Vietnam - A Sad Reminder
Aug 21, 2015 11:54:37 #
A sober reminder of the cost of war.
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A little history most people will never know. Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Something to think about -
Most of the surviving Parents 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 40 years since the last fatality in 1975.
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 scheduled 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. 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. Kennedys 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.
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A little history most people will never know. Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Something to think about -
Most of the surviving Parents 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 40 years since the last fatality in 1975.
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 scheduled 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. 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. Kennedys 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.
Aug 21, 2015 12:03:49 #
Aug 21, 2015 12:06:29 #
Aug 21, 2015 12:12:15 #
jeryh
Loc: Oxfordshire UK
COMING FROM AN ENGLISHMAN, YOUR TRIBUTE HAS PUT EVERYTHING INTO PERSPECTIVE; THANK YOU.
Aug 21, 2015 12:20:48 #
Great, but sad, post jerry. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Aug 21, 2015 14:07:24 #
Aug 21, 2015 17:21:24 #
There is one name on that wall in the place of mine.
I was packing to go on a weeks outpost duty when our headquarters draftsman came out and volunteered to go instead. He wanted to see if they had really followed his blue prints on the new bunkers at the outpost. Three days later was the Tet Offensive, he was at the first position hit in the Qui Nhon area very early that morning.
I was packing to go on a weeks outpost duty when our headquarters draftsman came out and volunteered to go instead. He wanted to see if they had really followed his blue prints on the new bunkers at the outpost. Three days later was the Tet Offensive, he was at the first position hit in the Qui Nhon area very early that morning.
Aug 21, 2015 19:08:32 #
jerryc41 wrote:
In all the negative rhetoric poured forth about the war, the last point is generally overlooked. I never met a Marine, soldier, or sailor who was fighting for personal gain. We didn't all believe we belonged there, almost all of us wanted to be home, but every man I saw did his best.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.
In two months my five best friends from our time in RVN are having a reunion. I'll share this post with them.
(BTW, what is the source of the information?)
Aug 22, 2015 05:35:54 #
Spent time in country and still remember the feelings as if yesterday, I have 2 cousins on that wall and others who I shall cherish
Aug 22, 2015 05:43:10 #
Thank you, Jerry, from this Vietnam Special Forces Vet, Warrior
Aug 22, 2015 06:29:26 #
rdgreenwood wrote:
(BTW, what is the source of the information?)
I saved it on 5/9/2012, and I may have gotten it right here.
Aug 22, 2015 06:30:24 #
Aug 22, 2015 07:09:00 #
EX-TELCO wrote:
Still makes me sick to think about it. What a f##king waste.
At least we learned our lesson - no more stupid wars, right?
Aug 22, 2015 07:43:28 #
"There are no noble wars, just noble warriors."
Amen.
My cousin Chuck is on that wall.
Amen.
My cousin Chuck is on that wall.
Aug 22, 2015 07:44:18 #
jerryc41 wrote:
At least we learned our lesson - no more stupid wars, right?
There will only be no more stupid wars when there are no more stupid politicians. Not sure exactly when THAT will happen!
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