|
Many of these so called Swift Boat guys are lying but this is interesting. Of the Wounded in Vietnam 150,375 were injured requiring no hospital care. Someone sent me these stats. I will attempt to find the source but am sure it comes from Department of Defense stats. Vietnam Warriors: A Statistical Profile In Uniform and In Country - Vietnam Vets: 9.7% of their generation. - 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era (Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975). - 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). - 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1, 1965- March 28, 1973). - Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964. - Of the 2.6 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. - 7,484 women (6,250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam. - Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1969). Casualties - Hostile deaths: 47,378 - Non - hostile deaths: 10,800 - Total: 58,202 (includes men formerly classified as MIA and Mayaguez casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total. - 8 nurses died -- 1 was KIA. - 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 + 150,375 injured requiring no hospital care. - Severely disabled: 75,000 -- 23,214 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs;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 the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII. - Missing in Action: 2,338. - POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity). Winning & Losing - 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will. - Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of arms. Honorable Service - 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged. - 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country. - 66% of Vietnam vets say they would serve again if called upon. - 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.
Use this the next time some ignoramous tells you Kerry didn't deserve his purple hearts.
|