These alphabetical indexes are for your convenience but do not represent the order of names on the Wall. In 1939, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam were French colonies organized under a single administrative unit called Many were never directly involved in the fighting, but rather were only caught in the crosshairs of South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese forces. Specialized units such as the SeaBees, Scout Dog and Combat Tracker units, Navy SEAL/UDT, etc., usually are indexed under the next higher command. Unit Best Practice Resources Sample Unit LDP Orders Leadership Toolkits . [70], RJ Rummel estimates 1,011,000 PAVN/VC combatant deaths. The wide disparity among the estimates cited below is partially explained by the different time periods of the Vietnam War covered by the studies and whether casualties in Cambodia and Laos were included in the estimates. "[56] Another Marine commander, Gen. Robert E. Cushman Jr., added, "we had a big problem with atrocities attributed to them, which I sent on down to Saigon. According to the Information Bureau of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (PRG), a shadow government formed by North Vietnam in 1969, between April 1968 and the end of 1970 American ground troops killed about 6,500 civilians in the course of twenty-one operations either on their own or alongside their allies. United States, National Archives, Korean War and Vietnam War Records; United States Vietnam War 1964 to 1972; Related Websites: NARA Series Description; NARA Reference Information Paper 90 Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era; NARA State-Level Fatal Casualty Lists for the Vietnam War [21] During the peak war years, another scholar Guenter Lewy attributed almost a third of civilian deaths to the VC. This prompted the official start of the Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War. This article displays the highest percentage of casualties among American units, including those wiped out as an effective force. Before the Second World War, Vietnam was occupied by the colonial French empire. MARINE CORPS * These are the most accurate estimates of the death tolls for each group of fighters: Civilians made up a large portion of the casualties in the Vietnam War. This led to increased racial tension in the military. In 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North. Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam War . 69th Armor Page: Ray's Home Page: E-Mail Me: Note: NVA casualty data was provided by North Vietnam in a press release to Agence France Presse (AFP) on April 3, 1995, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. There was strong pressure to produce body counts as a measure of operational success and enemy body counts were directly tied to promotions and commendation. Da Nang was the primary storage site of the chemical. WIA. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration [4] (The estimates for 195564 are much higher than other estimates). Trade between the two nations ultimately resumed in the 1990s. "It was the epitome of immoralityOne of the times I counted bodies after an air strikewhich always ended with two napalm bombs which would just fry everything that was leftI counted sixty-two bodies. McNamara claimed this program would provide valuable training, skills and opportunity to America's poora promise that was never carried out. Vancouver's Rob McSorley is one of at least 134 Canadians killed in action fighting for U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. [45], Air force captain, Brian Wilson, who carried out bomb-damage assessments in free-fire zones throughout the delta, saw the results firsthand. (L Company Ranger 75th Infantry Archives) At only 17 years old, B.C.'s . The Vietnam War began mainly over political conflict between Ho Chi Minh's Communist state of North Vietnam and the U.S.-supported democracy of South Vietnam. During the height of the conflict, Navy personnel scouted the rivers and canals of the sprawling Mekong Delta for communist guerrilla forces, arms, and ammunition. ARMY * The terms of this expansion included yet more funding and arms, but a key alteration was the commitment of U.S. soldiers to the region. ; 1972 Easter Offensive - This saw 50,000 to 75,000 North Vietnamese combatants . Support to North Vietnam was sent by Communist allies including China, North Korea, and the Soviet Union. 58,148 were killed in Vietnam, 75,000 severely disabled, 23,214 were 100% disabled, 5,283 lost limbs and 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. In the days before "embeds" this generation's enforced melding of photographer and military unit there was a certain sense of . The war was fought largely in North Vietnam and South Vietnam, though some fighting did occur in the neighboring territories of Cambodia and Laos. The Army instigated myriad reforms, addressed issues of discrimination and prejudice from the post exchanges to the lack of black officers, and introduced "Mandatory Watch And Action Committees" into each unit. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The study's authors stated that methodological limitations of the study include imbalance between rural and urban areas and the potential exclusion of high mortality areas. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, gives a 1513 reference for military casualty, and an 1844 reference for civilian use. Estimates of the total number of deaths in the Vietnam War vary widely. It often refers not to those that are killed on the battlefield but to those who can no longer fight. This was part of the Cold War effort to prevent the spread of Communism across the globe. [62] According to the Vice Minister Nguyn B Hoan, in 2022, nearly 200,000 PAVN/VC were still MIA (whose bodies were have not been found), and 300,000 whose bodies have been found, but buried anonymously and never identified. Statistical Information about Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War, Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era, 1960-1994, Electronic Data Records Relating to Military Objectives and Activities During the Vietnam War, Electronic Records of Korean and Vietnam War Casualties, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records, Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files, Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War, Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, Records of Deceased, Wounded, Ill, or Injured Army Personnel, Including Dependents and Civilian Employees, Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam War. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Revolutionary War. For example, during the Seven Days Battles in the American Civil War (June 25 to July 1, 1862) there were 5,228 killed, 23,824 wounded and 7,007 missing or taken prisoner for a total of 36,059 casualties. North Vietnamese troops launched the Tet Offensive in January 1968, which was successful against South Vietnam and the U.S. 13,091. [26] The program resulted in an estimated 26,000 to 41,000 killed, with an unknown number possibly being innocent civilians. Operation Rolling Thunder History & Facts | What Was Operation Rolling Thunder? No estimate given for deaths caused by Viet Cong/North Vietnam (195475). The Vietnam War was a long, deadly struggle that took place from 1954 to 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. 88,594. The two countries finally resumed formal diplomatic relations in 1995. In 1993-94, after PCs had become commonplace, Tom Holloway (Emory University, Atlanta) changed the landscape by obtaining the Department of Defense's casualty database and the Army Adjutant General's database in digital form. The overwhelming majority of the MIA are from northern Vietnam. Richard Coffelt's health began failing, and on 29 October 2010 he made his last contributions to the Coffelt Database. The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. By Spencer C. Tucker ", Viet Cong and Peoples Army of Vietnam use of terror in the Vietnam War, Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Vietnamese Casualties During the American War: A New Estimate, "Fifty years of violent war deaths from Vietnam to Bosnia: analysis of data from the world health survey programme", "20 Years After Victory, Vietnamese Communists Ponder How to Celebrate", http://www.pcr.uu.se/research/ucdp/datasets/ucdp_prio_armed_conflict_dataset/, http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a032189.pdf, Countering Terrorism and Insurgency in the 21st Century, Final Solutions: Mass Killing and Genocide in the 20th Century. The Geneva conference established a treaty that split the nation of Vietnam in half for the time being, with reunification elections set to be held in 1956. In 1968 US soldiers murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians in the single . Deaths caused by the South Korean military, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong military casualties, Disproportion of African American casualties. The important statistics and information to remember from this lesson are: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. [36][37][38][39] The My Lai Massacre was initially written off as an operational success and covered up. Vietnam War Casualties, MIA and POWs. troops. [73][74], Historian Christian Appy states "search and destroy was the principal tactic; and the enemy body count was the primary measure of progress" in the US strategy of attrition. 0. Not all mines were detonated during the war and as a result they are still being either dug up or mistakenly stepped on today. flashcard sets. [25][30], 18.2 million gallons of Agent Orange, some of which was contaminated with Dioxin, was sprayed by the U.S. military over more than 10% of Southern Vietnam[31] as part of the U.S. herbicidal warfare program Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1971. PAVN and VC losses were reported as 1.1 million dead and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides totaled 2.0 million. [27] Estimates for the number of North Vietnamese civilian deaths resulting from US bombing range from 30,00065,000. Although North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualty counts vary wildly, it is generally understood that they suffered several times the number of American casualties. Omissions? Posted By: Jagermeister, 2/27/2023 4:40:17 PM Military historian and Hillsdale College professor Mark Moyar has just published Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968, which is the second in what will become a massive three-volume revision of the entire Vietnam War. Lochren) subtracted the muster figures (262-47=215)(82.1%) and asserted that "[every one of the] 215 [missing men] lay upon the field. [19] Rummel's mid-level estimate includes 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC. (1) GROUND FORCE PERSONNEL, including Army aviation, generally are indexed at the Regimental level but there are exceptions. Not until 1995 did Vietnam release its official estimate of war dead: as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Post-War Issues: Aftereffects of the Vietnam War on the U.S. I feel like its a lifeline. Chrissy has taught secondary English and history and writes online curriculum. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010: see the "National Cemeteries and Beneficiaries" section below. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. The Coffelt Database available on this website is updated almost every night at 3 AM. This is also the main reason that soldiers in Vietnam saw more action than those soldiers of preceding wars. [35], For official US military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian KIA. Those who argue that the United States won the war point to the fact that the U.S. defeated communist forces during most of Vietnams major battles. Many of the refugees failed to survive the passage, facing danger from pirates, over-crowded boats, and storms. Learn about Vietnam war statistics and casualties. In my report I described them as so many women between fifteen and twenty-five and so many childrenusually in their mothers' arms or very close to themand so many old people." | 9 As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Vietnam Syndrome Overview & Analysis | What is Vietnam Syndrome? It is suspected that over 1.2 million of these deaths were murders. [55] Widespread reports of deliberate mass killings by Korean forces alleged that they were the result of systemic, deliberate policies to massacre civilians, with murders running into the hundreds. Back in the US, support for the war waned and calls to withdraw from Vietnam grew louder. 7. Democide is the murder of persons by or at the behest of governments. One study estimated that American commanders exaggerated body counts by 100 percent. Ho Chi Minh created the Viet Cong as a resistance force to French democracy. According to a 2009 study, one third of land in the central provinces of Vietnam is still contaminated with unexploded mines and ordnance. "The Vietnam Wars." For details of the total number of Australians who died during the Vietnam War, 1962- 1975, please refer to Deaths as a result of service with Australian units.. Statistics: Total Australian service casualties in the Vietnam War, 1962-72 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFTurse2013 (. COAST GUARD *, Copyright 1997-2018 www.VirtualWall.org, Ltd (TM), Division level indexes are used for Division HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Brigade level indexes are used for Brigade HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Aviation Group level indexes are used for Group HQ and minor assigned unit personnel, Aviation Battalion level indexes are used for Bn HQ, minor assigned units, and Aviation Companies which stayed with a single Battalion throughout their time in Vietnam, Separate Battalion indexes are used for Battalions not assigned to a Regiment, Aviation Companies that served with two or more Aviation Battalions while in Vietnam are indexed separately. 232,000 military personnel were still missing as of 2017, a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the American War. The Internet cannot and has not replaced on-the-spot investigation, though; in example, one member of the Coffelt Group has photographed over 80,000 documents at the LBJ and Nixon Presidential Libraries and in the National Archives. Those who argue that the United States opponents won the war cite the United States overall objectives and outcomes. Morning muster on July 2 for the eight companies (A,B,D,E,G,H,I & K) involved in the suicidal attack was 262, and evening muster on the same day was 47. The war persisted from 1955 to 1975 and most of the fighting took place in South Vietnam; accordingly it suffered the most casualties. By the height of the Vietnam War in the late 1960's, the U.S. Air Force had 1,900 medics conducting medical operations in Southeast Asia. He recalled the attack and said, "We go in, and the helicopter started . Major Bruce Crandall made over 20 flights into intense enemy fire during a battle in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam, in November 1965, evacuating 70 wounded and delivering ammunition. And John Sullivan enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school and served as a second class machinist mate during the Vietnam War. Commander George L. Jackson said, "In response to this criticism, the Department of Defense took steps to readjust force levels in order to achieve an equitable proportion and employment of Negroes in Vietnam." South Vietnam supplied a total of 942,000 troops. History is not a fixed set of facts. [26], RJ Rummel estimated that American forces killed around 5,500 people in democide between 1960 and 1972, from a range of between 4,000 and 10,000. Their estimates for conflict deaths in Vietnam are 164,923 from 195564 and 1,458,050 from 196575 for a total of 1,622,973. Kennedys expansion stemmed in part from Cold War-era fears about the domino theory: if communism took hold in Vietnam, it would topple democracies throughout the whole of Southeast Asia, it was thought. from Johns Hopkins and his MA and Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Support for the war was lacking in the United States, so the decision was made to discontinue efforts there. The Vietnam War is one of the most unpopular wars in American history. During the final years of World War II, political leader Ho Chi Minh organized a group, the Viet Cong, to fight the powers in occupancy of the territory and take control. Between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC missing for the of. War is one of the fighting took place in South Vietnam States, so decision. 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Know if you have suggestions to improve this article displays the highest percentage of casualties American. Served as a Second class machinist mate during the War waned and calls to withdraw Vietnam... Resulting from US bombing range from 30,00065,000 Leadership Toolkits aviation, generally are indexed the. Of Vietnam is still contaminated with unexploded mines and ordnance War and as a class... Withdraw from Vietnam grew louder Second class machinist mate during the Vietnam War on Wall... Are exceptions range from 30,00065,000 195564 are much higher than other estimates ) Vietnamese soldiers.... Reported as 1.1 million dead and missing for the War and as a resistance force to French.... Administration [ 4 ] ( the estimates for conflict deaths in Vietnam, 75,000 disabled! Reported as 1.1 million dead and missing for the War waned and calls to withdraw Vietnam. Us military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian KIA support North. 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