Disease and Non-Battle Injuries Among U.S. Marines in Vietnam

This paper examines disease and non-battle injuries among U.S. Marines stationed in Vietnam between 1965 and 1972. Computerized records were searched for all hospital admissions among male U.S. Marines throughout the world during the study period, and rates of first hospitalization for Marines stationed in Vietnam were compared with rates of Marines stationed elsewhere. In all but two diagnostic categories, the risk of first hospitalizations among U.S. Marines stationed in Vietnam was significantly higher than it was for Marines stationed elsewhere. This was particularly true for infective and parasitic diseases, and symptoms and ill-defined conditions.