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. "My time in Vietnam is the memory of ignorance," O'Brien wrote. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. I didnt believe him at first, Yuzuk recalled. Web38.8% (6,332,000) of U.S. servicemen and all servicewomen were volunteers 61.2% (11,535,000) were draftees Average duration of service: 33 months Overseas service: 73% served overseas, with an average of 16 months abroad [McCaffrey], Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. South Vietnam Created under the Geneva Accords of 1954, the southern section of Vietnam was known as the Republic of South Vietnam. They spent long periods of time searching the countryside without ever finding Viet Cong or NVA forces. "Then, the 21st time, zap, zap, zap, you get hitand Victor Charlie [the Viet Cong, or VC] fades into the jungle before you can close with him. one of 42 pictures of this helicopter that UPI photographer, Hubert Van Es took 2.3K2.3K Some soldiers reacted to their fear, anger, and frustration by treating the villagers very harshly. [Nixon], The Vietnam War has been the subject of thousands of newspaper and magazine articles, hundreds of books, and scores of movies and television documentaries. Although the draft did tend to target men from working-class homes, there were other factors that led these men to fight in Vietnam in greater numbers than other groups. When he graduated from high school, Flaherty was 4 feet, 9 inches tall three inches too short to meet the Armys height requirement at the time. For some American combat soldiers, the constant anxiety and tension of their time in Vietnam served to heighten their senses and emotions. The final 19 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. Updated: 7 February 2018 "The problem is that those who think the Vietnamese haven't cooperated sufficiently think there is some central repository with answers to all the lingering questions," notes Gen. John Vessey, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Reagan and Bush administration's designated representative in MIA negotiations. leader; premier of South Vietnam, 196567 The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. But nothing could be further from the truth. Americans were tall because The building is the Pittman Apartments, a 10 previous wars, American military leaders hoped to use bombing attacks and combat forces to break the enemy's ability and willingness to fight. You love the musty morning air. In the American Civil War, a typical Union soldier might carry a total of 60 lbs. WebWhat was the average age of American soldiers in Vietnam? [People], The person who can be seen aiding the refugees was CIA operations officer, Mr. O.B. In May of 1969, Chip was blown high into a hedge of bamboo. Vietnam seldom flew above 1,500 feet which is traffic pattern altitude for and money. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Yuzuk said it was not long after he moved to Florida in 1999 and joined the Aventura Police Department that he noticed Flaherty. More realities about war: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - it was not invented or unique to Vietnam Veterans. 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Regionally, Asia and Europe accounted for 70% of the U.S. active-duty military presence worldwide in 2016. It was led by a U.S.-supported government. ", in which he states that the average age of the American combat soldier in Vietnam was 19.. Many American troops felt that they could not trust anyone Vietnameseincluding peasants, farmers, bar girls, old women, and childrenbecause they might be agents of the Viet Cong. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. "It is monotony punctuated by moments of sheer terror, just horrible stuff. . But he may have left me with more mysteries than Ill ever be able to solve.. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/american-soldier-vietnam, "The American Soldier in Vietnam For example, the Viet Cong might tie a piece of grass into a knot, with the loop end pointing toward the hidden explosive. In fact, mines and booby traps accounted for between twenty and twenty-five percent of U.S. casualties (killed and wounded soldiers) during the Vietnam War. Copyright 1995 - 2018 Gary B. Roush, 242 ASHC Muleskinners, May 1968 - May "Viewing all Vietnamese as less than human released American boys from their own humanity.". More than 2.5 million American men served in Vietnam during the war. They tended to be assigned to dangerous combat duty more often than white soldiers. Id known him for 15 years, and this was the first time he ever mentioned the military. Isolated atrocities committed by American soldiers produced torrents of outrage from antiwar critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any attention at all. For example, enemy forces buried land mines and set booby traps throughout the countryside of South Vietnam. Approximately 25% were draftees. Others resorted to drugs when they could not cope with the violence they witnessed. After completing basic training, he qualified for Officer Candidate School, from which he graduated as a second lieutenant, before receiving orders sending him to Vietnam. New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. The picture of a Huey helicopter evacuating people from the top of what was billed as being the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the last week of April 1975 during the fall of Saigon helped to establish this myth. killed or wounded by a booby trap. "Why didn't they get behind us? New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971. As they marched through the rice paddies and jungles, U.S. combat units never knew when enemy forces would suddenly appear. Dan Bullock (1953-1969) Dan Bullock was the youngest member of the United States Armed Services to die in the Vietnam War. Another words a US Soldier who did 3 tours actually "The man who wore that uniform was somebody. Viet Cong Vietnamese Communist guerilla fighters who worked with the North Vietnamese Army to conquer South Vietnam. 22 Feb. 2023 . With regards the first table, original studies and sources should be 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. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. One of the main U.S. strategies for winning the war was to kill as many Viet Cong and NVA forces as possible. But somehow they knew that the enemy had been there. . But many others were poor or working-class teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school. Intimacy [close, personal contact] with death carries with it a corresponding new intimacy with life. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. ", In addition, men from poor families tended to have fewer job options in civilian [non-military] society. In some instances, they beat up women, children, or elderly men who refused to give them information. In all, a very scary time for our country. "I hailed from a steel community and we handed out 29,000 boys from my county alone. [VHPA databases]. Evening headlines from the Charleston Gazette-Mail, The latest in travel and recreation around West Virginia, The daily opinion newsletter from the Charleston Gazette-Mail. You love your friends in Alpha Companya kid named Chip, my buddy. [Westmoreland], Democracy Catching On - In the wake of the Cold War, democracies are flourishing, with 179 of the world's 192 sovereign states (93%) now electing their legislators, according to the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. "Here's a woman of twenty-two or twenty-three. Viet Cong guerillas liked to launch surprise attacks at night or during bad weather in order to gain an advantage over the Americans and their powerful weapons. He carries the M16A1 Armalite rifle, which the small-statured Vietnamese found ideally suited to their needs. WebThe 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). Vietnamese peasants grew rice in these lowland Novato, CA: Presidio, 1986. Myth: The American military was running for their lives during the fall of Saigon in April 1975. At first, many U.S. soldiers felt sympathy for the South Vietnamese people. Such incidents contributed to the overall decline in the performance of American troops in Vietnam. The dogs also served as sentries at U.S. bases and helped drag wounded American soldiers to safety in medical units. from their family doctors. Vietnam War Reference Library. Such findings have confirmed the widespread belief that U.S. draft policies unfairly targeted the segments of American society with the least political power. I knew nothing about the culture, nothing about the religion, nothing about the village community. It changed Richard, he said, adding that he had found letters in his locker explaining why he needed help to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder. U.S. troops in Vietnam (see Chapter 8, "The American Antiwar Movement"). She knows the booby trap is there, but she doesn't warn them. . And you were sort of walking that tightrope the whole time," veteran James Webb recalled in Working-Class War. Which made up only about 10% of the total American soldiers in Vietnam. Yuzuk used his own funds and a crowdsourcing campaign to produce The Giant Killer, an 80-minute documentary available on Amazon Prime and iTunes, released late last year. [Westmoreland], 97% were discharged under honorable conditions; the same percentage of honorable discharges as ten years prior to Vietnam [Westmoreland], 85% of Vietnam Veterans made a successful transition to civilian life. You love your mom and dad, the Vikings, hamburgers on the grill, your pulse, your futureeverything that might be lost or never come to be. 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. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. 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. 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. vvmf.org Social Makeup of Forces in Vietnam The US soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War were different in many ways from those who had fought in earlier wars. Enrolling in college. "No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. 79% had a high school education or better. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? The final third enlisted because they expected to be drafted soon. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. Instead, the local farmers and villagers usually viewed the Americans with distrust or even hostility. Many soldiers became ill from drinking dirty water or developed painful sores on their feet. . Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. The average age of U.S. troops in Southeast Asia was 23, and more than 80 percent had a high school diploma, twice as many as the World War II generation. The movie and a book the movie was based on contend that the CIA condoned a drug trade conducted by a Laotian client; both agree that Air America provided the essential transportation for the trade; and both view the pilots with sympathetic understanding. ." During most of the Vietnam War, nineteen-year-olds were not even allowed to vote. As the number of American In the early years of the war, a young man could automatically be deferred from the draft by_____. Caputo, Philip. These carefully hidden explosive devices caused a great deal of death and suffering among the American troops. After all, every spot where they stepped or sat might lead to injury or death. In comparison, forty-five percent of the generation that reached draft age during the Vietnam War attended college. He was struck and killed in a hit and run in 2015. Which made up only about 10% of the total American soldiers in Vietnam. Indian army is 57 to 59 and some are 6ft but not all Not sure what average Congress while the North Vietnamese were very well supplied by China and the Sadly, only 200 of the American military dogs returned to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War. In the early years of the war, some U.S. soldiers expected the South Vietnamese people to greet them as heroes. Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Feb. 26. Unfortunately, the poor treatment the South Vietnamese people received from some American soldiers led to greater support for the Viet Cong and NVA. of equipment, including a ten-pound musket. Somewhat interestingly, the median G.Huested/The Vietnam Slide Project 12 of 40 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). For example, the weather in Vietnam tended to be very hot and humid. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam. Over time, however, American troops' view of the Vietnamese began to change. Although he is the subject of a new documentary available on Amazon Prime and iTunes and a soon-to-be-released book, the full story of Capt. ". bombers and were always exposed to hostile fire even in their base camps. Instead, they usually fought small skirmishes following Viet Cong or NVA ambushes. "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. "The CDC Vietnam Experience Study Mortality Assessment showed that during the first 5 years after discharge, deaths from suicide were 1.7 times more likely among Vietnam veterans than non-Vietnam veterans. Partly due to their young age and working-class backgrounds, the U.S. soldiers in Vietnam did not tend to be well-educated. You remember those few moments of real terror. In some cases, African American soldiers intentionally segregated themselves from the rest of their unit. American soldiers knew that the war was unpopular at home. He was not some down-on-his-luck loser pumping gas or washing cars for a dollar-fifty an hour, but somebody, a Marine.". By that time, Flaherty had been promoted to captain and awarded two Bronze Stars for bravery and two Purple Hearts for combat wounds, in addition to the Silver Star. [All That We Can Be]. . Helicopters in Many officers who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam were good leaders who earned the respect of their men. Myth: The United States lost the war in Vietnam. He was stationed at An Hoa Combat Base, west of Hi An in Qung Nam Province. The Discarded Army. On average there were only about 35,000 combat soldiers in Vietnam, on the average. Drugs were inexpensive and easy to obtain in Vietnam. The Ten Thousand Day War: Vietnam, 19451975. In addition, black soldiers often received less desirable housing and duty assignments than white soldiers in the same unit. For troops in the field, this strategy placed a strong emphasis on "body counts," or the number of enemy soldiers killed. As a result, as many as 500,000 U.S. soldiers became addicted to drugs. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of America's commitment in Vietnam. story building where the CIA station chief and many of his officers lived, located at 22 Ly Tu Trong St. These forces opposed the United States in the Vietnam War. Some used drugs or alcohol to help them cope with their experiences. 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