do this, be sure to have an alternate reader assigned to take over in case His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Tom was killed while assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl HarborDay. All other individual draftee files from that period were destroyed by the Selective Service System in 1978, in accordance with approved records retention schedules. Most of these casualties are documented in the Military Index, a FamilySearch file. The essence of the Wall is the names and the reaction of the visitor to seeing his or her reflection in this sea of remembrance. Additionally, many of the names on the wall were other teenagers from the suburban white collar communities with siblings who were in, or would go on to college, but who, as individuals themselves, were slow to mature, struggled through high school and were therefore very available for the Vietnam War. 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. This takes about 72 hours. (The 58,000 Names) Our fallen Vietnam War heroes are herethe 58,000 heroes who died in Vietnam. Army Major Dale Buis name is etched into the granite half an inch tall, no bigger or smaller than any of the others. The affected record collections are described below. Chronological Lists of Names On The Wall - The Moving Wall Adding to the problem was Project 100,000. Chronological order by date of casualty allows friends and family members to pick out their loved one from all of the others with the same name. The civilian and military men who formed the policy did not see it necessarily as a disadvantage. 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 Army as a branch had 134,982 killed or wounded (9.5 percent), but the Marines suffered 66,227 killed or wounded (22.5 percent) or almost one of every four Marines who served. In an audiotape recorded for a close friend shortly before Vandegeers death, and transcribed in Bernard Edelmans book Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam, he described the perilous mission in Saigon. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angles open side and contained within the earth itself. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. I went through the whole list of names eight times, because I was concerned about the correct formatting, remembered Doubek. The central idea of the poem is that the Vietnamese War took hundreds of lives away from the United States of America. As they came through the door, Viet Cong guerrillas opened fire with machine guns. Marlin on March 19, 1967 and Norman on August 18, 1968 Brothers Bennett and Dennis Herrick were both killed in Vietnam. 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 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. 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. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. Joe Moore's VN Memorial Wall Start Page - cantho-rvn.org 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. The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 2,415 casualties were incurred. The article was originally published in the June 1993 issue of Vietnam Magazine and updated in November 2004. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent of its own men. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. Concerning, How do I find a name on the Vietnam War Memorial wall? Today, more than 58,000 names are engraved in the wall, and more were added in May. The files are quite large in order that we could save in Rich Text Format By and large, with the exception of the officer corps, most of the college bound and educated skipped the Vietnam War at the urging of, and with the approval of, their own government. Congress. There are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. There were no indexes created prior to the fire. https://www.historynet.com/names-on-the-wall-a-closer-look-at-those-who-died-in-vietnam/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. columns per page. 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. Those who died in the Vietnam War whose last names begin - Virtual Wall Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. the "save as" menu command to store each text file on your media. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. Vandegeers message also depicted a man who believed the worst was behind him. Seeking Names of Marines killed in Vietnam in D | History Hub Several hundred such designation changes have been made since the Wall was built in 1982. November 11, 1982. The Wall of Faces allows family and friends to share memories, post pictures and connect with each other. In civilian life, poor aptitude testing can have a tremendous negative impact, whether for college placement or for simple job advancement. Congress and the Johnson administration, therefore, sought to protect our college-bound and educated young men. This, they felt, would offer these men the opportunity to get remedial training in the service and then be able to compete successfully when they returned to civilian life. A diamond symbol signifies that the service members death was confirmed. Since the days of Alexander the Great and the Roman Legions, it has always been the young, inexperienced, low-ranking enlisted man who has taken the brunt of combat casualties. Non-Archival records are those of service members who separated from the military less than 62 years ago. Its still fought in the bodies and minds of the men who waged it all those decades ago. Most of the young American enlisted men who served in Vietnam were not college prospects at the time they entered the service. Kurt Buis was 8 years old the day his father died. Family members are invited to witness the inscription and also to attend the annual Memorial Day ceremony when the new names are read at the Wall. With few exceptions, almost all of the 6,600 commissioned officers who died in Vietnam were graduates of the service academies, college Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), or the Officer Candidate School (OCS) programs. Non-perishable items are archived in a storage facility. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall USA website is dedicated to honoring those who died in the Vietnam War. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010: see the "National Cemeteries and Beneficiaries" section below. Vietnam War Casualties- Main Alphabetical Index - Virtual Wall Yet, a civilian heroine who served in a different capacity during that difficult time also merits particular acknowledgment. Eight women were killed in Vietnam, five Army lieutenants, one Army captain, one Army lieutenant colonel and one Air Force captain. It specified the geographic areas of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and surrounding coastal areas as combat zones. And they all went to Vietnam. 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. 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 . This is the genius of Mayas design, said Scruggs. Lins intention from the beginning was to have the names appear chronologically, beginning and ending at the apex. while they download, thank you. NAVY AND AIR FORCE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE. The draft continued from 1948, during both peacetime and war, to 1973, when President Richard M. Nixon signed legislation officially ending the draft. As many as 3 million people visit each year, according to some estimates, and they come for probably as many reasons. I.. J.. K.. L.. M. N.. O.. P.. Q.. R.. S.. T.. U.. V.. W.. X.. Y.. Z While VVMF finances the name additions to the Wall, it is the Department of Defense that makes these difficult and often technical decisions. The chronological order allows veterans who were in a battle to see their friends forever united on the Wall, he explained. 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. The slabs meet at a vertex of 125 degrees, 10 feet above ground level to form the Wall. 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. It should be noted, however, that the draft was specifically designed to trigger volunteer enlistments. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. Vietnam War Casualties, MIA and POWs. The names of Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand and Major Dale Buis are inscribed on Panel 1E of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Look for discharge papers, pictures, medals,etc. Once additions are approved by DoD, VVMF receives the list of approved names, coordinates the inscribing and absorbs the costs. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. Those designated by a plus sign were considered to be missing in action when the war ended. VVMF receives numerous requests each year from individuals who wish to have particular names added to the Memorial. By his estimate, he helped pull out close to 2,000 people. The Reading of the Names is an in-person event where every single name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is read in order of which it appears on The Wall. The Selective Service System it said, has the responsibility to deliver manpower to the armed forces in such a manner as to reduce to a minimum any adverse effect upon the national health, safety, interest and progress. There are 58,267 names now listed on Vietnam Wall, including those added in 2010. Folded American flags were presented to his parents and an Air Force helicopter flew over the ceremony. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. Officer casualties in Vietnam, including warrant officers, numbered 7,874, or 13.5 percent of all casualties. The names are listed in chronological order, according to the date of casualty. Our combat arms were thought to be completely classless. The shining surface is intended to reflect the sun, the ground and those who stand before it. Note that the files are large, and are in Rich Text Format (RTF), with two The slabs meet at a vertex of 125 degrees, 10 feet above ground level to form the Wall. In a massive sampling of the database, it was established that between 5 and 6 percent of Vietnam dead had identifiable Hispanic surnames. As the Vietnam War dragged on, Kurt tried twice to enlist. As we search for proper bookends to encapsulate the story of a generation at war, perhaps the best we can do is look at what is written in stone. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. More than 200 names have been added to the Wall The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. We honor and remember their sacrifice.". 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. Except for the last file, there are approximately 10,000 names per file. 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. In order to have your name on the Wall, you had to have died within the war zone, explained Doubek. The Names - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund The Names When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. The widely held notion that the poor served and died in Vietnam while the rich stayed home is way off the mark. The ceremony is held on Mothers Day and the additions might be as simple as rectifying a clerical error or as heartbreaking as a veteran dying, all these years later, from a wound suffered during the war. Much more detailed 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. 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. 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. The feeling is that the poor, the undereducated and the minorities made up the vast majority of the combat arms during that war. 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. And they often show a heartbreakingly wry sense of humor with the same sensibilities as their college-bound peers. 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. As Vietnam War Veterans Day nears March 29, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation's Wall of Faces is nearly complete but needs help from the public to track down the last few dozen photos. Vietnam War Casualties- Main Alphabetical Index www.VirtualWall.org Find A Name Information Memorial pages honoring Vietnam War casualties, listed by their last names. 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). 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. Please say a prayer for our fallen heroes, their family members, and our hero Vietnam War Veterans during your visit. The very young were considered by many to be preferred combat material. Frequently relatives or buddies of casualties National Mall and Memorial Parks , Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. U.S. Army Personnel and Dependent Casualties, 1961-1981 85% of the records in this database are related to the Vietnam Conflict. 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. For families who have worked to have their loved ones name added, the journey can be long and exhausting. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. Only 10 percent of enlisted men had even some college to their credit and only 1 percent were college graduates. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. "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." The names would become the memorial. This can help veterans or relatives find other persons who died with Alphabetical listing of the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall . 26 Similar Questions This uneven impact was caused by a number of factors: (1) While the South was home to some 53 percent of all blacks in the 1970 census, almost 60 percent of black casualties came from the South; (2) Although we cannot be as precise, we do know that a considerable majority of Hispanic-American casualties came from the West, (California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado) and the South (Texas); (3) Better employment opportunities in the Northeast reduced the number of volunteers; (4) Greater college matriculation in the Northeast increased the number of status deferments for the regions 17- to 24- year olds; (5) More anti-war sentiment in the media and on college campuses in the Northeast. Thus, the wars beginning and end meet. These casualties came largely from the Northeast and North Central regions of the United States, many from the traditionally patriotic, Catholic working class neighborhoods. 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. . These were Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban and other Latino-Americans with ancestries based in Central and South America. A doctor arrived and gave his shaken mother a sedative. Each name is listed with great honor and respect. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. Search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s database of names on the wall. 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. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. Her name? John Kennedy, discussing military assignments, said that, life is unfair. The ship had been taken to the island of Koh Tang. More Info At www.themovingwall.org Visit site Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. Full casualty records may be retrieved online through the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases resource. Physical examination and test results, medical letters, laboratory work and other medical documentation that may have been included in these files no longer exist. 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. The First and the Last Names on The Wall - United Service Organizations Another challenge was ensuring the accuracy of the names. Colleen Pontes, whose father Kevin Joyce was added in 2003, remembered the rush of emotions she felt as she and her brother watched their dads name being inscribed in the granite. If the veteran is still alive, ask his or her help finding records. The DOD database listed precise religious preferences for the 58,152 Vietnam 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. Their sacrifices were honored July 8, 2009, in Washington during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of their deaths. The officer corps casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative. I can envision a small cottage someplace, with a lot of writing paper, and a dog, and a fireplace, and maybe enough money to give myself some Irish coffee now and then and entertain my two friends , I dont think it will be too terribly long until we are together again.. If officers are added, then almost 70 percent of those who died were volunteers. How to Order a Draft Record. Why are names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall? Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. 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. And they are so respectful when they do the engraving. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Individual Award Case Files, 1969 - 1970. You must refer to a database, which gives the names in alphabetical order and includes the position of each on the Memorial. The VC had commandeered Air America Hueys, and they were flying them around, which simply made for a very interesting chess game. Names On The Wall: A Closer Look At Those Who Died In Vietnam - HistoryNet 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. The Vietnam Wall - vva310.org 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. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. They drew on every segment of American society. 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. "Walking through this park-like area, the memorial appears as a rift in the earth, a long, polished, black stone wall, emerging from and receding into the earth. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. In some instances, names needed to be shuffled in order to fit on a line. With the glitch discovered, Doubek and his team located and hand-corrected each error. On that panel, above the names is this inscription: In honor of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's registry enables veterans across the world to be able to locate fellow Vietnam Veterans and of course, connect their stories with those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 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. It is forgotten now, but in the beginning Congress and most of the American people were behind our containment effort in Vietnam. The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. Many of the 17- and 18-year olds were simply late in maturing. ARMY AND MARINE OFFICER CASUALTIES BY RANK AND AGE. The figures show that on average 65 percent of white enlisted men and 60 percent of black enlisted men were high school graduates. The men and women who valiantly fought in the Vietnam War certainly deserve the title of hero. 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. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Compounding these difficulties was the issue that many casualties, particularly from the Air Force, were not always straightforward in terms of locale. 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. The Vietnam Wall at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park features the names of local fallen soldiers. On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the NPRC destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files. 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. 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. 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall. 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. Of the 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine enlisted men. The panels come together to form a point, linking the first and last together in enduring tribute. Dear Mr. Huddleston, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for all who wish to visit. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available. We were being fired upon by anti-aircraft guns. You may print these files and have the pages available for visitors to
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