Compass Points - Viva Viet Vets!
Thanking Vietnam Vets
Compass Points - Viva Viet Vets!
Thanking Vietnam Vets
March 28, 2025
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Tomorrow March 29th is National Vietnam Veterans Day.
The official web site for National Vietnam Veterans Day provides background on the commemoration.
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National Vietnam War Veterans Day
Join us on 29 March, National Vietnam War Veterans Day, as Americans unite to thank and honor
Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
This special day joins six other military-centric annual observances codified in Title 4 of the United States Code §6, among them Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.
29 March is a fitting choice for a day honoring Vietnam veterans. It was chosen to be observed in perpetuity as March 29, 1973 was the day United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished and also the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war.
The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration honors all veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location, and their families.
-- Vietnam War Commemoration
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The original Presidential proclamation in 2017 reads in part:
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. . . We salute our brave Vietnam veterans who, in service to our Nation and in defense of liberty, fought gallantly against the spread of communism and defended the freedom of the Vietnamese people.
. . . To ensure the sacrifices of the 9 million heroes who served during this difficult chapter of our country’s history are remembered for generations to come, I signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, designating March 29 of each year as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Throughout this Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and every March 29 thereafter, we will honor all those who answered our Nation’s call to duty. We vow to never again confuse personal disapproval of war with prejudice against those who honorably wear the uniform of our Armed Forces. With conviction, our Nation pledges our enduring respect, our continuing care, and our everlasting commitment to all Vietnam veterans.
-- 2017 Presidential Proclamation
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Over the years, there has been much confusion and mis-information about Vietnam Vets. TV and movies have too often portrayed Vietnam Vets as angry, ill, and unemployed. The Vietnam Veteran Project works to provide the facts about Vietnam Vets.
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Socio-Economic Status
-- Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.
-- 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds.
-- Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds.
-- Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
-- 79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service. (63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.)
-- Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South — 31%, West — 29.9%; Midwest — 28.4%; Northeast — 23.5%.
-- Vietnam Veteran Project
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At the peak more than half a million Americans were serving in and around Vietnam.
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In Uniform and In Country
-- 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.
-- Of the 2.7 million, between 1 – 1.6 million (40 – 60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
-- Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation.
-- 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War.
-- 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug 5, 1964 – March 28, 1973).
-- 3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
-- 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
-- Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1968)
-- Vietnam Veteran Project
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The fighting in Vietnam had a special intensity.
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-- The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.
-- One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 58,169 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. [McCaffrey]
-- MEDEVAC helicopters flew nearly 500,000 missions. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded who survived the first 24 hours died. [VHPA 1993]
-- Vietnam Veteran Project
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Tomorrow is National Vietnam Veterans Day. Find the Vietnam Vets in your neighborhood and shake their hand.
Compass Points salutes all the Vietnam Vets and their families who have provided exemplary service to the Nation in war and peace. In particular, so many Marine Corps Vietnam Vets today are still serving, still leading, and still helping to move the Marine Corps and the Nation toward a better future. Thank you for your service. Viva Viet Vets!
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National Vietnam War Veterans Day
https://www.vietnamwar50th.com/about/national_vietnam_war_veterans_day/
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Vietnam Veteran Project
Restoring Dignity to the Forgotten
https://vietnamveteranproject.org/statistics-2/
Where ever it was in Viet Nam, & when ever it was we served, we answered the call to arms, and performed our duty well. Argument as to the merit of the cause will never cease - at least in America - but, for me, I will always cherish my service there, and that of my mates. In my heart & soul, I am convinced our armed forces never failed us. Semper Fidelis!
As a Marine helicopter pilot in Vietnam, June through September 1968 flying CH-34Ds over 50 days of (day and night) Medivac missions as much as 6 to 8 hours per day. I want to give a shout out to our Navy corpsman, Marine crew chiefs, first mechanics and Gunners. Most of them flew these Medivac missions everyday in extreme heat and weather. As an aviator I felt these were the bravest individuals I had the privilege to lead and work with. I flew CH-53s the other 8 months there.