Did you know that March 29th is Vietnam Veterans Day? I suspect most people do not know there is a specific day set aside by a 2012 Presidential Proclamation to honor our Vietnam Veterans and pay tribute to their sacrifice.
What was their sacrifice? To start, the total number of U.S. armed forces killed in Vietnam in two decades of conflict is 58,253 souls. Of these, 38,224 served in the Army, 14,844 served in the Marines, 2586 in the Air Force, 2566 in the Navy, 26 in the Merchant Marines, and 7 served in the Coast Guard.
U.S. servicemen wounded in Vietnam numbered 153,363.
The total U.S prisoners of war who returned home alive from Southeast Asia stands at 658. As of 2014, 1,638 are still unaccounted for.
Another point to consider is the average U.S. infantryman saw about 240 days of combat in one year mainly because of the mobility of the helicopter. In comparison, the average infantryman in the South Pacific during WWII saw approximately 40 days of combat annually.
Therefore, on March 29th2016 let’s all take a moment to thank those who answered our country’s call and served with honor in one of the most challenging wars our nation has faced to date.