Casualties - US vs NVA/VC

 

 

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. The entire press release is reproduced below.

US casualty information was derived from the Combat Area Casualty File of 11/93, and The Adjutant General's Center (TAGCEN) file of 1981, available from the National Archives. Additional information was derived from the sources listed at the end of this document.

Entire War

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 47,378 1 304,704 2 2,338 3 766 4
ARVN 223,748 1,169,763 NA NA
South Korea 4,407 17,060 NA NA
Australia 469 2,940 6 NA
Thailand 351 1,358 NA NA
New Zealand 55 212 NA NA
NVA/VC 1,100,000 600,000 NA 26,000 5

 

 

Note 1: there were an additional 10,824 non-hostile deaths for a total of 58,202
Note 2: of the 304,704 WIA, 153,329 required hospitalization
Note 3: this number decreases as remains are recovered and identified
Note 4: 114 died in captivity
Note 5: Does not include 101,511 Hoi Chanh

Legend: KIA = Killed In Action WIA = Wounded In Action MIA = Missing In Action CIA = Captured In Action

1968 Tet Offensive

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 1,536 7,764 11 unknown
ARVN 2,788 8,299 587 unknown
NVA/VC 45,000 unknown unknown 6,991

 

 

Casualties By Year

1961-1965

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 1,864 7,337 18 unknown
ARVN unknown unknown unknown unknown
NVA/VC unknown unknown unknown unknown

 

1966

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 5,008 1 29,992 61 unknown
ARVN 11,953 71,584 unknown unknown
NVA/VC 71,473 unknown unknown 3,247

 

Note 1: there were an additional 1,045 non-hostile deaths for a total of 6,053

1967

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 9,378 1 56,013 113 unknown
ARVN 12,716 76,299 529 unknown
NVA/VC 133,484 unknown unknown 6,065

 

Note 1: there were an additional 1,680 non-hostile deaths for a total of 11,058

1968

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 14,594 1 87,388 176 unknown
ARVN 28,800 172,512 587 unknown
NVA/VC 208,254 unknown unknown 9,462

 

Note 1: there were an additional 1,919 non-hostile deaths for a total of 16,511

1969

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 9,414 1 55,390 112 unknown
ARVN 22,000 131,780 683 unknown
NVA/VC 132,051 unknown unknown 5,905

 

Note 1: there were an additional 2,113 non-hostile deaths for a total of 11,527

1970

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 4,221 1 24,835 101 unknown
ARVN 23,000 137,770 727 unknown
NVA/VC 86,591 unknown unknown 3,934

 

 

Note 1: there were an additional 1,844 non-hostile deaths for a total of 6,065

 

1971

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 1,380 1 18,109 16 unknown
ARVN 19,901 123,545 727 unknown
NVA/VC 19,320 unknown unknown 2,304

 

 

Note 1: there were an additional 968 non-hostile deaths for a total of 2,348

 

1972

 
Force KIA WIA MIA CIA
US Forces 300 1 3,936 11 unknown
ARVN 25,787 139,731 727 unknown
NVA/VC 4,261 unknown unknown 1,349

 

Legend: KIA = Killed In Action WIA = Wounded In Action MIA = Missing In Action CIA = Captured In Action

Note 1: there were an additional 261 non-hostile deaths for a total of 561

 

 

Troop Levels

As of 1 January 1968

 
Force Total Strength Support Combat Arms
US Forces 409,111 346,260 62,850
ARVN Not Avail Not Avail Not Avail
NVA/VC 420,000 unknown unknown

 

As of 1 January 1969

 
Force Total Strength Support Combat Arms
US Forces 440,029 372,429 67,600
ARVN Not Avail Not Avail Not Avail
NVA/VC 332,000 unknown unknown

 
The figures for relative strengths assume the following: On January 1, 1969 there were 110 battalions in Vietnam (98 Infantry, 3 tank, and 9 artillery). An Infantry battalion had 656 infantrymen (4 companies per battalion with 164 men per company). An armor battalion had 204 tankers (3 companies per battalion with 68 tankers per company). An artillery battalion had approximayely 300 men. Therefore, the number of actual "trigger pullers" added up to 67,600. Note that this was "authorized strength". Most battalions were not even close to their TO&E strength during the war, with many infantry companies operating with 80 men. This was true despite the fact that the parent divisions reported being at, or slightly over, authorized strength. There were a large number of REMFs in Vietnam.

U.S. Army KIA by Unit

Source: National Archives and Records Administration

 
Unit Nickname KIA Comment
1st Cavalry Division First Team 5,464 -
25th Infantry Division Tropic Lighting 4,561 -
101st Airborne Division Screaming Eagles 4,022 -
1st Infantry Division Big Red One 3,151 -
Various Individual Units - 2,872 See Note 1 below
9th Infantry Division Old Reliables 2,629 -
4th Infantry Division Ivy Division 2,541 -
173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate) Sky Soldier 1,758 -
1st Aviation Brigade - 1,706 -
196th Light Infantry Brigade - 1,188 -
11th Light Infantry Brigade - 1,109 -
Military Assistance Command Vietnam MACV 1,017 Advisors to ARVN
198th Light Infantry Brigade - 987 -
United States Army Vietnam USARV 847 Headquarters - includes advisors
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets 834 -
23rd Infantry Division Americal 809 non-brigade units
199th Light Infantry Brigade Redcatchers 757 -
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Blackhorse 729 -
1st Logistical Command - 598 -
5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) Red Diamond 530 1st Brigade only
I Field Force Vietnam IFFV 353 -
82d Airborne Division All American 228 3rd Brigade only
1st Signal Brigade - 193 -
II Field Force Vietnam IIFFV 80 -
Engineer Command - 64 -
Unit unknown - 6 -

Note 1: This group is comprised of the following individual units with no further breakdown

17th Field Hospital (An Khe)
22nd Surgical Hospital (Phu Bai)
71st Evacuation Hospital (Pleiku)
91st Evacuation Hospital (Tuy Hoa)
95th Field Hospital (Qui Nhon)
3rd Field Hospital (III Corps)
7th Surgical Hospital (III Corps)
45th Surgical Hospital (III Corps)
93rd Evacuation Hospital (III Corps)
80th Engineer Group
121st Assault Helicopter Company
18th Military Police Brigade
89th Military Police Brigade
8th Transportation Group
48th Transportation Group
11th Aviation Group
12th Aviation Group
23rd Artillery Group
108th Artillery Group
35th Engineer Group
45th Engineer Group
34th General Support Group
506th Field Depot

 

Additional Casualty Statistics

Source: Combat Area Casualty File of 11/93, National Archives

All US Forces KIA in Vietnam = 58,169

US Army Soldiers KIA in Vietnam = 38,190

US Army Infantrymen (MOS 11B, 11C, etc.) KIA in Vietnam = 20,460

US Army Helicopter Crewmen KIA in Vietnam = 3,007

US Army Scouts KIA in Vietnam = 1,127

US Army Tankers KIA in Vietnam = 725 (equals 27% of all tankers ever assigned to Vietnam)

 

US Marines Killed In Action in Vietnam = 14,836

 

The highest loss-rate for any MOS was 11E (Armor Crewman) 27% KIA

 

U.S. Army KIA by Province

Source: Combat Area Casualty File of 11/93, National Archives

 
Code Province KIA Comment
99 Province unknown 6,276 Military Region unknown
02 Thua Thien 2,893 I Corps - Hue, etc.
23 Binh Duong 2,742 III Corps
22 Tay Ninh 2,648 III Corps
05 Quang Ngai 2,342 I Corps - Border w/II Corps
07 Binh Dinh 2,211 II Corps - Bong Son, An Loa Valley, etc.
04 Quang Tin 2,068 I Corps - Tam Ky, etc.
01 Quang Tri 1,683 I Corps - south of DMZ
06 Kontum 1,641 II Corps - Dak To, Ben Het, etc.
42 Hua Nghia 1,424 III Corps - Khiem Cuong, etc.
25 Bien Hoa 1,147 III Corps
24 Gia Dinh 1,064 Capital Special Zone - Saigon
08 Pleiku 1,015 II Corps - Hwy 14, Ia Drang, etc.
27 Long An 1,002 III Corps
03 Quang Nam 971 I Corps - Da Nang, etc.
21 Binh Long 909 III Corps
30 Dinh Tuong 794 IV Corps - My Tho, etc.
14 Phuoc Long 679 III Corps - Phuoc Binh, etc.
19 Long Khanh 558 III Corps - Xuan Loc, etc.
** Unknown Code 467 NARA error
33 Kien Hoa 416 IV Corps - Truc Giang, etc.
17 Binh Thuan 300 II Corps - Phan Thiet, etc.
09 Phu Yen 282 II Corps - Tuy Hoa, etc.
11 Khanh Hoa 275 II Corps - Nha Trang, etc.
26 Phuoc Tuy 204 III Corps - Vung Tau, Phuoc Le, etc.
18 Binh Thuy 176 III Corps - Ham Tan, etc.
13 Quang Duc 171 II Corps - Gia Nghia, etc.
10 Darlac 163 II Corps - Ban Me Thout, etc.
35 Phong Dinh 146 IV Corps - Can Tho, etc.
15 Lam Dong 143 II Corps - Bao Loc, etc.
32 Vinh Long 142 IV Corps
28 Kien Tuong 140 IV Corps - Moc Hoa, etc.
16 Ninh Thuan 97 II Corps - Phan Rang, etc.
36 Kien Giang 77 IV Corps - Rach Gia, etc.
12 Tuyen Duc 76 II Corps - Da Lat, etc.
29 Kien Phong 65 IV Corps - Cao Lanh, etc.
47 Unknown code 60 Possibly Saigon Area
38 Ba Xuyen 56 IV Corps - Khanh Hung, etc.
34 Vinh Binh 49 IV Corps - Phu Vinh, etc.
43 Go Cong 40 IV Corps - Go Cong, etc.
93 Province unknown 34 Military region 3 - III Corps
39 An Xuyen 33 IV Corps - Quon Long, etc.
37 Chuong Thien 30 IV Corps - Vi Thanh, etc.
92 Province unknown 25 Military region 2 - II Corps
46 Sa Dec 25 IV Corps - Sa Dec, etc.
41 Phu Bon 24 II Corps - Hau Bon, Song Ba River, etc.
99 Province unknown 22 Military region 1 - I Corps
31 An Giang 17 IV Corps - Long Xuyen, etc.
81 Offshore 19 Military Region 1 - I Corps
89 Offshore unknown 19 Province & Military Region unknown
44 Bac Lieu 14 IV Corps - Bac Lieu, etc.
82 Offshore 11 Military Region 2 - II Corps
NZ Unknown Code 10 NARA error
94 Province unknown 9 Military region 4 - IV Corps
83 Offshore 2 Military Region 3 -III Corps
84 Offshore 2 Military Region 4 - IV Corps
20 No code provided 1 NARA error, possibly Cam Ranh Bay
40 Con Son Island 1 IV Corps
45 Chua Doc 1 IV Corps - Shau Phu, etc.
48 Unknown code 1 NARA error
49 Phu Quoc Island 1 IV Corps
50 DMZ 0 Demilitarized Zone

 

Sources

A Bright Shining Lie, Sheehan, Neil, New York: Random House, 1988

After Tet, Ronald H. Spector, New York: Random House, 1993

Code Name Bright Light, Veith, George J., New York: The Free Press, 1998

Inside The VC And The NVA, Lanning, Michael, New York: Random House, 1992

The Rise And Fall Of An American Army, Stanton, Shelby L., Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1985

The Vietnam War, Nalty, Bernard C., New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1996

Vietnam: A History, Karnow, Stanley, New York: Viking, 1983

Vietnam At War: The History 1946-1975, Davidson, Phillip, New York: Oxford Univ Press, 1988

The Agence France Presse (French Press Agency) news release of 4 April 1995 concerning the Vietnamese Government's release of official figures of dead and wounded during the Vietnam War.

 

HANOI (AP) - April 4. Cinq millions de morts: 20 ans apregraves la fin de la guerre du Vietnam, le gouvernement de Hanoi a reacute veacute leacute, lundi, le bilan d'un conflit dent le nombre de victimes avait eacute teacute minore a l'eacutepoque pour ne pas affecter le moral de la population.

Selon Hanoi, il y a eu pres de deux millions de morts dans la population civile du Nord et deux autres millions dans celle du Sud. Quant aux combats proprement dits, les chiffres sent d'un million cent mille militaires tueacutes et de 600.000 blesseacutes en 21 ans de guerre.

Ce dernier bilan comprend a la fois les victimes de la guerilla vietcong et les soldats nord-vietamiens qui les eacute paulaient. Les preacute ceacute dentes estimations de source occidentale faisaient eacute tat d'un bilan de 666.000 morts parmi Ies combattants Vietnamiens.

Translation

 

The Hanoi government revealed on April 4 that the true civilian casualties of the Vietnam War were 2,000,000 in the north, and 2,000,000 in the south. Military casualties were 1.1 million killed and 600,000 wounded in 21 years of war. These figures were deliberately falsified during the war by the North Vietnamese Communists to avoid demoralizing the population.

End Translation

Note: Given a Vietnamese population of approximately 38 million during the period 1954-1975, Vietnamese casualties represent a good 12-13% of the entire population. To put this in perspective, consider that the population of the US was 220 million during the Vietnam War. Had The US sustained casualties of 13% of its population, there would have been 28 million US dead.