Vietnam history that most people will never know!

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Ranger Ron
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Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Ranger Ron »

Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall

"Carved on these walls is the story of America , of a continuing quest to preserve both Democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream." ~President George Bush

SOMETHING to think about - Most of the parents of these men are now deceased.

There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.

The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.

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. Thus the war's beginning and end meet. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angle's open side and contained within the earth itself.

The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.

There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.

39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.

8,283 were just 19 years old.

The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.

12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.

5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.

One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.

997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .

1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .

31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.

Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.

54 soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school.

8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.

244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.

Beallsville , Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.

West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest . And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.

The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam . In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.

The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.

For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.

RIP
~S~
SUA SPONTE - "We few, we happy few, we BAND OF BROTHERS;
for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother!"
- Shakespeare

RLTW! - Land of the Free BECAUSE of the Brave

RS 3-70
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I Co., 75th. Inf.
4/9 Inf., 25th ID

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Slowpoke
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Slowpoke »

Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
I never wore a cape, but I still have my dog tags.

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colt1rgr
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by colt1rgr »

Damn Ron................ I just read this, half way through had to call Blondie in here to read it with me and damn if something didn't infiltrate my eye sockets. Thank you for posting this! Brother!

P.S. We rooted for your Cornhuskers and while a valiant effort I beleive the zebras had as much a part in their defeat as the Gamecocks :roll: . Still a good year! 8)
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CharlieRanger1FFV
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by CharlieRanger1FFV »

Thanks for posting, Ron . . .our Brothers are with us EVERY day . . .they are not forgotten, because they live in our hearts.

Poke: I just went two years ago . . .its hard, very hard.

RLTW!!!
Silencium Mortium

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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by CatFish Driver »

There's a little sub-hamlet of my town that is about 500 people large and they lost 7 men in 1968. I think they all died in a span of 72 days. Life magazine did a story on them. Pretty incredible that an area so small could give up 7 sons for her country.

And CharlieRanger1FFV, I'll echo your statement about going to the Wall. When I was 12, my dad took me to the Wall. It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry, which was off-putting in and of itself. He said that he hadn't slept right for 20 years, but once he went to the Wall, it was like a great weight was lifted off his chest. I've been back to visit twice since then. It's an awesome experience to say the least.
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Lefty
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Lefty »

Not only did something get in my eye, but I got goosebumps reading that.

I have been there several times, and it does not get easier any time. I have a hard time not losing it when I overhear some of the smarmy comments from people who apparently have no connection to any of the names or VN veterans.

I was also stunned one time to see a name I knew but had not known he was KIA. An acquaintance from college, a guy who graduated a year ahead of me, son of a retired Army O6.

There is a Pershing there, grandson of GEN "Blackjack" Pershing and the last of the Pershing line.

Thanks for posting that, Ron.
RLTW
Lefty
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Ranger Ron »

Slowpoke wrote:Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
Brother, I am telling you it is a must for you!!! May not be easy but I would bet you what little I have that WHILE you are there and AFTER, you will be SO grateful that you went.

The first time I went, just by chance, I watched the movie "To Heal A Nation" which I had recorded a year earlier, but hadn't watched. It was almost by accident that I watched it just before we went to DC. Made the wall that much more meaningful for me.

DO IT BROTHER!!!
SUA SPONTE - "We few, we happy few, we BAND OF BROTHERS;
for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother!"
- Shakespeare

RLTW! - Land of the Free BECAUSE of the Brave

RS 3-70
SSG VN 69-70
I Co., 75th. Inf.
4/9 Inf., 25th ID

Mentored Ranger kozzman555
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Jim »

Ranger Ron wrote:
Slowpoke wrote:Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
Brother, I am telling you it is a must for you!!! May not be easy but I would bet you what little I have that WHILE you are there and AFTER, you will be SO grateful that you went.

The first time I went, just by chance, I watched the movie "To Heal A Nation" which I had recorded a year earlier, but hadn't watched. It was almost by accident that I watched it just before we went to DC. Made the wall that much more meaningful for me.

DO IT BROTHER!!!
I, too, recommend you visit what has really become hallowed ground. It has become almost a sacred place. I know it is for me.
Ranger Class 13-71
Advisor, VN 66-68 69-70
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Steadfast
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Steadfast »

Jim wrote:
Ranger Ron wrote:
Slowpoke wrote:Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
Brother, I am telling you it is a must for you!!! May not be easy but I would bet you what little I have that WHILE you are there and AFTER, you will be SO grateful that you went.

The first time I went, just by chance, I watched the movie "To Heal A Nation" which I had recorded a year earlier, but hadn't watched. It was almost by accident that I watched it just before we went to DC. Made the wall that much more meaningful for me.

DO IT BROTHER!!!
I, too, recommend you visit what has really become hallowed ground. It has become almost a sacred place. I know it is for me.
I think a good day is to first visit Arlington Tomb of the Unknowns, then see Audie Murphy"s plot (right near Bus Stop of tomb of the Unknowns) then go over to the Wall.
If you come to the Wall, let me know & I will join you (or anyone else).

I believe the date: The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths was Tet 1968.

Not listed was 1st Cav's battle at LZ's X-Ray & Albany - 1965
Better know as "WE Were Young Once" With Hal More
RLTW
Steadfast

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69-70
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by McD »

Slowpoke wrote:Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
If it wouldn't be to imposing... let me know when you plan to go... I would like to go with you. When the time comes I'll explain why!

I've been twice to visit a neighbor... no words to explain the feeling
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Slowpoke
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Slowpoke »

McD wrote:
Slowpoke wrote:Thanks for posting that Brother......made my eyes sweat some. I haven't yet been able to make myself go to The Wall, but I will...soon!
If it wouldn't be to imposing... let me know when you plan to go... I would like to go with you. When the time comes I'll explain why!

I've been twice to visit a neighbor... no words to explain the feeling

I'll let you know!
I never wore a cape, but I still have my dog tags.

Experienced Peek Freak!!

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C/1/506 101st Abn
B/2/325 82nd Abn
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Jim
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Jim »

Anytime you feel like visiting the wall, I'll go with you. Then we'll go to Arlington National Cemetery. I do a supergb tour. It will be time well spent, I promise.
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Re: Vietnam history that most people will never know!

Post by Sleepy Doc »

If there can be one positive thing said about the the sheer number of names on the wall is that their sacrifice has led directly to the lack of names for the next memorial. The main reason the Ranger Regiment and the big Army in a larger sense have adopted the way they treat injured is because of those names. They found that simple lifesaving measures employed correctly will keep someone alive until they reach definitive care. For the first time in our history has a civilian ER level of trauma care been available within the first hour of a Soldier or Marine getting injured. Also, better body armor has played a major part.

Since the start of the GWOT there have been 6,327 dead confirmed by Central Command. There have also been 96,092 awards for valor. They say time heals all wounds, but fact remains that those low number of casualties would not be possible were it not for those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in Southeast Asia. IMHO, the granite does not exist that is strong enough to carry the full measure of the weight the names hold. Every single American, whether they realize it or not, owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid fully.

Hallowed Ground, Indeed...


[edited to add:]And for those who were fortunate enough not to have their person so enshrined; Gentlemen, Welcome Home and I thank you..
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