79% had a high school education or better. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war.” Myth: Common belief is that the war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.įact: Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia, a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book “All That We Can Be,” said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam “and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. Myth: Common belief is that a disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War.įact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans’ group. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans.

“The CDC Vietnam Experience Study Mortality Assessment showed that during the first 5 years after discharge, deaths from suicide were 1.7 times more likely among Vietnam veterans than non-Vietnam veterans. Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000 – 6 to 11 times the non-Vietnam veteran population.įact: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted.įact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers.

Us navy uniform vietnam war