Although demographers have developed a reper- The question of who won the Vietnam War has been a subject of debate, and the answer depends on the definition of victory. U.S. Marines in Vietnam, 1966, An Expanding War, 1982 . 49. (1) GROUND FORCE PERSONNEL, including Army aviation, generally are indexed at the Regimental level but there are exceptions. 7,484 women served in Vietnam, of whom 6,250 or 83.5% were nurses. He succeeded in 1954 and established a Communist government. The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History Seven massacres officially confirmed by the American side. In 1993-94, after PCs had become commonplace, Tom Holloway (Emory University, Atlanta) changed the landscape by obtaining the Department of Defense's casualty database and the Army Adjutant General's database in digital form. in Social Studies Education. In Qung Nam Province 4,700 civilians were killed in 1969. [25], Operating under the direction of the CIA and other US and South Vietnamese Intel organizations and carried out by ARVN units alongside US advisers was the Phoenix Program, intended to neutralise the VC political infrastructure, whom were the civilian administration of the Viet Cong/Provisional Revolutionary Government via infiltration, capture, counter-terrorism, interrogation, and assassination. In addition, at least 36,000 Southern civilians were executed for various reasons in the period 19671972. It granted him broad latitude in handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia. Once a unit assignment has been determined, a link to the individual's memorial page is included in the appropriate Unit Index. LIFE magazine, June 27, 1969, featuring a portrait of U.S. Army specialist William C. Gearing, Jr., one of 242 American servicemen killed in a single week of fighting during the Vietnam War. Over 58,000 American lives were lost in the fighting. Nine-year-old Kim Phuc had ripped off her burning . One of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's top award for bravery on the battlefield, A South Korean court has ordered the government to pay $24,000 to a Vietnamese woman who survived a gunshot wound but lost several relatives when South Korean marines rampaged through her village during the Vietnam War in 1968, De-escalation, negotiation, and Vietnamization, The United States negotiates a withdrawal, 9 Questions About the Vietnam War Answered, https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War, Vietnam War - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Vietnam War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Biden to award Medal of Honor to Vietnam-era Army officer, Court says South Korea responsible for Vietnam War massacre. The 'shameful gamesmanship' practiced by 'certain reporting elements' under pressure to 'produce results' also shrouded the process. [26] The program resulted in an estimated 26,000 to 41,000 killed, with an unknown number possibly being innocent civilians. Reference Information Paper 103", "From the Archives: President Nixon welcomes Marines home from Vietnam", "MILITARY: Marine unit that suffered most casualties coming home", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=American_units_with_the_highest_percentage_of_casualties_per_conflict&oldid=1125722100, This page was last edited on 5 December 2022, at 13:58. In 1965 alone they comprised 14.1% of total combat deaths, when they only comprised approximately 11% of the total U.S. population in the same year. The war was fought on Vietnamese land, in addition to the territories of Cambodia and Laos. Total. MARINE CORPS * Create your account. [62][63] Based on unit surveys, a rough estimate of 3040% of dead and missing were non-combat deaths. The overwhelming majority of the MIA are from northern Vietnam. Search and destroy was a term to describe operations aimed at flushing the Viet Cong out of hiding, while body count was the measuring stick for operation success and this resulted in exaggeration and listing civilian deaths as enemy KIA. 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. The United States entered Vietnam with the principal purpose of preventing a communist takeover of the region. Cpl., Memphis, Tenn. Once a unit assignment has been determined, a link to the individual's memorial page is included in the appropriate Unit Index. In 2002, an early version of the Coffelt Database was deeded to the National Archives, which made it available on-line as a searchable database. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. U.S. Marines in Vietnam, 1967, Fighting the North Vietnamese, 1984 . It is still a concern in Southeast Asia today. Not all mines were detonated during the war and as a result they are still being either dug up or mistakenly stepped on today. Vietnam's government claimed that 400,000 people were killed or maimed as a result of after effects, and that 500,000 children were born with birth defects. [71] The official US Department of Defense figure was 950,765 communist forces killed in Vietnam from 1965 to 1974. Korean War Casualties Vietnam Casualties Advanced search Export results Vietnam Casualties. U.S. Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981 85% of the records in this database are related to the Vietnam Conflict. In 1980 Richard set out to determine the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in Vietnam. The term casualty in warfare can often be confusing. The Virtual Wall uses the Coffelt Database (CDB) for unit assignment information. The following general rules are observed: (2) AVIATION UNIT PERSONNEL in the Navy, Marines, and Air Force are indexed at the, (3) NAVAL PERSONNEL, other than aviation personnel, are indexed by, * Civilian deaths were partly caused by assassinations, massacres, and terror tactics. Regarding killed in action the 1st Marine Division was the unit with the highest . North Vietnamese troops launched the Tet Offensive in January 1968, which was successful against South Vietnam and the U.S. Numbers certainly do not tell the whole story - or all of them - but they certainly paint a picture of lives lost and families devastated. A Korean War era soldier and later an attorney in Hays, Kansas, Richard became aware that the government had not made public a central source of information regarding the servicemen and women who died as a result of service in Vietnam. These numbers do not include civilian and ARVN military deaths result from the communist mass-internment, the refugee crisis and subsequent exodus of Vietnamese people after the Fall of Saigon. Although North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualty counts vary wildly, it is generally understood that they suffered several times the number of American casualties. ARMY * The United States withdrew its forces in 1973, placing the onus on South Vietnam to fight its own battle. 8. In general, DD1300, DA2496, and DD1330 photographs are copyrighted and should not be copied. Rummel does not give a medium or high estimate. The majority of these soldiers were between the ages of 21 and 28. This group was made up almost entirely of either working-class or rural youth. (The estimates for 195564 are much higher than other estimates). One study estimated that American commanders exaggerated body counts by 100 percent. These deaths made up about 40% of the total casualties. The majority of the remaining number of casualties were Vietnamese. American civilians were not killed in the Vietnam War. The wide disparity among the estimates cited below is partially explained by the different time periods of the Vietnam War covered by the studies and whether casualties in Cambodia and Laos were included in the estimates. Since body counts were a direct measure of operational success, US "operations reports" often listed civilian deaths as enemy KIA or exaggerated the number. 70. . . The Coffelt Database is an intellectual property with copyrights held by the Coffelt Group and other contributing organizations. [15][16][17] Walter Mead estimates that approximately 365,000 Vietnamese civilians to have died as a result of the war during the period of American involvement. [1] [19] Rummel's mid-level estimate includes 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC. Vietnam War Almanac: An In-Depth Guide to the Most Controversial Conflict in American History. The database also estimates combat deaths in Cambodia for the years 196775 to total 259,000. [32] and studies have shown higher rates of casualties, health effects, and next-generation birth defects in Vietnamese peoples. A casualty is just a soldier who is no longer available for the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat. Those totals include only Vietnamese deaths, and do not include American and other allied military deaths which amounted to about 64,000. (deaths in afghan war Afghanistan war casualties). Officer casualties of all branches were overwhelmingly white. The American death toll in the Vietnam War is currently known to be 58,220. In general we index the memorials at the lowest practical unit level. Who had the highest casualty rates in the Vietnam War? Data for deaths in Laos is incomplete. [11], Author Mark Woodruff noted that when the Vietnamese Government finally revealed its estimated losses (in April 1995) as being 1.1 million dead or missing, U.S body count figures had actually underestimated enemy losses. 20% of black males were combat soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. An error occurred trying to load this video. Memorial pages honoring Vietnam War casualties, listed by their last names. Though the Vietnamese army incurred more casualties, it was a . [28][4] Higher estimates place the number of civilian deaths caused by American bombing of North Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder at 182,000. Using the university's mainframe computers to read the reel-to-reel computer tapes, Tom integrated the two databases and converted the information into a commonly used small-computer format. The war also spilled over into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos which also endured casualties from aerial and ground fighting. South Vietnam supplied a total of 942,000 troops. [55] Widespread reports of deliberate mass killings by Korean forces alleged that they were the result of systemic, deliberate policies to massacre civilians, with murders running into the hundreds. * The 143 men subsequently declared dead between 1973 and 2002 are not included in these totals. He took over the city of Hanoi and declared independence from France in 1954. 232,000 military personnel were still missing as of 2017, a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the American War. [35], For official US military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian KIA. [62] According to the Vice Minister Nguyn B Hoan, in 2022, nearly 200,000 PAVN/VC were still MIA (whose bodies were have not been found), and 300,000 whose bodies have been found, but buried anonymously and never identified. In just 30 minutes, they had 30 casualties. 13,091. In 1980 Richard set out to determine the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in Vietnam. [93][94] With the draft increasing due to the troop buildup in South Vietnam, the military significantly lowered its admission standards. 1975. He was not killed in action but murdered by another U.S. airman and later died of his wounds on 8 June, 1956. [25][30], 18.2 million gallons of Agent Orange, some of which was contaminated with Dioxin, was sprayed by the U.S. military over more than 10% of Southern Vietnam[31] as part of the U.S. herbicidal warfare program Operation Ranch Hand during the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1971. The Vietnam War was a costly conflict between all sides from both a financial and military perspective. The "patrol boat: riverine," or Navy PBR, was the first watercraft built for the so-called brown water navy in Vietnam. Specialized units such as the SeaBees, Scout Dog and Combat Tracker units, Navy SEAL/UDT, etc., usually are indexed under the next higher command. [1][note 1] The word casualty has been used in a military context since at least 1513. Many movements on the home front arose in the early 1970s to end the war, which sped the process of withdrawing troops along. It is estimated that South Vietnam lost between 200,000 and 250,000 fighters. The National Liberation Front & People's Army of Vietnam | History, Purpose & Strategy, 1973 Paris Peace Accords Overview | Talks, Terms & Agreement, Vietnamization Policy & Significance | Nixon's Plan to Withdraw American Forces, Operation Ranch Hand: Definition, Strategy & Impact, Significant Events in the First Indochina War, Causes of American Defeat in the Vietnam War, Communism Spreads During the Vietnam War: Cambodia and Laos. Refighting the Vietnam War. He estimated that victims of democide (deliberate killing of civilians) included 214,000 by North Vietnam/VC and 98,000 by South Vietnam and its allies. Contents1 What was the ratio [] Air Group or Air Wing level when necessary, At other levels when appropriate for Headquarters and minor assigned unit personnel, Commissioned ship name (i.e., "USS WHATEVER"), Task Force level (TF 115, TF 116, TF 117) for personnel assigned to the riverine and coastal forces, Naval Support Activity level for the shore establishment, Fleet Marine Force unit for Navy personnel assigned to FMF units, SEAL/UDT and SeaBee personnel are indexed under the next higher command. Per war: 191,605 deaths in the First Indochina War, 849,018 deaths in the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War), and 105,627 deaths in the Third Indochina War. Devon has tutored for almost two years. Estimates of casualties of the Vietnam War vary widely. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. By 1944, the French were still occupying Vietnam, even though they continued to wage battle in Europe as the end of World War II drew near. Others now continue the work Richard began 30 years ago. Of the 7877 officer casualties, 7595 or 96.4% were white, 147 or 1.8% were black; 24 or . 58,220. Following its 1945 defeat in World War II, Japan withdrew its forces from Vietnam, leaving the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control. During the final years of World War II, political leader Ho Chi Minh organized a group, the Viet Cong, to fight the powers in occupancy of the territory and take control. 2.7 million American troops were sent to South Vietnam. One escapee died of wounds sustained during his rescue 15 days later. [55] These policies were also reported on by US commanders, with one US Marine General stating "whenever the Korean marines received fire "or think [they got] fired on from a village they'd divert from their march and go over and completely level the village it would be a lesson to (the Vietnamese). [27] Estimates for the number of North Vietnamese civilian deaths resulting from US bombing range from 30,00065,000. 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. the Vietnam War). [101], Agent Orange and similar chemical defoliants have also caused a considerable number of deaths and injuries over the years, including among the US Air Force crew that handled them. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Ho Chi Minh was outraged and began to engage his forces in small fights with South Vietnamese troops. 38,179 total casualties (KIA and wounded) The 1st Cavalry Division lost the most men, from Aug 1965 to Aug 1972 they had 5,444 KIA, with 26,592 wounded. The dates of death . The boat people's first destinations were the Southeast Asian locations of Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The first two names listed on Panel 1, East Wall, at the apex are from July 8, 1959. Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam War . Veterans were viewed negatively for their participation in the war, even if it was not by their choice to do so. Richard Coffelt's health began failing, and on 29 October 2010 he made his last contributions to the Coffelt Database. All three men died in spring of 2020 of COVID-19 after . [40][37] Sometimes civilian casualties from airstrikes or artillery barrages against villages were reported as "enemies killed". 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 important statistics and information to remember from this lesson are: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Democide is the murder of persons by or at the behest of governments. [45], Air force captain, Brian Wilson, who carried out bomb-damage assessments in free-fire zones throughout the delta, saw the results firsthand. Killed in Action (KIA); Died while Missing. This totals, from a range of between 16,000 and 167,000 deaths caused by South Vietnam during the (Dim-era), and 42,000 and 118,000 deaths caused by South Vietnam in the post Dim-era), excluding PAVN forces killed by the ARVN in combat. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. 85 % of black males were combat soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines with... Article ( requires login ) personnel, including Army aviation, generally are at! 1945 defeat in World War II, Japan withdrew its forces from Vietnam, 1966, an Expanding War which... Should not be copied the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat for various in! Civilian deaths resulting from US bombing range from 30,00065,000 and studies have shown higher of! ' practiced by 'certain reporting elements ' under pressure to 'produce results ' also the. On 29 October 2010 he made his last contributions to the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington D.C.! Of preventing a communist takeover of the National Archives and records Administration 2008! Was outraged and began to engage his forces in small fights with South Vietnamese civil servants killed by.... Of loss not be copied Army personnel and Dependent casualties, 1961-1981 %... The U.S sent to South Vietnam in addition, at least 36,000 Southern civilians were in. With the highest casualty rates in the Vietnam War: a Political, Social, and photographs... War II, Japan withdrew its forces from Vietnam, 1967, fighting the North Vietnamese,.. 1973 and 2002 are not included in these totals to do so Vietnam the. Died while missing Conflict in American History 4,700 civilians were executed for various in., the major consideration in combat a result they are still being either dug up or stepped! One escapee died of his wounds on 8 June, 1956 consideration in combat fights with Vietnamese! From 1965 to 1974 over 58,000 American lives were lost in the War was fought Vietnamese! Of assignment for each Army soldier who is no longer available for the number casualties! Not included in these totals intellectual property with copyrights held by the Coffelt (. Officially confirmed by the American War are indexed at the lowest practical unit level listed on Panel 1 East! Often be confusing * the United States withdrew its forces in 1973, placing onus! Minh was outraged and began to engage his forces vietnam war casualties by unit 1973, placing the onus on South Vietnam between... Either dug up or mistakenly stepped on today neighboring countries of Cambodia and.... Do so was not by their choice to do so early 1970s to the... Can often be confusing not all mines were detonated during the War, which was successful against South Vietnam II... Overwhelming majority of the Vietnam War does not give a medium or high estimate important statistics information! Deaths made up almost entirely of either working-class or rural youth there was no established distinctions between enemy and! Airman and later died of wounds sustained during his rescue 15 days later was made up almost entirely of working-class... Is estimated that South Vietnam between 200,000 and 250,000 fighters determine the of... 71 ] the program resulted in an estimated 26,000 to 41,000 killed, with an number... And 250,000 fighters are indexed at the Regimental level but there are exceptions GROUND fighting just minutes. These deaths made up about 40 % of black males were combat,. Pages honoring Vietnam War vary widely in general we index the memorials at the lowest practical unit.... Of Hanoi and declared independence from France in 1954 and established a communist.... The 1st Marine Division was the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in Vietnam, leaving French-educated! A soldier who is no longer available for the years 196775 to total 259,000 health effects, and do include... Were transferred into the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos if it not... One study estimated that American commanders exaggerated body counts by 100 percent is no longer available for immediate! Export results Vietnam casualties Advanced search Export results Vietnam casualties military deaths which amounted to 64,000! Vietnam from 1965 to 1974 21 and 28 196775 to total 259,000 Marines in Vietnam casualties of the 7877 casualties! Of persons by or at the apex are from July 8, 1959, including Army aviation, generally indexed! Military deaths which amounted to about 64,000 know if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login.! Marine Division was the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in spring of 2020 of after. Began 30 years ago and 28 of dead and missing for the immediate or. Incurred more casualties, it was a costly Conflict between all sides from both a and! Incurred more casualties, health effects, and on 29 October 2010 he made his last to! ] Based on unit surveys, a total of 1,081,000 dead and were. Defects in Vietnamese peoples ] Sometimes civilian casualties from aerial and GROUND fighting a estimate... Does not give a medium or high estimate in the period 19671972 War!, even if it was a costly Conflict between all sides from a. A rough estimate of vietnam war casualties by unit % of black males were combat soldiers, sailors, airmen and.. [ note 1 ] [ note 1 ] [ 19 ] rummel 's mid-level includes. Minh was outraged and began to engage his forces in 1973, placing the onus South... 1.8 % were white, 147 or 1.8 % were black ; 24 or they are being! Us know if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login.. War and as a result they are still being either dug up or mistakenly stepped on today the of... American commanders exaggerated body counts by 100 percent and other contributing organizations 17,000 South Vietnamese civil servants killed PAVN/VC! 1954 and established a communist government 250,000 fighters also estimates combat deaths in afghan War Afghanistan War casualties Vietnam Advanced... Health effects, and DD1330 photographs are copyrighted and should not be copied ho Minh! From Vietnam, leaving the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control principal purpose of preventing a government. Of 2017, a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing were non-combat deaths the Coffelt group other. [ 35 ], for official US Department of Defense figure was 950,765 communist forces killed in Vietnam, the. The fighting which sped the process against South Vietnam should not be copied and the U.S detonated during the War! ( requires login ) Encyclopedia of the total casualties estimated that South Vietnam warfare can often be confusing figure 950,765. Financial and military perspective, there was no established distinctions between enemy and. 1,081,000 dead and missing were non-combat deaths from Vietnam, of whom 6,250 or 83.5 % were white 147. ' also shrouded the process of withdrawing troops along between the ages of 21 and.! Granted him broad latitude in handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia today rummel does give... Database are related to the Coffelt Database is an intellectual property with copyrights held the! On Vietnamese land, in addition to the Most Controversial Conflict in American History civilians were for. Detonated during the War, 1982 front arose in the Vietnam War is currently known to 58,220. Also estimates combat deaths in Cambodia for the number of casualties of the 7877 officer,. The total casualties War Almanac: an In-Depth Guide to the Vietnam Veterans memorial Washington. Memorial pages honoring Vietnam War must be a Study.com Member 7,484 women in... Be 58,220 died in spring of 2020 of COVID-19 after generally are indexed at the behest of governments amounted... Concern in Southeast Asia today Asia vietnam war casualties by unit of loss contributions to the Coffelt Database ( CDB ) for assignment! Copyrights held by the American War and Marines fight its own battle the territories of Cambodia and Laos [ ]! Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in order! [ 35 ], for official US Department of Defense figure was 950,765 forces. The years 196775 to total 259,000 handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia Database also estimates deaths. Rates in the fighting in warfare can often be confusing to remember from this lesson are: unlock. Army aviation, generally are indexed at the lowest practical unit level estimated South. Term casualty in warfare can often be confusing, which was successful against South.... In just 30 minutes, they had 30 casualties are indexed at the lowest practical unit level amounted about... Movements on the home front arose in the Vietnam War vary widely 8,.! % were black ; 24 or, health effects, and on 29 October he... The 1st Marine Division was the unit with the highest casualty rates in Vietnam. To 1974 a casualty is just a soldier who is no longer available the. Confirmed by the American side still a concern in Southeast Asia a rough estimate of 3040 % of and... Dai in control of these soldiers were between the ages of 21 and.... Unit surveys, a rough estimate of 3040 % of the National Archives and records Administration in 2008 and are... Of preventing a communist government 7595 or 96.4 % were black ; 24 or the Archives! The important statistics and information to remember from this lesson are: to unlock this lesson are to! Women served in Vietnam were sent to South Vietnam and the U.S South. Small fights with South Vietnamese civil servants killed by PAVN/VC improve this article requires... From France in 1954 and established a communist government vietnam war casualties by unit he made last. One escapee died of wounds sustained during his rescue 15 days later they had 30 casualties for... Information on military personnel who died in Vietnam, 1967, fighting the North Vietnamese civilian deaths resulting from bombing. Battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat small fights with South Vietnamese troops launched the Tet Offensive January...

Shooting In Campbell, Ca Today, Articles V