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U.S. Military Casualties, Missing in Action, and Prisoners of War from the Era of the Vietnam War

Electronic Records Reference Report

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Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921 - 2008

Honoring the prisoners of war from the Vietnam era

View in National Archives Catalog

Introduction

This reference report provides an overview of the electronic data records in the custody of the National Archives that relate to U.S. military casualties, missing in action, and prisoners of war from the Vietnam War era. Full descriptions of the series and data files listed in this report are in the National Archives Catalog. Users can search the Catalog by title, National Archives Identifier, type of archival material, or keyword.

Some of the series and files listed in this report are accessible online:

All of the files are also available for a cost-recovery fee. For more information see: Ordering Information for Electronic Records.

Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

  • Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files
    National Archives Identifier: 2163536
    Online Access: Download   |    Search
     
    • Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008
      National Archives Identifier: 2240992
      Online Access: Download   |    Search

      This file contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Vietnam Conflict, including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is the successor to the Combat Area Casualties Current Files (CACCF), which are part of the series "Records of Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War." The Electronic Records Reference Report on Statistical Information about Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War contains statistics based on selected data fields in the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File.  In addition, information from these records are available as State-Level Fatal Casualty Lists.

  • Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files
    National Archives Identifier: 4667739
    Online Access: Download   |    Search

    This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, or War on Terrorism. These include the records of persons who were missing in action or prisoners of war in either the Korean War or the Vietnam War.

  • Records on Military Personnel Who Died, Were Missing in Action or Prisoners of War as a Result of the Vietnam War
    National Archives Identifier: 306742

    This series contains records of U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either hostile or non-hostile occurrence or who were missing in action or prisoners of war in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War, including casualties that occurred in Cambodia, China, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Thailand. The dates of death range from 1956 to 1998 (the last transfer of the records). This series consists of:

    • Combat Area Casualties Current Files (CACCF)
      Online Access: Download   |    Search

      These files contain final records of deceased casualties. Unless otherwise requested or noted, NARA uses the CACCF as of December 1998 for reference purposes. The agency no longer updates CACCF as it has been succeeded by the "Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File" from the series "Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files."
       
    • Combat Area Casualties History Files (CACHF)
      These files contain non-final records for some of the casualties for whom there is a final record in either the Combat Area Casualties Current File or the Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File.
       
    • Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File (CACRAF)
      Online Access: Download   |    Search

      This file contains final records for U.S. military personnel who returned alive after having been held prisoner or missing in action. Since these records concern individuals who presumably are still alive, NARA masks some data elements before releasing the records to the public.

Record Group 407: Records of the Adjutant General's Office

  • Records of Deceased, Wounded, Ill, or Injured Army Personnel, Including Dependents and Civilian Employees
    National Archives Identifier: 641697
    Online Access: Download   |    Search

    This series contains information about U.S. Army personnel and their dependents who died or were injured worldwide, including missing in action and prisoners of war, between 1961 and 1981. NARA makes a public use version of the file available. In addition, individual records of Army personnel who were wounded will be provided in full to the named individual upon receipt of a written request and appropriate identification. NARA provides this service free of charge.

Collection COFF: Richard Coffelt, Richard Arnold, and David Argabright Collection

  • Records with Unit Information on Military Personnel Who Died During the Vietnam War
    National Archives Identifier: 571687
    Online Access: Search

    This series contains military unit information on U.S. military officers and soldiers who died as a result of either a hostile or non-hostile occurrence, including while missing in action or while prisoner of war, in the Southeast Asian combat area during the Vietnam War.

Related Information

NARA Reference Information Paper 90, Records Relating to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era, 1960-1994

Electronic Records Reference Report, Electronic Data Records Relating to Military Objectives and Activities During the Vietnam War

Electronic Records Reference Report, Statistical Information about Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War

Theodore J. Hull, " Electronic Records of Korean and Vietnam War Casualties," Prologue (Spring 2000).

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September 2021

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