Only 20 to 25% of U.S. Troops In Vietnam Receive Combat Pay (Published 1965) (2024)

FAQs

Did all soldiers in Vietnam receive combat pay? ›

Only 20 to 25% of U.S. Troops In Vietnam Receive Combat Pay.

On Nov. 14, 1965, the Battle of Ia Drang began between regulars of the United States Army and regulars of the People's Army of Vietnam. Often described as one of the first major battles between the U.S. and North Vietnamese, both sides claimed victory. Hundreds of U.S. and Vietnamese soldiers died.

Vietnam War

However, when inflation was factored in, those serving in Vietnam were actually earning less. As the conflict progressed, new troops were given a salary of $78.00, while those who'd served over four months earned $83.20.

During the Korean War, combat pay was available to members serving in combat units or injured or killed by hostile fire. In Vietnam, eligibility for Hostile Fire Pay was extended to everyone serving in the combat zone.

Only those routinely exposed to the hazards and hardships of frontline service would receive pay. To be eligible in a given month, an individual must spend at least six days in “combat,” defined as either engagement with enemy forces or “direct support” of engagement.

In March 1965, Johnson made the decision—with solid support from the American public—to send U.S. combat forces into battle in Vietnam.

On March 8, 1965, 3,500 United States Marines came ashore at Da Nang as the first wave of U.S. combat troops into South Vietnam, adding to the 25,000 U.S. military advisers already in place.

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - US Congress gave President Lyndon Johnson permission to wage war on North Vietnam. The first major contingent of US Marines arrived in 1965. For the next ten years the USA's involvement increased.

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the first American combat troops in Vietnam. On March 8, 1965, 3,500 Marines of the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade arrived in Da Nang to protect the U.S. airbase there from Viet Cong attacks.

When did the U.S. send combat troops to Vietnam? ›

The U.S. actions in Vietnam began slowly with the deployment of advisors in the early 1950s and expanded incrementally to include the deployment of combat forces in July 1965. 1965 Operation Silver Bayonet Begins October 23, 1965.

Taylor refused to give up. He refused to leave his fellow Americans behind. He refused to put his own life above the lives of others in need, said President Joe Biden. Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to Taylor for his heroic acts during the Vietnam War, at a White House ceremony today.

As of 2020, there were approximately 6.3 million veterans of the United States military still alive who served during the period of the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1975. Around 8.75 million service personnel served during the war, with 40% of those stationed in Vietnam and the surrounding Southeast Asian countries.

Bob Parsons, left, John Walton, center, and Fred Smith, right, served in combat during the Vietnam War and later became billionaires by founding or growing major companies.

Eligibility for combat compensation is determined by the designation and management of combat zones. Military members deployed to areas of combat or to combat support operations receive hostile fire pay/imminent danger pay (HFP/IDP) and the combat zone tax exclusion (CZTE).

Combat pay is a tax-exempt monthly stipend paid to all active members of the U.S. armed services who are serving in designated hazardous zones.

Draftees were paid for their military service and were given certain concessions such as education benefits and access to Veterans Administration medical facilities. Many of the people I went to college with in the 1970s were Vietnam vets.

Vietnam era veterans are those who served during the time of the Vietnam war but didn't set foot in the country of Vietnam. The Vietnam vet is one who was assigned within the combat zone of the country and it's surrounding waters.