maddogdrivethru.net

Damn, i watched PLATOON like 30 times by now and sort of got this idea that black GIs did a lot of fighting and dieing in Vietnam 65-71, ....was i misled?....I also remember being an 8-12 yearold watching the newscasts in 67-71 and seeing a lot of black guys on stretchers.
Wasnt there even this issue abt too many black guys in combat units, taking too many casualties and threat of mutiny in the ranks of US Army front-line units 68-70 in Vietnam?

Vietnam War:
American Casualties by Race:
Race Recorded Casualties
Native American 226
Caucasian 50,120
Malayan 252
Mongolian 116
Negro 7,264
Unknown 215
Totals 58,193

http://www.militaryfactory.com/vietnam/casualties.asp#5

Yes, you were mislead by the usual suspects.

Watch Platoon again, and pay attention this time. Oliver Stone is a racist. Ambush scene: Charlie Sheen pulls his watch and wakes up his relief. His relief is the black guy who promptly falls asleep. Sheen wakes up just in time and triggers the ambush. Black guy blames Sheen for falling asleep.

Stone's Black troops are always getting high and fucking off in the bush. The only dependable troops are the white guys; all the black troops come off as malingerers and goofballs.

Note the casualty figures are for all causes of death, including accidents and homicide. note also casualty rates declined sharply under the evil Nixon. The whole draftee from the ghetto thing is a myth. Most of the Vietnam era troops were volunteers. A draftee in the bush was a rarity. Most of the infantry types wanted to be there. All of the aviaton types were volunteers. In 1968, most of the Marines stationed in Camp Lejuene were busting their asses trying to get to Vietnam. They prefered it to the chicken shit of state side duty. Nobody wanted to spend a war guarding a goddamned motor pool in Podunk.

Great quote on diversity (that could apply across any country/culture):