Once a unit assignment has been determined, a link to the individual's memorial page is included in the appropriate Unit Index. For details of the total number of Australians who died during the Vietnam War, 1962- 1975, please refer to Deaths as a result of service with Australian units.. Statistics: Total Australian service casualties in the Vietnam War, 1962-72 Chapter 17 index: "Communists provided further corroboration of the proximity of their casualty figures to American figures in a postwar disclosure of total losses from 1960 to 1975. Fighting continued on a lesser scale for some time afterwards and refugee numbers rose sharply due to the continued conflict, but the development of a strong trading market in the 80s helped the nation become more unified. Based on unit surveys, . In 1976, the Vietnamese government organized Gathering Teams to find the remains of dead soldiers. [99][100] In 2012 alone, unexploded ordnance and claimed 500 casualties in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, according to activists and Vietnamese government databases. The war cost the United States over $120 billion and the lives of over 58,000 troops. The United States has spent over $65 million since 1998 as part of unexploded ordnance clearing operations. Tensions escalated into armed conflict between the two sides, and in 1961 U.S. President John F. Kennedy chose to expand the military aid program. This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or nonhostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, North . [91] Around 3035% of American deaths in the war were non-combat or friendly fire deaths; the largest causes of death in the U.S. armed forces were small arms fire (31.8%), booby traps including mines and frags (27.4%), and aircraft crashes (14.7%). harvnb error: no target: CITEREFTurse2013 (. [36][37][41] All individuals killed in declared free-fire zones, combatants or not, were considered enemy killed in action by US forces . [58] According to Guenter Lewy, the ARVN suffered between 171,331 and 220,357 deaths during the war. It often refers not to those that are killed on the battlefield but to those who can no longer fight. [64] According to the Vietnamese government, from 1994 to 2012, 172,460 PAVN/VC bodies were found, including 15,989 in Cambodia, and 14,549 in Laos, and around 10,000 bodies were found from 2012 to 2015, reducing the number of MIA from 390,000 (1993) to 207,000 (2016). PAVN and VC losses were reported as 1.1 million dead and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides totaled 2.0 million. Not all mines were detonated during the war and as a result they are still being either dug up or mistakenly stepped on today. Among other countries that fought for South Vietnam on a smaller scale, South Korea suffered more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen. There are some limitations on the search capabilities and downloading records en masse is not allowed. Accurate assessments of PAVN/VC losses, he wrote, were 'largely impossible due to lack of disclosure by the Vietnamese government, terrain, destruction of remains by firepower, and [inability] to confirm artillery and aerial kills.' He estimates that between 30 and 46% of the total war deaths were civilians. These numbers do not include civilian and ARVN military deaths result from the communist mass-internment, the refugee crisis and subsequent exodus of Vietnamese people after the Fall of Saigon. COAST GUARD *, Copyright 1997-2018 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd (TM), Division level indexes are used for Division HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Brigade level indexes are used for Brigade HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Aviation Group level indexes are used for Group HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Aviation Battalion level indexes are used for Bn HQ, minor assigned units, and Aviation Companies which stayed with a single Battalion throughout their time in Vietnam, Separate Battalion indexes are used for Battalions not assigned to a Regiment, Aviation Companies that served with two or more Aviation Battalions while in Vietnam are indexed separately. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. It was first used in 1962 and was effective at its job. Civilian deaths are still ongoing because of the use of unexploded ordnances left behind from the war. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Vietnam War Casualties, MIA and POWs. "[56] Another Marine commander, Gen. Robert E. Cushman Jr., added, "we had a big problem with atrocities attributed to them, which I sent on down to Saigon. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, gives a 1513 reference for military casualty, and an 1844 reference for civilian use. 13 chapters | Of the 7877 officer casualties, 7595 or 96.4% were white, 147 or 1.8% were black; 24 or . Per war: 191,605 deaths in the First Indochina War, 849,018 deaths in the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War), and 105,627 deaths in the Third Indochina War. Ho Khang, ed, Marilyn Young. However, side effects occurred because of Agent Orange. The number of casualties is simply the number of members of a unit who are not available for duty. Copies of WWII though Vietnam era (men born April 28, 1877 to March 28, 1957) Selective Service Records may be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis, for a fee. It is estimated that South Vietnam lost between 200,000 and 250,000 fighters. Following its 1945 defeat in World War II, Japan withdrew its forces from Vietnam, leaving the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Officer casualties of all branches were overwhelmingly white. Devon has tutored for almost two years. Army Huey's totaled 9,713,762 flight hours in Vietnam between October 1966 and the end of American involvement in early 1973. The overwhelming majority of the MIA are from northern Vietnam. Omissions? [93][94] With the draft increasing due to the troop buildup in South Vietnam, the military significantly lowered its admission standards. Joseph L. Rhodes, 22, Marines, L. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. To be listed on the Memorial one simply need to have been: 1) A native Hoosier; and, 2) Killed in Action or Missing in Action between 1 January . The majority of these soldiers were between the ages of 21 and 28. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Over 58,000 American troops were killed in Vietnam, with more still not identified. In Qung Nam Province 4,700 civilians were killed in 1969. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1) GROUND FORCE PERSONNEL, including Army aviation, generally are indexed at the Regimental level but there are exceptions. Revolutionary War. Few Marines units were involved in the U.S. military actions in Cambodia or Laos, and while 1. st. . An addition 3 million Vietnamese were left wounded and around 12 million were refugees. 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a long, deadly struggle that took place from 1954 to 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [2], Guenter Lewy in 1978 estimated 1,353,000 total deaths in North and South Vietnam during the period 19651974 in which the U.S. was most engaged in the war. Back in the US, support for the war waned and calls to withdraw from Vietnam grew louder. My Lai (4) and My Khe (4) (collectively the My Lai Massacre) claimed the largest number of victims with 420 and 90 respectively, and in five other places a total of about 100 civilians were executed. [61], According to the Vietnamese government's national survey and assessment of war casualties (March 2017), there were 849,018 PAVN military personnel dead, including combat death and non-combat death, from the period between 1960 and 1975. These deaths made up about 40% of the total casualties. Against the background of the Cold War, the Vietnam War embroiled the United States, South Vietnam, and regional allies in a long and costly conflict against the regular forces of North Vietnam and the Communist Viet Cong guerillas. The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. Data for deaths in Laos is incomplete. He took over the city of Hanoi and declared independence from France in 1954. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. | 9 Regarding killed in action the 1st Marine Division was the unit with the highest . * The last U.S. infantry unit was pulled from the field on Aug. 11, 1972, so U.S. casualties dramatically declined. Furthermore, domestic unrest and the financial cost of war made peaceand troop withdrawalsa necessity, not a choice. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. Specialized units such as the SeaBees, Scout Dog and Combat Tracker units, Navy SEAL/UDT, etc., usually are indexed under the next higher command. KIA. [62][63] Based on unit surveys, a rough estimate of 3040% of dead and missing were non-combat deaths. [1][note 1] The word casualty has been used in a military context since at least 1513. [62] According to the Vice Minister Nguyn B Hoan, in 2022, nearly 200,000 PAVN/VC were still MIA (whose bodies were have not been found), and 300,000 whose bodies have been found, but buried anonymously and never identified. In 1968 US soldiers murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians in the single . The "patrol boat: riverine," or Navy PBR, was the first watercraft built for the so-called brown water navy in Vietnam. [71] The official US Department of Defense figure was 950,765 communist forces killed in Vietnam from 1965 to 1974. Estimates of casualties of the Vietnam War vary widely. Once a unit assignment has been determined, a link to the individual's memorial page is included in the appropriate Unit Index. Those who argue that the United States opponents won the war cite the United States overall objectives and outcomes. Data for this series of conflicts includes military personnel killed in the attacks on the USS Cole on October 12, 2000, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and in Afghanistan and elsewhere since those dates. Refighting the Vietnam War. "UCDP/Prio Armed Conflict Database", Uppsala University, sfn error: no target: CITEREFRummel1997 (. The forces involved in this war (by the conclusion of the war) included: The war was fought in dense jungle terrain, so the American military developed a chemical solution known as Agent Orange to burn through the brush and lure out the hiding Viet Cong forces. In the days before "embeds" this generation's enforced melding of photographer and military unit there was a certain sense of . [26] The program resulted in an estimated 26,000 to 41,000 killed, with an unknown number possibly being innocent civilians. Defense Department officials believed that these body count figures need to be deflated by 30 percent. The Fall of Saigon in 1975 | Vietnam War Timeline, Causes & Aftermath, Battle of Ia Drang | Battle of Ia Drang Casualty List, Easter Offensive of 1972: Vietnam War | History, Impact & Aftermath. It is suspected that over 1.2 million of these deaths were murders. [66][67] After the U.S.'s withdrawal from the conflict, the Pentagon estimated PAVN/VC deaths at 39,000 in 1973 and 61,000 in 1974. South Vietnam supplied a total of 942,000 troops. * The 143 men subsequently declared dead between 1973 and 2002 are not included in these totals. When reunification elections were set to start, South Vietnamese government officials refused to participate. 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Updates? Battle of Hamburger Hill. Da Nang was the primary storage site of the chemical. SOG had a casualty rate of 100 percenteveryone who served in SOG was either wounded, most multiple times, or . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). According to statistics from the South Vietnamese Ministry of Health, 44.5% of civilians admitted to hospitals between 1967 and 1970 were wounded by mines or mortars, 21.2% by guns or grenades, and 34.3% by artillery or bombing. Among other countries that fought for South Vietnam, South Korea had more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen. the Vietnam War). 69th Armor Page: Ray's Home Page: E-Mail Me: Note: NVA casualty data was provided by North Vietnam in a press release to Agence France Presse (AFP) on April 3, 1995, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. [15][16][17] Walter Mead estimates that approximately 365,000 Vietnamese civilians to have died as a result of the war during the period of American involvement. A number of incidents occurred during the war in which civilians were deliberately targeted or killed. A Korean War era soldier and later an attorney in Hays, Kansas, Richard became aware that the government had not made public a central source of information regarding the servicemen and women who died as a result of service in Vietnam. Week of November 22. The first American soldier died in the Vietnam War was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, Jr., a U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant. Two major war memorials commemorating the dead soldiers in the Second Indochina War (a.k.a. The US entered into war with Vietnam because they did not want the spread of Communism to occur in the democratic state of South Vietnam. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, but his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, continued the work that Kennedy had started. Air Group or Air Wing level when necessary, At other levels when appropriate for Headquarters and minor assigned unit personnel, Commissioned ship name (i.e., "USS WHATEVER"), Task Force level (TF 115, TF 116, TF 117) for personnel assigned to the riverine and coastal forces, Naval Support Activity level for the shore establishment, Fleet Marine Force unit for Navy personnel assigned to FMF units, SEAL/UDT and SeaBee personnel are indexed under the next higher command. American Foreign Policy in the First Indochina War. Causes of ongoing deaths and side effects include. The above figures on missing and wounded were calculated using Hanoi's declared casualty ratios for the period of 1945 to 1979, during which time the Communists incurred 1.1 million killed, 300,000 missing, and 600,000 wounded. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. As this was two years before the IBM PC (personal computer) came on the market, the work necessarily was done the old-fashioned way: by library research, travel, and in hand-writing. Meanwhile, the United States, its military demoralized and its civilian electorate deeply divided, began a process of coming to terms with defeat in what had been its longest and most controversial war. The war also spilled over into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos which also endured casualties from aerial and ground fighting. The sum of those totals is 3,091,000 war deaths between 195575. In the late 1990s, others joined Richard's effort, contributing information and collating the collected material into digital form using the Holloway database as a baseline. A mass exodus in 1975 of people loyal to the South Vietnamese cause was followed by another wave in 1978 of boat people, refugees fleeing the economic restructuring imposed by the communist regime. His estimate of total deaths is reflected in the table. Civilian deaths were partly caused by assassinations, massacres, and terror tactics. More than 8.7 million Americans served on active duty during the Vietnam period (Nov 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975). History 308: Causes and Effects of the Vietnam War, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Participants & Strategies in the Vietnam War, Casualties of the Vietnam War: Causes & Statistics, Primary Source: Brent Scowcroft's 'Escape from South Vietnam' Memorandum, Postwar Relations Between America and Vietnam, Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Description & History, Primary Source: New York Times' Article on Tribute to Vietnam Dead, Vietnam Syndrome: Definition, Causes & Impact, Studying for History 308: Causes & Effects of the Vietnam War, History 106: The Civil War and Reconstruction, ILTS Social Science - History (246): Test Practice and Study Guide, SAT Subject Test World History: Practice and Study Guide, Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001) Prep, History 307: American Civil Rights Movement, Praxis Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge (5511) Prep, Praxis Elementary Education: Social Studies Subtest (5004) Prep, US History - Civil War: Lesson Plans & Resources, 6th Grade World History I: Homeschool Curriculum, The French and Indian War Lesson Plan for Elementary School, Middle Colonies Economic Industry Activities, New England Colonies Economic Industry Activities, Sugar Act Lesson Plan for Elementary School, Sons of Liberty Lesson Plan for Elementary School, Boston Tea Party Activities for 4th Grade, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. 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