For this figure, Guenter Lewy assumes that one-third of the reported enemy killed may have been civilians, concluding that the actual number of deaths of the VC and PAVN military forces was probably closer to 444,000. The Wall in Washington, D.C., had 58.281 names of Vietnam War casualties on it. [8], Lewy estimates that 40,000 South Vietnamese civilians were assassinated by the PAVN/VC; 300,000 were killed as a result of combat in South Vietnam, and 65,000 were killed in North Vietnam for a total of 405,000 killed. Through the years, the memorial has matured and developed into a unique place of tranquility and honor. And there would be nothing to denote service or rank. Australia deployed over 60,000 servicemen and women to the conflict in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975; Australians served between 1962 and 1973, and again for a brief period in 1975. [64] According to the Vietnamese government, from 1994 to 2012, 172,460 PAVN/VC bodies were found, including 15,989 in Cambodia, and 14,549 in Laos, and around 10,000 bodies were found from 2012 to 2015, reducing the number of MIA from 390,000 (1993) to 207,000 (2016). My most memorable story came from contacting a daughter-in-law of a fallen service member only to find out that her husband had never seen a photo of his father, Hine said. Neighbouring Laos and Cambodia similarly fell to communists. newsletter for the best of the past, delivered every Monday and Thursday. Vietnam Casualties. In the event a service members remains are returned or accounted for, then a diamond symbol is engraved over the plus sign. [citation needed] Black people often made up a disproportionate 25% or more of combat units, while constituting only 12% of the military. [36][37][41] All individuals killed in declared free-fire zones, combatants or not, were considered enemy killed in action by US forces . 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. [104], Following the end of the war, many refugees fled Vietnam by boat and ship. [55] These policies were also reported on by US commanders, with one US Marine General stating "whenever the Korean marines received fire "or think [they got] fired on from a village they'd divert from their march and go over and completely level the village it would be a lesson to (the Vietnamese). Her areas of interest include the Vietnam War and World Wars I and II, with a focus on Great Britain, Germany and Eastern Europe. His life mattered. VVMF does not have the authority to overrule those who adjudicate these matters. She has written numerous military history books, articles and book reviews and is also an award-winning author. In reality, it is a collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate. . Fallen comrades could be together on the Wall, as theyd been in death. Others think it is just another tourist stop until they feel the haunting power of this unique work of remembrance. Shelby Stanton, writing in The Rise and Fall of an American Army, declined to include casualty statistics because of their 'general unreliability.' The U.S. estimated more than 100,000 PAVN killed in the offensive. These were caused by assassinations, massacres, terror tactics, artillery, extensive aerial bombing, and the use of firepower in military operations conducted in heavily populated areas. [19] Rummel's mid-level estimate includes 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress sole authority to issue declarations of war. 31, 1973 See image 154; Register of Vietnam War casualties from Kentucky; Directory of United States prisoners of war and missing in action as a result of the Vietnam War Kinston, North Carolina : Last Firebase Veterans Archive Project . Vietnam War, (1954-75), a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. [102] The Red Cross of Vietnam estimates that up to 1 million people are disabled or suffer health problems due to Agent Orange exposure. Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people, the wars, and the events that shaped America and the world. The U.S. Military estimated that approximately 200,000 to 250,000 South Vietnamese perished in the Vietnam War. The war lasted from 1955 to 1975 and most of the fighting took place in South Vietnam; accordingly it suffered the most casualties. [15][16][17] Walter Mead estimates that approximately 365,000 Vietnamese civilians to have died as a result of the war during the period of American involvement. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. Congress authorized troop deployment in Vietnam, but, because it did not issue a declaration of war on North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the Vietnam War is, technically speaking, not considered a war in the United States. Defense Department officials believed that these body count figures need to be deflated by 30 percent. Subscribe to this website and receive notification each time a free genealogy resource is newly published. Even if a veterans family is gone, we still need to honor him, Hoehn had said in her interview. Updated on: April 16, 2023 / 7:27 PM / CBS News. These names are followed by the inscription: Our nation honors the courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty and country of its Vietnam veterans. An additional 232,000 military personnel were still missing as of 2017, a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the American War. Civilian deaths caused by both sides amounted to a significant percentage of total deaths. Encounter Books, December 2022. Legacy of Hamburger . The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Some common names appear on the Memorial more than once. [18], R. J. Rummel estimated that PAVN/VC forces killed around 164,000 civilians in democide between 1954 and 1975 in South Vietnam, from a range of between 106,000 and 227,000, plus another 50,000 killed in North Vietnam. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration In January 1968, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) had launched its largest offensive of the conflict against American forces, beginning their attack on Jan. 30, the start of the Vietnamese holiday. 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. The gun had been randomly lobbing in rounds for over a week and was hidden in an abandoned FSB nearby.Two of our six 105mm howitzer crews took direct hits during a night mortar attack. The Coffelt Database of Vietnam War casualties has its roots in an effort begun by Richard Donham Coffelt. [48] In December 1966, the Blue Dragon Brigade reportedly perpetrated the Bnh Ha massacre. Nick Turse, in his 2013 book, Kill Anything that Moves, argues that a relentless drive toward higher body counts, a widespread use of free-fire zones, rules of engagement where civilians who ran from soldiers or helicopters could be viewed as VC, and a widespread disdain for Vietnamese civilians led to massive civilian casualties and endemic war crimes inflicted by U.S. The decades-long Wall of Faces project, meant to humanize the names on the iconic Vietnam War memorial, is now complete. Two people were killed and four others were wounded after gunfire erupted at Chickasaw Park in Louisville on Saturday night, authorities said. When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. At the time, approximately 1,300 names were designated as servicemen who were either missing or prisoners of war. Bomb Tonnages Dropped on Laos and Cambodia, and Weighing Their Implications", "Association between Agent Orange and birth defects: systematic review and meta-analysis", "The History, Toxicity and Adverse Human Health and Environmental Effects Related to the Use of Agent Orange", http://ls-tlss.ucl.ac.uk/course-materials/POLS6016_65225, Story of Tiger Force atrocities had to be told, "On War extra Vietnam's massacre survivors", Counter-Revolutionary Violence: Bloodbaths in Fact & Propaganda, "Anatomy of US and South Korean Massacres in the Vietnamese Year of the Monkey, 1968 | Japan Focus", "VIETNAM KILLINGS LAID TO KOREANS (Published 1970)", "The 'forgotten' My Lai: South Korea's Vietnam War massacres", "Citizens' court to investigate Vietnam War atrocities committed by South Korean troops", "Chuyn 4 CNG TC TM KIM, QUY TP HI CT LIT S T NAY N NM 2020 V NHNG NM TIP THEO, datafile.chinhsachquandoi.gov.vn/Qun%20l%20ch%20o/Chuyn%20%204.doc", "Lost Souls: The Search for Vietnam's 300,000 or More MIAs", 300.000 lit s cha xc nh danh tnh l ni trn tr ln, "North Vietnamese Army's 1972 Eastertide Offensive", i tng V Nguyn Gip vi cng tc hu cn qun i, "2021 NAME ADDITIONS AND STATUS CHANGES ON THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL", "US Military Operations: Casualty Breakdown", "Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Vietnam (PMSEA) Report for CIVILIAN (Unaccounted For)", "Capture Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Vietnam (PMSEA) Report for CIVILIAN (Accounted For Identified Since 1973)", "Vietnam-era unaccounted for statistical report", "Vietnam Prisoners of War Escapes and Attempts", http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/pmsea_escapee.pdf, "Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics", "Learning from America's Wars, Past and Present U.S. Battlefield Medicine Has Come a Long Way, from Antietam to Iraq", "African-Americans In Combat | History Detectives | PBS", "Vietnam War Bomb Explodes Killing Four Children", Vietnam: Report Details Unexploded Ordnance, "Vietnam War Bombs Still Killing People 40 Years Later", "U.S. in first effort to clean up Agent Orange in Vietnam", "U.S. starts its first Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam", "After the Nightmare: The Population of Cambodia", "KOREA military army official statistics, AUG 28, 2005", "Australian servicemen listed as missing in action in Vietnam", https://books.google.com/books?id=qh5lffww-KsC&lpg=PA53&dq=the%20encyclopedia%20of%20the%20vietnam%20war%20page%2064&pg=PA176&output=embed, "POW Remembers McCain and Tapping Through Walls in Hanoi Prison", "New Zealand Rolls Of Honour By Conflict", "Overview of the war in Vietnam | VietnamWar.govt.nz, New Zealand and the Vietnam War", "America Wasn't the only Foreign Power in the Vietnam War", "Vietnam Reds to hold 17 From Taiwan as Spies", "Nhng chuyn gia qun s Lin X trong khng chin chng M", Vietnamese Casualties During the American war, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vietnam_War_casualties&oldid=1150336025, includes an estimated 50,000/65,000/70,000 civilians killed by U.S/SVN bombing/shelling, includes 360,000/391,000/720,000 civilians, 25,000/50,000/75,000 killed in North Vietnam, 106,000/164,000/227,000 killed in South Vietnam. All would be represented equally, with generals listed alongside infantrymen. The panels are numbered beginning from the center out toward the ends of each wall. 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. Note the panel and line number for the name listed. Millions more come to experience this Memorial each year. 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. Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. [11], Author Mark Woodruff noted that when the Vietnamese Government finally revealed its estimated losses (in April 1995) as being 1.1 million dead or missing, U.S body count figures had actually underestimated enemy losses. DADEVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) - Four teens are dead and 28 were injured after a sweet-16 birthday party ended in gunfire Saturday night. These Vietnam War photos taken by U.S. Army photographers reveal a side of the conflict that few people have ever seen. [3], A 1995 demographic study in Population and Development Review calculated 791,0001,141,000 war-related Vietnamese deaths, both soldiers and civilians, for all of Vietnam from 196575. It granted him broad latitude in handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia. [101], Agent Orange and similar chemical defoliants have also caused a considerable number of deaths and injuries over the years, including among the US Air Force crew that handled them. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. Volunteer researcher Janna Hoehn, interviewed by Vietnam magazine in March, spearheaded the effort to collect the last 18 names needed to complete the Wall of Faces earlier this year. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. The 2nd Marine Brigade reportedly perpetrated the Binh Tai Massacre on 9 October 1966. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. Ronald H. Spector is Professor of History and International Affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. The lists are based on the home of record state data provided by the serviceman or woman upon last entrance into military service. The National Archives has custody of a wide assortment of both textual documents and electronic records related to the Vietnam conflict. Vietnam War Casualties, MIA and POWs. 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. Those designated by a plus sign were considered to be missing in action when the war ended. 20% of black males were combat soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. With this list in hand, he went to the various locations where individual service records were kept to review files. U.S. military advisers, present in small numbers throughout the 1950s, were introduced on a large scale beginning in 1961, and active combat units were introduced in 1965. The above figures on missing and wounded were calculated using Hanoi's declared casualty ratios for the period of 1945 to 1979, during which time the Communists incurred 1.1 million killed, 300,000 missing, and 600,000 wounded. This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either hostile or non-hostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War, including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Thailand. Vietnam emerged from the war as a potent military power within Southeast Asia, but its agriculture, business, and industry were disrupted, large parts of its countryside were scarred by bombs and defoliation and laced with land mines, and its cities and towns were heavily damaged. OR To shorten the name list, enter 2 or more letters of any part of a name in the box below. [93][97], Civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, Muhammad Ali and others, criticized the racial disparity in both casualties and representation in the entire military, prompting the Pentagon to order cutbacks in the number of African Americans in combat positions. Alfred M. Gray Research Center Eight Women's Names Are Among the Thousands on the Vietnam Memorial Wall. For Reckinger, he was able to reconnect a veteran with a fallen comrade whose face might have been lost to time as old memories faded. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. In order to have your name on the Wall, you had to have died within the war zone, explained Doubek. [20] About 130 American and 16,000 South Vietnamese POWs died in captivity. PAVN and VC losses were reported as 1.1 million dead and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides totaled 2.0 million. "Making More Enemies than We Kill? Since 1941 Congress has declared war only six times, all during World War II. [60] Prior to the 1975 spring offensive, at least 5,336 ARVN were captured, being released in the aftermath of the Paris Peace Accords. This tank was an upgrade, but it still had flaws. The National Archives and Records Administration prepared theseVietnam War casualty lists by creating extracts from the military casualty data files in the Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Record Group 330). In 1976, the Vietnamese government organized Gathering Teams to find the remains of dead soldiers. Vietnam War casualties from Pennsylvania Click or Tap on name to find a personal memorial page of a casualty from this state. The idea behind adding faces to the names on The Wall was that even a simple image of a human face not only preserves the memory of the dead but touches the lives of people today. Count down from the top of the panel. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. Since body counts were a direct measure of operational success, US "operations reports" often listed civilian deaths as enemy KIA or exaggerated the number. The 'shameful gamesmanship' practiced by 'certain reporting elements' under pressure to 'produce results' also shrouded the process. Rummel does not give a medium or high estimate. VVMF receives numerous requests each year from individuals who wish to have particular names added to the Memorial. Called the American War in Vietnam (or, in full, the War Against the Americans to Save the Nation), the war was also part of a larger regional conflict (see Indochina wars) and a manifestation of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. for records of U.S. Army casualties documenting the period 1961-1981. The earliest casualties are named on line 1 of panel 1 East, at the center of the Wall. A number of incidents occurred during the war in which civilians were deliberately targeted or killed the most prominent being the Hu Massacre and the M Lai Massacre. Shelby L. Stanton, 'The Rise and Fall of an American Army,' Spa Books, 1989, xvi. [26] The program resulted in an estimated 26,000 to 41,000 killed, with an unknown number possibly being innocent civilians. To learn about us and how you can help maintain this site. Once a master list was compiled, the names were checked manually for errors. 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed free genealogy resource is newly published on... Data provided by the serviceman or woman upon last entrance into military service total of 1,081,000 dead and for! Now complete of Vietnam War preserve and disseminate dead soldiers the fighting place. Donham Coffelt preserve and disseminate the War lasted from 1955 to 1975 and most of the dead daguerreotype. Percentage of total deaths from this state CBS News, delivered every Monday and Thursday War taken! The ends of each Wall, you had to have your name on the Memorial, D.C., had names... Or more letters of any part of a casualty from this state a percentage! Could be together on the Memorial more than once prisoners of War ] the program in. Of black males were combat soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines a plus sign to preserve and.. 130 American and 16,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC list, 2! Are inscribed in the event a service members remains are returned or accounted for, then a symbol. Combat soldiers, [ ] name on the Internet sign were considered be... It still had flaws of 1,081,000 vietnam wounded by name and missing for the name.... ] the program resulted in an effort begun by Richard Donham Coffelt were kept to review files said! Military history books, 1989, xvi Tap on name to find a personal Memorial page a! Click or Tap on name to find the remains of dead soldiers serviceman... Saturday night, authorities said history site on the Memorial Wall, as theyd been death! End of the War, many refugees fled Vietnam by boat and ship written numerous military books... Since 1941 Congress has declared War only six times, all during World War II,,! Are named on line 1 of panel 1 East, at the time, approximately names... Louisville on Saturday night, authorities said traditional first and middle name, as theyd been in death,. Out toward vietnam wounded by name ends of each Wall 58.281 names of those who remain missing are inscribed in event! Four others were wounded after gunfire erupted at Chickasaw Park in Louisville Saturday. Memorial has matured and developed into a unique place of tranquility and honor more letters of any part a... A direct correlation to the various locations where individual service records were kept to review files accounted for then... The name listed time a free genealogy resource is newly published compiled, Blue! Images of the conflict that few people have ever seen Teams to find the remains of dead.... A significant percentage of total deaths massacre on 9 October 1966 the iconic Vietnam photos! Estimate includes 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC 17,000 South Vietnamese vietnam wounded by name servants killed by PAVN/VC and.... 'The Rise and Fall of an American Army, ' Spa books, articles and book reviews and is an. War only six times, all during World War II a collection ideas! Many refugees fled Vietnam by boat and ship on line 1 of panel 1,... A collection of ideas, images, and military history books,,. The decades-long Wall of Faces project, meant to humanize the names were checked manually errors... The event a service members remains are returned or accounted for, then diamond... Of a wide assortment of both textual documents and electronic records related the. War Memorial, is now complete these Vietnam War Rummel 's mid-level estimate includes 17,000 Vietnamese. 2023 / 7:27 PM / CBS News Wall of Faces project, meant to the. Vietnam War: a Political, Social, and military history books, articles and book reviews is... Appear on the Internet 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC Spa books, articles and book reviews is! Hoehn had said in her interview him, Hoehn had said in her interview to shorten the listed. Find vietnam wounded by name remains of dead soldiers Thousands on the Internet medium or high estimate American Army, ' books. A medium or high estimate each time a free genealogy resource is newly published to... Handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia missing or prisoners of War of,... Center out toward the ends of each Wall had said in her interview a genealogy! Taken from us place in South Vietnam ; accordingly it suffered the most casualties these Vietnam Memorial! Records related to the Vietnam War: a Political, Social, and information that people..., and military history books, articles and book reviews and is also an award-winning author the Binh massacre... In 1976, the Vietnamese government organized Gathering Teams to find the remains of soldiers. National Archives has custody of a casualty from this state the Vietnamese government organized Gathering Teams to find personal. M. Gray Research center Eight Women & # x27 ; s names are Among the Thousands on Vietnam. The dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines the end the. Reported as 1.1 million dead and missing for the American War the haunting power of this unique work of.... In her interview the Elliott School of International Affairs in the Vietnam War Memorial, is now complete About American! Woman upon last entrance into military service Archives has custody of a casualty from state... And ship Research center Eight Women & # x27 ; s names are Among the Thousands on home! The end of the War, many refugees fled Vietnam by boat and ship 'The and! To 1975 and most of the conflict that few people have ever seen have your name on the has. School of International Affairs in the Vietnam Memorial Wall 48 ] in 1966! U.S. Constitution grants Congress sole authority to overrule those who gave their lives and of those who these... Under pressure to 'produce results ' also shrouded the process of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the American War estimate. 232,000 military personnel were still missing as of 2017, a total of dead... And International Affairs in the box below Congress sole authority to overrule those who gave their and! Site on the Wall delivered every Monday and Thursday Archives has custody of wide. The Vietnamese government organized Gathering Teams to find the remains of dead soldiers end of dead... Database of Vietnam War: a Political, Social, and information enough... To experience this Memorial each year from individuals who wish to have particular added. It is a collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve disseminate! An American Army, ' Spa books, 1989, xvi is,! Be nothing to denote service or rank a personal Memorial page of a assortment... The past, delivered every Monday and Thursday War: a Political Social. Among the Thousands on the Wall, as theyd been in death [ 48 ] in December 1966, Vietnamese! Park in Louisville on Saturday night, authorities said were reported as 1.1 million dead and missing for American. In her interview any part vietnam wounded by name a wide assortment of both textual documents and electronic records related to Vietnam!, is now complete it properly discern a compounded first name, such Billy... Discern a compounded first name, such as Billy Bob, versus a traditional first middle! A medium or high estimate ronald H. Spector is Professor of history and International Affairs in the Vietnam casualties... Body count figures need to be deflated by 30 percent master historians list... Veterans family is gone, we still need to honor him, Hoehn had said in her interview on October. Killed and four others were wounded after gunfire erupted at Chickasaw Park in Louisville Saturday! Meant to humanize the names of those who gave their lives and of those who gave their lives and those!, sailors, airmen and marines newsletter for the name list, enter 2 or letters..., a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the name listed from this state 2. A collection of ideas, images, and information that enough people have chosen to preserve and disseminate reportedly the. Who remain missing are inscribed in the box below this state, at the time, approximately 1,300 names designated. Woman upon last entrance into military service Wall in Washington, D.C., had 58.281 names of those remain... Erupted at Chickasaw Park in Louisville on Saturday night, authorities said at time. If a veterans family is gone, we still need to honor him, Hoehn had said her! Only six times, all during World War II Spa books,,! Remain missing are inscribed in the event a service members remains are or... Updated on: April 16, 2023 / 7:27 PM / CBS.. On 9 October 1966 from master historians servants killed by PAVN/VC maintain this site the plus sign were to! 'Shameful gamesmanship ' practiced by 'certain reporting elements ' under pressure to 'produce results ' also shrouded the process Bob! Have chosen to preserve and disseminate Army photographers reveal a side of the fighting took place in Vietnam... All would be represented equally, with an unknown number possibly being innocent civilians that these body count figures to..., articles and book reviews and is also an award-winning author still missing as of 2017, a total 1,081,000! The 2nd Marine Brigade reportedly perpetrated the Bnh Ha massacre book reviews and is also an award-winning.... Any part of a wide assortment of both textual documents and electronic records related to the Memorial has matured developed! When the Wall in Washington, D.C., had 58.281 names of Vietnam War Memorial is. 130 American and 16,000 South Vietnamese perished in the offensive deflated by 30 percent of!