Frequently Asked Questions

The VNCA Frequently Asked Questions page contains answers to many of the questions we are asked regarding The Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, our website, the Virtual Vietnam Archive, the Vietnam War and experience, etc... We are constantly adding more information to the knowledge base in order to better serve our users.

Do I need special permission to access your archives?
How can I find information on the people that I served with?
How can I obtain a copy of a map for a particular location? I have latitude and longitude coordinates.
How can I obtain a copy of one of the films in your collection published by Traditions Military Video?
How can I obtain copies of dissertations published about the War?
How do I access materials (documents, images, video, oral histories, etc...) online?
How do I access the US Marine Corps Documents added recently from the USMC History and Museums Division Collection?
How do I find a copy of my Military Service Records? I know there was a fire at the records center in St. Louis. Were my records destroyed?
How do I obtain a copy of my discharge papers, DD-214, Report of Separation, or equivalent form?
How do I participate in the Oral History Project
How do I search for Vietnamese-language documents?
How do I use the Maps Search Page?
How do I use the Virtual Vietnam Archive?
How many Americans died during each month and year of the Vietnam War? How many died in each of the military branches?
How many Americans served in the US military in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War? How many served in Southeast Asia, generally? How many Americans served in all of the US military branches worldwide during the Vietnam War?
How Many United States Troops Served during the Vietnam War by Year?
I am having difficulty downloading a document file from the Virtual Archive. What can I do?
I am trying to find contact for a veteran / association / friend. Can you help me.
I donated some items to the Vietnam Archive. How can I view these items online?
I have learned that the Vietnam Archive has the Diaries of Dr. Dang Thuy Tram. How can I see these?
I keep getting an error message whenever I try to access the Virtual Vietnam Archive / Oral History Interviews / New Collections, etc...
I would like to obtain a copy of an item in your collection. How much will this cost?
I'm looking for information on a US naval ship I served on.
Is there a listing of all POW / MIA's from the Vietnam War?
The Virtual Vietnam Archive did not include the information I was looking for. Who else can I contact for information about the Vietnam War?
What software do I need in order to use the Virtual Vietnam Archive?
When I try to open a document pdf or image jpg in the Virtual Archive, all I see is a little icon with a red square, green circle, and blue triangle. Why can I not see the file I requested?
Where can I find a definition for a military acronym I came across?
Where can I find additional statistics about Americans killed during the Vietnam War?