C
Clarity News Hub

Who is the youngest Vietnam veteran still alive?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 23, 2026

List of the 4 Youngest Vietnam Veterans

  1. Oliver Stone. Age: 75. Born: 09/15/1946. Hometown: New York City.
  2. Tom Selleck. Age: 77. Born: 01/29/1945. Hometown: Detroit, Michigan. ...
  3. Bob Kerrey. Age: 78. Born: 08/27/1943. Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska. ...
  4. Jorge Otero Barreto. Age: 84. Born: 04/07/1937. Hometown: Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. ...

How old is the youngest Vietnam vet today?

The following are some statistics that are at once depressing yet in a larger sense should give you a huge sense of pride. "Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old."

How old are most Vietnam vets now?

The average age of our Vietnam veterans is now over 70. The Vietnam Veterans of America announced that the average age of their membership in 2019 was 72.

How many Vietnam veterans are still alive today?

How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day.

How many Vietnam veterans are alive in 2021?

"Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam, Less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran's age approximated to be 60 years old."

39 related questions found

What unit saw the most combat in Vietnam?

# 1: The 23rd Infantry Division

The amount of top awards earned by Soldiers of the 23rd are numerous for their heroic actions in Vietnam. The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967.

What birthdays were picked for the Vietnam draft?

On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944 to December 31, 1950.

How many Vietnam veterans are dying each day?

More than 8 million people served in uniform during Vietnam and those who are alive are typically in their 60s and 70s. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 530 Vietnam veterans die every day.

How old are Gulf War veterans?

More than half of Gulf War veterans are aged 45 and older (16% are between 55 and 85 years; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011) and 8% of people deployed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars were born before 1960 (Dursa, Reinhard, Barth, & Schneiderman, 2014).

How many Desert Storm veterans are still alive?

More than 2.2 million U.S. service members served during the era and an estimated 694,550 deployed to the Gulf. An estimated 1.68 million Veterans from that era are still alive.

Did 17 year olds fight in Vietnam?

James Ward was one of at least 18 juvenile soldiers killed at Vietnam—five were 16, like him, 11 others were 17, and one was 15 and had forged his birth certificate to join. And his death led the military to change its rules about juveniles in combat.

Who is the most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War?

His name is Staff Sergeant Joe Ronnie Hooper, and not only was he a hero in the Vietnam War; he is also the most decorated soldier in American international combat, even eclipsing both York and Murphy. Joe Ronnie Hooper was born on August 8th, 1938 in Piedmont, South Carolina.

How many Vietnam veterans have PTSD?

However, as time has gone on, that number has doubled to a staggering 30% of Vietnam veterans with PTSD, or 810,000 of the 2.7 million service members, in the National Vietnam Veteran Readjustment Study.

How many Marines were drafted in Vietnam?

For Marines it had been a long and especially costly war. About 450,000 Leathernecks, mostly volunteers, served in Vietnam (42,600 were draftees). Some 13,000 were killed and 88,000 wounded (51,392 badly enough to be hospitalized).

What number did the Vietnam draft get to?

With the maximum of 30 numbers being drafted per month in early-1970, May's quota of 30 ended up drafting men with the numbers 121 through 150.

What unit was Audie Murphy in?

Following basic training, Murphy was assigned to the 15th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa. First entering combat in July 1943, during the invasion of Sicily, he proved himself to be a proficient marksman and a highly skilled soldier.

How many helicopters were shot down in the Vietnam War?

According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed.