The DOD database provides no civilian or military educational levels for the Vietnam casualties specifically, but it does give us general levels for all enlisted men across all the services during the Vietnam era. It forces us to the conclusion that many of those names on the wall were kids who just couldnt quite get it together in high school, a little late in maturing intellectually, and didnt have the resources or the guile to get out of the way when the war came. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. 3rd Battalion. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. Military Reunions, Screensavers, Rubbings, Personal Guestbook for all Names. The Wall is about names. Only 3 returned home. The draft policy at the time of the Vietnam War was called the Universal Military Training and Service Act. A relatively small number refused to register for the draft at all. The job of cross-referencing the information of individual branches with the DoD fell to Doubek. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Copies of WWII though Vietnam era (men born April 28, 1877 to March 28, 1957) Selective Service Records may be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis, for a fee. How many names are on the wall? The first Americans to die did not perish in a foxhole or beneath stars obscured by a jungle canopy. The widely held notion that the poor served and died in Vietnam while the rich stayed home is way off the mark. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. The shining surface is intended to reflect the sun, the ground and those who stand before it. On Patrol caught up with Pete Peterson to find out how the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has progressed since the normalization of ties in 1995. Who were they? Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. Our combat arms were thought to be completely classless. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. name within a given date. . Twenty-five years later, in an interview with People magazine, he described playing with his two younger brothers as the news reached their home in Imperial Beach, California. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a symbol of American honor and appreciation for the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War. "Walking through this park-like area, the memorial appears as a rift in the earth, a long, polished, black stone wall, emerging from and receding into the earth. You must refer to a database, which gives the names in alphabetical order and includes the position of each on the Memorial. U.S. Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981 85% of the records in this database are related to the Vietnam Conflict. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. During and after the Vietnam War, the Department of Defense (DoD) compiled a list of combat zone casualties according to criteria in a 1965 Presidential Executive Order. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Order it can be difficult but there are a few ways to find a name at either end of the memorial are stands with books inside these list the names in alphabetical. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, MA; he was listed by theDepartment of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. This index includes those who died or who were declared dead from 1950 to 1957 in Korea and from 1957 to 1975 in Southeast Asia. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Buis can be found at the top middle of a slab designated Panel 1E. While VVMF finances the name additions to the Wall, it is the Department of Defense that makes these difficult and often technical decisions. In an effort to further preserve the legacy of those who sacrificed all in Vietnam, VVMF is committed to finding a photo to go with each of the more than 58,000 names on The Wall. https://www.historynet.com/names-on-the-wall-a-closer-look-at-those-who-died-in-vietnam/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. The Navy fatalities were 2,556 or 2 percent. Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. Naval History & Heritage CommandWashington Navy Yard, Bldg 57 (3rd Floor)Washington, DC 20374Telephone: (202) 433-3224, Marine CorpsU.S. Often that advice, especially for professional athletes, rock stars, sons of politicians and other celebrities, was to join the never-to-be-called-up reserves or National Guard. It was fitting that Vandegeer finally returned home to American soil, because he spent his last weeks at war evacuating Americans as Saigon fell. This makeup, they say, was the very antithesis of what we stand for as a democracy a shameful corruption of our values and our historical sense of fairness and social justice. However, there have been no such cases. And mores the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it. This was a reflection of the role of warrant officers as helicopter pilots (of the 1,277 warrant officer casualties, 95 percent were Army helicopter pilots), and of the young lieutenants and captains as combat platoon leaders or company commanders. Forces in Southeast Asia, 1950 - 1976 NAID 745, RG, 472, Meritorious Unit Commendations, 1967 - 1971 NAID 4726287, Medal of Honor Awards Case Files, 1965 - ca. I.. J.. K.. L.. M. N.. O.. P.. Q.. R.. S.. T.. U.. V.. W.. X.. Y.. Z If officers are added, then almost 70 percent of those who died were volunteers. Frequently relatives or buddies of casualties Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. The Names - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund The Names When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. Little about it is concrete. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. The makeup of U.S. combat forces in Vietnam has long been the subject of controversy among social scientists. They lived only a few yards apart. The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. What happens to items left at the memorial? From 1964 to 1973, 2,100,000 men and women served in Vietnam, but this was only 8 percent of the 26,000,000 Americans who were eligible for military service. As the Vietnam War dragged on, Kurt tried twice to enlist. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. to open, search, edit, or print the name files. The names of the 2,504 Americans missing in action from the Vietnam War are on the Tablets of the Missing at the ABMC Honolulu Memorial. With few exceptions, almost all of the 6,600 commissioned officers who died in Vietnam were graduates of the service academies, college Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), or the Officer Candidate School (OCS) programs. Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. However, in 1980, President James E. Carter resumed Selective Service registration in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Millions more come to experience this Memorial each year. Coast Guard Historians OfficeCommandant (CG-09224)U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters 2100 Second Street SW Washington, D.C. 20593. The young enlisted volunteer or draftee had not had much time to form any complicated theories about our Vietnam commitment. At the time, approximately 1,300 names were designated as servicemen who were either missing or prisoners of war. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. If the two branches are combined, then 80 percent of the Army and Marine enlisted casualties were privates or corporals, grades E-1 to E-4. A correspondingly greater tradition of military service in the other regions had its effect on U.S. regional casualties. Certainly, some who died did come from poor and broken homes in the urban ghettos and barrios, or were from dirt-poor farm homes in the South and Midwest. We were being fired upon by anti-aircraft guns. The directory can be purchased on the VVMF store. In an effort to further preserve the legacy of those who sacrificed all in Vietnam, VVMF is committed to finding a photo to go with each of the more than 58,000 names on The . ".for those who have died." The Vietnam War is no different. They went for a ride and she gently told them that their father would not be coming home. Photo credit DOD photo by Army Sgt. Only the Navy, with 50 percent of its enlisted casualties over 21, and the Air Force, with 75 percent over 21, showed an older, more experienced age demographic. They were struggling through or dropping out of high school, or if a high school graduate, had tested poorly for college entrance. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. Buis was in Vietnam by his own volition. Perhaps more important, many of them probably did not yet fully understand their own mortality and were therefore less likely to be hesitant in combat. 26 Similar Questions More names are added to the wall every year. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. Some common names appear on the Memorial more than once. Getting to Washington, D.C. The files are quite large in order that we could save in Rich Text Format Many of them, as experienced pilots, were older (two thirds were thirty or older) and many were high ranking. The casual visitor might not immediately recognize that Buis name is the first. All would be represented equally, with generals listed alongside infantrymen. This video can help you find the name of someone you'd like to honor. 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 The largest age group, 8,283 were just 19 years old. Be the first to learn about news, service member stories and fundraising updates from USO. There are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Once a master list was compiled, the names were checked manually for errors. How to Order a Draft Record. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. Please be patient But you had stories of guys in the Air Force who would die in their aircraft over Thailand after having been shot over Vietnam. Technically, they were ineligible for inclusion on the Wall. Senate. W denotes the west wall, and E denotes the east wall. NAID 5709942, U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, National Archives Command Chronologies:Vietnam War, National Archives Command Chronologies: Vietnam War: Index to Reports, National Archves. Of all enlisted men who died in Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent of the total. This takes about 72 hours. Since its controversial beginnings, feelings toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have changed drastically. The draftee, if found physically and mentally fit, would be inducted for a period of two years, to be followed by another two year period in the active reserves and a subsequent two years in the inactive reserves. Gather facts from sources at home,and talk to relatives. The Army lost the greatest number of officers 4,635 or 59 percent of all officer casualties. All heroes are listed alphabetically by their last name. It is located north of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. along Constitution Avenue NW between 21st and 23rd streets. A(1780 names - 239023 bytes) B(5502 names - 737972 bytes) C(4363 names - 586584 bytes) D(2790 names - 374290 bytes) E(1082 names - 144866 bytes) F(1979 names - 265759 bytes) G(3036 names - 407075 bytes) H(4463 names - 598834 bytes) I(218 names - 29278 bytes) J(1845 names - 247563 bytes) K(2039 names - 273818 bytes) L(2594 names - 347007 bytes) This can be in the form of a book, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Directory of Names, or one of the various databases. compiled by Military Records and Research Library, Department of Military Affairs; edited by Julia D. Rather and Jeffrey Michael Duff, Research Our Records. When the sound of exploding hand grenades rang out in the hall, Buis and others ran toward the sound. is complete, or you've done a "save as", you can use any word processor We searched the National Archives Catalog and located a series titled Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries, 1941-1980 in the Records of the U.S. Marine Corps (Record Group 127). Why are names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall? Though the memorial continues to grow and evolve, the last name on the wall still belongs to Air Force Second Lieutenant Richard Vandegeer, a pilot who died after his helicopter crashed on May 15, 1975, during the wars final combat action. This can help veterans or relatives find other persons who died with These directories help locate names on the wall. Note that the files are large, and are in Rich Text Format (RTF), with two Hed volunteered to join a small U.S. military advisory team attached to the South Vietnamese army, and hed been in the village of Bien Hoa for only two days. A diamond symbol signifies that the service members death was confirmed. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. And there is an end. Note the panel and line number for the name listed. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a symbol of America's honor and recognition of the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. The Army as a branch had 134,982 killed or wounded (9.5 percent), but the Marines suffered 66,227 killed or wounded (22.5 percent) or almost one of every four Marines who served. information is available on this web site: These files are lists of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, listed Eight women were killed in Vietnam, five Army lieutenants, one Army captain, one Army lieutenant colonel and one Air Force captain. If your browser displays the text file, you can then use The names of Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand and Major Dale Buis are inscribed on Panel 1E of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Patricia Krause. Lower end category IVs consisting of those who scored below 20 on the AFQT were usually rejected for service. The Classification History (SSS Form 102) may contain: name; date of birth; classification and date of mailing notice; date of appeal to the board; date and results of armed forces physical examination; entry into active duty or civilian work in lieu of induction (may include date, branch of service entered and mode of entry, such as enlisted or ordered); date of separation from active duty or civilian work; and general remarks. 54 soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. He accepted the tradition of military service passed on to him by the popular culture and by President John F. Kennedys ringing words, Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty. A doctor arrived and gave his shaken mother a sedative. The popularity of the GI Bill after Vietnam emphasized this yearning. A.. B.. C.. D.. E.. F.. G.. H.. Authority Record - NARA, Records of the U.S. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available. (The 58,000 Names) Our fallen Vietnam War heroes are herethe 58,000 heroes who died in Vietnam. He did it allsing, dance, create music and crack wise. Today, more than 58,000 names are engraved in the wall, and more were added in May. For those and a handful of other unique circumstances, Doubek made his own list of men who had died due to the injuries in the combat zonesnames that may have been listed by an individual service branch, but not by DoD. On the west wall, the symbol precedes the name; on the east wall, the symbol follows the name. the requirements were expanded (by. The wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington is 493 feet and 6 inches long, built of thick, polished black Bangalore granite. Items are gathered by park staff. All of this was one of the great and abiding agonies of the Vietnam War, causing repercussions within families and on the national political scene to this day. The idea that American enlisted dead were made up largely of societys poverty stricken misfits is a terrible slander to their memory and to the solid working-class and middle-class families of this country who provided the vast majority of our casualties. However, if officer casualties are added to the total, then this overrepresentation is reduced to 12.5 percent of all casualties. In order to have your name on the Wall, you had to have died within the war zone, explained Doubek. With this list in hand, he went to the various locations where individual service records were kept to review files. Those designated by a plus sign were considered to be missing in action when the war ended. Full casualty records may be retrieved online through the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases resource. In high school, he joined ROTC and kept his fathers medals pinned next to his own awards on a piece of crimson cloth. An Air Force member, with his back to the camera, holds the POW/MIA flag during a full honors funeral for Air Force Second Lieutenant Richard Vandegeer at Arlington National Cemetery on October 27, 2000. More Info At www.themovingwall.org Visit site The panels come together to form a point, linking the first and last together in enduring tribute. In a massive sampling of the database, it was established that between 5 and 6 percent of Vietnam dead had identifiable Hispanic surnames. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. Making these arrangements and printing the pages takes considerable Many of the 17- and 18-year olds were simply late in maturing. On November 7, 2021 VVMF began a daily virtual Reading of the Names. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/vietna.. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. Vietnam War Casualties- Main Alphabetical Index www.VirtualWall.org Find A Name Information Memorial pages honoring Vietnam War casualties, listed by their last names. How many Smiths can there possibly be who died in Vietnam? person reads for 20 minutes, (270 names) this will require 216 volunteer name If a person died or went missing in those areas, DoD considered that individual to be a combat zone casualty and eligible for inclusion on the Wall. He would become instrumental in helping Doubek identify names and check spellings. For information regarding official military unit histories, contact: Air ForceU.S. Quite a different profile emerges among the Navy and Air force officer corps. These files are lists of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, listed in chronological order of the casualty date and then alphabetical by last name within a given date. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. If a name was particularly long, it would be swapped with a shorter name. Kurt Buis was 8 years old the day his father died. Compounding these difficulties was the issue that many casualties, particularly from the Air Force, were not always straightforward in terms of locale. If a service member were to return alive, a circlethe symbol of lifewould be inscribed around the plus sign. The panel numbers are inscribed at the bottom of each panel. There are officially 58,228 names on the Wall, but the database these files were derived . No single persons service or sacrifice would be any greater than anyone elses. The names are listed chronologically by date of death, the first to last. The draft continued from 1948, during both peacetime and war, to 1973, when President Richard M. Nixon signed legislation officially ending the draft. When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. AGE 17 TO 21 PREFERRED ARMY AND MARINE COMBAT MATERIAL. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angles open side and contained within the earth itself. Look at the bottom of each panel on the wall for its number. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. What the MIT study almost certainly showed was that members of the so-called working class consisting of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, firemen, policemen, technicians, skilled factory operatives, farmers, etc., were living in middle class communities and were, therefore, part of our burgeoning middle class. The essence of the Wall is the names and the reaction of the visitor to seeing his or her reflection in this sea of remembrance. Honor Vietnam Veterans you know with a gift from our VVA store, or a custom military embroidered shirt, jacket, or polo so they can proudly demonstrate their service to their grateful nation. Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics, Korean War and Vietnam War casualties listed at the National Archives, Hospital Admission Card Files, ca. The article was originally published in the June 1993 issue of Vietnam Magazine and updated in November 2004. "Home of record" does not necessarily refer to the place of birth, residence of next of kin, place of longest residence, nor other common uses of the term "hometown." November 11, 1982. 1972, United States, National Archives, Military Records, 1885-2004, United States, National Archives, Korean War and Vietnam War Records, Start your Military Service Record Request, National Archives at St. Louis, Selective Service Records. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Officers of all services, by tradition largely Protestant, remained so during the Vietnam war, sustaining casualties in comparison with Catholics by a 5 to 2 ratio. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. The Selective Service registration requirement was later suspended in April 1975. Lins intention from the beginning was to have the names appear chronologically, beginning and ending at the apex. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. This amounted to 4.1 percent of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 The memorial consists of three separate parts: The Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, also known as The Wall That Heals, which is the most popular feature. Less than 1 percent (0.8) were Jewish, Hindu, Thai, Buddhist or Muslim combined, and 5.7 listed no religion. the reader loses composure. Most of the young American enlisted men who served in Vietnam were not college prospects at the time they entered the service. The black granite walls are engraved with the names of more than 58,000 men and women who laid down their lives or remained missing. Concerning, How do I find a name on the Vietnam War Memorial wall? 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. Nor did America recognize, on July 8, 1959the day he was killedthat another long and bloody war lay in wait. I looked at the record to determine whether mortal wounds were sustained, Doubek said of the men whose names were listed by the Army, but not by DoD. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. About 58 thousand of the 7 million American service men and women who served in Vietnam died. No other moniker for Sammy Davis Jr. was more accurate. It is hard to believe it has been 36 years since the last casualties. You may print these files and have the pages available for visitors to Several hundred such designation changes have been made since the Wall was built in 1982. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. And, as in every American war, it is the very young who are the most willing to volunteer. By and large, with the exception of the officer corps, most of the college bound and educated skipped the Vietnam War at the urging of, and with the approval of, their own government. The vision of VVMF is to ensure a society in which all who have served and sacrificed in our nation's Armed Forces are properly honored and receive the recognition they justly deserve. For blacks, however, only 7 percent placed in categories I and II and 93 percent placed in categories III and IV. They refer to older or younger siblings who are either in or on their way to college. Charles Holley; chief editor, Robert J. Martin, 4th Infantry Division. Search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s database of names on the wall. While their names are not on The Wall, they are never forgotten. The DOD percentages reveal that nearly 75 percent of Army enlisted casualties were privates or corporals. On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C., a special plaque reads: "In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. Although the names are not listed alphabetically, it is not difficult for visitors to find a name on the Memorial. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. columns per page. VVMF does not have the authority to overrule those who adjudicate these matters. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. The figures show that on average 65 percent of white enlisted men and 60 percent of black enlisted men were high school graduates. Blacks were 85 percent Protestant. Army Center of Military History103 3rd AvenueFort Lesley J. McNair, DC 20319-5058Telephone: (202) 685-4042, NavyU.S. In 2004, the total is 58,241 names. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. Unfortunately, he mistakenly added a small number of names of men who were still alive. On the other end of that phone call was an former Air Force officer who had served in Vietnam. Marine Corps History Division2044 Broadway StreetQuantico, Virginia 22134Telephone: (703) 432-4877, Coast GuardU.S. Look for discharge papers, pictures, medals,etc. There are students on field trips, some solemn and curious, but some just happy to get out of class. There is some truth to this, but it is instructive to look at what the DOD database reveals in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, religious preference and casualties by U.S. geographic areas. The same profile holds true for the Marine Corps, where 87 percent of all officer casualties (821 of 938) were warrant officers, lieutenants or captains. Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons. During one review, Doubek found a glitch with the computer software: it did not recognize the spaces that appeared within a last name, such as van der Meide. Nor could it properly discern a compounded first name, such as Billy Bob, versus a traditional first and middle name. in chronological order of the casualty date and then alphabetical by last The unit diary portion of the muster roll should indicate when members of the Lima Company, 3rd platoon. It may come as a surprise to some that 63.3 percent of all Vietnam enlisted casualties were not draftees but volunteers. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a symbol of America's honor and recognition of the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. All were nurses, all were single and all but one were in their 20s. The event begins on November 7, 2022 at 3 p.m. EST and ends at midnight on November 10, 2022. How many women soldiers died in the Vietnam War? Adding to the problem was Project 100,000. Interesting Veterans Statistics Of The Vietnam Memorial Wall There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, Look up the name in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
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