Vietnam Veterans Day – March 29 2014 pay tribute to the 536,100 who served
On January 12, 1962, United States Army pilots lifted more than 1,000
South Vietnamese service members over jungle and underbrush to capture a
National Liberation Front stronghold near Saigon. Operation Chopper
marked America’s first combat mission against the Viet Cong, and the
beginning of one of our longest and most challenging wars. Through more
than a decade of conflict that tested the fabric of our Nation, the
service of our men and women in uniform stood true. Fifty years after
that fateful mission, we honor the more than 3 million Americans who
served, we pay tribute to those we have laid to rest, and we reaffirm
our dedication to showing a generation of veterans the respect and
support of a grateful Nation.
The Vietnam War is a story of service members of different
backgrounds, colors, and creeds who came together to complete a daunting
mission. It is a story of Americans from every corner of our Nation
who left the warmth of family to serve the country they loved. It is a
story of patriots who braved the line of fire, who cast themselves into
harm’s way to save a friend, who fought hour after hour, day after day
to preserve the liberties we hold dear. From Ia Drang to Hue, they won
every major battle of the war and upheld the highest traditions of our
Armed Forces.
Eleven years of combat left their imprint on a generation. Thousands
returned home bearing shrapnel and scars; still more were burdened by
the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress, of Agent Orange, of
memories that would never fade. More than 58,000 laid down their lives
in service to our Nation. Now and forever, their names are etched into
two faces of black granite, a lasting memorial to those who bore
conflict’s greatest cost.
Our veterans answered our country’s call and served with honor, and
on March 29, 1973, the last of our troops left Vietnam. Yet, in one of
the war’s most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home
to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their
courage and a welcome unworthy of their example. We must never let this
happen again. Today, we reaffirm one of our most fundamental
obligations: to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States
the respect and dignity they deserve, and to honor their sacrifice by
serving them as well as they served us.
Statistics:
| Total number of U.S. soldiers deployed to Vietnam | 536,100 |
| Total number of U.S. casualties in the Vietnam War | 58,220 |
| Total number of U.S. soldiers wounded in the Vietnam War | 303,644 |
| Total military casualties from both sides | 1.475 million |
| Total wounded from both sides | 2.094 million |
| Total civilian casualties from both sides | 4 million |
| Age of the oldest man killed during the Vietnam War | 62 |
| Total number of KIA’s soldiers who were less than 20 years old | 11,465 |
There were 256 Medals of Honor Awarded
170 Army
16 Navy
14 Air Force
57 Marines
** Indicates Posthumous Award
161 Medals of Honor (63%) were presented Posthumously
ADAMS
ALVARADO
JR.
BAKER, JR.
BARNES, III
BEIKIRCH
BELLRICHARD
BENNETT
BLANCHFIELD
BONDSTEEL
BOWEN, JR.
BRYANT
Conde-Falcon
CRESCENZ
CUTINHA
DAHL
DEVORE, JR.
DOANE
DONLON
DURHAM, JR.
ENGLISH, JR.
Erevia
EVANS, JR.
FERGUSON
FITZMAURICE
FLEEK
FOLEY
FOLLAND
FOURNET
FOUS
FRATELLENICO
GARDNER
GERTSCH
GRANDSTAFF
GRANT
GUENETTE
HAGEMEISTER
HAGEN
HARTSOCK
HARVEY, JR.
HERDA
HOLCOMB
HOSKING, JR.
INGALLS
JENNINGS
JOHNSTON
KAWAMURA
KAYS
KEDENBURG
KINSMAN
LAPOINTE, JR.
LAUFFER
LEISY
(Angelo) LITEKY
LONG
LOZADA
LUCAS
JR.
McCLEERY
McDONALD
McMAHON
McNERNEY
McWETHY, JR.
MICHAEL
MILLER
MOLNAR
MONROE
MORRIS
MURRAY
NOVOSEL
III
PATTERSON
PETERSEN
PIERCE
PORT
POXON
PRUDEN
ROARK
ROBINSON, JR.
ROGERS
SABO, Jr.
SANTIAGO-COLON
SARGENT
SASSER
SEAY
SIMS
SISLER
SKIDGEL
Rodriques SMITH
SPRAYBERRY
STEINDAM
STEWART
STONE, JR.
STOUT
STRYKER
STUMPF
VERSACE
WATTERS
WAYRYNEN
WICKAM
WILLETT
WILLIAMS
WINDER
“Buzzer” WRIGHT
YANO
YNTEMA
ZABITOSKY
George Everett “Bud” DAY
Merlyn Hans DETHLEFSEN
Richard L. Etchberger
Bernard Francis FISHER
James Phillip FLEMING
Joe Madison JACKSON
**William A. JONES, III
John Lee LEVITOW
**William PITSENBARGER
**Lance Peter SIJAN
Leo Keith THORSNESS
**Hilliard A. WILBANKS
Gerald Orren YOUNG
U.S. Navy
Donald Everett BALLARD
**Vincent R. CAPODANNO
**Wayne Maurice CARON
**Michael John ESTOCIN
Robert R. INGRAM
Thomas Gunning KELLEY
Joseph Robert KERREY
Clyde Everett LASSEN
William L. MCGONAGLE
Thomas Rolland NORRIS
**David George OUELLET
**David Robert RAY
**Marvin Glen SHIELDS
James Bond STOCKDALE
Michael Edwin THORNTON
James Elliott WILLIAMS
Marine Corps
**Richard A. ANDERSON
**James ANDERSON, JR.
**Oscar Palmer AUSTIN
**Jedh Colby BARKER
Harvey C. “Barney” BARNUM
**John Paul BOBO
**Daniel Dean BRUCE
**Robert Charles BURKE
**Bruce Wayne CARTER
Raymond Michael “Red” CLAUSEN, JR.
**Ronald Leroy COKER
**Peter Spencer CONNOR
**Donald Gilbert COOK
**Thomas Elbert CREEK
**Rodney Maxwell DAVIS
**Emilio DE LA GARZA, JR.
**Ralph Ellis DIAS
**Douglas Eugene DICKEY
**Paul Hellstrom FOSTER
Wesley Lee FOX
**Alfredo “Freddy” GONZALEZ
**James Albert GRAHAM
**Terrence C. GRAVES
Jimmie Earl HOWARD
**James Donnie HOWE
**Robert H. JENKINS, JR.
**Jose Francisco JIMENEZ
**Ralph Henry JOHNSON
**Miguel KEITH
Allan Jay KELLOGG, JR.
Howard Vincent LEE
James Everett LIVINGSTON
**Gary Wayne MARTINI
**Larry Leonard MAXAM
John James MCGINTY, III
Robert J. MODRZEJEWSKI
**William David MORGAN
**Melvin Earl NEWLIN
**Thomas P. NOONAN, JR.
Robert Emmett O’MALLEY
**Joe Calvin PAUL
**William T. PERKINS, JR.
**Lawrence David PETERS
**Jimmy Wayne PHIPPS
Richard Allan PITTMAN
Stephen Wesley PLESS
**William Raymond PROM
**Frank S. REASONER
**Walter Keith SINGLETON
**Larry Eugene SMEDLEY
**Karl G. TAYLOR, SR.
Jay R. VARGAS
**Lester William WEBER
**Roy Mitchell WHEAT
**Dewayne T. WILLIAMS
**Alfred Mac WILSON
**Kenneth Lee WORLEY
![]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-170x95.jpg","width":170},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-270x152.jpg","width":270},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/OlaLeeMizeMemorial-475x267.jpg","width":475}})
![]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-170x95.jpg","width":170},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-241x152.jpg","width":241},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/medalofhonornews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hiroshi-241x267.jpg","width":241}})