For those who want to know where your loved one served during the Vietnam War, the information below will help you in your search.
Information needed:
- Which branch of the Armed Forces did they serve in: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines
- The assigned unit.
- The dates of their Tour of Duty. The Vietnam War occurred from 1 Nov 1955-30 April 1975. U.S. military advisors were on the ground beginning in 1950 with the first combat troops arriving around 1965.
Example: My dad served in the U.S. Army Infantry: 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, Bravo Company, 1st Air Cavalry Division from June 1967-June 1968.
Where to Look:
- From there you can then perform an online search for their unit as many have their own websites. For example, my dad served with the 1/8th Cav in Vietnam and by searching Google with the phrase: 1/8th Cav in Vietnam, the top search result is a link to the Jumping Mustangs website.
- Or you can perform a search for a Vietnam War timeline of battles and the units that fought in them.
- If you have no idea when or where they served or in what capacity you may (as a family member) request a veteran’s records through the National Archives Request Military Service Records. Just fill out what you can on the form.
How Goes the Battle? 
I’m looking for my brothers military records, including his combat record. I only know he went to basic at Fort Leonard wood in south Missouri in 64-5 and was in Nha Trang in Viet Nam. He told me he was in an ambush where only him and his sgt got out. I thought he was in La Drange Valley fight. Not sure about that. I don’t know his unit. I do know he got a purple Hear or two for grenade fragments. He went to Colorado when he came back. He served one year. His name is Jack Leroy Smith from Saint Joseph Mo. He was drafted. He had an Honorable discharge. He died of Throat cancer in 1999 at 53. Can anyone please help me? Robert Smith
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Have you tried requesting his records through the National Archives? (The link to it is available in my post above.)
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