These are results of a new survey from THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
FUND,  Washington DC. It plays with preconceptions we may have about who
Vietnam Veterans really are.



VIETNAM WARRIORS:

A STATISTICAL PROFILE IN UNIFORM AND IN COUNTRY

*       Vietnam Vets: 9.7% of their generation. 9,087,000 military
         personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era (Aug 5,
         1964-May 7,1975).  8,744,000 GIs were on active duty during the
         war (Aug 5, 1964-March 28, 1973).
*       3,403,100 (including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the
         Southeast Asia Theater (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, flight crews
         based in Thailand, and sailors in adjacent South China Sea
         waters).
*       2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam
         (Jan 1,1965-March 28, 1973).
*       Another 50,000 served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.
*       Of the 2.6 million, between 1-1.6 million (40-60%) either fought
         in combat, provided close support or were at least fairly
         regularly exposed to enemy attack.
*       7,484 women (6.250 or 83.5% were nurses) served in Vietnam.
*       Peak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1969).

CASUALTIES
*       Hostile deaths: 47,378.
*       Non-hostile deaths: 10,800.
*       Total:  58,202 (includes formerly classified as MIA and Mayaquez
         casualties), subsequently died of wounds account for the hanging
         total.
*       8 nurses died-1 was KIA.
*       Married men killed: 17,539.
*       61% of the men killed were 21 or younger.
*       Highest state death rate: West Virginia- 84.1 (national average
         58.9 for every 100,000 males in 1970).
*       Wounded: 303,704-153,329 hospitalized +
         150,375 injured requiring no hospital care.
*       Severely disabled: 75,000-23,214 100% disabled; 5,283 lost
         limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.
*       Amputation or crippling wounds to the lower extremities were
         300% higher than in WWII and 70% higher than in Korea.
*       Multiple amputations occurred at the rate of 18.4% compared to
         5.7% in WWII.
*       Missing in Action: 2,338.
         POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

DRAFTEES VS. VOLUNTEERS
*       25% (648,500) of total forces in country were draftees. (66% of
         US armed forces members were drafted during WWII).
*       Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in
         Vietnam.
*       Reservists killed: 5,977.
*       National Guard: 6,140 served, 101 died.
*       Total draftees (1965-73)1,728,344.
*       Actually served in Vietnam 38%.
*       Marine Corps draft: 42,633.
*       Last draftee: June 30, 1973.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND
*       88.4% of those who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian.
*       10.6% were black.
*       1% belonged to other races.
*       86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes
         Hispanics)
*       12.5% (7,241) were black
*       1.2% belonged to other races.
*       170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died
         there.
*       70% of enlisted men killed were of Northwest European descent.
*       86.8% of the men who were killed as a result of hostile action
         were Caucasian
*       12.1% (5,711) were black
*       1.1% belonged to other races.
*       14.6% (1,530) of non-combat deaths were among blacks.
*       34% of blacks that enlisted, volunteered for the combat arms.
*       Overall, blacks suffered 12.5% of the deaths in Vietnam at a
         time when the percentage of blacks of military age was 13.5% of
         the total population.

RELIGION OF DEAD
*       Protestant-64.4%
*       Catholic-28.9%
*       Other/none-6.7%.

SOCIETY-ECONOMIC STATUS
*       76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle and
         working class backgrounds.
*       3/4ths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from
         middle income backgrounds. - Some 23% of Vietnam vets had
         fathers with professional, managerial or technical occupations.
*       79% who served had a high school education or better. (63% of
         Korean War and only 45% of WWII vets had completed high school
         upon separation).

DEATHS BY REGION PER 100,000 OF POPULATION:
*       South-31
*       West-29
*       Midwest-28.4
*       Northeast-23.5.

WINNING AND LOSING
*       82% of vets who saw heavy combat strongly believe the war was
         lost because of lack of political will.
*       Nearly 75% of the public agrees it was a failure of political
         will, not arms.

HONORABLE SERVICE
*       97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged.
*       91% of actual Vietnam War veterans and 90% of those who saw
         heavy combat are proud to have served their country.
*       66% of Vietnam vets say they would serve again if called upon.
*       87% of the public now holds Vietnam veterans in high esteem.