This page has been viewed 167,336 times (0 via redirect). There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Vietnam Wall. The names of Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand and Major Dale Buis are inscribed on Panel 1E of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. We were one giant Hollywood B-17 bomber crew, one perfect socioeconomic platoon storming Omaha Beach or Okinawa. Some went to Canada or Sweden, but few of those who evaded the draft were actually prosecuted and most were eventually pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. How many Smiths can there possibly be who died in Vietnam? Compounding these difficulties was the issue that many casualties, particularly from the Air Force, were not always straightforward in terms of locale. It may come as a surprise to some that 63.3 percent of all Vietnam enlisted casualties were not draftees but volunteers. As many as 3 million people visit each year, according to some estimates, and they come for probably as many reasons. AGE 17 TO 21 PREFERRED ARMY AND MARINE COMBAT MATERIAL. Beside each name is a symbol that denotes a service members status: either missing or confirmed dead. A diamond symbol signifies that the service members death was confirmed. We were being fired upon by anti-aircraft guns. We honor and remember their sacrifice.". Charles Holley; chief editor, Robert J. Martin, 4th Infantry Division. 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. Photo credit DOD photo by Army Sgt. Except for the last file, there are approximately 10,000 names per file. He would become instrumental in helping Doubek identify names and check spellings. Locate the line on which the name is inscribed. Lins intention from the beginning was to have the names appear chronologically, beginning and ending at the apex. There are the tourists who make the circuit of all the various monuments and landmarks in our nations capital. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. 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. The DOD percentages reveal that nearly 75 percent of Army enlisted casualties were privates or corporals. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angles open side and contained within the earth itself. The Vietnam Wall at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park features the names of local fallen soldiers. Twenty years passed before Vandegeers remains were identified and another five passed before his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. The casualty date is the date the person was killed or wounded in combat or injured during an accident; for the missing, the date is when the person was reported missing. 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. The names would become the memorial. For more information on this index on, Records relating to American prisoners of war and missing in action from the Vietnam War, including lists and descriptions of the record groups covering the Vietnam War that are held by the National Archives are also found in the FS Library US/CAN Book. These casualties came largely from the Northeast and North Central regions of the United States, many from the traditionally patriotic, Catholic working class neighborhoods. 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. This can be in the form of a book, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Directory of Names, or one of the various databases. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. It stands near Panel 1W, which holds the name of the last to die in combat. The affected record collections are described below. Of 2,590 total Air Force casualties, 1,674 or 65 percent were officers. Fallen comrades could be together on the Wall, as theyd been in death. The Air Force lost the highest percentage of officers. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 . The officer corps casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative. The Vietnam Wall. site, for searching with a word processor. It should be emphasized that 55 percent of all Navy and Air Force officer casualties came as a result of reconnaissance and bombing sorties into North Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. The article was written by Bill Abbott, an independent researcher and writer. His name does not appear at either far end. True enough, but many of the surviving Vietnam casualty families would reply that the ultimate unfairness is death at an early age, in a land far from home, for reasons not clearly defined. 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. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. Of all enlisted men who died in Vietnam, blacks made up 14.1 percent of the total. If a name was particularly long, it would be swapped with a shorter name. They drew on every segment of American society. 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. Note that the files are large, and are in Rich Text Format (RTF), with two The popularity of the GI Bill after Vietnam emphasized this yearning. Once additions are approved by DoD, VVMF receives the list of approved names, coordinates the inscribing and absorbs the costs. The panels come together to form a point, linking the first and last together in enduring tribute. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall USA website is dedicated to honoring those who died in the Vietnam War. VVMF receives numerous requests each year from individuals who wish to have particular names added to the Memorial. Many of them, as experienced pilots, were older (two thirds were thirty or older) and many were high ranking. And they often show a heartbreakingly wry sense of humor with the same sensibilities as their college-bound peers. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. On average, 43 percent of white enlisted entrants placed in categories I and II (scoring 65 to 100) and 57 percent in categories III and IV (scoring 10 to 64). However, in 1980, President James E. Carter resumed Selective Service registration in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 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. With the glitch discovered, Doubek and his team located and hand-corrected each error. It gives the names in alphabetical order and . Family members are invited to witness the inscription and also to attend the annual Memorial Day ceremony when the new names are read at the Wall. Postscript: Since 1982, there have been 89 names added to The Wall. Non-Archival records are those of service members who separated from the military less than 62 years ago. You may print these files and have the pages available for visitors to Locate the corresponding panel at the Memorial. 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. 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. 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. Although valuable, this study was almost certainly misinterpreted by its authors when they said that their data showed that most privileged and influential segments of American society were not insulated from the perils of Vietnam conflict. name within a given date. For a photograph of an inscription of a close friend or relative, write: This website requires a paid subscription for full access. However, there have been no such cases. I respect the process, but it can be hard to prove something thats in your heart., Thats what makes it so special when you see the name going up, she added. An estimated 11,000 women served in Vietnam. It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. 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. Some are drawn to the Wall like pilgrims to Mecca. Many others joined the reserves or National Guard, which were not mobilized in any appreciable numbers during the war. More Info At www.themovingwall.org Visit site Instead its nearly in the center. Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics, Korean War and Vietnam War casualties listed at the National Archives, Hospital Admission Card Files, ca. 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. Congress. Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of President John F. Kennedys assassination. Look for discharge papers, pictures, medals,etc. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. How many names are on the wall? On the last day of his life, in the moments before our nations history changed forever, Dale Buis was sitting around a rec center watching a movie called The Tattered Dress, starring Jeff Chandler. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. in chronological order of the casualty date and then alphabetical by last No other moniker for Sammy Davis Jr. was more accurate. Access to Non-Archival Military Service Records is limited. Buis died, as did Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand, whose name is second on the wall. 8 Women are on the Wall. This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 18:28. He admitted no particular feelings about the righteousness of the war, and allowed himself to look ahead into a future free of war and obligation. And there is an end. Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. Protestants were 64.4 percent (37,483), Catholics were 28.9 percent (16,806). At some The Moving Wall sites, the sponsor makes arrangements The young enlisted volunteer or draftee had not had much time to form any complicated theories about our Vietnam commitment. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 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. 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. As she wisely predicted, this would help bring the veterans back in timeand a cathartic healing would occur for many by facing this loss again.. It is hard to believe it has been 36 years since the last casualties. But in 1966, President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara decided to institute Project 100,000 that would allow category IV men to enter the military. 1970 - ca. On that panel, above the names is this inscription: In honor of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. but will allow you to download it after you specify a file name. The Marine Corps losses were skewed even more to the lower ranks, 91 percent were privates or corporals. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, "'The Vietnam War' Sponsor Bank of America Teams With The Lumineers to Support the USO ", Programs for Service Members and Their Families. The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 245 deaths. Millions more come to experience this Memorial each year. Beginning at the apex on panel 1E and going out to the end of the East wall, appearing to recede into the earth (numbered 70E May 25, 1968), then resuming at the end of the West wall, as the wall emerges from the earth (numbered 70W continuing May 25, 1968) and ending with a date in 1975. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. 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. A relatively small number refused to register for the draft at all. 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. How many women soldiers died in the Vietnam War? In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Marlin on March 19, 1967 and Norman on August 18, 1968 Brothers Bennett and Dennis Herrick were both killed in Vietnam. There were 667; How many Andersons?, 178; Garcias?, 102; Murphys?, 82; Jenkins?, 66; One wants to know more about these Americans. The combination of the selective service policies with the skills and aptitude testing of both volunteers and draftees (in which blacks scored noticeably lower) conspired to assign blacks in greater numbers to the combat units of the Army and Marine Corps. (Surprisingly, as it turned out, the percentage of Vietnam veterans who applied for the GI Bill was higher than either World War II or Korea. Adding to the problem was Project 100,000. It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. It ripped men from their loved ones, family, friends, and it left a wave of death in its path. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. Vietnam War Casualties- Main Alphabetical Index www.VirtualWall.org Find A Name Information Memorial pages honoring Vietnam War casualties, listed by their last names. Much more detailed Frequently relatives or buddies of casualties The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 10, 1982, with 57,939 names. Every one of the names on the Wall has a story worth telling, as do all who served in our nation's Armed Forces during that time. These names are followed by the inscription: Our nation honors the courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty and country of its Vietnam veterans. The VC had commandeered Air America Hueys, and they were flying them around, which simply made for a very interesting chess game. World War II had been, for the most part, a perfect war, clear of purpose, the forces of democracy and freedom lined up against the forces of fascism and tyranny. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. If you All other individual draftee files from that period were destroyed by the Selective Service System in 1978, in accordance with approved records retention schedules. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. Some recent studies tend to refute what had been the perceived wisdom of social scientists and other commentators that our Vietnam dead came overwhelmingly from the poor communities. While their names are not on The Wall, they are never forgotten. 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. There are 58,267 names now listed on Vietnam Wall, including those added in 2010. compiled by Military Records and Research Library, Department of Military Affairs; edited by Julia D. Rather and Jeffrey Michael Duff, Research Our Records. 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. 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. Since the days of Alexander the Great and the Roman Legions, it has always been the young, inexperienced, low-ranking enlisted man who has taken the brunt of combat casualties. Since its controversial beginnings, feelings toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have changed drastically. They did not, in most cases, carry the burdens of wife or children. While VVMF finances the name additions to the Wall, it is the Department of Defense that makes these difficult and often technical decisions. Air Force Historical Research Agency 600 Chenault Circle Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6424Telephone: (334) 953-2395, ArmyU.S. It would also enable veterans to find groups of friends who died during the same incident. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study released in 1992, found that our Vietnam casualties were only marginally greater from the economically lowest 50 percent of our communities (31 deaths per 100,000 of population), when compared with the economically highest 50 percent (26 deaths per 100,000 population). For men who registered for the draft prior to 1976, the only Selective Service System information available is that of the individual Draft Registration Card (SSS Form 1) and Classification History (SSS Form 102) records. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. As a result, it was mainly the families of Navy and Air Force pilots and crewmen who suffered the great agony of the POW (prisoner of war) and MIA (missing in action) experience that came out of the Vietnam War. There are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.