United States, Casualties of the Vietnam War - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States



Record Description
This index consists of two files:


 * a.) Combat Area Casualties Current File, 6/8/1956 - 1/21/1998 (58,193 records)
 * b.) Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File, 5/1/1962 - 3/22/1979 (772 records)

The files were created by the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Service, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, Statistical Information Analysis Division. They served as the official repository for records on US military casualties in the Southeast Asian combat areas (Cambodia, China, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Thailand) occurring during the Vietnam War. Included within casualties were the following:


 * Vietnam War dead
 * Missing in action
 * Prisoners of war

The files were acquired from the National Archives "Access to Archival Databases" the records are from Record Group 330 Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. [AAD Series Description] See also ARC Identifier 306742.

To locate the "Access to Archival Databases" go the National Archives website at www.archives.gov, from the home page under "Resources” click “ A-Z Index" on the “Subject Index” page, under the letter alphabet, click on “AAD (Access to Archival Databases)” The military indexes should be found under “Wars/International Relations.”

The event date is either date of death or declared dead from the current file or date released or returned alive from the returned alive file.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name
 * Date of birth
 * Date of death or repatriation (return or restoration to one’s own country)
 * Home state and city of record (if known)
 * Social Security or Service number
 * Religious affiliation
 * Marital status

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name
 * Date of death
 * Home state of record
 * Social security or service number

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the name of your ancestor to locate church and land records.
 * The home city and state of record can lead you to census records.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Related Websites

 * NARA Access to Archival Databases (AAD) Description
 * NARA Collection Description
 * NARA State-Level Fatal Casualty Lists for the Vietnam War
 * NARA Finding Aid to Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era,1960-1994
 * National Park Service Vietnam Veterans Memorial District of Columbia
 * Library of Congress Veterans History Project
 * Library of Congress Vietnam Era Prisoner-of-War\Missing in Action Database
 * NARA Research in Vietnam War Records
 * NARA Military Resources: Vietnam War

Related Wiki Articles

 * United States Vietnam War 1964 to 1972
 * United States Military Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):