Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics
Electronic Records Reference Report
Introduction
The following tables were generated from the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files, which is current as of April 29, 2008.
The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of June 8, 1956, and the most recent casualty record contains a date of death of May 28, 2006. The Defense Casualty Analysis System Extract Files were created by the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The records correspond to the Vietnam Conflict statistics on the DMDC web site, which is accessible online at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/pages/main.xhtml.
The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is the successor database to the Combat Area Casualties Current File. The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS contains 27 more records than the Combat Area Casualties Current File as of December 1998, which contains 58,193 records. Additionally, there are some changes to the fields between the two files, most notably in the respective date-of-death fields. The date-of-death reported in the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is either the actual date-of-death or the date-of-incident, whereas the date-of-death for the Combat Area Casualties Current File is either the actual date-of-death or the date on which the casualty was declared dead.
The full casualty records of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files are accessible online for name searches (as well as for searches using any of the other fields identified in the data layout of the files in this series) for records of specific casualties via the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) resource.
The following casualty tables were created by using AAD to query the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS. These tables represent statistics for a selection of categories based on the fields of the file. The selections of fields used in creating these tables were made on the basis of usefulness and interest to prospective researchers and the general public. These tables are for informational purposes and do not answer all questions of a statistical nature regarding U. S. casualties of the Vietnam War. Note that AAD can also be used to query the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS for more complex Vietnam War casualty statistics than what are provided on this page, such as the number of casualties by race for a specific home state of record.
A full series description for the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is accessible online via the National Archives Catalog under the National Archives Identifier 2163536. The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File is also accessible for direct download via the National Archives Catalog file-level description, National Archives Identifier 2240992.
Alternatively to the download option, we can provide reproduction copies of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File on a cost-recovery basis upon request. Information regarding the ordering of electronic records is provided online on our Ordering Information page.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by CASUALTY CATEGORY (as of April 29, 2008 )
This table contains record counts based on the codes recorded in the “CASUALTY CATEGORY” field of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File. In the case of the “PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS RECOVERED)” and “PRESUMED DEAD (BODY REMAINS NOT RECOVERED)” categories of the table, the record counts are based on the codes in both the “CASUALTY CATEGORY” and “REMAINS RECOVERED” fields.
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by CASUALTY COUNTRY/OVER WATER CODE (Country of Casualty) (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by HOME OF RECORD STATE CODE (as of April 29, 2008 )
Note that State Lists of Fatal Casualties of the Vietnam War sorted alphabetically by the last name of casualty are available online at www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-lists/.
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by HOSTILE OR NON-HOSTILE DEATH INDICATOR (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by INCIDENT OR DEATH DATE (Year) (as of April 29, 2008 )
Researchers may note substantial differences between the above record counts generated from the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files and those previously posted online that were generated from the Combat Area Casualties Current File. The reason for the differences is due to the fact that the date reported for the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files is the date-of-death or the date-of-incident, whereas the date for the Combat Area Casualties Current File is the date-of-death or the date on which the casualty was declared dead. The difference in the dates reported is reflected in the names of the respective fields for the two files, which for the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the DCAS is named “INCIDENT OR DEATH DATE”, whereas for the Combat Area Casualties Current File the field is named “DATE OF DEATH or DATE DECLARED DEAD”.
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER'S GENDER (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER COMPONENT CODE ( Service Component) (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER PAYGRADE (as of April 29, 2008 )
This table contains record counts based on the codes recorded in the “MEMBER PAYGRADE” field of the Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File . Note that the code list for this field does not distinguish Officers from Warrant Officers. The code list provided by the creating agency gives the meaning “OFFICER” for the codes O01, O02, O03, O04, O05, O06, O07, and O08. This code list also gives the meaning “OFFICER” for the codes W01, W02, W03, and W04. 1,274 records of the 1,277 records that contain the codes W01, W02, W03, or W04 in the “MEMBER PAYGRADE” field also contain one of the codes for Warrant Officers in the “MEMBER RANK OR RATE” field.
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by MEMBER SERVICE CODE (Branch of Service) (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by RACE OMB NAME ( Race) (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
DCAS Vietnam Conflict Extract File record counts by RELIGION CODE (as of April 29, 2008 )
Record counts provided for informational purposes only, not official statistics.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Reference Services, Electronic Records
Email: cer@nara.gov
Telephone: (301) 837-0470
Mail: 8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001.
January 2018
