electricparadise

Since we just past the 1,000 soldier death and since it looks like we are going to be there quite a while ,thought I'd bring these facts on that other dirty war that we were (or for some of us, not in)way back when .....oh anybody want to comment on the first part of 60 min wed. nite? more "Reasons" to come /a lot more.Vietnam War Facts
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While many aspects about the Vietnam War are debatable, the facts and figures of the war have a voice of their own and are indisputable.

On these pages we list some of the commonly accepted facts about the Vietnam War.

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58,148 Americans were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served.
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The average age of those killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years.
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50,274 were enlisted, average age 22.37.
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The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.
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After Vietnam the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand managed to stay free of communism. The Indonesians expelled the Soviets in 1966.
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During the Vietnam War the national debt increased by $146 billion (1967-1973). Adjusted for inflation, the debt in 1992 dollars was $500 billion.
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6,598 were officers, average age 28.43.
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91 percent of Vietnam veterans say they are glad they served.
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74 percent said they would serve again even knowing the outcome.
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1,276 were warrant officers (NCOs), average age 24.73 years.
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11,465 were less than 20 years old.
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From 1957 to 1973 the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted 58,499. Death squads focused on leaders that included schoolteachers and minor officials.
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The number of North Vietnamese killed was approximately 500,000 to 600,000. Casualties: 15 million.
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One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Although the percentage who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.
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The Tet '68 offensive was a major defeat for the VC and the NVA.
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Two-thirds of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers, two-thirds who served in World War II were draftees.

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[ This Message was edited by: electricparadise on 2004-09-08 21:34 ]

SwedaGuy

Interesting facts, bereft of conjecture, are always appreciated...

Thank you!

bjhcpa

"58,148 Americans were killed out of 2.59 million who served"

"One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty"

should read more like 1 in 50.....(still a sad fact) just 10% seemed high to me

bjhcpa

91 percent of Vietnam veterans say they are glad they served.
74 percent said they would serve again even knowing the outcome

and you call it "that other dirty war"

nothing like disgracing those who served, its comments like those that make Vets sick.....no wonder you are voting for Kerry....Proud of the fact that he is a North Vietnam war hero to?

electricparadise

Hey bj KMA! I stand by that statement"that other dirty war" What would you call it ? I'm not the only one that is equating these two wars....................just C&Pasted this............................This is a great article, based on an interview with the former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. 'It's just wrong what we're doing' he says of the war in Iraq, and discusses the 11 lessons he learned from the Vietnam war, which he now says was a big mistake. They're eerily appropriate to the war in Iraq as well.

In an exclusive interview, repentant Vietnam War architect Robert McNamara breaks his silence on Iraq: The United States, he says, is making the same mistakes all over again

By DOUG SAUNDERS
Saturday, January 24, 2004 - Page F3 God!! You can't see that the one who thinks "GOD" chose him to lead this nation is a C- type of elephant dong! I'm not the only one that thinks Iraq is like VN the one who helped start VN thinks so also......& he says its a MISTAKE!!!!! What is a disgrace is when you know someone F#$K up & don't do anything to stop or change it. Any girlie girl can go & hide with the masses of sheep, thinking that what ever falls from Hier leader is "gospel" & if you don't lock step to mein sheet than you must be the enemy . WELL BUSHEET to that.aS FAR AS THOSE percentages GO ,EVER BEEN ON A LOSING FOOTBALL TEAM? Thats the best I can describe it to some one who wasn't there(**** man we use to sing "I'm fixin to die rag"By country Joe & the fish going out to the stagefields in central TX back in "68")............. I also lost about 25%(50) of my flight buddies in 69 ( they are part of those 1,276 Warrant officers that you read in those stats & are on the "Wall"
I am proud that I went there & yes I'd do again See unlike the VP&PREZ Kerry & I went so we can talk about the horrors & the stupidity of our leaders then & now & kerry is a hero in my book period.Bush & cheney was & is chicksheets. Cheney had better things to do & bushie boy had to help out PAPA & didn't have time to take a 4 hr. flight physical (thats about how long they take cause, I've had over 26 of them. Finally don't think criticism of elected officials now or then is being an enemy of this country If anything we have a moral obligation to do that.Comprendo little one?????????

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[ This Message was edited by: electricparadise on 2004-09-10 18:59 ]

tanfixr

Hah!
Robert McNamera
nuf said.

electricparadise

???????????????????????????????????????? ??????????/ Hah?..... The guy had as much power as A$$hole Rumsfield .I really don't know where you are coming from on this one little one .He laid the ground work on how & why we put troops in VN. So he should know where He FU$KED up don't you. And if he says we're making the same mistakes now, you'd think someone would be listening .,(but I doubt if these erogant SOBS will be ,cause their war plans & nation building plans & democracy plans ,Don't STINK

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[ This Message was edited by: electricparadise on 2004-09-10 20:03 ]

bjhcpa

Kerry voted for the war in Iraq, and has since said he supports his decision and would do so again even knowing what he knows today.....so I guess you should hate him to...

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[ This Message was edited by: bjhcpa on 2004-09-10 20:04 ]

electricparadise

What does that have to do with "HAH"????????????????????? I don't think you can read something /see the reasoning on what was said.& reply on the same subject/ cause I think y'll have your heads so far up bushe's tax breaks you see no evil hear no evil but you do speak stupid you both have gone off on tangents /not replying to anything on this thread .why don't you go watch some unbalanced news from FOx. nuf said

tanfixr

Ahhh, the world through the lense of the Vietnam era. Gee, you're right, nothing has changed in 30 years. Must be strange living a life of groundhog days. Jimmy Hendrix, anyone? I know I've got an album... er... CD around here somewhere.

BTW, I get more news from the NYT, Washington Post, Nation, Googlenews, and Alternet, than Fox. So be careful about what you think you know about those that see things differently. Wrong premises lead to wrong conclusions.