There is no question that all segments of American society were represented. Online Vietnam War Indexes & Records - Military Indexes Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Vietnam Wall. Making these arrangements and printing the pages takes considerable Scholars debate about when the war really began and in many ways it has never ended. Frequently Asked Questions - Vietnam Veterans Memorial (U.S. National The result: no comprehensive master list of Vietnam War casualties existed. It was fitting that Vandegeer finally returned home to American soil, because he spent his last weeks at war evacuating Americans as Saigon fell. Many others joined the reserves or National Guard, which were not mobilized in any appreciable numbers during the war. Order it can be difficult but there are a few ways to find a name at either end of the memorial are stands with books inside these list the names in alphabetical. Their sons, if not college material, made up a significant part of the volunteers and draftees. Today, more than 58,000 names are engraved in the wall, and more were added in May. They went for a ride and she gently told them that their father would not be coming home. National Mall and Memorial Parks , Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. 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. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall. Ziomek's name was finally inscribed on the Washington memorial on Sept. 15, 2020; he was one of just three veterans added in 2020. Yet, a civilian heroine who served in a different capacity during that difficult time also merits particular acknowledgment. This came at a time when blacks made up 11 percent of the male population nationwide. 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 resulting aptitude scores were used to classify entrants into four categories and this would, for the most part, determine their subsequent assignments. Army Major Dale Buis name is etched into the granite half an inch tall, no bigger or smaller than any of the others. Most of these casualties are documented in the Military Index, a FamilySearch file. If a service member were to return alive, a circlethe symbol of lifewould be inscribed around the plus sign. Order records from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis at the Start your Military Service Record Request page at the National Archives website. Alphabetical listing of the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall . Blacks were 85 percent Protestant. IN MEMORY HONOR ROLL - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund The DOD percentages reveal that nearly 75 percent of Army enlisted casualties were privates or corporals. 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. The ship had been taken to the island of Koh Tang. 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 WALL OF FACES - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund The article was written by Bill Abbott, an independent researcher and writer. 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. prepared by Frances A. Hortsch for the Phoenix Genealogical Society. 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. Army Major Dale Buis' name is etched into the granite half an inch tall, no bigger or smaller than any of the others. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam. 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. The Army lost the greatest number of officers 4,635 or 59 percent of all officer 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. You must refer to a database, which gives the names in alphabetical order and includes the position of each on the Memorial. For a photograph of an inscription of a close friend or relative, write: This website requires a paid subscription for full access. 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. In the military it can be somewhat more deadly. 54 soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. Another challenge was ensuring the accuracy of the names. 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. Except for the last file, there are approximately 10,000 names per file. (Surprisingly, as it turned out, the percentage of Vietnam veterans who applied for the GI Bill was higher than either World War II or Korea. When the sound of exploding hand grenades rang out in the hall, Buis and others ran toward the sound. However, in 1980, President James E. Carter resumed Selective Service registration in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. 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. The major service academies and other military colleges provided close to 900 of the Vietnam officer casualties: the U.S. Military Academy, 278; the U.S. Air Force Academy, 205; the U.S. This amounted to 4.1 percent of all enlisted casualties in Vietnam. Thus, there were 211,455 killed and wounded, or one in every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam. 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. Though 13 were rescued at sea, the rest died, either upon impact or soon after. Proving a direct correlation to the injuries is a challenge, Pontes explained. Coast Guard Historians OfficeCommandant (CG-09224)U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters 2100 Second Street SW Washington, D.C. 20593. 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. 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. http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/vietna.. Plan a Visit - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Coast Guard casualties are included in the Navy totals. 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. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. There are the still-grieving family members who come to pay respects as they would at a cemetery, to leave mementos and make chalk renderings of a loved ones name. It is hard to believe it has been 36 years since the last casualties. All heroes are listed alphabetically by their last name. Though blessed with talent, his life wasnt without struggles. The popularity of the GI Bill after Vietnam emphasized this yearning. The black granite walls are engraved with the names of more than 58,000 men and women who laid down their lives or remained missing. The Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) was given to all entering enlisted men. During one review, Doubek found a glitch with the computer software: it did not recognize the spaces that appeared within a last name, such as van der Meide. Nor could it properly discern a compounded first name, such as Billy Bob, versus a traditional first and middle name. They were at their peak physically. Photo credit DOD photo by Army Sgt. On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the NPRC destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files. Others think it is just another tourist stop until they feel the haunting power of this unique work of remembrance. 26 Similar Questions She wanted the names to tell the journey, or the timeline, of the war. Locate the line on which the name is inscribed. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. I mean, it was bad.. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. With this list in hand, he went to the various locations where individual service records were kept to review files. Of course, the Marine, Navy, and Air Force enlisted casualties were all volunteers, but as it turned out, almost 50 percent of Army enlisted casualties were also volunteers. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis maintains Vietnam War Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). The slabs meet at a vertex of 125 degrees, 10 feet above ground level to form the Wall. "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." 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 numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. compiled by Military Records and Research Library, Department of Military Affairs; edited by Julia D. Rather and Jeffrey Michael Duff, Research Our Records. If you The Reading of the Names - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund 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. Another browser may inform you that it does not know how to display the file 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. Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. 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. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Vietnam Magazine today! By providing your mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO. the requirements were expanded (by. These casualties came largely from the Northeast and North Central regions of the United States, many from the traditionally patriotic, Catholic working class neighborhoods. The panels come together to form a point, linking the first and last together in enduring tribute. Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Kansas, Sheridan County, Viet Nam records, 1955-1975, Vermont, National Guard, Vietnam war, 1950-1953, University of Utah - American West Center - Saving the Legacy/ Vietnam Veterans, https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=United_States_Vietnam_War_1964_to_1972&oldid=5123794, Personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960, Personnel discharged, September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964, The Military Index is available at the FamilySearch Library and at most FamilySearch centers. Naval History & Heritage CommandWashington Navy Yard, Bldg 57 (3rd Floor)Washington, DC 20374Telephone: (202) 433-3224, Marine CorpsU.S. It called for the registration of all 18 to 26-year old males, with induction to take place at 18 1/2 if so ordered by the local draft board. Frequently Asked Questions - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. Search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s database of names on the wall. name within a given date. These directories help locate names on the wall. Individual Award Case Files, 1969 - 1970. I went through the whole list of names eight times, because I was concerned about the correct formatting, remembered Doubek. Doubek was tasked with identifying all of the names to be included on the Wall. The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 2,415 casualties were incurred. A more precise equation would be that the college bound stayed home while the non-college bound served and died. These young men were trained quickly and shipped to Vietnam quickly. Once additions are approved by DoD, VVMF receives the list of approved names, coordinates the inscribing and absorbs the costs. The chronological order allows veterans who were in a battle to see their friends forever united on the Wall, he explained. Message & data rates may apply. And mores the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it. A few years after the dedication, the issue of geographic criteria was expanded by DoD to include people who had been killed outside of the war zone while on or in support of direct combat missions. . More Info At www.themovingwall.org Visit site The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. He did it allsing, dance, create music and crack wise. More names are added to the wall every year. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. At some The Moving Wall sites, the sponsor makes arrangements Why are names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall? The officer corps casualties alone would satisfy that judgment, but that is not the same as being representative. The VC had commandeered Air America Hueys, and they were flying them around, which simply made for a very interesting chess game. 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. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. They seem honored to be putting the names on the Wall.. The files are quite large in order that we could save in Rich Text Format Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. the reader loses composure. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. 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. On November 7, 2021 VVMF began a daily virtual Reading of the Names. Vandegeers message also depicted a man who believed the worst was behind him. The names of Army Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand and Major Dale Buis are inscribed on Panel 1E of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Of the 7,262 blacks who died, 6,955, or 96 percent, were Army and Marine enlisted men. How to Order a Draft Record. The names are listed in chronological order, according to the date of casualty. As many as 3 million people visit each year, according to some estimates, and they come for probably as many reasons. Look at the bottom of each panel on the wall for its number. Beginning Research in United States Military Records, National Vietnam War Veterans Day - Wikepedia, National Park Service Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Seeking Names of Marines killed in Vietnam in D | History Hub The DOD database shows that of the 2,100,000 men and women who served in Vietnam, 58,152 were killed. Of the 8000 Coast guardsmen who served in Vietnam, 3 officers and 4 enlisted men were killed and 59 were wounded. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. The largest age group, 8,283 were just 19 years old. How many names are on the wall? offer to read the block of names that includes their special names. site, for searching with a word processor. Army Center of Military History103 3rd AvenueFort Lesley J. McNair, DC 20319-5058Telephone: (202) 685-4042, NavyU.S. They also died quickly, many within a few weeks or months of arriving in Vietnam. Full casualty records may be retrieved online through the National Archives' Access to Archival Databases resource. 1970 - ca. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angles open side and contained within the earth itself. This is the most accurate database online. . 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 Vietnam War was no different. In this study we will refer to casualties as the 58,152 who died in Vietnam, but it should be emphasized that there were 153,303 who were wounded seriously enough to be hospitalized. Its now one of the most popular memorials in Washington. Congress. They drew on every segment of American society. Inscription at the beginning of The Wall. While their names are not on The Wall, they are never forgotten. Vietnam War: in Country, Notice: Scanning of Vietnam-era Deck Logs, Vietnam War, 1961-1975. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morencis mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. "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. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. Nursing the wounded. With the glitch discovered, Doubek and his team located and hand-corrected each error. Thats a tragic 2,415 more names on the Vietnam Wall in a single month. This change prompted the addition of 110 names in 1986. In some instances, names needed to be shuffled in order to fit on a line. The Selective Service registration requirement was later suspended in April 1975. 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. Since its adoption in 1951, at the time of the Korean War, this policy had been renewed by Congress every four years. The Classification History (SSS Form 102) may contain: name; date of birth; classification and date of mailing notice; date of appeal to the board; date and results of armed forces physical examination; entry into active duty or civilian work in lieu of induction (may include date, branch of service entered and mode of entry, such as enlisted or ordered); date of separation from active duty or civilian work; and general remarks. Each name is listed with great honor and respect. About 58 thousand of the 7 million American service men and women who served in Vietnam died. Of 2,590 total Air Force casualties, 1,674 or 65 percent were officers. From 1964 to 1973, 2,100,000 men and women served in Vietnam, but this was only 8 percent of the 26,000,000 Americans who were eligible for military service. Several hundred such designation changes have been made since the Wall was built in 1982. Fallen comrades could be together on the Wall, as theyd been in death. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. Who were they? There are 58,267 names now listed on Vietnam Wall, including those added in 2010. They refer to older or younger siblings who are either in or on their way to college. There was no need to embellish. In many of these families it was considered unpatriotic and indeed reprehensible to avoid active duty by requesting a status deferment or seeking out a draft counselor for advice on how to avoid the draft. As a result, the software improperly truncated or abbreviated names. Interested in a tour as part of your visit? Tom was killed while assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl HarborDay.
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