Dear Reader,

Was old enough to protest in the last years of Vietnam and I do understand your rage about the denial but can't even touch what you have obviously been through.

Many Blessings,
CrystalRiver

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Subject: Fw: Vietnam war stats: 2/16/16

I thought you might like to see this. Although I'm sure you won't like my comments, so just ignore them if you wish and just read the rest of the email. If the stats given are correct, it appears that I'm a member of a group who is rapidly dying off. But, the same could be said for short one-legged Native American tight rope walkers, so what the hell! Unfortunately, just like all the other emails of this type, there are some areas where it is not very truthful. I'm speaking specifically of the remarks that made the claim that there were only a small amount of atrocities committed by US service personal and those that did this were court martial-ed and sent to prison. B S! Most were unreported or covered up. It also makes it sound as if only the VC were involved in systematic killing and terrorizing the Vietnamese population. Did this writer ever hear of free fire zones, Zippo Raiders (set fire to everything you can) and how about the Phoenix Program? Never heard of it? Not surprising. The US government has made a valiant effort at keeping information about this out of the mainstream press. However, this CIA program was responsible for assassinating and estimated 40,000 Vietnamese civilians! What did they do to deserve this? Well, you didn't have to do anything. Often names were just randomly picked off of a list of villagers in an particular village and in the morning they were laid out in the center of the village with the hands tied behind their backs and their brains baking in the sun from where they had slid out of their heads after having been shot by US forces. The CIA was in charge but they often used special forces troops from all of the branches of the US Military to commit these war crimes. That's right, that's exactly what they were as were using White Phosphorus artillery shells against both military and civilian targets. So was spraying most of the country with Agent Orange. So was using napalm against military or civilian targets. So was leveling an entire village with artillery or airstrikes simply because your unit received some sniper fire from that village. Or, as was the case as often as not, because you were bored, pissed off or; simply becasue you could and it was fun to watch! I could list more but I hope I made my point: war is murder on a mass scale and once the "dogs of war" are turned loose its almost inevitable that all manner of sick behavior will occur on both sides. War is not something to be proud of unless you have some deep psychological problems! War is a testament to the failure of human beings to find solutions to problems in a calm, mature, thoughtful and compassionate manner. But hell, you can't make good movies about that and the large corporations that influence and corrupt our political leaders can't make the immense profits they love without war. Yes, war-the more the better. There are always plenty of non-thinking sheeple who can easily be led to the slaughter while those sending them in private count their profits and laugh! Oh, yeah, I should have also mentioned that the entire war was based on a lie! the Gulf of Tonkin attacks on US forces never happened. Who says so? Robert McNamara, who was the Secretary of Defense at that time. He also made it clear that President Johnson and many members of the US House and Senate also knew this. But, no matter, we needed a war and by od we were going to have one! Too bad it took McNamara over 40 years to tell the truth. This was shortly before he died and I guess he was now worried about what he had been a part of. So, this war just like all the others could have and should have never happened. We lied our way into it so it should be no surprise that we lied during it and now continue to lie about it. I also really question the claims that Vietnam Vets have such a low number of drug addicts and people who have been incarcerated or are now incarcerated. I also want to put to rest the idea that US troops are always superior fighters to any enemy they face. Vietnam is a perfect example of this. Everyone talks about how US forces never lost a battle with any large scale Vietcong or NVA units. But, what they fail to mention is that US forces were backed by Phantom jets, B-52 bombers, helicopter gunships, Naval gunfire, AC-130 gunships (Puff the Magic Dragon) and
on and on and on. I wonder how many of those battles US forces would have won if they had to engage enemy ground troops while getting hit with some of what I have mentioned,also?!. So, wave your flags, have your parades, tell your war stories even if untrue, beat your chests and yell simple minded chants like , USA, USA, USA! And when US troops come home in a box or with limbs missing, send around tear-jerking emails about this while ignoring all the of the suffering those same troops have inflicted on others who live thousands of miles from the US and eventually it is found out that they also didn't do anything to cause us to attack them. All of the needless suffering and dying will continue because you just don't get it and apparently never will. As Lt General Smedley Butler pointed out in his book of the same name, War Is a Racket! The times and the names may change but the lies go on forever! And, if you (like me) were stupid enough to have fallen for the lies and allowed yourself to take part in one of these useless wars and maybe your getting a little up in age, rather than finally coming to terms with all of this and admitting that it was all a terrible mistake for which there is no glory to be had by anyone so involved, continue to send around emails like this that you think helps justify what cannot be justified. And, oh yes, as is also the case so often why not bring in Jesus to help make your case in some twisted way. After all, who loved killing and warfare more than the Prince of peace, right?!

SOBERING STATISTICS FOR THE VIETNAM WAR*

In case you haven't been paying attention these past few decades after you returned from Vietnam, the clock has been ticking. 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."

So, if you're alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in VietNam? I don't know about you guys, but it kinda gives me the chills, Considering this is the kind of information I'm used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets...

So the last 14 years we are dying too fast, only the few will survive by 2025...if any.. If true, 390 VN vets die a day. so in 2190 days...from today, lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive... in only 6-10 years..

These statistics were taken from a variety of sources to include: The VFW Magazine, the Public Information Office, and the HQ CP Forward Observer - 1st Recon April 12, 1997.

*STATISTICS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY VIETNAM VETERANS: *

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 (Aug 5, 1964-March 28, 1973).

2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam, this number represents 9.7% of their generation.

3,403,100 (Including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the broader 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, 1968).

Agent Orange is taking a huge toll on Vietnam Veterans with most deaths somehow related to Agent Orange exposure. No one officially dies of Agent Orange, they die from the exposure which causes ischemic Heart Disease and failure, Lung Cancer, Kidney failure or COPD related disorders.

CASUALTIES:

The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1958. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Davis Station in Saigon was named for him.

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.

61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.

11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old.

Of those killed, 17,539 were married.

Average age of men killed: 23.1 years
Total Deaths: 23.11 years
Enlisted: 50,274; 22.37 years
Officers: 6,598; 28.43 years
Warrants: 1,276; 24.73 years
E1: 525; 20.34 years
Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.
The oldest man killed was 62 years old.

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 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)

As of January 15, 2004, there are 1,875 Americans still unaccounted for, from the Vietnam War.

DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS:

25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of U.S. armed forces members were drafted during 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.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND:

88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.

86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics);

12.5% (7,241) were black;

1.2% belonged to other races.

170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.

70% of enlisted men killed were of North-west European descent.

86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action were Caucasian; 12.1% (5,711) were black; 1.1% belonged to other races.

14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.

34% of blacks who enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.

Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the total population.

Religion of Dead: Protestant -- 64.4%; Catholic -- 28.9%; other/none -- 6.7%

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS:

Vietnam veterans have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups.

Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent.

76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds.

Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds.

Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.

79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service.

63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation.

Deaths by region per 100,000 of population: South -- 31%, West --29.9%; Midwest -- 28.4%; Northeast -- 23.5%.

DRUG USAGE & CRIME:

There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group.
(Source: Veterans Administration Study)

Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison - only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes.

85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life.

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.

74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome.

87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.

INTERESTING CENSUS STATISTICS & THOSE TO CLAIM TO HAVE "Been There":

1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures).

During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country was: 9,492,958.

As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between '95 and '00. That's 390 per day.

During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.

The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country. Corrections and confirmations to this erred index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense. (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365).

Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at all. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations.

From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. The death squads focused on leaders at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants such as medical personnel, social workers, and school teachers.