Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Vietnam Statistics....

Perhaps you've seen these facts on Vietnam and the men and women who served...if you haven't they may be of interest:

  • 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975

  • 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam

  • Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation

  • 241 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War

  • The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.
  • 58,148 were killed in Vietnam

  • 75,000 were severely disabled

  • 23,214 were 100% disabled

  • 5,283 lost limbs

  • 1,081 sustained multiple amputations

  • Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21

  • 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old

  • Of those killed, 17,539 were married

  • Average age of men killed: 23.1 years

  • Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old

  • The oldest man killed was 62 years old

  • As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War

  • 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged

  • 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served

  • 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome

  • Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups

  • Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent

  • 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem

  • There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group (Source: Veterans Administration Study)

  • Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes

  • 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.

  • 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% was other races.

  • Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. 79% had a high school education or better.