Documents
Naval History and Heritage Command's archives include a broad spectrum of Vietnam War–related primary source documents, of which a few digitized examples may be viewed below. These are representative of the war's course and impact on the U.S. government, the U.S. Navy, the South Vietnamese, and on U.S. society as a whole.
Political
- Under Secretary of State George W. Ball, 1962: "Free World Challenge in Southeast Asia"
- Publicly Released Information on Tonkin Gulf Incident, 1964
- "Viet-Nam: The Struggle for Freedom," Department of Defense Q&A Pamphlet, 1964
- President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965: "Viet-Nam: The Third Face of the War"
- President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965: "We Will Stand in Viet-Nam"
- "What Is CORDS?," 1969 (ad-hoc press packet explaining the U.S. Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support effort in Vietnam)
- "Bombing as a Policy Tool in Vietnam: Effectiveness," 1972
- "Declarations of War and Authorizations for Use of Military Force"
Naval/Military
- USS Turner Joy (DD-951) Action Report for Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 4 August 1964
- USS Maddox (DD-731) Report of Tonkin Gulf Action, 4 August 1964
- NHHC's Tonkin Gulf Operational Records Collection
- Commander Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly and Quarterly Operations Summaries, 1966–73
- Riverine Combat Field Manual, 1971
- Operation Market Time (post-operation analysis), 1975
- Z-Grams
The many operational roles that U.S. Navy personnel carried out in Vietnam encompassed often-unique challenges to a given individual's professionalism, dedication to duty, and personal ingenuity. No two in-country experiences were exactly alike and they remain vibrant memories, with both light and dark sides, for many surviving veterans of the conflict. The oral histories below exemplify this.
Commander Anthony R. DeMarco, USN (Ret.), combat field historian with Naval Forces Vietnam, 1967–68
