Seeking list of Vietnam veterans who survived

Dear Ms. Ariano,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

Various offices within the Department of Defense (DOD) have informed us that no agency of the Federal Government has ever compiled comprehensive lists of all individuals who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and survived. DOD concentrated on the names of the prisoners-of-war, missing in action, and the casualties.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would only have listings of the veterans who applied for benefits.

We hope this information is helpful.

Ms. Ariano,

You may have to go at this by making some estimates. I have seen unofficial estimates of the number of men who served in Viet Nam. I don't recall where, unfortunately. There is a number for those who died (something like 58,000 if my recall is correct); there's another smaller number for POWs; and one even smaller for MIAs. With these estimates, you may roughly calculate the number of servicemen who returned. It will only be an estimate but may suit your need.

I worked 25 years as a Veteran Advocate representing living and dead veterans of all wars.  I am a Vietnam veteran - Marines. It is not probable for just anyone to obtain a clear and concise list of survivors of ANY war for a variety of reasons. As for VN: First, to respond would entail defining the identity of a VN veteran.  Second - one would need to identify what survivor means.  Third, did the person meets 1 and 2 but died years after the war from wounds or exposure would that alter the person's status creating a death-related to VN rather than surviving.    So which date is the begin date to frame your question?  Same for end date.  As for a clear name-by-name record of survivors - Nope.  Nothing exists.  The VA only knows you exist if you file a claim.  The DOD files your OMPF with National Personnel Records Center.