Recognizing Vietnam War Veterans—It’s Been Coming for Some Time (2024)

FAQs

How do you recognize a Vietnam veteran? ›

The Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin is “a lasting memento of the Nation's thanks.” These lapel pins were created to recognize, thank and honor United States military veterans who served on active duty during the Vietnam War period. Who is eligible to receive a Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin?

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.

B) "Vietnam veteran" vs "Vietnam-era veteran"

In association with (A) above, the Commemoration uses the term "Vietnam veteran" to describe those who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of duty location.

The next time you see a Vietnam veteran, say, “Thank you for your service.” And if you are one, welcome home! To hundreds of thousands of others, like Max Bielke, we respect and remember you, though we cannot be together in person just now.

Thank you for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. Thank you for bravely doing what you're called to do so we can safely do what we're free to do. You have defended freedom and peace with courage and honor. Today the nation honors you with gratitude.

Generally, combat veterans are those that served in a combat zone during their military service. This can include service in Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and certain areas of Iraq and Afghanistan, among other locations.

It is awarded to all service members of the armed forces who between July 4, 1965 and March 28, 1973, served in the following areas of Southeast Asia; Vietnam and the contiguous waters and airspace; Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia; or the airspace thereof and in the direct support of military operations in Vietnam.

However, the more common usage distinguishes between those who served "in-country" and those who did not serve in Vietnam by referring to the "in-country" veterans as "Vietnam veterans" and the others as "Vietnam-era veterans." Regardless, the U.S. government officially refers to all as "Vietnam-era veterans."

(1) Veteran of the Vietnam era means an eligible veteran any part of whose active military, naval, or air service was during the Vietnam era. (ii) A person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

Today, there are fewer than 850,000 living Vietnam War veterans, many of whom who are eligible for VA benefits. What benefits are available for Vietnam War veterans?

How long before you can be called a veteran? ›

We use, “180 days of active duty not counting training or 1 day in a combat zone,” as our rule of thumb to determine if a person is a veteran or not.

Many Vietnam veterans claim that most people treated them with indifference and seemed uncomfortable listening to their stories from battle. Some people, however, saw returning soldiers as dangerous, violent symbols of an increasingly futile and terrible war—much like the individual Wowwk encountered.

While it is customary to offer a “thank you for your service” to veterans, if you're looking for an alternative, you could instead say: “Thank you for putting your life on hold to serve our country.” “Thank you for the sacrifices you made being away from your family.”

The Vietnam War divided American society. Those who served were often treated as traitors instead of heroes, and found it difficult to adjust to life back home. Although many Vietnam veterans did have success after returning home, those who did not were often left to deal with their trauma alone.

Always be sincere, caring, compassionate and ready and able to listen to what a Veteran or his or her family member has to share about the situation they are dealing with. Be supportive and non-judgmental and always validate their feelings and concerns. Be honest, sincere, caring and respectful.

Veterans, including activated Reservists and members of the National Guard, are eligible if they served on active duty in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, and have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

For a Veteran to be considered a wartime Veteran, they would have had to have served during a period of war. This is different from a combat Veteran who actively engaged in combat during their service. A wartime Veteran might not have seen any combat.

Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.

How many Vietnam veterans have Medal of Honor? ›

Of the total of 266 awards, 178 were to the US Army, 15 to the US Navy, 58 to the USMC and 14 to the USAF.

Bronze Service Stars (BSS) also known as Campaign Stars (CS) are worn on campaign and service medals to denote participation in a named campaign (for example, Southwest Asia Service Medal or Afghanistan Campaign Medal) and on the service ribbons to denote an additional award (for example the National Defense Service ...

Although the structure remained intact, the administration of combat tax benefits came into question. Over the course of the conflict, pressure mounted to extend the Vietnam designation to areas with varying levels of risk outside of the formal combat zone.

Generally, there is no reduction of Social Security benefits because of your military retirement benefits. You'll get your Social Security benefit based on your earnings and the age you choose to start receiving benefits. While you're in military service, you pay Social Security taxes, just as civilian employees do.

Since the DD Form 214 is issued to those leaving the active military as well as to members of the National Guard and Reserves completing their initial active duty for training, possession of this document does not necessarily mean the student is a veteran.

What Is a Non-Protected Veteran? You are not considered a protected Veteran if you did NOT serve active duty in the U.S. military OR if you received a dishonorable discharge from the military.

grunt Slang term used for an American infantry soldier.

RACE AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND: 88.4% of the men who actually served in Vietnam were Caucasian; 10.6% were black; 1% other races. 86.3% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasian (includes Hispanics); 12.5% were black; 1.2% other. 170,000 Hispanics served in Vietnam; 3,070 (5.2% of total) died there.

Collectively the United States often called them the Viet Cong. It was commonly shortened to VC, which in military alphabet code was spoken as Victor Charlie. It was further shortened to just Charlie. American soldiers called them Charlie, they called themselves liberators.

VA benefits for survivors of Vietnam veterans

The benefit most notable in relation to the PACT Act is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), which provides a monthly tax-free payment of $1,562.74 to a surviving spouse. The payment increases with dependents and special circ*mstances.

What state has the most Vietnam vets? ›

The Agent Orange Registry health exam is a medical evaluation offered to qualifying veterans for free by VA that can alert you to illnesses commonly associated with Agent Orange and other dangerous herbicides.

Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for expanded VA disability compensation under the PACT Act, a law passed in 2022 which increases access to VA benefits and health care for Veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service.

As a veteran's surviving spouse, child or parent, you may qualify for certain benefits, such as help with burial costs and compensation or pension. You may also qualify for health care, life insurance, or financial assistance to help pay for school or training.

3 About 2 . 4 million veterans, or 9 percent, have a service-connected disability . Most served during wartime, with nearly 800,000 having served during the Vietnam era.

Under VEVRAA, a veteran may be classified as a ''disabled veteran,'' ''recently separated veteran,'' ''active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran,'' or ''Armed Forces service medal veteran. '' active duty* in the U.S. Military?

If a person was dishonorably discharged, would they be considered a veteran? Yes. For purposes of HMIS and Point-in-Time (PIT) Count data collection, as long as the person was on active duty for at least one day, Veteran Status should be 'Yes.

No, training doesn't count as active duty. For the regular Army/Navy/Air Force/Marine Corps/Coast Guard, active duty begins when a military member reports to a duty station after completion of training (basic, officer training, tech school).

In association with (A) above, the Commemoration uses the term "Vietnam veteran" to describe those who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of duty location. We do NOT use the phrase "Vietnam-era veteran."

After returning to the United States, many veterans continued to support American military involvement in Vietnam. Even though they had not accomplished all of the U.S. goals, they still felt proud of their service to their country. They believed that they had done their duty and fought bravely for a good cause.

How old are Vietnam vets now? ›

Today, Vietnam Veterans range in age from 61 to 103 years old.

Thank you for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. Thank you for bravely doing what you're called to do so we can safely do what we're free to do. You have defended freedom and peace with courage and honor. Today the nation honors you with gratitude.

First, those who believe this say that it could “trigger” someone to have an emotional reaction. The trigger would be connected to a potential adverse or traumatic experience that has impacted their view of military service in a negative way.

The next time you see a Vietnam veteran, say, “Thank you for your service.” And if you are one, welcome home! To hundreds of thousands of others, like Max Bielke, we respect and remember you, though we cannot be together in person just now.

When you see a Vietnam veteran today with a hat proudly displaying his or her service there, I ask that you do what all Vietnam veterans do when they see each other: Say “Welcome Home!” — something we never got then. It is never too late to show them at least that much respect.

Over the entire follow-up period, the total death rate for Vietnam veterans was 17% higher than for other veterans. The excess mortality, especially through motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, and accidental poisonings, occurred mainly in the first 5 years after discharge from active duty and involved.

Vietnam War veterans are eligible for benefits that are open to all U.S. military veterans, including but not limited to disability compensation for service-connected disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and amputations; pension; health care; loans; and insurance.

To verify service in the RVN, review the veteran's DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to determine if appropriate service, such as “Foreign Service: Republic of Vietnam,” is shown.

VA benefits for survivors of Vietnam veterans

The benefit most notable in relation to the PACT Act is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), which provides a monthly tax-free payment of $1,562.74 to a surviving spouse. The payment increases with dependents and special circ*mstances.

How much money do Vietnam veterans get? ›

On average, Vietnam veterans in 2018 had roughly the same income as nonveterans their ages: $63,300 and $65,000, respectively. For veterans and nonveterans age 71—the modal, or most common, age of veterans—average income was also about the same.

For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

In recognition of the damage Agent Orange caused, the U.S. military created a settlement fund and payment program that distributed $197 million in cash payments to eligible veterans. The program stopped accepting applications in 1994, though. When it issued payments, military members received an average of $3,800.

If you're the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).

Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras. Adds 20+ more presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures.

Vietnam War: To receive the $200 Vietnam War Veterans Bonus, servicemembers must have performed active duty between July 1, 1958, and May 16, 1975. This bonus is rewarded to those who served for six months or more. Vietnam veterans who served on duty in Vietnam will receive a $300 bonus. More information.

You may be eligible for VA disability compensation based on Agent Orange exposure if you meet both of these requirements. Both of these must be true: You have a health condition that's caused by exposure to Agent Orange, and. You served in a location that exposed you to Agent Orange.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays a benefit called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to your surviving spouse and dependent children if you die of service-connected causes.

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.

Vietnam War

New soldiers pocketing $78 would have a salary that equates to 642.71 now, while those with over four months of service who pocketed $83.20 were receiving the equivalent of $685.56 in today's dollars.