Vietnam Veterans Day

Today (on Vietnam Veterans Day) we remember the American Men and Women who served in and around South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.

The Federal Government officially states that a Vietnam Veteran is a person who served in Southeast Asia from February 1961 until May 1975 (although the US only had Combat Troops in South Vietnam from the Gulf Of Tonkin Resolution of August 1964 until the Paris Peace Accords of April 1973.)

2,709,000 American Soldiers served in and around Vietnam during the Vietnam War (out of the total 9,087,000 American Soldiers worldwide at the same time.)

58,000 Americans died and 300,000 Americans were wounded while serving in and around Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

It is estimated that of the 2,709,000 Soldiers there are 610,000 Vietnam Veterans alive today. They range from 66 years old (those who were 18 in 1975) to those in their 90s (many of them serving in either World War 2, Korea and Vietnam or Korea and Vietnam.) The average age of a Vietnam Veteran is 68 years old.

Many Vietnam Veterans were treated poorly by their fellow Americans during and immediately after the War (despite the fact that Politicians - Congress and the President create, run and end wars.)