".for those who have died." On Patrol caught up with Pete Peterson to find out how the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has progressed since the normalization of ties in 1995. prepared by Frances A. Hortsch for the Phoenix Genealogical Society. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. The west wall is on the left when standing facing the vertex, and the east wall is to the right. 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. 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. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense and the individual service branches maintained separate casualty lists with slightly differing criteria. W denotes the west wall, and E denotes the east wall. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morencis mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. Once additions are approved by DoD, VVMF receives the list of approved names, coordinates the inscribing and absorbs the costs. Beside each name is a symbol that denotes a service members status: either missing or confirmed dead. Much more detailed The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. The job of cross-referencing the information of individual branches with the DoD fell to Doubek. Another challenge was ensuring the accuracy of the names. While VVMF finances the name additions to the Wall, it is the Department of Defense that makes these difficult and often technical decisions. This takes about 72 hours. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, "'The Vietnam War' Sponsor Bank of America Teams With The Lumineers to Support the USO ", Programs for Service Members and Their Families. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. I went through the whole list of names eight times, because I was concerned about the correct formatting, remembered Doubek. Others think it is just another tourist stop until they feel the haunting power of this unique work of remembrance. 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. It ripped men from their loved ones, family, friends, and it left a wave of death in its path. The remaining 70 percent of our Vietnam enlisted casualties were of English/Scottish/Welsh, German, Irish and Scandinavian-American ancestries, more from the South and Midwest than the other regions, many from small towns with a family military tradition. What the MIT study almost certainly showed was that members of the so-called working class consisting of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, firemen, policemen, technicians, skilled factory operatives, farmers, etc., were living in middle class communities and were, therefore, part of our burgeoning middle class. 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. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. An estimated 11,000 women served in Vietnam. These files are lists of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, listed in chronological order of the casualty date and then alphabetical by last name within a given date. do this, be sure to have an alternate reader assigned to take over in case EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, Look up the name in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. And there is an end. 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. Senate. Twenty years passed before Vandegeers remains were identified and another five passed before his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. In civilian life, poor aptitude testing can have a tremendous negative impact, whether for college placement or for simple job advancement. A more precise equation would be that the college bound stayed home while the non-college bound served and died. Though 13 were rescued at sea, the rest died, either upon impact or soon after. The figures show that on average 65 percent of white enlisted men and 60 percent of black enlisted men were high school graduates. The directory can be purchased on the VVMF store. 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. We were one giant Hollywood B-17 bomber crew, one perfect socioeconomic platoon storming Omaha Beach or Okinawa. the "save as" menu command to store each text file on your media. This approach would allow veterans, friends and family members to find a loved one by his or her date of casualty. Fallen comrades could be together on the Wall, as theyd been in death. Early on President Johnson, his advisers and especially the Congress, realized that if the draft was to be truly equitable and had included combat assignments in Vietnam for the sons of the educationally advantaged and influential Americans from the professional and managerial classes, then the resulting uproar would have shut down the war. As one walks the Wall slowly, examining the ineffably American names, one is struck by the same recurring surnames. As a result, it was mainly the families of Navy and Air Force pilots and crewmen who suffered the great agony of the POW (prisoner of war) and MIA (missing in action) experience that came out of the Vietnam War. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Almost 50 percent were majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels and three were generals. However, if officer casualties are added to the total, then this overrepresentation is reduced to 12.5 percent of all casualties. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. In 2004, the total is 58,241 names. I could tell you about how real the fear was that I felt, since from the time we crossed the Delta and made the run into Saigon, we were over enemy territory. Their sons, if not college material, made up a significant part of the volunteers and draftees. while they download, thank you. Non-perishable items are archived in a storage facility. A relatively small number refused to register for the draft at all. Photo credit DOD photo by Army Sgt. The index gives birth and death dates, country of death, cause of death (air, ground, or sea), town and state of residence at time of enlistment, race, religious affiliation, marital status, service number, rank, and branch of service. All classes were drafted or volunteered and all served and died equally, although it must be noted that most blacks died separately. If a service member were to return alive, a circlethe symbol of lifewould be inscribed around the plus sign. To put a circle around the symbol beside their names would not provide the correct historical context related to their situation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall. During the Vietnam War, the Navy and Air Force became substantially white enclaves enlisted and officer casualties were 96 percent white. More names are added to the wall every year. Concerning, How do I find a name on the Vietnam War Memorial wall? Some went to Canada or Sweden, but few of those who evaded the draft were actually prosecuted and most were eventually pardoned by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. There are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. VVMF receives numerous requests each year from individuals who wish to have particular names added to the Memorial. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. 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. AGE 17 TO 21 PREFERRED ARMY AND MARINE COMBAT MATERIAL. When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. The casual visitor might not immediately recognize that Buis name is the first. (The 58,000 Names) Our fallen Vietnam War heroes are herethe 58,000 heroes who died in Vietnam. All were nurses, all were single and all but one were in their 20s. The names of Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand and Major Dale Buis are inscribed on Panel 1E of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. With the end of the Cold War, many now believe that at its outset the Vietnam War was a quite honorable extension of our ultimately successful policy of Communist containment; that our effort in Vietnam became flawed because of political and strategic failures having nothing to do with those who died there; and that these young Americans were asked by three presidents and six Congresses to give up their lives so that freedom would have a better chance in the world. . This change prompted the addition of 110 names in 1986. At the time, approximately 1,300 names were designated as servicemen who were either missing or prisoners of war. 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. as the names on the Wall. Congress. The Order of Precedence For Military Ribbon Wear, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pubH-5CulqI, Military Funeral Guide for Families & Funeral Homes, The Ultimate Military Gift Guide for Unique Military Gifts, Black Military History and Black Medal of Honor Recipients. This makeup, they say, was the very antithesis of what we stand for as a democracy a shameful corruption of our values and our historical sense of fairness and social justice. Look for clues about where he or she lived and served. 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. The first group, added in 1983, included 53 Marines who were killed when their R&R (rest and relaxation) flight crashed in Hong Kong. She wanted the names to tell the journey, or the timeline, of the war. Search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s database of names on the wall. 54 soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. Once download 3rd Battalion. The officer corps casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative. The event begins on November 7, 2022 at 3 p.m. EST and ends at midnight on November 10, 2022. It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. If you The Navy had a similar profile: 55 percent of its 622 officer casualties were 30 years of age or older, and 45 percent were ranked at lieutenant commander or above when they died. I.. J.. K.. L.. M. N.. O.. P.. Q.. R.. S.. T.. U.. V.. W.. X.. Y.. Z Thats a tragic 2,415 more names on the Vietnam Wall in a single month. Army Center of Military History103 3rd AvenueFort Lesley J. McNair, DC 20319-5058Telephone: (202) 685-4042, NavyU.S. But in 1966, President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara decided to institute Project 100,000 that would allow category IV men to enter the military. The Wall USA is a non-profit endeavor maintained by veterans . Photo credit DOD photo. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act, creating the countrys first peacetime draft and officially establishing the Selective Service System. The panel number is a number/letter combination, such as 10W or 35E. And mores the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it. The chronological order allows veterans who were in a battle to see their friends forever united on the Wall, he explained. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. Who were they? Nevertheless, 336,111 men were phased into the service under this plan (mostly the Army) and 2,072 were killed. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. 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. Charles Holley; chief editor, Robert J. Martin, 4th Infantry Division. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. This video can help you find the name of someone you'd like to honor. the reader loses composure. It specified the geographic areas of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and surrounding coastal areas as combat zones. Its still fought in the bodies and minds of the men who waged it all those decades ago. 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. . It would also enable veterans to find groups of friends who died during the same incident. Black leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., protested, and President Johnson ordered black participation in combat units cut back. It should be noted, however, that the draft was specifically designed to trigger volunteer enlistments. Frequently relatives or buddies of casualties The DOD database provides no civilian or military educational levels for the Vietnam casualties specifically, but it does give us general levels for all enlisted men across all the services during the Vietnam era. While their names are not on The Wall, they are never forgotten. The first Americans to die did not perish in a foxhole or beneath stars obscured by a jungle canopy. 5th Marines were killed in . At some The Moving Wall sites, the sponsor makes arrangements Another browser may inform you that it does not know how to display the file The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. 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. The wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington is 493 feet and 6 inches long, built of thick, polished black Bangalore granite. Thus it is safe to say that Hispanic-Americans were over-represented among Vietnam casualties an estimated 5.5 percent of the dead against 4.5 percent of the 1970 population. This is the most accurate database online. Fill out the tour request form. Although valuable, this study was almost certainly misinterpreted by its authors when they said that their data showed that most privileged and influential segments of American society were not insulated from the perils of Vietnam conflict. The National Archives has an online searchable database, entitled "Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War," documenting the period 6/8/1956 - 1/21/1998. A doctor arrived and gave his shaken mother a sedative. 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. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order Kurt Buis was 8 years old the day his father died. Quite a different profile emerges among the Navy and Air force officer corps. Marine Corps History Division2044 Broadway StreetQuantico, Virginia 22134Telephone: (703) 432-4877, Coast GuardU.S. The USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD). And there would be nothing to denote service or rank. All heroes are listed alphabetically by their last name. And they often show a heartbreakingly wry sense of humor with the same sensibilities as their college-bound peers. 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. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study released in 1992, found that our Vietnam casualties were only marginally greater from the economically lowest 50 percent of our communities (31 deaths per 100,000 of population), when compared with the economically highest 50 percent (26 deaths per 100,000 population). As the Vietnam War dragged on, Kurt tried twice to enlist. The memorial consists of three separate parts: The Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, also known as The Wall That Heals, which is the most popular feature. Most of these casualties are documented in the Military Index, a FamilySearch file. Dear Mr. Huddleston, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! 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. person reads for 20 minutes, (270 names) this will require 216 volunteer name Of the 8000 Coast guardsmen who served in Vietnam, 3 officers and 4 enlisted men were killed and 59 were wounded. Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. 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. Interesting Veterans Statistics Of The Vietnam Memorial Wall There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010. They went for a ride and she gently told them that their father would not be coming 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. These names are followed by the inscription: Our nation honors the courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty and country of its Vietnam veterans. The Channeling Memo of July 1965, instructed all local draft boards to give status deferments to college undergraduate and post-graduate students. is complete, or you've done a "save as", you can use any word processor peruse. As a result, the black casualty rate was reduced to 11.5 percent by 1969. The same profile holds true for the Marine Corps, where 87 percent of all officer casualties (821 of 938) were warrant officers, lieutenants or captains. For a photograph of an inscription of a close friend or relative, write: This website requires a paid subscription for full access. If each While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. Those who could have qualified for college probably did not have the funds or motivation. As we have pointed out earlier, more than 80 percent of our casualties were Army and Marine enlisted men with an average age of 19- to 20-years. Individual Award Case Files, 1969 - 1970. Despite their inexperience, they were thought to accept discipline readily. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. Only 3 returned home. Records of individuals who left service more than 62 years ago are considered Archival Records and become records of the National Archives open to the general public. The Names - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund The Names When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. If your browser displays the text file, you can then use The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for all who wish to visit. There was no need to embellish. If the demographic is expanded to 17- to 21- years, then we find there were 83 percent of Marine enlisted casualties, and 65 percent of Army enlisted casualties. 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. VVMF does not have the authority to overrule those who adjudicate these matters. Full casualty records may be retrieved online through the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases resource. The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. 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. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 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. For those and a handful of other unique circumstances, Doubek made his own list of men who had died due to the injuries in the combat zonesnames that may have been listed by an individual service branch, but not by DoD. Lins vision prevailed. The ship had been taken to the island of Koh Tang. The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 2,415 casualties were incurred. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. Naval History & Heritage CommandWashington Navy Yard, Bldg 57 (3rd Floor)Washington, DC 20374Telephone: (202) 433-3224, Marine CorpsU.S. Inscribed dots in the margins of every other panel mark every 10 lines to aid in counting. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us. The VC had commandeered Air America Hueys, and they were flying them around, which simply made for a very interesting chess game. How to Order a Draft Record. Vietnam War, Awards and Decorations of Honor, 1965-1972. Little about it is concrete. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. John Kennedy, discussing military assignments, said that, life is unfair. 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. Millions more come to experience this Memorial each year. | He would become instrumental in helping Doubek identify names and check spellings. They often reveal a typically warm American family atmosphere. The widely held notion that the poor served and died in Vietnam while the rich stayed home is way off the mark. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. Naval Academy, 130; Texas A & M, 112; The Citadel, 66; Virginia Military Institute, 43; Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 26; Norwich University, 19. Bennett on March 25, 1968 and Dennis on August 02, 1970 Brothers Gabriel and Paul Trujillo were both killed in Vietnam. United States. In a massive sampling of the database, it was established that between 5 and 6 percent of Vietnam dead had identifiable Hispanic surnames. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. Instead its nearly in the center. Some common names appear on the Memorial more than once.