The Wall of Faces allows family and friends to share memories, post pictures and connect with each other. 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. But you had stories of guys in the Air Force who would die in their aircraft over Thailand after having been shot over Vietnam. Technically, they were ineligible for inclusion on the Wall. They did not, in most cases, carry the burdens of wife or children. Dear Mr. Huddleston, Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! The article was written by Bill Abbott, an independent researcher and writer. while they download, thank you. The civilian and military men who formed the policy did not see it necessarily as a disadvantage. The Channeling Memo of July 1965, instructed all local draft boards to give status deferments to college undergraduate and post-graduate students. Physical examination and test results, medical letters, laboratory work and other medical documentation that may have been included in these files no longer exist. Dates of enlsitment or selective service registration will be helpful along with the name military units they served with. Their sacrifices were honored July 8, 2009, in Washington during a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of their deaths. 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. The affected record collections are described below. 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. It specified the geographic areas of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and surrounding coastal areas as combat zones. Since then, 379 names have been added, for a total of 58,318 (as of Memorial Day 2017). A new Department of Defense (DOD) database computer tape released through the National Archives allows researchers to take a much closer look at our 58,152 Vietnam casualties. Look for clues about where he or she lived and served. 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. Who were they? In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. Fully 50 percent were in the 17- to 24-year age group, and astonishingly, there were 764 Army officer casualties who were 21 or younger. No duplicate copies of the records that were destroyed in the fire were maintained, nor was a microfilm copy ever produced. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available. The officer corps has always drawn heavily on English/Scottish/Welsh, German, Irish and Scandinavian-American ancestries from middle-class white collar homes, with other large percentages from ambitious working class blue collar and, of course, career military families. Of the 8000 Coast guardsmen who served in Vietnam, 3 officers and 4 enlisted men were killed and 59 were wounded. This approach would allow veterans, friends and family members to find a loved one by his or her date of casualty. The casual visitor might not immediately recognize that Buis name is the first. Many of the 17- and 18-year olds were simply late in maturing. Count down from the top of the panel. 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. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. The Wall USA is a non-profit endeavor maintained by veterans . The Selective Service System remains in place today. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. Doubek was tasked with identifying all of the names to be included on the Wall. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010: see the "National Cemeteries and Beneficiaries" section below. 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. but will allow you to download it after you specify a file name. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. The burden of combat fell on the very available non-college-bound young. This makeup, they say, was the very antithesis of what we stand for as a democracy a shameful corruption of our values and our historical sense of fairness and social justice. "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." In order to have your name on the Wall, you had to have died within the war zone, explained Doubek. The men and women who valiantly fought in the Vietnam War certainly deserve the title of hero. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, MA; he was listed by theDepartment of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. For more information on this index on, Records relating to American prisoners of war and missing in action from the Vietnam War, including lists and descriptions of the record groups covering the Vietnam War that are held by the National Archives are also found in the FS Library US/CAN Book. How many names are on the wall? 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. 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. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Vietnam Wall. Its unlikely that anyone who visits the memorial on a given day would have the time, the heart or the stomach to read and consider each one. The very young were considered by many to be preferred combat material. Though blessed with talent, his life wasnt without struggles. The training for American officers is thought by most foreign military authorities to be the best in the world. If a name was particularly long, it would be swapped with a shorter name. Items are gathered by park staff. The beginnings and endings are often hazy and the facts of the story lie at the mercy of the teller. National Mall and Memorial Parks , Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Inscribed dots in the margins of every other panel mark every 10 lines to aid in counting. (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. On the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in Washington, D.C., a special plaque reads: "In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. While VVMF finances the name additions to the Wall, it is the Department of Defense that makes these difficult and often technical decisions. The slabs meet at a vertex of 125 degrees, 10 feet above ground level to form the Wall. He would become instrumental in helping Doubek identify names and check spellings. 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. 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger. 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. The event begins on November 7, 2022 at 3 p.m. EST and ends at midnight on November 10, 2022. Others, later in the war, were simply ineligible because of high lottery number. The central idea of the poem is that the Vietnamese War took hundreds of lives away from the United States of America. It is not surprising, for instance, that West Virginia, Montana, and Oklahoma had a casualty rate almost twice that of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. 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. If a person died or went missing in those areas, DoD considered that individual to be a combat zone casualty and eligible for inclusion on the Wall. But there is a beginning. As she wisely predicted, this would help bring the veterans back in timeand a cathartic healing would occur for many by facing this loss again.. Military Reunions, Screensavers, Rubbings, Personal Guestbook for all Names. that each name was a real person. The numbers on the wall ascend from the center out toward the left and right extremes. One additional factor, often overlooked, that influenced volunteer enlistment was military tradition the influence of fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles and others who had served in previous 20th century wars. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Learn about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in this brief introductory video. 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. 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 draft policy at the time of the Vietnam War was called the Universal Military Training and Service Act. Is there a list of names on the vietnam wall? - vietnam - 2023 Once download And there is an end. 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. 54 soldiers on the Wall attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. There are over 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. 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. information is available on this web site: These files are lists of the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, listed When the Wall was dedicated in 1982, there were 57,939 names inscribed. This change prompted the addition of 110 names in 1986. West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. Another browser may inform you that it does not know how to display the file With the glitch discovered, Doubek and his team located and hand-corrected each error. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. And there would be nothing to denote service or rank. It should be emphasized that 55 percent of all Navy and Air Force officer casualties came as a result of reconnaissance and bombing sorties into North Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. The Vietnam Wall - vva310.org 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. Most of these casualties are documented in the Military Index, a FamilySearch file. 26 Similar Questions And they often show a heartbreakingly wry sense of humor with the same sensibilities as their college-bound peers. This can help veterans or relatives find other persons who died with for all 58,228 names to be read aloud. The trigger came when the recruiters pointed out that the volunteer could enlist as early as 17 (with parental consent); that he was allowed to select his branch of service; that he would receive specialized training if he qualified; that he could request a specific overseas assignment; and that his three year enlistment followed by three years in the inactive reserves satisfied his military obligation immediately. This came at a time when blacks made up 11 percent of the male population nationwide. Its been more than 20 years since Forrest Gump debuted on the silver screen and nearly a generation later, its characters still resonate with todays service members. Ninety-one percent of these Army officers were warrant officers, second lieutenants, first lieutenants or captains. If officers are added, then almost 70 percent of those who died were volunteers. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for all who wish to visit. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order as the names on the Wall. 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. Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 peruse. The Army refused him, for medical reasons, both times. By his estimate, he helped pull out close to 2,000 people. The panel numbers are inscribed at the bottom of each panel. If the veteran is still alive, ask his or her help finding records. Although the names are not listed alphabetically, it is not difficult for visitors to find a name on the Memorial. All heroes are listed alphabetically by their last name. 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. As a result, it was mainly the families of Navy and Air Force pilots and crewmen who suffered the great agony of the POW (prisoner of war) and MIA (missing in action) experience that came out of the Vietnam War. In terms of national origin/ancestries, an extensive sampling of the data-base reveals that Americans of French Canadian, Polish, Italian and other Southern and Eastern European surnames made up about 10 percent of the Vietnam casualties. If you Adding to the problem was Project 100,000. 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis maintains Vietnam War Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). A diamond symbol signifies that the service members death was confirmed. Their sons, if not college material, made up a significant part of the volunteers and draftees. I looked at the record to determine whether mortal wounds were sustained, Doubek said of the men whose names were listed by the Army, but not by DoD. The names would become the memorial. This is close to, but not exactly in the same order Derek Turner is a freelance writer and a former senior editor of On Patrol. 8 Women are on the Wall. During the Vietnam War, the Navy and Air Force became substantially white enclaves enlisted and officer casualties were 96 percent white. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Fill out the tour request form. Frequently Asked Questions - Vietnam Veterans Memorial (U.S. National But in 1966, President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara decided to institute Project 100,000 that would allow category IV men to enter the military. Records of individuals who left service more than 62 years ago are considered Archival Records and become records of the National Archives open to the general public. compiled by Military Records and Research Library, Department of Military Affairs; edited by Julia D. Rather and Jeffrey Michael Duff, Research Our Records. 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old. Congress and the Johnson administration, therefore, sought to protect our college-bound and educated young men. We searched the National Archives Catalog and located a series titled Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries, 1941-1980 in the Records of the U.S. Marine Corps (Record Group 127). Postscript: Since 1982, there have been 89 names added to The Wall. This was a reflection of the role of warrant officers as helicopter pilots (of the 1,277 warrant officer casualties, 95 percent were Army helicopter pilots), and of the young lieutenants and captains as combat platoon leaders or company commanders. These names are followed by the inscription: Our nation honors the courage, sacrifice and devotion to duty and country of its Vietnam veterans. 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. Those who could have qualified for college probably did not have the funds or motivation. Since its controversial beginnings, feelings toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have changed drastically. The directories are organized alphabetically by last name. In the military it can be somewhat more deadly. 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. They refer to older or younger siblings who are either in or on their way to college. They came largely from California and Texas, with lesser numbers from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, New York and a few from many other states across the country. The popularity of the GI Bill after Vietnam emphasized this yearning. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965. 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall. . How many women soldiers died in the Vietnam War? The draft continued from 1948, during both peacetime and war, to 1973, when President Richard M. Nixon signed legislation officially ending the draft. We were being fired upon by anti-aircraft guns. The Reading of the Names - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund There are the tourists who make the circuit of all the various monuments and landmarks in our nations capital. This was long before the advent of integrated computer databases. An estimated 11,000 women served in Vietnam. A more precise equation would be that the college bound stayed home while the non-college bound served and died. On the west wall, the symbol precedes the name; on the east wall, the symbol follows the name. Almost 50 percent were majors, lieutenant-colonels, colonels and three were generals. THE WALL OF FACES - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Why are names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall? NAID 5709942, U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, National Archives Command Chronologies:Vietnam War, National Archives Command Chronologies: Vietnam War: Index to Reports, National Archves. But given the draft policies, the hard-sell recruitment, the severe escalation from month to month and the refusal by President Lyndon Johnson to call up the older reserves and National Guard, it could not have been otherwise. It is more notable, perhaps, only because his was the first name engraved into The Wall. By providing your mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO. Search the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s database of names on the wall. Alphabetical List Of Vietnam Veterans : Top Picked from our Experts For weeks and weeks, a team worked through the list, verifying spellings and ensuring that the computer printout that was to be used for the stenciling was correct. The west wall is on the left when standing facing the vertex, and the east wall is to the right. 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. Where previously a high school diploma had been an acceptable goal, now it was college and all the benefits it would bring. IN MEMORY HONOR ROLL - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Be the first to learn about news, service member stories and fundraising updates from USO. 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. W denotes the west wall, and E denotes the east wall. The widely held notion that the poor served and died in Vietnam while the rich stayed home is way off the mark. 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. the "save as" menu command to store each text file on your media. 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. 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 . site, for searching with a word processor. Often that advice, especially for professional athletes, rock stars, sons of politicians and other celebrities, was to join the never-to-be-called-up reserves or National Guard. 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. And mores the pity, because many of them were trying to escape this background and didnt make it. Others think it is just another tourist stop until they feel the haunting power of this unique work of remembrance. He was a Navy enlisted man during World War II and has a degree in Political Science from Duke University. Thats a tragic 2,415 more names on the Vietnam Wall in a single month.
Barbara Smith Obituary Oklahoma, Heavyweight Best Boxers Of All Time, The Boy Stood On The Burning Deck Rude Version, 20'' Heavy Barrel 223 Wylde, Bristol Rhythm And Roots Festival Map, Articles A