Though the conflict ended more than 50 years ago, Erie County still has nearly as many living Vietnam War veterans as it does those who served in the two Gulf Wars combined.
The most recent five-year American Community Survey shows that 5,599 Vietnam veterans with wartime service were alive in 2023, the most recent year included in the survey. By comparison, a total of 5,699 county residents who served in Operation Desert Storm/Shield or the War on Terror were alive in 2023.
More: Pa. sent more than 300,000 to serve in Vietnam War. How many veterans now remain?
The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 until 1975, while Operation Desert Storm/Shield was from 1990-91 and the War on Terror lasted from 2001-2021.
Visitors left flags of all shapes to pay their respects during their visit to the Wall that Heals, a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, that was set up at the Zem Zem Shrine Club in Millcreek Township in May 2022.
How many World War II and Korean War veterans remain alive in Erie?
Erie County still has a significant number of living veterans who served in World War II or the Korean War, though those conflicts occurred more than 70 years ago.
More: More than 1.25M Pennsylvanians fought in World War II. How many WWII veterans remain?
About 239 World War II veterans from Erie County were still alive in 2023 out of the 13,859 who served, while 1,014 Korean War veterans were alive in 2023 out of the nearly 8,000 who served.
More: Nearly 1.8 million Americans served in the Korean War. How many remain in Pennsylvania?
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@gannett.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: How many Erie County veterans remain alive who served during wars?