Though the notion persists that those who died in Vietnam were mostly members of a minority group, it's not true. About 5 percent of KIAs were Hispanic and 12.5 percent were black -- making both minorities slightly under-represented in their proportion of draft-age males in the national population.
It comes from a web page called FACT VS FICTION.....THE VIETNAM VETERAN
“Slightly under-respresented” as KIA’s among their proportion of draft-age males is basically ‘almost proportional’.
Consistent with the figures I cited. While over-represented overall in the ranks, they roughly fall out as the same proportion as draft age males among the population as far as “front line” troops.
Still, getting drafted is not the same as getting KIA’d. For every privileged young man who purchased or finagled a deferment, a less privileged young man was drafted to fill that slot.
As a volunteer member of a professional soldiery, I share the contempt that professional soldiers have LONG held for conscripted troops. Moreover I think conscription is a form of involuntary servitude incompatible with our rights to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
As Heinlein pointed out...
“No nation has the inherent right to survive by use of conscripted troops; and in the end, no nation ever has. Roman matrons used to tell their sons “Come back with this shield, or UPON it.”; later this custom declined.... so did Rome.”