How old would Vietnam veterans be today?
“Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran’s age approximated to be 60 years old.” So, if you’re alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in Vietnam?
Did Australia send troops to Vietnam?
On 29 April 1965 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced in parliament that Australia would send a battalion of combat troops to Vietnam. The decision was motivated by a desire to strengthen strategic relations with the United States and to halt the spread of communism in South-East Asia.
How were the Australian soldiers treated after Vietnam?
For the first time in Australian history, the nation’s troops received no universal embrace when they returned home. When that long war ended for Australia in 1972, Vietnam veterans were given no welcome home march. By 1987, the Hawke government judged enough time (15 years) had passed to deal with the Vietnam War.
How were Vietnam veterans treated once they returned to Australia?
For a long time after the war large numbers of Vietnam veterans felt that many in Australia blamed them, rather than politicians, for the war and the way it had been conducted. Some veterans recall being abused as baby killers, rapists and murderers on their return.
Who is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive?
Dan Bullock (December 21, 1953 – June 7, 1969) was a United States Marine and the youngest U.S. serviceman killed in action during the Vietnam War, dying at the age of 15….
| Dan Bullock | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 21, 1953 Goldsboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 7, 1969 (aged 15) An Hoa Combat Base, Quảng Nam Province, South Vietnam |
How old is the average Vietnam vet?
EsƟmated 6.4M Vietnam Era Veterans. Ages range from 97 to 55 years old (born between 1918 and 1960). Median age is 68 years. An overwhelming majority of Vietnam Veterans are male (6.2M) while in the civilian populaƟon females (47.7M) outnumber males by 20.5M.
What do American soldiers think of Australian soldiers?
American soldiers were less impressed with their Australian counterparts. Their lack of discipline puzzled the doughboys, especially when Australian soldiers failed to salute superior officers.
Why did they call Vietnam vets baby killers?
It is simply an over exaggeration. This was because of the My Lai Massacre where American soldiers attacked and killed between 347–504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, men, women, children and babies. The North Vietnamese were outraged and started calling the American soldiers “Baby Killers.”
Did Vietnam vets get welcomed home?
When the American soldiers returned home from World War II in 1945, they were greeted as heroes in the United States. “But they did not come home, as the Vietnam vets did, to a country torn and full of doubt about why those wars were fought and whether they had been worthwhile.
Why was Vietnam so traumatic?
The fear of not being secure on patrol, ambushed, with no end in sight of the war ever ending, traumatized many soldier. With no chance of victory, the soldier had to question why he was even there. in simple terms there really was no safe area. the whole darn country was the front line.
Did 17 year olds serve in Vietnam?
Statistics show that at least five men killed in Vietnam were sixteen years old, and at least 12 were seventeen years old.