The Vietnam War 1961-1973

The conflict began in Vietnam over the issues of Vietnamese independence from French colonialism and the communist activities of Vietnamese leaders in the North, namely Ho Chi Minh. The United States showed its support for non-communist movements in Vietnam by sending 16,000 military advisors there in 1961. The United States entered the war when it sent combat troops to Vietnam in 1965. The war ended for the United States on April 29, 1975 when American withdrawal ended.

An index, called the Vietnam Casualty Database, of approximately 58,000 soldiers who died or who were declared dead after being missing in action in the Vietnam Conflict between 1961 and 1975 contains the soldier's name, branch of military service, country of casualty, type of casualty, Social Security or service number, military pay grade, date of death, home city and state, service occupation, date of birth, cause of death, race, religious affiliation, age, sex, marital status, date when sent to Vietnam, when the body was recovered, and the province of Vietnam. You can search the database at the Family History Library and its Family History Centers.

You can search the database on the internet at http://www.lineagesnet.com. A fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis on July 12, 1973 destroyed millions of military records and damaged millions more. At least 80% of the Army's records for soldiers serving between 1912 and 1959 and 60% of the Air Force's records for airmen serving between 1947 and 1963 were lost. The records of some military personnel who expected to apply for military benefits in the future (meaning after July 12, 1973) have been reconstructed.

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