Vietnam Veterans Oral History Project

To navigate this site, researchers have two options.

Research by Military Branch and Individual Veteran
Using the top menu, click Veterans, navigate to branch of service. and find individual veteran’s pages, complete with biographical details, video of the full interview, summaries of each interview section, the interview transcript, and related documents.

Research via Key Terms
Use the search bar below to research key terms.

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Please note:

• At this time, transcripts are not searchable via the search bar. The search function will pick up terms listed on each veteran’s page, including their biographical summary, such as hometown, year(s) in Vietnam, and role(s) in Vietnam; their biography; and the summaries of the interview sections.
• Certain search terms will result in a 100% return, such as “Agent Orange” and “basic training,” as we ask all veterans about these topics. Other terms will lead to more refined results, such as “napalm,” “Tet Offensive,” “GI Bill,” “Parris Island,” and “Purple Heart.”
• Each oral history interview contains variation, as we ask different questions based on branch of service, whether veterans were in combat or the rear, and what years veterans served in country. For instance, for veterans who were in country in early 1968, we ask specifically about the Tet Offensive. While each interview has some variation in questions and follow-up questions, they all have the same overall structure (see below), allowing researchers to navigate to relevant sections.

Each oral history interview allows veterans to tell their stories in rough chronological order. Sections 1 and 2 cover life before Vietnam, including veterans’ early lives, entry into the military, and basic training. Sections 3 through 7 focus on experiences in Vietnam, ranging from arrival to friendships and PX purchases. Sections 8 through 10 explore veterans’ lives after Vietnam, including their thoughts on the Vietnam Memorial in DC and whether they have (or would like to) visit twenty-first century Vietnam.

Section 1: Early Life
Example question: Where did you grow up, and what was your area known for? 

Section 2: Basic Training (and Advanced Training)
Example question: How difficult was the experience of boot camp for you? 

Section 3: Arrival in Vietnam, Role, and Fellow Servicemembers
Example question: Could you describe your first 24 to 48 hours in country?

Section 4: Adjusting to Vietnam and Interacting with Vietnamese People
Example question: How did living in Vietnam and meeting Vietnamese people affect you? 

Section 5: Recollections of Agent Orange
Example question: Do you remember seeing Agent Orange being sprayed? 

Section 6: Responses to the War
Example question: What was the most memorable friendship you had during your time in Vietnam?

Section 7: Staying Connected to “the World” and Additional Stories
Example question: What was your most expensive or frequent purchase at the PX? 

Section 8: Coming Home
Example question: Who, since the war, have you talked to about Vietnam? 

Section 9: The Wall in DC
Example question: Have you been to the wall in D.C.? 

Section 10: Remembering the War
Example question: Have you been back to Vietnam? 

On an individual veteran’s page, researchers can do the following:

• watch the full interview or watch the selected clips on Agent Orange and the Wall in DC.
• scroll down to the section summaries. Each section heading (for instance Section 3) can be clicked and will navigate to that time-stamped section on YouTube.
• view and download transcripts of the full interview.

Each veteran’s page also includes a still from the interview, biographical bullets and a written biography, and space for archival items provided by the veteran, such as photographs or newspaper clippings.