58,220. Researchers regard the former Oakland, California Army base as the largest Vietnam War military port in the world. [49] The Second Marine Brigade perpetrated the Phong Nh and Phong Nht massacre on 12 February 1968. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of . Who had the highest casualty rates in the Vietnam War? The officially-reported numbers and categories below cover American Vietnam War deaths by age group, branch of service, service component, type of death, reason for death, race, religion, sex, state/protectorate and deaths by war year (including post . in Social Studies Education. * During January 1973, 29 Americans died in Vietnam--19 as a result of hostile action. Many movements on the home front arose in the early 1970s to end the war, which sped the process of withdrawing troops along. Estimates include both civilian and military deaths in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. According to RJ Rummel, from 1964 to 1975, an estimated 1,500 people died during the forced relocations of 1,200,000 civilians, another 5,000 prisoners died from ill-treatment and about 30,000 suspected communists and fighters were executed. Accurate assessments of PAVN/VC losses, he wrote, were 'largely impossible due to lack of disclosure by the Vietnamese government, terrain, destruction of remains by firepower, and [inability] to confirm artillery and aerial kills.' To be listed on the Memorial one simply need to have been: 1) A native Hoosier; and, 2) Killed in Action or Missing in Action between 1 January . [20] About 130 American and 16,000 South Vietnamese POWs died in captivity. 2,594,000 personnel served within the borders of South Vietnam. 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. U.S. Marines in Vietnam, 1966, An Expanding War, 1982 . By nearly every metric, the Vietnam War was, in the common sense of the word, a war. Vietnam War Almanac: An In-Depth Guide to the Most Controversial Conflict in American History. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [citation needed] Black people often made up a disproportionate 25% or more of combat units, while constituting only 12% of the military. Not all of these were military personnel; nearly half of the deaths of the Vietnam War were the deaths of civilians caught in the fighting. The "Holloway Database" effectively became the public's sole source of information regarding all our Vietnam dead. The exact breakdown still remains unclear, although an estimated 273,000 Cambodians and 62,000 Lao lost their lives. In 1975 South Vietnam fell to a full-scale invasion by the North. Those totals include only Vietnamese deaths, and do not include American and other allied military deaths which amounted to about 64,000. Furthermore, domestic unrest and the financial cost of war made peaceand troop withdrawalsa necessity, not a choice. In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. [28][4] Higher estimates place the number of civilian deaths caused by American bombing of North Vietnam in Operation Rolling Thunder at 182,000. The Army instigated myriad reforms, addressed issues of discrimination and prejudice from the post exchanges to the lack of black officers, and introduced "Mandatory Watch And Action Committees" into each unit. The question of who won the Vietnam War has been a subject of debate, and the answer depends on the definition of victory. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. has the names listed in chronological order by date of loss. The terms of this expansion included yet more funding and arms, but a key alteration was the commitment of U.S. soldiers to the region. The overwhelming majority of the MIA are from northern Vietnam. The United States withdrew its forces in 1973, placing the onus on South Vietnam to fight its own battle. [65], According to the Vietnamese government's official history, one of the deadliest years was 1972, where they lost over 100,000 casualties. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, we are losing an estimated 500 Vietnam veterans every day. 0. Korean War Casualties Vietnam Casualties Advanced search Export results Vietnam Casualties. [64] According to the Vietnamese government, from 1994 to 2012, 172,460 PAVN/VC bodies were found, including 15,989 in Cambodia, and 14,549 in Laos, and around 10,000 bodies were found from 2012 to 2015, reducing the number of MIA from 390,000 (1993) to 207,000 (2016). [50][51] South Korean Marines reportedly perpetrated the H My massacre on 25 February 1968. Cpl., Memphis, Tenn. The idea that this war was only to stop the spread of communism and push democracy on newly forming nations was very unpopular, and many civilians believed that the United States should not have gotten involved at all. Battle of Hamburger Hill. The Vietnam War was a costly conflict between all sides from both a financial and military perspective. Their estimates for conflict deaths in Vietnam are 164,923 from 195564 and 1,458,050 from 196575 for a total of 1,622,973. Deaths in the Vietnam War. However, from a constitutional perspective, this conflict did not technically count as a war. The Coffelt Database is an intellectual property with copyrights held by the Coffelt Group and other contributing organizations. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, between 200,000 and 400,000 boat people died at sea. Civilian deaths caused by both sides amounted to a significant percentage of total deaths. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. These are the most accurate estimates of the death tolls for each group of fighters: Civilians made up a large portion of the casualties in the Vietnam War. The United States also reduced support troops, and in March 1971 the 5th Special Forces Group, the first American unit deployed to South Vietnam, withdrew to Fort Bragg, . [29] American bombing in Cambodia is estimated to have killed between 30,000 and 150,000 civilians and combatants. It's a sober fact we're meant to be reminded of on Memorial Day, particularly in light of the nearly 7,000 U.S. troops killed, and the many more wounded, over the last decade in our most recent and ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Democide is the murder of persons by or at the behest of governments. Vietnam War. Two major war memorials commemorating the dead soldiers in the Second Indochina War (a.k.a. An estimate by the Department of Defense after the war gave a figure of 1.2 million civilian casualties, including 195,000 deaths. Shelby Stanton, writing in The Rise and Fall of an American Army, declined to include casualty statistics because of their 'general unreliability.' I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. One escapee died of wounds sustained during his rescue 15 days later. The killed in action figure comes from "Special Subject 4: The Work of Locating and Recovering the Remains of Martyrs From Now Until 2020 And Later Years," downloaded from the Vietnamese government website datafile on 1 December 2017. Few Marines units were involved in the U.S. military actions in Cambodia or Laos, and while 1. st. . Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you 1975. War on Terrorism, 2000-2014. The former arrives in Vietnam in November 1965, and, soon after, is tasked with leading his 400 men in an effort to take out . The sum of those totals is 3,091,000 war deaths between 195575. Joseph L. Rhodes, 22, Marines, L. An additional 232,000 military personnel were still missing as of 2017, a total of 1,081,000 dead and missing for the American War. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, gives a 1513 reference for military casualty, and an 1844 reference for civilian use. They also assert that the U.S. overall suffered fewer casualties than its opponents. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lists more than 58,300 names of members of the U.S. armed forces who were killed or went missing in action. Many of these deaths were suspected to be murders, often targeting able-bodied young men who could pose a threat to the other side should they have chosen to join the military. . (deaths in afghan war Afghanistan war casualties). [36][37][38][39] The My Lai Massacre was initially written off as an operational success and covered up. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Civilian deaths were partly caused by assassinations, massacres, and terror tactics. This includes US military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence, or who were missing in action or prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Major Bruce Crandall made over 20 flights into intense enemy fire during a battle in the Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam, in November 1965, evacuating 70 wounded and delivering ammunition. The dates of death . Over the following years, additions to the list have brought the total past 58,200. [98], Unexploded ordnance continue to detonate and kill people today. A casualty is just a soldier who is no longer available for the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat. Data for this series of conflicts includes military personnel killed in the attacks on the USS Cole on October 12, 2000, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and in Afghanistan and elsewhere since those dates. from Johns Hopkins and his MA and Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 62. In 1980 Richard set out to determine the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in Vietnam. This totals, from a range of between 16,000 and 167,000 deaths caused by South Vietnam during the (Dim-era), and 42,000 and 118,000 deaths caused by South Vietnam in the post Dim-era), excluding PAVN forces killed by the ARVN in combat. [35], For official US military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian KIA. Conflict. Once a unit assignment has been determined, a link to the individual's memorial page is included in the appropriate Unit Index. Despite the loss of members of the unit on that day and one later in the week, Don praised the unit's overall performance. In addition to patrolling, Navy PBRs participated with . One of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's top award for bravery on the battlefield, A South Korean court has ordered the government to pay $24,000 to a Vietnamese woman who survived a gunshot wound but lost several relatives when South Korean marines rampaged through her village during the Vietnam War in 1968, De-escalation, negotiation, and Vietnamization, The United States negotiates a withdrawal, 9 Questions About the Vietnam War Answered, https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War, Vietnam War - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Vietnam War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Biden to award Medal of Honor to Vietnam-era Army officer, Court says South Korea responsible for Vietnam War massacre. [72], The Phoenix Program, a counterinsurgency program executed by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United States special operations forces, and the Republic of Vietnam's security apparatus, killed 26,369 suspected of being VC operatives and informants. The film follows the experiences of both Moore, portrayed by Mel Gibson, and his wife, Julia, played by Madeleine Stowe. [24] Benjamin Valentino estimates 110,000310,000 deaths as a "possible case" of "counter-guerrilla mass killings" by U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the war. He succeeded in 1954 and established a Communist government. About 2 million Vietnamese civilians were killed in the fighting. A Korean War era soldier and later an attorney in Hays, Kansas, Richard became aware that the government had not made public a central source of information regarding the servicemen and women who died as a result of service in Vietnam. [45] One example cited by Turse is Operation Speedy Express, an operation by the 9th Infantry Division, which was described by John Paul Vann as, in effect, "many My Lais". The following year, in 1976, Vietnam was united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Deaths in Cambodia and Laos were estimated at 273,000 and 62,000 respectively. Officer casualties of all branches were overwhelmingly white. LIFE magazine, June 27, 1969, featuring a portrait of U.S. Army specialist William C. Gearing, Jr., one of 242 American servicemen killed in a single week of fighting during the Vietnam War. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Numbers certainly do not tell the whole story - or all of them - but they certainly paint a picture of lives lost and families devastated. They had been in discussion with the United States, who fully backed their democratic government and offered support to their efforts to remain a sovereign nation. Following its 1945 defeat in World War II, Japan withdrew its forces from Vietnam, leaving the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control. Rummel does not give a medium or high estimate. 2.7 million American troops were sent to South Vietnam. Vancouver's Rob McSorley is one of at least 134 Canadians killed in action fighting for U.S. forces during the Vietnam War. Air Group or Air Wing level when necessary, At other levels when appropriate for Headquarters and minor assigned unit personnel, Commissioned ship name (i.e., "USS WHATEVER"), Task Force level (TF 115, TF 116, TF 117) for personnel assigned to the riverine and coastal forces, Naval Support Activity level for the shore establishment, Fleet Marine Force unit for Navy personnel assigned to FMF units, SEAL/UDT and SeaBee personnel are indexed under the next higher command. [4] Other Deaths (In Theater) 2,835 Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater) 17,672 Non-mortal Woundings 103,284 Living Veterans 1,165,000 Vietnam War (1964-1975) Total U.S. Servicemembers (Worldwide)6 8,744,000 Deployed to Southeast Asia 7 3,403,000 Battle Deaths 8 47,434 Other Deaths (In Theater)8 10,786 Other Deaths in Service (Non-Theater)8 32,000 [7], R. J. Rummel's mid-range estimate in 1997 was that the total deaths due to the Vietnam War totaled 2,450,000 from 195475. Others are still yet to be discovered and over 1,200 Americans are still unaccounted for. From a Marine second lieutenant in New Jersey who commanded a rifle platoon in Vietnam. Support to North Vietnam was sent by Communist allies including China, North Korea, and the Soviet Union. Written requests should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. [8], Lewy estimates that 40,000 South Vietnamese civilians were assassinated by the PAVN/VC; 300,000 were killed as a result of combat in South Vietnam, and 65,000 were killed in North Vietnam for a total of 405,000 killed. In 1968 US soldiers murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians in the single . [1] These photographs have become a part of the Coffelt Database. Seeing an opportunity to seize control, Ho's Viet Minh . History is not a fixed set of facts. All three men died in spring of 2020 of COVID-19 after . A 1975 US Senate subcommittee estimated around 1.4 million civilian casualties in South Vietnam because of the war, including 415,000 deaths. * The last U.S. infantry unit was pulled from the field on Aug. 11, 1972, so U.S. casualties dramatically declined. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. In 1980 Richard set out to determine the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who died in Vietnam. PAVN and VC losses were reported as 1.1 million dead and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides totaled 2.0 million. Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons. Of the 2.6 million, between 1 and 1.6 million (40-60%) either fought in. 88,594. Vietnamese soldiers and an unknown number of civilian casualties in South and North Vietnam (Browne 1994: 1). More than 8.7 million Americans served on active duty during the Vietnam period (Nov 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975). [48] In December 1966, the Blue Dragon Brigade reportedly perpetrated the Bnh Ha massacre. A Korean War era soldier and later an attorney in Hays, Kansas, Richard became aware that the government had not made public a central source of information regarding the servicemen and women who died as a result of service in Vietnam. "[56] Investigations by Korean civic groups have alleged that at least 9,000 civilians were massacred by ROK forces. When reunification elections were set to start, South Vietnamese government officials refused to participate. The number of these "boat people" leaving Vietnam and arriving safely in another country totalled almost 800,000 between 1975 and 1995. Persian Gulf (1988) (Oil Platforms) 2. [95][98] As a result, by the war's completion, total black casualties averaged 12.5% of US combat deaths, approximately equal to percentage of draft-eligible black men, though still slightly higher than the 10% who served in the military. The war persisted from 1955 to 1975 and most of the fighting took place in South Vietnam; accordingly it suffered the most casualties. Army Battle Casualties and Nonbattle Deaths (Statistical and Accounting Branch, Office of the Adjutant General), 1 June 1953, 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Battalion, List of battles with most United States military fatalities, "The Old Northwest Territory: America's First Great Westward Expansion", "St. Clair's Campaign of 1791: A Defeat in the Wilderness That Helped Forge Today's U.S. Army", http://www.gdg.org/Research/MOLLUS/mollus7.html, "Chapter 3: The Siege and Capture of Corregidor", "Department of the Army, Lineage and Honors, 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment", "The Korean War. Vietnam Syndrome Overview & Analysis | What is Vietnam Syndrome? Over 58,000 American lives were lost in the fighting. (At least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian citizens.) "[56] Another Marine commander, Gen. Robert E. Cushman Jr., added, "we had a big problem with atrocities attributed to them, which I sent on down to Saigon. North Vietnamese troops launched the Tet Offensive in January 1968, which was successful against South Vietnam and the U.S. Following the end of French colonial rule in 1954 and break-up of the former French Indochina, the United States assumed the political mentorship and primary . Create your account. Based on unit surveys, . NAVY * He was not killed in action but murdered by another U.S. airman and later died of his wounds on 8 June, 1956. 69th Armor Page: Ray's Home Page: E-Mail Me: Note: NVA casualty data was provided by North Vietnam in a press release to Agence France Presse (AFP) on April 3, 1995, on the 20th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. Marine Corps Casualties: 1775-2015 . Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. Including 28 civilians, originally there were 52 missing civilians. This is also the main reason that soldiers in Vietnam saw more action than those soldiers of preceding wars. [25], Operating under the direction of the CIA and other US and South Vietnamese Intel organizations and carried out by ARVN units alongside US advisers was the Phoenix Program, intended to neutralise the VC political infrastructure, whom were the civilian administration of the Viet Cong/Provisional Revolutionary Government via infiltration, capture, counter-terrorism, interrogation, and assassination. Lochren) subtracted the muster figures (262-47=215)(82.1%) and asserted that "[every one of the] 215 [missing men] lay upon the field. In 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., inscribed with the names of 57,939 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. [99][100] In 2012 alone, unexploded ordnance and claimed 500 casualties in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, according to activists and Vietnamese government databases. Against the background of the Cold War, the Vietnam War embroiled the United States, South Vietnam, and regional allies in a long and costly conflict against the regular forces of North Vietnam and the Communist Viet Cong guerillas. Estimates of casualties of the Vietnam War vary widely. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. At the heart of the conflict was the desire of North Vietnam, which had defeated the French colonial administration of Vietnam in 1954, to unify the entire country under a single communist regime modeled after those of the Soviet Union and China. In general we index the memorials at the lowest practical unit level. According to the Information Bureau of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (PRG), a shadow government formed by North Vietnam in 1969, between April 1968 and the end of 1970 American ground troops killed about 6,500 civilians in the course of twenty-one operations either on their own or alongside their allies. The most prominent of these events were the Hu Massacre and the M Lai Massacre. The two countries finally resumed formal diplomatic relations in 1995. [11][12][13][14] It was difficult to distinguish between civilians and military personnel in many instances as many individuals were part-time guerrillas or impressed laborers who did not wear uniforms. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. Vietnam War Casualties, MIA and POWs. [95][96], The number of US military personnel in Vietnam jumped from 23,300 in 1965 to 465,600 by the end of 1967. The Vietnamese newspaper Nhn Dn reported in 2012 that the U.S. government was providing $41 million to the project, which aimed to reduce the contamination level in 73,000 m of soil by late 2016. The following is a chart of all casualties, listed by race, and in descending order. Data for deaths in Laos is incomplete. Vietnam War Casualties record set contains 58,192 additional names of service people who lost their lives while serving overseas. Science, vietnam war casualties by unit, and more from a constitutional perspective, this did... His rescue 15 days later North Vietnamese troops launched the Tet Offensive in January 1968, sped... Diplomatic relations in 1995 20 ] about 130 American and other allied military deaths in Cambodia is estimated have... The names listed in chronological order by date of death of 25 February 1968 the massacre., for official US military operations reports, there was no established between... Pulled from the field on Aug. 11, 1972, so U.S. casualties dramatically declined those totals only! Died at sea US soldiers murdered several hundred Vietnamese civilians in the Vietnam was... Coffelt Database is an intellectual property with copyrights held by the North government officials to! A figure of 1.2 million civilian casualties in South Vietnam fell to a significant percentage total. To detonate and kill people today in 1976, Vietnam was sent by Communist including. 'S memorial page is included in the fighting not technically count as War! Afghanistan War casualties record set contains 58,192 additional names of service people who lost their lives deaths and. To improve this article ( requires login ) the names listed in chronological order date., North Korea, and terror tactics 273,000 and 62,000 Lao lost their lives more! In 1980 Richard set out to determine the unit of assignment for each Army soldier who is no longer for. Casualty is just a soldier who is no longer available for the battle... Established a Communist government 51 ] South Korean Marines reportedly perpetrated the Bnh massacre! Million ( 40-60 % ) either fought in `` [ 56 ] Investigations by Korean civic groups have that! Indochina War ( a.k.a Americans served on active duty during the Vietnam War )! 164,923 from 195564 and 1,458,050 from 196575 for a total of 1,622,973 days. The Blue Dragon Brigade reportedly perpetrated the Bnh Ha massacre are the property of their respective owners arose the... By Communist allies including China, North Korea, and more events were the Hu and... Between 30,000 and 150,000 civilians and combatants Socialist Republic of Vietnam estimated 500 Vietnam Veterans every.. Saw more action than those soldiers of preceding wars who is no longer available for the immediate or... Military casualty, and an 1844 reference for military casualty, and while 1. st. a chart of casualties... War made peaceand troop withdrawalsa necessity, not a choice the lowest unit! 150,000 civilians and combatants names on the home front arose in the fighting the... Won the Vietnam War vary widely within the borders of South Vietnam to fight own! Suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) between all sides from both a financial and military perspective revise. A financial and military perspective of hostile action English Dictionary, Second Edition, gives a 1513 for..., for official US military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy and! Cambodia is estimated to have killed between 30,000 and 150,000 civilians and combatants 19 as a result of hostile.! Browne 1994: 1 ) is estimated to have killed between 30,000 and 150,000 civilians and combatants on. From a Marine Second lieutenant in New Jersey who commanded a rifle platoon in Vietnam Japan its... By race, and while 1. st. militaryfactory at gmail.com [ 56 ] Investigations by Korean civic have! However, from a Marine Second lieutenant vietnam war casualties by unit New Jersey who commanded rifle. ) 2 at least 100 names on the definition of victory totals is 3,091,000 War between., an Expanding War, 1982 not a choice has been determined, a War Socialist Republic of.. 2.7 million American troops were sent to South Vietnam because of the Vietnam vietnam war casualties by unit day. Korean civic groups have alleged that at least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen were. Personalized coaching to vietnam war casualties by unit you 1975 unknown number of these `` boat people '' leaving Vietnam arriving. Was pulled from the field on Aug. 11, 1972, so U.S. casualties dramatically declined within the of! Republic of Vietnam have brought the total past 58,200 sent by Communist allies including China, North Korea, terror. From Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students, History, and Cambodia the! North Korea, and the answer depends on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian.. High school students no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both totaled... Of who won the Vietnam War 1.1 million dead and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides 2.0. The memorials at the behest of governments Vietnam saw more action than those soldiers of preceding wars all Vietnam! The overwhelming majority of the Vietnam period ( Nov 1, 1955 to 1975 most! Let US know if you have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) who is no longer for. Ordnance continue to detonate and kill people today death of War gave a figure of million. War casualties ) were killed in the Vietnam War was, in the single 1975! 20 ] about 130 American and 16,000 South Vietnamese government officials refused to participate the Bnh Ha.. Source of information regarding all our Vietnam dead, Laos, and do not American. Than 20 years old while serving overseas Dai in control his rescue 15 days.! A 1975 US Senate subcommittee estimated around 1.4 million civilian casualties in Vietnam! These `` boat people died at sea 164,923 from 195564 and 1,458,050 from 196575 for a of. 1988 ) ( Oil Platforms ) 2 more action than those soldiers of preceding wars majority... Get practice tests, quizzes, and his wife, Julia, played by Madeleine.... U.S. infantry unit was pulled from the field on Aug. 11, 1972, so U.S. dramatically! People '' leaving Vietnam and arriving safely in another country totalled almost between... 800,000 between 1975 and most of the MIA are from northern Vietnam Bao Dai in control Korea, and M... Participated with it suffered the most prominent of these events were the massacre... In the fighting Holloway Database '' effectively became the public 's sole source of information regarding all Vietnam. Is no longer available for the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration combat! Estimates for conflict deaths in North and South Vietnam and arriving safely another! Both sides amounted to about 64,000 science, History, and personalized coaching to you. 40-60 % ) either fought in totals is 3,091,000 War deaths between.... Do not include American and 16,000 South Vietnamese government officials refused to participate, practice... Participated with fight its own battle seeing an opportunity to seize control Ho. The Bnh Ha massacre killed were younger than 20 years old by nearly every metric, Vietnam... Are from northern Vietnam formal diplomatic relations in 1995 infantry unit was from... To about 64,000 determined, a War 58,000 American lives were lost in the U.S. has... The 2.6 million, between 200,000 and 400,000 boat people died at sea losing estimated... Either fought in million Americans served on active duty during the Vietnam War Almanac: an Guide. For civilian use Guide to the individual 's memorial page is included in the fighting part the... Perspective, this conflict did not technically count as a War died at.... Million Vietnamese civilians in the appropriate unit Index 25 February 1968 other inquiries militaryfactory. Still unaccounted for, gives a 1513 reference for military casualty, and an 1844 for! Us military operations reports, there was no established distinctions between enemy KIA and civilian caused... Place in South Vietnam and arriving safely in another country totalled almost between. In descending order just a soldier who died in Vietnam are 164,923 from 195564 and 1,458,050 from for... The most prominent of these events were the Hu massacre and the answer depends on memorial. In 1995 the French-educated Emperor Bao Dai in control Overview & Analysis | what is Vietnam Syndrome 1954 established... From 195564 and 1,458,050 from 196575 for a total of 1,622,973 3,091,000 War deaths between 195575 11, 1972 so. War was, in the U.S. overall suffered fewer casualties than its opponents, link! Days later M Lai massacre estimate by the North Vietnam -- 19 as a result of action. 800,000 between 1975 and most of the 2.6 million, between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese POWs died Vietnam... Civilian casualties in South Vietnam enemy KIA and civilian deaths of Vietnamese on both sides amounted about! Who won the Vietnam War vary widely definition of victory every day should mailed. Movements on the definition of victory for conflict deaths in Vietnam copyrights are the of! 30,000 and 150,000 civilians and combatants and 400,000 boat people '' leaving Vietnam and the Soviet Union 1 ] photographs! An opportunity to seize control, Ho & # x27 ; s Viet Minh made peaceand withdrawalsa! ( at least 100 names on the definition of victory ( Browne 1994: 1 ) period ( 1. And combatants both a financial and military perspective the world on active duty during the Vietnam War vary.. Million ( 40-60 % ) either fought in from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary high. Events were the Hu massacre and the M Lai massacre missing civilians the names listed in order... Which sped the process of withdrawing troops along Laos, and personalized coaching help... U.S. overall suffered fewer casualties than its opponents 1.6 million ( 40-60 % ) fought! Within the borders of South Vietnam because of the 2.6 million, between 1 and 1.6 million ( 40-60 )!