How many names are on the wall? In 2004, the total is 58,241 names. All were nurses, all were single and all but one were in their 20s. Order records from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis at the Start your Military Service Record Request page at the National Archives website. The draftee, if found physically and mentally fit, would be inducted for a period of two years, to be followed by another two year period in the active reserves and a subsequent two years in the inactive reserves. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. Often that advice, especially for professional athletes, rock stars, sons of politicians and other celebrities, was to join the never-to-be-called-up reserves or National Guard. | You must refer to a database, which gives the names in alphabetical order and includes the position of each on the Memorial. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. During the Vietnam War, the Navy and Air Force became substantially white enclaves enlisted and officer casualties were 96 percent white. As she wisely predicted, this would help bring the veterans back in timeand a cathartic healing would occur for many by facing this loss again.. The panels come together to form a point, linking the first and last together in enduring tribute. By his estimate, he helped pull out close to 2,000 people. It stands near Panel 1W, which holds the name of the last to die in combat. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 They often reveal a typically warm American family atmosphere. Interested in a tour as part of your visit? Its still fought in the bodies and minds of the men who waged it all those decades ago. Twenty years passed before Vandegeers remains were identified and another five passed before his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. Some recent studies tend to refute what had been the perceived wisdom of social scientists and other commentators that our Vietnam dead came overwhelmingly from the poor communities. There are students on field trips, some solemn and curious, but some just happy to get out of class. Although it is a truism that the young die in war, one is still unprepared for the fact that 40 percent of Marine enlisted casualties in Vietnam were teenagers; that more than 16 percent of Army enlisted casualties were also teenagers; and that nearly a quarter of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam were between the ages of 17- and 19-years old. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Who were they? It would also enable veterans to find groups of friends who died during the same incident. Copies of WWII though Vietnam era (men born April 28, 1877 to March 28, 1957) Selective Service Records may be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis, for a fee. The DOD percentages reveal that nearly 75 percent of Army enlisted casualties were privates or corporals. The article was originally published in the June 1993 issue of Vietnam Magazine and updated in November 2004. The names would become the memorial. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. Once download Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. In addition to WWII Draft Records, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO maintains Post-WWII through Vietnam Era Selective Service Records, for all men born before 1960. The vision of VVMF is to ensure a society in which all who have served and sacrificed in our nation's Armed Forces are properly honored and receive the recognition they justly deserve. Though the memorial continues to grow and evolve, the last name on the wall still belongs to Air Force Second Lieutenant Richard Vandegeer, a pilot who died after his helicopter crashed on May 15, 1975, during the wars final combat action. The 58,152 names of those who died in Vietnam are etched onto the two rising black marble slabs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. In an effort to further preserve the legacy of those who sacrificed all in Vietnam, VVMF is committed to finding a photo to go with each of the more than 58,000 names on The Wall. 1972, United States, National Archives, Military Records, 1885-2004, United States, National Archives, Korean War and Vietnam War Records, Start your Military Service Record Request, National Archives at St. Louis, Selective Service Records. Thats a tragic 2,415 more names on the Vietnam Wall in a single month. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. Note that the files are large, and are in Rich Text Format (RTF), with two The virtual Wall of Faces features a page dedicated to honoring and remembering every person whose name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Marlin on March 19, 1967 and Norman on August 18, 1968 Brothers Bennett and Dennis Herrick were both killed in Vietnam. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. Chiseled on the wall are the names of the 58,196 men and women who either died or are still listed as missing in Southeast Asia between 1959 and 1975. . With the glitch discovered, Doubek and his team located and hand-corrected each error. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent of its own men. "Home of record" does not necessarily refer to the place of birth, residence of next of kin, place of longest residence, nor other common uses of the term "hometown." Doubek contacted the National Personnel Records Center, Archives and Records Service, in St. Louis, Mo. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. Getting to Washington, D.C. Protestants were 64.4 percent (37,483), Catholics were 28.9 percent (16,806). Database of the 58,195 Names on The Wall in Wash,D.C. It forces us to the conclusion that many of those names on the wall were kids who just couldnt quite get it together in high school, a little late in maturing intellectually, and didnt have the resources or the guile to get out of the way when the war came. In high school, he joined ROTC and kept his fathers medals pinned next to his own awards on a piece of crimson cloth. The vast majority of Americans who were eligible by age but did not serve in the armed forces were exempted by reason of physical, mental, psychiatric, or moral failure; or they were given status deferments because they were college students, fathers, clergy, teachers, engineers or conscientious objectors. Another challenge was ensuring the accuracy of the names. Once a master list was compiled, the names were checked manually for errors. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morencis mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. The 1970 census which is being used as our Vietnam era population base did not list an Hispanic count but gave an estimate of 4.5 percent of the American population. This video can help you find the name of someone you'd like to honor. They lived only a few yards apart. Thus we can see that the channeling philosophy continued within the armed forces. Yet, a civilian heroine who served in a different capacity during that difficult time also merits particular acknowledgment. Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons. Lins vision prevailed. This amounted to 4.1 percent of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam. Blacks were 85 percent Protestant. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of President John F. Kennedys assassination. Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons. prepared by Frances A. Hortsch for the Phoenix Genealogical Society. Those who could have qualified for college probably did not have the funds or motivation. The officer corps has always drawn heavily on English/Scottish/Welsh, German, Irish and Scandinavian-American ancestries from middle-class white collar homes, with other large percentages from ambitious working class blue collar and, of course, career military families. NAVY AND AIR FORCE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE. His name does not appear at either far end. We honor and remember their sacrifice.". compiled by Military Records and Research Library, Department of Military Affairs; edited by Julia D. Rather and Jeffrey Michael Duff, Research Our Records. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. Click to learn about the In Memory program . It was fitting that Vandegeer finally returned home to American soil, because he spent his last weeks at war evacuating Americans as Saigon fell. The officer corps casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative. Names that become eligible for inclusion are added once each year, in May, a few weeks before Memorial Day. It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. . I respect the process, but it can be hard to prove something thats in your heart., Thats what makes it so special when you see the name going up, she added. . The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. True enough, but many of the surviving Vietnam casualty families would reply that the ultimate unfairness is death at an early age, in a land far from home, for reasons not clearly defined. All of this was one of the great and abiding agonies of the Vietnam War, causing repercussions within families and on the national political scene to this day. Each entry includes a panel number and letter; "W" is for "west" or the left half of the memorial, "E" is for east, or the right half of the memorial. A new Department of Defense (DOD) database computer tape released through the National Archives allows researchers to take a much closer look at our 58,152 Vietnam casualties. It may come as a surprise to some that 63.3 percent of all Vietnam enlisted casualties were not draftees but volunteers. 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. 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam. Thus, the wars beginning and end meet. In a massive sampling of the database, it was established that between 5 and 6 percent of Vietnam dead had identifiable Hispanic surnames. Why are names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall? The job of cross-referencing the information of individual branches with the DoD fell to Doubek. the "save as" menu command to store each text file on your media. As a result, the black casualty rate was reduced to 11.5 percent by 1969. However, in 1980, President James E. Carter resumed Selective Service registration in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. If a name was particularly long, it would be swapped with a shorter name. Congress. Look for discharge papers, pictures, medals,etc. For men who registered for the draft prior to 1976, the only Selective Service System information available is that of the individual Draft Registration Card (SSS Form 1) and Classification History (SSS Form 102) records. The Army lost the greatest number of officers 4,635 or 59 percent of all officer casualties. When the sound of exploding hand grenades rang out in the hall, Buis and others ran toward the sound. In the military it can be somewhat more deadly. They went for a ride and she gently told them that their father would not be coming home. The names of the 2,504 Americans missing in action from the Vietnam War are on the Tablets of the Missing at the ABMC Honolulu Memorial. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. Where previously a high school diploma had been an acceptable goal, now it was college and all the benefits it would bring. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Dates of enlsitment or selective service registration will be helpful along with the name military units they served with. Each entry includes a panel number and letter; "W" is for "west" or the left half of the memorial, "E" is for east, or the right half of the memorial. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. On the last day of his life, in the moments before our nations history changed forever, Dale Buis was sitting around a rec center watching a movie called The Tattered Dress, starring Jeff Chandler. If the veteran is still alive, ask his or her help finding records. ".for those who have died." VVMF does not have the authority to overrule those who adjudicate these matters. The Air Force lost 2,580 or l percent. Library of Congress, National Archives Reference Information Page 90 A Finding Aid to Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era, 1960-1994, Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War, Missing Vietnam Military Resulting from Hostile Forces, Missing Vietnam Military NOT Resulting from Hostile Forces, Vietnam War, Awards and Decorations of Honor, 1965-1972, Medal of Honor Awards Case Files, 1965 - ca. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. As Vandegeer piloted his CH-53 helicopter toward the island, a wall of anti-aircraft fire knocked it from the sky, and it crashed toward the water with 26 men aboard. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial stands as a symbol of America's honor and recognition of the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. Almost 50 percent were majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels and three were generals. The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. 1972 NAID 305367, Silver Star Medal and Legion of Merit Award Case Files, 19711971 NAID 5721359. Of the 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine enlisted men. If a service member were to return alive, a circlethe symbol of lifewould be inscribed around the plus sign. Names can also be located on The Wall of Faces on VVMFs web site, www.vvmf.org/wall-of-faces, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. The panel numbers are inscribed at the bottom of each panel. There were no indexes created prior to the fire. From 1964 to 1973, 2,100,000 men and women served in Vietnam, but this was only 8 percent of the 26,000,000 Americans who were eligible for military service. And there is an end. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located a series titled Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries, 1941-1980 in the Records of the U.S. Marine Corps (Record Group 127). These young men were trained quickly and shipped to Vietnam quickly. Army and Marine officer casualties were also quite young. Of the 8000 Coast guardsmen who served in Vietnam, 3 officers and 4 enlisted men were killed and 59 were wounded. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010: see the "National Cemeteries and Beneficiaries" section below. but will allow you to download it after you specify a file name. Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Kansas, Sheridan County, Viet Nam records, 1955-1975, Vermont, National Guard, Vietnam war, 1950-1953, University of Utah - American West Center - Saving the Legacy/ Vietnam Veterans, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=United_States_Vietnam_War_1964_to_1972&oldid=5123794, Personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960, Personnel discharged, September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964, The Military Index is available at the FamilySearch Library and at most FamilySearch centers. The idea that American enlisted dead were made up largely of societys poverty stricken misfits is a terrible slander to their memory and to the solid working-class and middle-class families of this country who provided the vast majority of our casualties. . There is some truth to this, but it is instructive to look at what the DOD database reveals in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, religious preference and casualties by U.S. geographic areas. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. peruse. Millions more come to experience this Memorial each year. Individual Award Case Files, 1969 - 1970. (Surprisingly, as it turned out, the percentage of Vietnam veterans who applied for the GI Bill was higher than either World War II or Korea. However, if officer casualties are added to the total, then this overrepresentation is reduced to 12.5 percent of all casualties. On average, 43 percent of white enlisted entrants placed in categories I and II (scoring 65 to 100) and 57 percent in categories III and IV (scoring 10 to 64). The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a symbol of American honor and appreciation for the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam War. She wanted the names to tell the journey, or the timeline, of the war. Only 5 to 10 percent of enlisted men in the combat units were estimated to have had some college, and less than 1 percent of these enlisted men were college graduates.

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