The following from: http://www.militaryfactory.com/korea/korean_war_aces.asp Vietnam War - US Deaths by Age. Age at Time of Death Recorded Casualties 17- 12 18- 3,103 19- 8,283 20- 14,095 21- 9,705 22- 4,798 23- 3,495 24- 2,650 25- 2,018 26- 1,414 27- 917 28- 768 29- 710 30-39- 4,927 40-49- 1,156 50-59- 121 60-62- 4 Unknown Age or Not Reported 17 Totals 58,193
American Deaths by Service Branch American Deaths by Service Branch Service Branch Recorded Casualties Air Force-------- 2,584 Army----------- 38,209 Coast Guard ----------7 Marine Corps ----14,838 Navy -------------2,555 Totals 58,193
American Casualties by Service Component: American Casualties by Service Component: Component Recorded Casualties Military Reserves ------------5,760 National Guard -----------------97 Regular Military ------------34,475 Selective Service ----------17,672 Unknown ---------------------189 Totals 58,193
American Casualty Types: American Casualty Types: Casualty Type Recorded Casualties KIA; Died in Combat ----------------------38,502 KIA; Died of Wounds ----------------------5,264 KIA; Died while Missing --------------------3,524 POW; Death while Captured -----------------116 Non-Hostile; Other Causes ----------------7,458 Non-Hostile; Death from Illness or Injury ---1,978 Non-Hostile; Died while Missing ------------1,351 Totals 58,193
American Casualties by Race American Casualties by Race American Casualties by Race: Race Recorded Casualties Native American -------226 Caucasian ----------50,120 Malayan ---------------252 Mongolian -------------116 Negro----------------7,264 Unknown --------------215 Totals 58,193
American Casualties Reasons American Casualty Reasons: Reason Recorded Casualties Gun, Small Arms ----------------------18,518 Multiple Fragmentary Wounds -----------8,456 Air Loss; Crash on Land ----------------7,992 Other Explosive Devices ----------------7,450 Artillery, Rocket or Mortar---------------4,914 Other Accident -------------------------1,371 Misadventure ---------------------------1,326 Drowned; Suffocated -------------------1,207 Vehicle Loss; Crash ---------------------1,187 Accidental Homicide -----------------------944 Accidental Self-Destruction ----------------842 Other Causes -----------------------------754 Air Loss; Crash at Sea ---------------------577 Burns -------------------------------------530 Illness; Disease ----------------------------482 Suicide ------------------------------------382 Heart Attack -------------------------------273 Intentional Homicide ------------------------234 Malaria -------------------------------------118 Bomb Explosion ------------------------------52 Stroke --------------------------------------42 Hepatitis ------------------------------------22 Unknown; Not Reported ---------------------520 Totals 58,193
American Casualty Statistics by Religion American Casualty Statistics by Religion: Age at Time of Death Recorded Casualties Assemblies of God ----------------------117 Baptist - American ------------------------4 Baptist - Southern ----------------------121 Baptist - Other -----------------------9,478 Brethren, Dunkers ------------------------63 Buddhism --------------------------------53 Christian Science -------------------------63 Church of Christ -------------------------528 Church of God ---------------------------238 Congregational Christian ------------------145 Disciples of Christ -------------------------34 Episcopal, Anglican -----------------------825 Evangelical, United Brethren ----------------39 Evangelical, Reformed ----------------------11 Friends, Quakers ---------------------------12 Jehovah's Witnesses -----------------------26 Jewish -----------------------------------269 Mormon Latter Day Saints -----------------589 Lutheran & Missouri Synod ---------------2,251 Methodist ------------------------------4,079 Mission Covenant ---------------------------1 Moslem, Muslim ----------------------------12 Nazarene ---------------------------------132 Orthodox, Greek ---------------------------58 Orthodox, Russian -------------------------22 Pentecostal ------------------------------182 Presbyterian ----------------------------1,303 Protestant - Other ------------------------559 Protestant - No Preference -------------16,644 Reformed ----------------------------------45 Roman Catholic -------------------------16,815 7th Day Adventist -------------------------116 Unitarian Universalist ------------------------45 United Church of Christ ----------------------11 No Religious Preference -------------------1,284 Other Religions -----------------------------210 Unknown ---------------------------------1,809 Totals 58,193
American Casualties by Sex American Casualties by Sex: Sex Recorded Casualties Female ------8 Male ---58,185 Totals 58,193
American Casualties by State and Protectorate American Casualties by State and Protectorate: Age at Time of Death Recorded Casualties Alabama -------------1,207 Alaska ------------------57 Arizona ----------------623 Arkansas ---------------588 California -------------5,573 Canal Zone ---------------2 Colorado ---------------620 Connecticut ------------611 Delaware ---------------122 District of Columbia -----242 Florida ---------------1,952 Georgia --------------1,582 Guam -------------------70 Hawaii -----------------276 Idaho ------------------217 Illinois ----------------2,934 Indiana ---------------1,532 Iowa -------------------853 Kansas -----------------627 Kentucky -------------1,055 Louisiana ---------------882 Maine ------------------343 Maryland -------------1,014 Massachusetts --------1,323 Michigan --------------2,654 Minnesota -------------1,072 Mississippi ---------------637 Missouri ---------------1,413 Montana ----------------268 Nebraska ----------------395 Nevada ------------------151 New Hampshire -----------227 New Jersey ------------1,484 New Mexico --------------399 New York --------------4,121 North Carolina ----------1,609 North Dakota -------------198 Ohio --------------------3,096 Oklahoma -----------------988 Oregon -------------------709 Pennsylvania ------------3,144 Puerto Rico ---------------345 Rhode Island --------------207 South Carolina -------------896 South Dakota --------------193 Tennessee ---------------1,291 Texas --------------------3,415 Utah -----------------------366 Vermont -------------------100 Virgin Islands ----------------15 Virginia -------------------1,304 Washington ---------------1,050 West Virginia ----------------732 Wisconsin -----------------1,161 Wyoming --------------------120 Other (Non-US) --------------121 Totals -------------------58,193
The breakdown by race is interesting. 12.5% were "negro" (I shall refer to them as African American - AA, from now on). I have often heard that the proportion of AAs killed was much higher than their demographic representation in the US. However, that doesn't seem to be true as the US demographics seem to correlate quite closely to the casualty rates. However, what seems to be the case is that if one breaks it down by race and service, this perception of higher casualties is true for the US army. But then again, the other three services were very under-represented: http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/vwc10.htm And "Mongolian"? Is that from Mongolia or a very dated term for "mixed race"?
American Vietnam War-Related Deaths by War Years and Post-War American Vietnam War-Related Deaths by War Years and Post-War: Year Recorded Deaths 1956-60 ---------9 1961 -----------16 1962 -----------52 1963 ----------118 1964 -----------206 1965 ---------1,863 1966 ---------6,143 1967 --------11,153 1968 -------16, 592 1969 --------11,616 1970 ---------6,081 1971 ---------2,357 1972 -----------641 1973 -----------168 1974 -----------178 1975 -----------161 1976 ------------77 1977 ------------96 1978 -----------447 1979 -----------148 1980 ------------26 1981-90 ---------34 1991-98 ---------11 Totals ------58,193
Not just the Americans From the time of the arrival of the first members of the Team in 1962 some 50,000 Australians, including ground troops and air force and navy personnel, served in Vietnam; 520 died as a result of the war and almost 2,400 were wounded. The war was the cause of the greatest social and political dissent in Australia since the conscription referendums of the First World War. Many draft resisters, conscientious objectors, and protesters were fined or gaoled, while soldiers met a hostile reception on their return home. http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/vietnam.htm
For some odd reason these statistics put things more into perspective than I'm entirely comfortable with, I feel like I know so much more about these lost souls and it's inevitably making me sad.
Well, all these statistics (age, race, religion, etc.) simply reflected the make up of the military or even the whole country of the US at the time. Most people in the U.S. were(still are) Caucasian, and most who served in the military are male. Most Americans are religious, and majority are one form or another of Christianity. @ OP, You might want to call some of those people "black American" or "African American" before someone point finger at you as racist lol.
Pretty fascinating stuff. Vietman War is one of the worst decisions the United States has made military, in my opinion. Just seeing all the causalities of so many young people really hits home for me. It's really sad and devistating that most of those deaths could have in fact had been avoided with a little more cautiousness and thoughtfulness from our leaders in terms of when they send people in to extended foreign conflicts. I was also fascinated by how many people in the 30-50 age range lost their lives in the conflict. You don't typically think of middle aged people as being on the front lines of war, but that was clearly pretty normal during the Vietnam War. Another thing that stood out to me was how many southerners lost their lives. I think of the South as a very patriotic part of the country, one that really supports the military and the numbers on this page really reinforced that for me personally.
Super-interesting information. Thanks for the read. I was quite shocked that only 8 females died compared to 58,185 men. I think a lot more women are serving nearer the front-line now — there can't have been a lot of females in Vietnam near the action.
