Facts about the Vietnam Conflict
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The information found below was taken from several US Government sources and Internet websites.  There would appear to be a discrepancy in some of the charts when referring to the number of deaths in the Vietnam War.  This is explained in that the death number is constantly changing.  New names are added to the list and the Vietnam Memorial as members of the Armed Forces die as a result of wounds suffered in the conflict.   

A special thanks to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the website "The Wall".

50,000 American Servicemen served in Vietnam between 1960 and 1964.  

9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era (Aug.5, 1964-May 7, 1975).

3,403,100 (including 514,300 offshore) personnel served in the Southeast Asia Theater ( Vietnam , Laos , Cambodia , flight crews based in Thailand , and sailors in adjacent South China sea waters).

 7,484 American women served in Vietnam . 6,250 were nurses.  8 nurses died -1 was killed in action.

·          Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation.

·          240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam era.

·          Hostile deaths: 47,378      see chart below:·          
           Non-hostile deaths: 10,800 ·
           Missing in action: 2,338 

              67.6% of all Vietnam Causalities - occurred in the years 1967, 1968, & 1969.

·          POWs: 766 (114 died in captivity).

·          Wounded in action: 303,704

·          Severely disabled: 75,000--23,214 100% disabled; 5,283 lost limbs; 1,081 sustained multiple amputations.

·          Married men killed: 17,539

·          Men under the age of 21 killed: 61%

·          Average age of men killed: 22.8 years.

·          Highest political office attained by a Vietnam veteran to date: Vice President Al Gore. 
           He enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade 
           headquartered at Bien Hoa.  He also served at Ft. Rucker.

·          Most successful Vietnam veteran/businessman to date: Frederick Smith of Federal Express.

·          79% of the men who served in Vietnam had a high school education or better when they entered the military service.

·          Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old.

           The oldest man killed was 62 years old.

Peak troop strength in Vietnam : 543,482 ( April 30, 1969 )

Total draftees (1965-1973): 1,728,344

Draftees accounted for 30.4% (17,725) of combat deaths in Vietnam
National Guard: 6,140 served; 101 died
Last man drafted: June 30, 1973

97% of Vietnam-era veterans were honorably discharged. 

91% of actual Vietnam War era veterans and 90% of those who saw heavy combat are proud to have served their country

66% of Vietnam veterans say they would serve again if called upon

War against Vietnam was never declared by Congress, thus the correct term is Vietnam Conflict, although the word war is commonly used.

Assuming KIA's accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman (MOS 11B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 22.8. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. [CACF]

CACCF Record Counts by Age at Time of Death or Declaration of Death (as of 12/98) 

CACCF Record Counts by Branch of Service (as of 12/98)

CACCF Record Counts by Marital Status, as of 12/98

CACCF Record Counts by Military Pay Grade, as of 12/98

CACCF Record Counts by Race (as of 12/98)

CACCF Record Counts by Casualty Type (as of 12/98)

CACCF Record Counts by Reason (Cause of Casualty) (as of 12/98)
in order of most frequent cause to least frequent cause

CACCF Record Counts by Service Component (as of 12/98)

CACCF Record Counts by Sex (as of 12/98)

 7,484 American women served in Vietnam . 6,250 were nurses. 
 8 nurses died - 1 was killed in action.

CACCF Record Counts by State Home of Record (as of 12/98)

State Home of Record by Military Branch.
This chart is provided by  thewall-usa.com