The following article is provided by Mr. Tom Sedgwick, who left this list of statistics in the comment section of a different article on this website. I do have additional lists available here, but this one includes information not yet listed here.
Reprinted from April 1997 VFW magazine.

MANPOWER

  • Vietnam Vets: 9.7% of their generation
  • 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era (Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975).
  • 8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the war (Aug. 5, 1964-Mar.28, 1973).
  • 3,403,100 (inc. 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the SEA Theater (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, flight crews in Thailand and sailors in adjacent South China Sea waters).
  • 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam (Jan. 1, 1965-Mar. 28, 1973).
  • Another 50,000 men served in Vietnam between 1960-1964.
  • Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly regularly exposed to enemy attack.
  • 7,484 women (6,250 or 83% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
  • Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (Apr. 30, 1969).

CASUALTIES

  • Hostile deaths: 47,378
  • Non-hostile deaths: 10,800
  • Total: 58,202 (includes men formerly classified as MIA and casualties). Men who have subsequently died of wounds account for the changing total.
  • 8 Nurses died–1 was KIA.
  • Married men killed-17, 579
  • 61% of men killed were 21 or younger
  • Highest state death rate: West Virginia-84.1 (Nat’l. avg. 58.9 for every 100,000 males in 1970
  • Wounded: 303,704 – 153,329 hospitalized -150,375 injured not req. hospitalization.
  • Severely disabled: 75,000–23,214 (100%); 5,283 lost limbs; 1.081 sustained multiple amputations.
  • Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were 300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea. Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to 5.7% in WWII.
  • MIA: 2,338
  • POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

DRAFTEES VS VOLUNTEERS

  • 25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees.
  • Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam.
  • Reservists killed: 5,977
  • Nat’l Guard: 6,140 served; 101 died.
  • Total draftees (1965-73): 1,728,344
  • Actually served in Vietnam: 38%
  • Marine Corps draft: 42,633.
  • Last man drafted: June 30, 1973

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND

  • 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% (275,000) were black; 1% belonged to other races.
  • 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 12.5% (7,241) were black; 1.2% belonged to other races.
  • 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam;
  • 3,070 (5.2%) died there.
  • 70% of enlisted men killed were of Northwest European descent.
  • 86.8% of the men killed as a result of hostile action Caucasian; 12.1% (5,711) were Black; 1.1% belonged to other races.
  • 34% of blacks that enlisted volunteered for the combat arms.
  • Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of the population.
  • Religion of dead: Protestant—64.4%; Catholic—28.9%; other/none—6.7%.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

  • 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds.
  • Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle-income backgrounds.
  • Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
  • 79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service. (63% of Korean War vets and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school upon separation).
  • Death by region per 100,000 populations; South–31; West–29.9; Midwest–28.4; Northeast–23.5.

WINNING AND LOSING

  • 82% of veterans who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was lost because of the lack of political will.
  • Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political will, not of arms.

HONORABLE SERVICE

  • 97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
  • 91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
  • 66% of Vietnam vets say they serve again if called upon.
  • 87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.

Thank you, Tom, for contributing the above information. I am most appreciative. I do have additional statistical articles about the Vietnam War on this website. Click on this link: https://cherrieswriter.com/category/categories/war-statistics/

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