Are there any Vietnam vets still serving?

How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day.

Who is the youngest Vietnam vet still alive?

How old would a Vietnam vet be today?

▶ Vietnam Veteran ages range from 55 to 97 years old.

How old is the youngest Vietnam vet now?

The following are some statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a huge sense of pride. "Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old."

Are there still POWs in Vietnam 2020?

Then as of December 21, 2018, the number of U.S. military and civilian personnel still unaccounted for is 1,592. By February 7, 2020, this number had been reduced a little further, to 1,587.

How WWII and Vietnam Veterans Were Treated Differently | History

Are there any American POWs left in Vietnam?

As of 2015, more than 1,600 of those were still “unaccounted-for.” The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the U.S. Department of Defense lists 687 U.S. POWs as having returned alive from the Vietnam War.

Do Vietnam veterans get a pension?

VA Benefits for Vietnam Veterans

Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.

Who served the longest in Vietnam?

Larry Spencer, the Iowan who served more time than any other Iowan as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 82. An Earlham native and West Des Moines resident, Spencer was a U.S. Navy radar intercept officer when his F-4 Phantom was shot down on Feb. 18, 1966, over North Vietnam.

What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?

# 1: The 23rd Infantry Division

The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967.

How much money do Vietnam veterans get?

About 1.3 million Vietnam veterans, nearly 25 percent, collected disability compensation from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2018; their average annual payment was $18,100. Those payments boosted average income for all Vietnam veterans by $4,300.

Are all Vietnam veterans combat veterans?

Generally, combat veterans are those that served in a combat zone during their military service. This can include service in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and certain areas of Iraq and Afghanistan, among other locations.

What was the bloodiest battle in Vietnam?

The 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial of the Vietnam War, pitting the U.S. Marines and their allies against the North Vietnamese Army.

How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day?

More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day.

What was the life expectancy of a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam?

Over 10% of Vietnam casualties were helicopter crew members, and most of those were the door gunners that protected the helicopter, its crew, and its transports, from their exposed position. The average lifespan of a door gunner on a Huey in Vietnam was just two weeks.

How many Vietnam veterans are still alive in 2021?

despite their oral claim of service there. As of this date The American War Library estimates that approximately 610,000 Americans who served on land in Vietnam or in the air over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are alive today. And approximately 164,000 Americans who served at sea in Vietnam waters are alive today.

How long was a tour of duty in Vietnam?

A tour of duty in Vietnam for most ground forces lasted one year.

What was the most tours served in Vietnam?

Apparently the longest-serving American in the Vietnam War was Robert Lewis Howard, who started his first tour in 1965 with the 101st Airborne Division, and went on to serve with the Special Forces and Military Assistance Command Vietnam/Studies and Observation Group (MACV/SOG), doing a record five tours of duty and ...

What is the VA 55 year rule?

What is the VA 55-year-old rule? Veterans who receive VA disability benefits for service-connected conditions are exempt from periodic future examinations once they turn 55 years old. This includes veterans who will be 55 by the date of a future examination, according to the VA Adjudication Procedures Manual.

Do veterans get paid for life?

The SSA evaluates military records when claimants apply for benefits, and qualifying veterans can get a lifetime earnings credit for wages during service. Eligibility is based on length of service.

What are the 3 Vietnam ribbons?

The ribbon incorporates the colours of the three armed services (red, navy blue, and sky blue), and the national colours of Vietnam (red and yellow). In 1992, Australia struck the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal.

Who was the longest POW in Vietnam?

Floyd J. Thompson, who endured nearly nine years of torture, disease and starvation in Vietnam as the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, has died. He was 69.

How many Vietnam soldiers are still alive?

It took a toll on a generation of some nine million members of our armed forces who served during a 20 year period from 1955-1975. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 7.2 million are living today.

When were the last Vietnam POWs released?

Operation Homecoming was completed on March 29, 1973, when the last of 591 U.S. prisoners were released and returned to the United States.