Speaking of Vietnam

This is a photo of the Permian Basin Vietnam Memorial located near the Commemorative Air Force and Midland International Airport.

The plaques between the flame and the state of Texas stone list the Vietnam casualties from the area by county. What is striking about this is that two of the counties, Midland and Ector, were and still are roughly the same size in terms of population. Yet, there were 62 Ector County and 26 Midland County casualties listed. I don't have an explanation for this disparity, but it's an interesting statistic.

Update: Wallace in a comment, below, has a logical answer - there were more guys from Midland than Odessa who got college deferments.

Comments

[Wallace-Midland, Texas]

Probably several things. Ector Co. in the 60's and 70's was somewhat larger than Midland Co., but the biggest factor was the number of draft age men going to college from Midland compared with Odessa. There was a disparity in the income and educational levels, more so than now.

WHC
Vietnam '71

[BILLY M. BROWN]

Please check out our website at www.vetransmemorial.us. We are attempting to write biographies and collect pictures on each of the 225 names on the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans Memorials. I am the point of contact for this activity. The disparity of the names as it relates to each county is primarily due to socio-economic factors and the population of the Permian Basin during the 60's and 70's. While Midland and Odessa are relatively equal in population today, at that time Odessa was larger than Midland by 10,000 or so people and the population of Odessa was more blue collar as Midland was more white collar. Today Midland is about 5, 000 more than Odessa, but the socio-economic factors are still there, although not as narrow as was in th 60s and 70's.