Hello,
I am helping some friends trace the locations of where some of their relatives in the service died during Vietnam. Is there a list or database of Army casualties from the Vietnam War with location or geographic information?
Thanks for any assistance!
Dear Info Sleuth,
Another route to try is to start with the Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties or the Virtual Vietnam Wall to search for an individual and find what information is there...as Jason says the location provided is typically just the province. The entry also includes the complete unit designation, and with this you can search for unit records, starting with online resources like checking if there is a veteran association website for the unit, as members may have pooled resources to get them from NARA, or the Virtual Vietnam Archive, the research database of the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech (VNCA). NOTE: The VNCA only receives materials by donation, and the unit records we have are also held at NARA, but if VNCA has them they are often digitized and available online for quicker access, so it's always worth checking!
If you can find unit records, look for Daily Staff Journals (USArmy) or Command Chronologies (USMC), witness statements, incident reports, patrol reports, etc, as they will include mentions of daily activities and more exact locations as U.S. Army Grid Zone coordinates (two letters, 6 numbers ; XT461227).
I hope these suggestions are helpful in assisting family and friends of our Vietnam casualties.
--Sheon Montgomery, VNCA Reference Archivist
For VNCA research assistance, email unit or coordinate details to vnca@ttu.edu
Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/index.php)
Virtual Vietnam Wall: https://www.virtualwall.org/
NOTE: If family/friends plan to travel to Vietnam to view the site, they will need to convert the era coordinates (including latitude/longtitude) to adjust to the current coordinates, as the system in use has changed!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Virtual Vietnam Archive includes has a complete set of the era U.S. Army 1:50000 maps – they are digitized and freely available online (i.e., U.S. government and military materials are in the public domain) using our Map Search form in the Virtual Vietnam Archive (see instructions below, the attached Map Search guide and our YouTube video guide: ). NOTE: Each grid square is 1 square kilometer ; maps are roughly 26x26 grids/kilometers.
We also have an almost complete set of the era U.S. Army 1:25000 Pictomap series. The Map Sheet# corresponds to the 1:50000 sheets, with a N and S for each. The Pictomap series is not available online, but we have the digitized files available upon request. Search for the map you need using our online resources for the 1:50000 maps, then email the Map Sheet#(s) you want and we will email the PDF files to you.
Map Search Guide for Virtual Vietnam Archive - navigation and search tips:
https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/shared/guides/Guide_Using%20Maps%20Search.pdf
-------------
Go to the Virtual Vietnam Archive search page: https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu
[Navigation Tip: Click on the Home icon at the upper left to return to the main search page.]
Click on the Map Search button.
-------
Map Search - Resources
If you do not know the Map# or Grid Zone Coordinates to search for a specific map, we have map search resources (to the far right) that can help you.
--Use gazetteers to look up Lat/Long coordinates for Vietnam locations by name.
--Use the "Find U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates" list to search for a U.S. named location.
--Use the "1:50000" interactive map for South Vietnam, click on the province, then on a map.
-------
Look up coordinates and Map Sheet# using the Find U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates Index; use CTRL-F (Find) to search for your location/unit/op name in the index), then enter coordinates or the Map Sheet# in the appropriate fields on the Map Search form. U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates Index:
https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=25720203001
Within this list you can use CTRL-F (Find in text). E.g., for I/3/7 there are 4 entries, including this one:
FB Bullwhip ZC056664 6540-1 Construction completed by I/3/7th Marines 12May69. Op Oklahoma Hills.
--------
Using the Map Search form , there are two ways to search for the map to view it online:
Map Sheet#: "6640-2"
OR
Coordinates (Lat/Long or Grid Zone)
Grid Zone: Designation: BT
East/West: 073 North/South: 223
Click on the (Click for More Item Information) link in the Item Record (not the thumbnail!).
[NOTE: If you click on the thumbnail, you only get a larger thumbnail.]
Zoomable PDF map vie for highest level of detail:
Scroll farther down the page and click on the icon-link for one of the PDF files.
Save/Download the map file to your computer (the Down Arrow) or Print the file. When you Download the file it will automatically save with our Item#, which we recommend you retain for identification/access in the Virtual, but feel free to add more info to the filename that will help you identify it easily.
----------------
The U.S. Army maps are in the public domain and the VNCA has made these files available to you at no charge as a convenience.
If you use a map in a project, please use the unique item credit or citation we provide at the bottom of the (Click for More Item Information) page of the Item Record.
For large format printing, download the file(s) and use either a local business or online site. It is advised to tell the printer the output size and scale, and request a test print to check scale before ordering.
Dear Info Sleuth,
Another route to try is to start with the Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties or the Virtual Vietnam Wall to search for an individual and find what information is there...as Jason says the location provided is typically just the province. The entry also includes the complete unit designation, and with this you can search for unit records, starting with online resources like checking if there is a veteran association website for the unit, as members may have pooled resources to get them from NARA, or the Virtual Vietnam Archive, the research database of the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech (VNCA). NOTE: The VNCA only receives materials by donation, and the unit records we have are also held at NARA, but if VNCA has them they are often digitized and available online for quicker access, so it's always worth checking!
If you can find unit records, look for Daily Staff Journals (USArmy) or Command Chronologies (USMC), witness statements, incident reports, patrol reports, etc, as they will include mentions of daily activities and more exact locations as U.S. Army Grid Zone coordinates (two letters, 6 numbers ; XT461227).
I hope these suggestions are helpful in assisting family and friends of our Vietnam casualties.
--Sheon Montgomery, VNCA Reference Archivist
For VNCA research assistance, email unit or coordinate details to vnca@ttu.edu
Coffelt Database of Vietnam Casualties: https://www.coffeltdatabase.org/index.php)
Virtual Vietnam Wall: https://www.virtualwall.org/
NOTE: If family/friends plan to travel to Vietnam to view the site, they will need to convert the era coordinates (including latitude/longtitude) to adjust to the current coordinates, as the system in use has changed!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Virtual Vietnam Archive includes has a complete set of the era U.S. Army 1:50000 maps – they are digitized and freely available online (i.e., U.S. government and military materials are in the public domain) using our Map Search form in the Virtual Vietnam Archive (see instructions below, the attached Map Search guide and our YouTube video guide: ). NOTE: Each grid square is 1 square kilometer ; maps are roughly 26x26 grids/kilometers.
We also have an almost complete set of the era U.S. Army 1:25000 Pictomap series. The Map Sheet# corresponds to the 1:50000 sheets, with a N and S for each. The Pictomap series is not available online, but we have the digitized files available upon request. Search for the map you need using our online resources for the 1:50000 maps, then email the Map Sheet#(s) you want and we will email the PDF files to you.
Map Search Guide for Virtual Vietnam Archive - navigation and search tips:
https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/shared/guides/Guide_Using%20Maps%20Search.pdf
-------------
Go to the Virtual Vietnam Archive search page: https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu
[Navigation Tip: Click on the Home icon at the upper left to return to the main search page.]
Click on the Map Search button.
-------
Map Search - Resources
If you do not know the Map# or Grid Zone Coordinates to search for a specific map, we have map search resources (to the far right) that can help you.
--Use gazetteers to look up Lat/Long coordinates for Vietnam locations by name.
--Use the "Find U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates" list to search for a U.S. named location.
--Use the "1:50000" interactive map for South Vietnam, click on the province, then on a map.
-------
Look up coordinates and Map Sheet# using the Find U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates Index; use CTRL-F (Find) to search for your location/unit/op name in the index), then enter coordinates or the Map Sheet# in the appropriate fields on the Map Search form. U.S. Military Grid Zone Coordinates Index:
https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=25720203001
Within this list you can use CTRL-F (Find in text). E.g., for I/3/7 there are 4 entries, including this one:
FB Bullwhip ZC056664 6540-1 Construction completed by I/3/7th Marines 12May69. Op Oklahoma Hills.
--------
Using the Map Search form , there are two ways to search for the map to view it online:
Map Sheet#: "6640-2"
OR
Coordinates (Lat/Long or Grid Zone)
Grid Zone: Designation: BT
East/West: 073 North/South: 223
Click on the (Click for More Item Information) link in the Item Record (not the thumbnail!).
[NOTE: If you click on the thumbnail, you only get a larger thumbnail.]
Zoomable PDF map vie for highest level of detail:
Scroll farther down the page and click on the icon-link for one of the PDF files.
Save/Download the map file to your computer (the Down Arrow) or Print the file. When you Download the file it will automatically save with our Item#, which we recommend you retain for identification/access in the Virtual, but feel free to add more info to the filename that will help you identify it easily.
----------------
The U.S. Army maps are in the public domain and the VNCA has made these files available to you at no charge as a convenience.
If you use a map in a project, please use the unique item credit or citation we provide at the bottom of the (Click for More Item Information) page of the Item Record.
For large format printing, download the file(s) and use either a local business or online site. It is advised to tell the printer the output size and scale, and request a test print to check scale before ordering.
