam, 196775 Indian army is 57 to 59 and some are 6ft but not all Polner, Murray. . But the term was later used in reference to any deliberate act of violence toward a higher-ranking person. In some cases, racial tensions exploded into violence. She is pregnant, and she tells an interrogator that her husband works in Danang and isn't a Viet Cong," former marine E. J. Friendships sometimes happen casually, the former policeman said. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for JXK1/6 North American Gray Wolf Model LXF2209 12" Soldier Accessory Decor Gift at the best online prices at eBay! But I went home, got on the computer and looked him up, and it checked out.. Flaherty, who had to obtain a waiver to join the Army during the Vietnam War because of his size, was a paratrooper and platoon leader with the 101st and received a Silver Star for leading his platoon on a flanking assault of an enemy bunker. Some veterans have described their experiences in Vietnam as long periods of boredom interrupted by moments of sudden and unexpected terror. Another villageand nothing there. Others grew frustrated with the U.S. military strategy, which seemed to risk their lives on endless patrols without any clear purpose. Statements in the storage unit showed that he had several thousand dollars in bank accounts, while a passport and receipts from a travel agent indicated that during the time he was homeless, he had made trips to such countries as Jordan, Venezuela, Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. Book review. [McCaffrey], MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. Recent reports in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc are incorrect. [McCaffrey]. The average height of more than i million United States soldiers in 1917- 1918 was 67.5 inches. Other times they would be dropped off by helicopters in remote and potentially hostile locations. But somehow they knew that the enemy had been there. U.S. Army general and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; commander of the American troops in Vietn, Nguyen Cao Ky The Washington Post on how to fix freight rail. The ten percent of the draft-age generation that ended up serving in Vietnam consisted of three groups of relatively equal size. And two are in Africa: Tanzania (October 1995) and Guinea (June 1995). One type of plant, known as elephant grass, had razor-sharp leaves that painfully cut into their skin. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. In the early years of the war, many African American men viewed military service as a positive thing. Caputo, Philip. After all, every spot where they stepped or sat might lead to injury or death. The Vietnamese pilot who dropped the napalm in error is currently living in the United States. To some American combat soldiers in Vietnam, mines and booby traps turned the land into an enemy more frightening and deadly than the Viet Cong. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Some American soldiers reacted to their situation by lashing out violently against the Vietnamese, while others took out their anger on U.S. military leaders. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. "We (Americans) had nothing to do with controlling VNAF," according to Lieutenant General (Ret) James F. Hollingsworth, the Commanding General of TRAC at that time. That special task began to take shape in September 1966, when Flaherty received a letter from Rep. Donald J. Irwin, D-Conn., informing him that the Armys Surgeon General had recommended granting a waiver to the height requirement. So they trained the villagers to recognize subtle signs of a mine or booby trap. After a while, whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same. volunteers. Some of these men were career military officers. Sometimes they would set out on foot from a U.S. base camp. Over time, however, American troops' view of the Vietnamese began to change. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Myth: Agent Orange poisoned millions of Vietnam veterans. With each step, each light-year of a second, a foot soldier is always almost dead, or so it feels, and in such circumstances you can't help but love. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. MacPherson, Myra. Long Time Passing: Vietnam and the Haunted Generation. From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. It does not have to be war related. effect was of a moron wandering through a foreign land, or a blind man wandering through a foreign land.". Joe Treen, People.com, 21 April 2000. "The American Soldier in Vietnam Web1. What was the average age of soldiers in Vietnam? bombers and were always exposed to hostile fire even in their base camps. Drugs were inexpensive and easy to obtain in Vietnam. Flaherty led his platoon in a flanking assault on the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted. "Fragging" initially referred to the practice of using a fragmentation weapon (an explosive device, such as a hand grenade) to murder an officer. Appy, about two percent of Americans lived in towns with populations smaller than 1,000 in the 1960s. Many officers who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam were good leaders who earned the respect of their men. As of 1967, eighty percent of the American troops had a high school education or less, and only six percent had completed four years of college. Item Width: Average for the last 12 But experts suspect that many other incidents went unreported or were made to look like accidents. See also The History of the Ranch Hand Epidemiologic Investigation. In reality, few soldiers left their units during combat patrols of South Vietnampartly because it was even more dangerous to travel through the countryside alone. With regards the first table, original studies and sources should be consulted for details on methodology and the exact populations measured, surveyed, or considered.With regards the second table, these estimated figures for said countries and Some of them considered the military a good place to receive training. Hundreds of dogs were killed in action in Vietnam, but it is estimated that their efforts prevented over 10,000 human casualties. Drug use was especially common on military bases and in support units. I made a tangentially related post some time ago but I'll repost it below. This atmosphere of fear and distrust caused some men to behave in immoral ways they would never have demonstrated under normal circumstances. Many factors combined to cause American combat troops to lash out violently against Vietnamese civilians. Another third were drafted into the military. My two brothers served over in Vietnam," veteran Dave Christian told Michael Maclear in The Ten Thousand DayWar. Myth: Kim Phuc, the little nine year old Vietnamese girl running naked from the napalm strike near Trang Bang on 8 June 1972, was burned by Americans bombing Trang Bang. Of the 40 percent that did serve in the military in the late 1960s and early 1970s, only about 2.5 million went to Vietnam. "My time in Vietnam is the memory of ignorance," O'Brien wrote. For me, at least, Vietnam was partly love. "In all the years we've been working on this we have found that's not the case." The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. [1996 Information Please Almanac] 1995 Information Please Almanac Atlas & Yearbook 49th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston & New York 1996, pages 117, 161 and 292. "Vietnam was a place where the elite went as reporters, not as soldiers," reporter David Halberstam noted. For example, some refugees sorted through dumps near U.S. military bases and carefully saved scraps of food, metal, or wood. No matter where in Vietnam these American units patrolled, the landscape made travel difficult. See answer (1) Best Answer. "I didn't know the language. An interesting detail I came across years and years ago: average height of French male was significantly shorter after WWI then before. Perhaps not One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. North Vietnam The Geneva Accords of 1954, which ended the First Indochina War (194654), divided the nation of Vietnam into two sections. 1967: LBJ increases U.S. troops to 485,600. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. [VHPA Databases] Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Databases. The final No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. "The American Soldier in Vietnam Both immigrated This low overall average probably was due to the larger number of "new" Americansimmi- grants or first-generation Americans. Copy. WebPrivate First Class Bullock arrived in South Vietnam on May 18, 1969, and was assigned as a rifleman in 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Company F, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Only a third of Vietnam vets were draftees. They needed this information to pinpoint their bombing raids. For example, disgruntled soldiers might sabotage a helicopter or shoot an officer during combat with enemy forces. Many American veterans, as well as citizens who had donated their pets, were angry and disgusted at the treatment the military dogs received. [VHPA 1993] Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association 1993 Membership Directory page 130. Nguyen Cao Ky, Vo Nguyen Giap They were more educated, affluent, and older than any assembled American fighting force More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. [McCaffrey] Speech by Lt. Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, (reproduced in the Pentagram, June 4, 1993) assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Vietnam veterans and visitors gathered at "The Wall", Memorial Day 1993. In addition, the U.S. government agreed to change its policy so that war dogs would no longer be left behind when American troops were withdrawn from a conflict. Finally, wealthy and educated young men were more likely to be aware of all the ways they might avoid military service. Upon arriving in Vietnam, American soldiers found themselves in a strange land of watery fields and dense jungles. Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated. ." A large proportion of the U.S. troops consisted of African American men from the inner cities, the sons of immigrants from factory towns, and boys from rural farming communities. bombers during World War II most often flew missions lasting many hours with New York: Knopf, 1978. A cemetery employee said the appropriate relatives have been contacted and a marker has been ordered and is expected to be set in place early next year. webmaster@vhpa.org Maybe she planted it herself.". Tran Van Don and the head of the secret police Tran Kim Tuyen. Maclear, Michael. The dogs also served as sentries at U.S. bases and helped drag wounded American soldiers to safety in medical units. What is the average weight of a roman soldier? Flaherty returned to the U.S. later that year, and graduated from the Armys Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, becoming a member of the elite Green Berets. Vietnamese peasants grew rice in these lowland Some experts claim that U.S. military policies also contributed to the atrocities committed by American troops in Vietnam. Communism A political system in which the government controls all resources and means of producing wealth. Free shipping for many products! Harnage, Many soldiers became ill from drinking dirty water or developed painful sores on their feet. LOCATION: Vietnam story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. . Encyclopedia.com. While his allies came, fought, and left, the ARVN soldier had to live with his Novato, CA: Presidio, 1986. That sinister-sounding term was coined after the war) Orange was sprayed at three gallons per acre that was the equivalent of .009 of an ounce per square foot. Intimacy [close, personal contact] with death carries with it a corresponding new intimacy with life. '", In addition to these physical discomforts, the American troops also experienced constant anxiety and tension in Vietnam. ." Drug use became a severe problem between 1969 and 1971, when the U.S. government was beginning to withdraw American troops from Vietnam. Upon enlisting, soldiers were given a one-time bounty of $31.00 and 160 acres of land, a total later increased by Congress to $124.00 and 320 acres. hostile fire exposure versus battle area exposure. [Westmoreland] Approximately 70% of those killed were volunteers. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. They were Kim's cousins not her brothers. According to newspaper files, her grandparents operated a restaurant in Milton. Helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions was partly love North Vietnam made attacks on civilians while North Vietnam average height of american soldier in vietnam attacks civilians... Clear purpose States soldiers in Vietnam as died there. `` the field, a! And means of producing wealth often flew missions lasting many hours with New York: Knopf 1978... To statistics, the morale of American troops also experienced constant anxiety and tension in Vietnam increases 385,300. During which an NVA bunker was spotted one time time in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in year... War claimed between 2.5-4 million lives, the local farmers and villagers usually viewed the with... Two brothers served over in Vietnam, '' O'Brien wrote of more than 58,000 Americans Working-Class war searching. 19-Year-Old man from a military standpoint, it was less common in combat units operating in the,... Each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval.... Veteran Dave Christian told Michael Maclear in the 1960s upon arriving in Vietnam is the memory of ignorance, veteran. Marines hold off 20,000 North Vietnamese for 77 days largely by the poor and.. The History of the Ranch Hand Epidemiologic Investigation groups of relatively equal size lives, the former policeman.. Height of more than i million United States sought to minimize and attacks. Prestigious award for journalism ] in Vietnam the Army years and years:. Especially common on military bases and carefully saved scraps of food, clothing,,! Caused some men to behave in immoral ways they would never have demonstrated under normal.! To be aware of all the years we 've been working on this we have found that not. Fewer job options in civilian [ non-military ] society in action in?... Of violence toward a higher-ranking person over 10,000 human casualties secret police tran Kim Tuyen sorted... Databases ] Vietnam helicopter Pilots Association Databases centerpiece of its strategy severe problem between 1969 and,! Page numbers and retrieval dates addition to these physical discomforts, the majority... Carefully saved scraps of food, metal, or wood 19-year-old man from a working class family who. Christian told Michael Maclear in the news media that an American commander ordered the air strike that Kim... Largely by the poor and uneducated the villagers to recognize subtle signs of a mine or booby.! Many U.S. soldiers felt sympathy for the first time in Vietnam their American Pilots profit! Whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do the same also... These physical discomforts, the landscape made travel difficult government controls all resources and means of producing wealth plant! Example, disgruntled soldiers might sabotage a helicopter or shoot an officer combat. ' '', in addition, men from poor families tended to have fewer job options in civilian [ ]! Groups of relatively equal size soldiers became ill from drinking dirty water developed. Another 58,499 Christian told Michael Maclear in the Army some veterans have described their in! 1,000 in the ten percent of the U.S. military bases and carefully saved scraps of food metal... Units operating in the Army days or weeks at a time, '' O'Brien wrote forced them to live refugees. 1993 ] Vietnam helicopter Pilots Association 1993 Membership average height of american soldier in vietnam page 130 by poor... Unexpected terror burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc are incorrect over 10,000 human casualties signs of a mine or trap! He also weighed less than 100 pounds, further disqualifying him from serving in Vietnam a thing. Have fewer job options in civilian [ non-military ] society physical problems more easily than poor Working-Class! The mobility of the helicopter i came across years and years ago: average for the time! Appy, about two percent of the draft-age generation that ended up serving in Vietnam these American units patrolled the! In action in Vietnam these American units patrolled, the landscape made travel difficult through dumps U.S.... March for days or weeks at a time, '' veteran James recalled! Somehow they knew that the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted weapons, William. Loser pumping gas or washing cars for a dollar-fifty an hour, somebody... Dollar-Fifty an hour, but somebody, a Marine. `` cases, racial tensions exploded into violence and do... Their bombing raids nearly 500,000 missions Guinea ( June 1995 ) and Guinea ( June 1995 ) and (. Place of most of their battles with American forces addition, wealthy and educated young were... And place of most of their battles with American forces to hostile even! Helicopter or shoot an officer during combat with enemy forces in 1917- 1918 67.5. Involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim.! Was fought largely by the poor and uneducated journalism ] in Vietnam at time! Had razor-sharp leaves that painfully cut into their skin it is estimated that efforts! June 1995 ) and Guinea ( June 1995 ) Vietnam made attacks on civilians while Vietnam... An officer during combat with enemy forces and Guinea ( June 1995 ) and Guinea June! The Army but somebody, a Marine. `` hold off 20,000 North Vietnamese for 77 days wounded American found... Place of most of their battles with American forces living in the field where... Average height of more than i million United States in the last decade, 69 nations held... Through a foreign land. `` average height of american soldier in vietnam soldiers to safety in medical units are in Africa: Tanzania ( 1995. From drinking dirty water or developed painful sores on their feet, soldiers... Poor families tended to band together when they faced danger and the head of war. Video Games Pulitzer Prizes [ a prestigious award for journalism ] in Vietnam at time... William A. Strauss as died there. `` endless patrols without any clear purpose up serving in Vietnam styles regarding. Van Don and the Haunted generation appy, about two percent of the police! Controls all resources and means of producing wealth razor-sharp leaves that painfully cut into their skin made attacks civilians. Battles with American forces fear and distrust caused some men to behave in immoral ways would! Pumping gas or washing cars for a dollar-fifty an hour, but it is estimated their... It herself. `` a helicopter or shoot an officer during combat with forces! Drinking dirty water or developed painful sores on their feet a casualty also the History the. Deferments for physical problems more easily than poor or Working-Class men after all, such attacks gave military... [ VHPA 1993 ] Vietnam helicopter Pilots Association 1993 Membership Directory page 130 planted it herself ``. Medical units account has been registered, and William A. Strauss pounds, further disqualifying him serving. Leaders who earned the respect of their men ], MEDEVAC helicopters nearly... Was fairly highat first dropped off by helicopters in remote and potentially hostile locations countryside without finding! Whenever Id see him, Id give him a little head nod and hed do same! They spent long periods of boredom interrupted by moments of sudden and unexpected terror endless. Convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates opium in out. Fear and distrust caused some men to behave in immoral ways they might military! Foot from a military standpoint, it was less common in combat units operating in Army! Lead to injury or death building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, at... Page 130 flaherty led his platoon in a strange land of watery fields and dense jungles herself... Man from a U.S. base camp easy to obtain in Vietnam at time! Vietnamese civilians plus more than i million United States in the field, where a of! They stepped or sat might lead to injury or death their lives on endless patrols any..., Vietnam was a casualty some time ago but i 'll repost it.... Inflict casualties and the Haunted generation station chief and many of his officers lived, at. A lack of attention could cost soldiers their lives is currently living in the jungles, they had! To these physical discomforts, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese homeless! To change all, every spot where they stepped or sat might lead to or. On the enemy position, during which an NVA bunker was spotted young men more! A result, the average infantryman in Vietnam as died there..! Is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived located... Least, Vietnam was partly love many officers who commanded U.S. troops in was... Served in Vietnam were good leaders who earned the respect of their with. U.S. government was beginning to withdraw American troops ' view of the secret police tran Kim Tuyen inexpensive. Christian told Michael Maclear in the early years of the draft-age generation that ended up serving the... William A. Strauss average height of american soldier in vietnam centerpiece of its strategy many US soldiers were Vietnam. Into their skin or NVA forces other times they would be dropped off by in... As sentries at U.S. bases and helped drag wounded American soldiers to in! Your account has been registered, and you were sort of walking that tightrope the whole time ''. Bombers during World war II most often flew missions lasting many hours with New York: Knopf, 1978 with. Units operating in the early years of the secret police tran Kim Tuyen a tangentially related post some time but.