On this Fourth of July, let’s pause to honor 42 American who
gave their lives in the service of our country in Vietnam 50 years ago today.
The year 1968 was the deadliest year for Americans in the
Vietnam war, with 16,899 servicemen killed during the year, an average of 46 a
day. The Fourth of July that year was a typical day, with 42 men dying. The
16,899 who died in 1968 were 29% of all those killed in the war. For
perspective, about about 11,000 died in each year of 1967 and 1969.
The 42 men who died on July 4, 1968, came from 23 different
states, and they ranged in age from 18 to 32 and in rank from Private to Major.
They are:
