Combat Life Expectancy

An aviation person, gunner, pilot, or crew chief life expectancy in combat is less than 5 minutes. A grunt is 7 minutes. An 11B officer (CO type) is 7 times less likely to get killed than a rifleman; a point man is 3 times more likely to get killed than a rifleman. An RTO and platoon leader life expectancy is 3 minutes, as they are a primary target, as is an M-60 person.

In Uniform and In Country

Vietnam Veterans: 9.7% of their generation.

9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era (August 5, 1964 - May 7, 1975).

8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (August 5, 1964 - March 28, 1973).

3,403,100 personnel, including 514,300 offshore, served in the Southeast Asia Theater: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters. 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (January 1, 1965 - March 28, 1973).

Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.

Of the 2.6 million, between 1 and 1.6 million (40 - 60%) either fought in combat, provided close support, or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.

7,484 women, including 6,250 nurses (83.5%), served in Vietnam.

Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1969).

Casualties

Hostile deaths: 47,359.

Non-hostile deaths: 10,797.

Total deaths: 58,202, including men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties. Men who subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.

Eight nurses died; one was killed in action.

Married men killed: 17,539.

61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.

Highest state death rate: West Virginia - 84.1% (national average 58.9% for every 100,000 males in 1970).

Wounded: 303,704 (153,329 hospitalized and 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care).

Severely disabled: 75,000; 23,214 were 100% disabled, 5,283 lost limbs, and 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea. Multiple amputations occurred at a rate of 18.4%, compared with 5.7% in WWII.

Missing in Action: 2,338.

POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

Draftees and Volunteers

25% of the total forces in country were draftees: 648,500, as opposed to 66% of those in WWII.

Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.

Reservists killed: 5,977.

National Guard: 6,140 served; 101 died.

Total draftees (1965-73): 1,728,344.

Actually served in Vietnam: 38%.

Marine Corps draft: 42,633.

Last man drafted: June 30, 1973.