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Research on Aging, Vol. 28, No. 1, 37-55 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0164027505281570

Vietnam Service, Combat, and Lifetime Educational Attainment

Preliminary Results From the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging

Michael J. Lyons

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

William S. Kremen

Carol Franz

University of California, San Diego

Michael D. Grant

Heather Thompson Brenner

Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Corwin Boake

University of Texas Medical Center, Houston

Seth Eisen

Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis VA Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri

Combat experiences early in adulthood may have lifelong ramifications. In the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), the authors studied lifetime educational attainment (LEA) in 236 male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Twins who served in Vietnam had completed significantly fewer years of education by their 50s. Level of combat exposure was negatively correlated with LEA. To control for variables that might confound the relationship between combat and LEA, the authors compared twin pairs discordant for Vietnam service (n = 44 pairs); the twins who served in Vietnam had significantly lower LEA than their cotwins. Greater cognitive ability at military induction and older age at induction both predicted higher LEA, but after statistically controlling for these variables, the relationship between combat exposure and LEA remained significant. The VETSA results demonstrate that combat experience and entering military service at a younger age may reduce lifelong educational prospects, even after cognitive ability is controlled.

Key Words: combat • education • twins • Vietnam War


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