The Tacoma Vet Center catchments area covers eleven (11)
of the 39 counties located within Washington State.
The population of Vietnam Era veterans located within the
specified eleven counties total approximately 165,656 individuals.
Pierce and Thurston counties comprise approximately 84%
of the total Vietnam veteran population in five county metropolitan
areas.
A breakdown of veterans within a five county area is listed
below:
COUNTIES |
VETERANS (2000) |
VIETNAM ERA VETS |
Grays Harbor |
9,300 |
3,300 |
Lewis |
7,900 |
2,850 |
Mason |
6,800 |
2,500 |
Pierce |
88,500 |
31,400 |
Thurston |
23,900 |
8,700 |
WASHINGTON
VETERANS BY PERIOD (2000) |
PERIOD |
NUMBER OF VETS |
Persian Gulf |
45,000 |
Vietnam |
228,000 |
Korean Conflict |
78,000 |
WWII |
136,000 |
Peacetime |
162,000 |
There remains much to be done for the veteran population.
Statistics, from year 2000 indicate the Vet Center in Tacoma
has seen approximately 3% of the eligible population in
the defined catchments area. Previous estimates suggest
that 40% of the Vietnam era population are in need of psychological
and/or other forms of assistance. Future directions for
the Vet Center include extension of services to more difficult
to reach veterans and increased emphasis to targeted populations
on services offered by the Vet Center. |
