Jim and I flew from Da Nang, to Kadena Okinawa, and then after an attempt to fly out of Kadena in a Flying Tiger Line plane one of the 4 engines quit in mid-air, and we made an emergency landing back at Kadena, we stayed overnight and flew out in the same repaired airplane on to Travis A.F. More than nine million Americans served from Nov. 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975. No it does not mean that you are not a combat veteran. It is believed that less than 850,000 of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam are still living today; the age of the youngest American Vietnam veteran is around 60 years old. I know a man who is 86 years old,from Nogales, and was at ground zero at Hiroshima in a grave identification unit, who just filed a claim last year. and told our stories we had a good laugh, just laughed our asses off went to the The number of claims submitted reached 60 in 2017, up from 41 last year. for 30 years and now runs Opus Peace, a nonprofit that provides educational materials for health . I guess its a compliment to us allthat all these wannabees are prentnding to be vets but I still get pizzed at them when I figure them out after a few beers in a bar or whatever. My name is Jason Gunn and I am a veteran of OIF with the First Armor Div. My girl friend thought I lost it. I spent nearly thirty years as an officer and still teach them. What are Vietnam veterans dying from? According to the DVA 490,135 in country Vietnam Veterans died during the years 2000-2007 and that translates to approximately192 per day. My buddy Jim was stationed with MAG-11. My English teaching assistant at the U of A, in 1971, called me a baby killer, and spat on the ground. just to crunch no. That takes courage to return to war, or maybe they wanted to get out of a statside armpit like I did when reassigned to Fort Lewis, Washington http://edschultz.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=63544, MY MINISTRY: http://web.mac.com/rthorne2/Site/TRUTH_REVEALED_MINISTRY.html, De Nomie, William D. Sgt. He led his men on operations that lasted 30 days or more in some of Vietnams most inhospitable conditions, without shaving, bathing or changing clothing. Especially if you are happily married. we went to the 1st sargent and he said ok. i went out for 7 or 8 mo. I have a few observations, but I will let you all go first. Answer (1 of 7): You're in luck. How Many Veterans Are Enrolled In College? I heard a pop and at that time guys used to mess with pin flairs so when I was awaken by a popping sound I thought it was a pin flair going off. The Current Situation Regarding the Missing and Unaccounted for American Service Members Who Were Killed in Vietnam. statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE. Endemic in the rivers of Vietnam, the worms can easily be wiped out with a handful of pills early on, but left untreated they can live for decades without making their hosts sick. At this rate there will be only a few of us alive in 2015. Thank god for them. If you read the Taps in their mag there seems to be an alarming rate of NamVets dying in theirlate fifties and early sixties. "We've been fighting this for 55 years," said Wright, who also served in the Connecticut National Guard from 1982-1999 and retired as a first sergeant. Why are my bok choy leaves turning yellow? Lincoln, Nebraska is where I call home. from actual combat vets but dont know that for a fact in any case that does seem rather high. This was met by skeptisim by most Veterans groups. I served in Nam 68-69 with Shore Party detached to the 5th Marines in An Hoa. Veterans Fight PTSD and Injuries With Sailing, More Than 100 Sickened in Arizona Cryptosporidium Parasite Outbreak. They cannot deny your ISD. I take ware hearing aids and to this day Im always vigilant when Im out always Thanks for the clarification. I found out later that most of the men who enlisted for 4 years volunteeredfor See for yourself in 2000 there were 2.7 million Vietnam Veterans alive: http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf Pete, be sure to ask your DAV guy if he thinks you have exhausted the Reconsideration process. Neither of us has since flown again. Look upon myself as a well Like our Vietnam Brothers, who followed a decade after us, there is a bond that can never be broken between us. Do you mean more information on the claim process? During this Census count, a huge number of Americans falsely claimed to have He wishes the VA would do more to raise awareness about liver flukes and to encourage Vietnam veterans to get an ultrasound that can detect inflammation. How do I unlock Wattpad stories without paying? Your email address will not be published. How many brain cells will you have by then? 7512 I was never spit on and in fact the only real negative stuff I saw when I got back was that lots of folks just didnt want to hear from us about our experiences. It can take decades for symptoms to appear. You must (with very few exceptions) have a high school diploma. It is a travestywhen I hear about men who gave so much and who are in a sense betrayed by the verygovernment and country they served. Where is the museum and website referred to as the source of the figure 800,000 living Vietnam veterans? The odd thing, I was at Tripler Hospital today and learned something interesting. WWII and Korean War vets. am i misrepresenting myself, id really like to know. (Reuters Health) - Higher than average death rates among Vietnam War veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suggest that combat trauma may still be affecting veterans' health even decades after the war, according to a new study. I too am a Marine Vietnam Veteran; (7th Marines 67-69), with multiple diagnoses. I too have found the Veterans War Museum to be a bit odd at times. Guy C. Lamunyon david dolby died 63 yrs old 5 tours in nam. And I believe the qualifier thereis that many were claiming to be combatvets when in reality the ratio of logistics to grunts was about 9:1 therefore the large number suggested was true Vietnam Veterans, just not combat vets. Found your article after reading so many obits lately where the guy was a Vietnam vet and wondering. Ill never ware a baseball cap again ever! 2015if any.. I used to be with the local VVA and did the Newsletter in 1987+ I added a column of all the OBITS of then dying off Vietnam Veterans from our area. Mike 520-360-6933. and counseling even before they get out of the service and checks nearly immediately upon discharge in the event of a disability. They have since been removed and for now he's doing well. After reading your article, were lucky to have him. I came home in 69, my hair fell our,got big pustuals on my back, and skin problems immediately. For myself I always felt that the millions of men who were in uniform before me returned to civilian life, I could do the same, when I went into the army, I was So, lets say there were not more, just, alot. It is still tragic. 18 years old I would learn about civilian life 46 months later. The 850,000 figure came from a 1997 article from a variety of sources., Another common myth is more Vietnam Veterans have committed suicide than were killed in combat not true. It may precede a counter-appeal. It wasnt a bad idea at all, as Ive learned everything on the Kinah making aspect in this game. Might any of our readers speculate about why this may be? I came back from nam in January of 70.Got out September remember being called a baby killer,monster etc ,was not spit on ,but had I been would have given back a proper response.When I came back was wearing my medals and CIB etc. I get to testify and present them with the story of a 20 y/o medic carrying dead and wounded around for 14 months in country. Had my good times, as well as bad times, after leaving the US Army, April 10, 1970 I always look at that date as my second Birthday Mike why is gods name would all these people claim to have went to that septic tank they call vietnam? That often precedes an Appeal. 1 just disappeared, and then theres me. During that year, 1,928 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. DANang While I was in Vietnam I saw men, who did brave and heroic deeds they deserve returned from Vietnam , the clock has been ticking. The past 5 years has seen a ton of so called veteran statistics that are clearly confabulated. to indicate what they want but I do have to believe that these may be close 800k approx left, sort of sobering uh. One tactic employed was the use of booby traps, and to this day, there are several tunnels and ambushes that have been preserved. While the economy after World War II was one of the most robust in American history, during and after Vietnam the nation was in a death spiral of stagflation and economic malaise. Names were called, Vets were spit on, along with not being respected by our own did happen. As we approach March 29 and this Vietnam Veterans Day, take the time to remember those who honorably served. Brault HEROLD, W.Va. A half century after serving in Vietnam, hundreds of veterans have a new reason to believe they may be dying from a silent bullet test results show some men may have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while fighting in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Were they spat on understanding the homecoming experience of Vietnam veterans? ps Thanks for all your help for the vets. Baughman, who is thin and weak, recently plucked out "Country Roads" on a bass during a jam session at his cabin in West Virginia. Went looking for a new job,on foot walking many miles every day,but when they foung out that i was a vietnam veteran they would not hire me.Some would ask if I was a Drug addict 0r killed people etc. Call me next week sometime, and I will help you with the stressor stuff. Poison, who cares? results. RAa Regular Army, those that enlisted with some draftees, When I returned in Return to country Jun 1969-Apr 1970 I Field Forces Vietnam. Theres one, just like the ones that we used, painted red, hanging from the ceiling at the Pima Air Museum. Somethings Ill never do: We read this article at our last meeting thanks again. On June 7, 1969, Bullock was killed by small arms fire while on night watch at An Hoa combat base. and not one guy in my group had ever said that they were spit upon!! Mike. Celebrations aside, the government also failed to make good on its promises to those who served. Although I have to plan most everything I do so as to avoid the things that still bother me..-I started looking up my VN buddies a few years ago,, so far Ive located 10 men that was in my CompanyTalk to them on a regular basis.Bad part is that out of the 10 men 7 of us have major mental and physical problems. They may look appealing but can actually take up to 5 years to schedule a hearing. Can I cut apples the night before for apple pie? By June, Wowwk had been wounded twicethe second time seriouslyand was sent back to the United States for treatment at Bostons Chelsea Naval Hospital. We met at the replacement battlalion hearing our names at roll call, couldnt believe we were meeting again How the hell can anyone answer this question? He was among those who got the call. Best wishes, I just watched a VN movie about the Hanoi Hilton.. Yes some do fabricate stuff. Even though thousands served with the Infantry units as FOs, Dog Handlers, EOD etc. Hi Mike. (LOL) Walker another 4 year RA, he left Germany volunteered for Vietnam, assigned to Lets all prove the stats wrong. "Personally, I got what I needed, but if you look at the bigger picture with all these other veterans, they don't know what necessarily to do," he said. Crazy shit. We flew to Okinawa, and during the flight on Flying Tiger airlines from Okinawa one of the four engines stopped, we had to make a emergency landing back at Okinawa. "I've personally dealt with muscle loss, neuropathy and atrial fibrillation. Part of the reason was economic. statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE. As for the CAR, that might be another story. Over time, swelling and inflammation of the bile duct can lead to cancer. I am rated 100% disabled and damn happy to be privileged and capable of pushing out this small Blog. This figure far exceeded the expected suicide ratio when balanced by demographics and applied to ONLY those that had served in country. My room mate was nick named Budda in the 134th. Mike you write well and to get to core issues. I may be able to help you with your claim. Hundreds of veterans have been infected by a slow-killing parasite while fighting in Southeast Asia. Did you know that is the day Ho Chi Minh died? I have been attending my unit Reunions since 1990, and at least 40 % of our Unit is deceased. Sen Jim Webb when he was Secretary of the Navy wrote an excellent article how the media, and in some cases the goverment gave birth to the myth that all Nam vets were in some way impaired or Rambos waiting to happen. Dan Bullock (December 21, 1953 June 7, 1969) was a United States Marine and the youngest U.S. serviceman killed in action during the Vietnam War, dying at the age of 15. Where is the museum and website referred to as the source of the figure 850,000 living Vietnam veterans? I work with veterans all the time and thought you might find it interesting (if you didnt know already) that any Vietman Vet who served in country and who develops Parkinsons Disease, Lou Gehrigs disease, or a number of other illnesses is assumed tohave been exposed to Agent Orange and AUTOMATICALLY qualfies for Service Connected Disability. What is the average lifespan of a veteran? 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