West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee

Serving the Veterans and Residents of West Seneca

The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, The United States. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina. After suffering a decisive defeat at Dien Bien Phu, the French decided to pull out of Vietnam in 1954. United States involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962. U.S. involvement escalated further following the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, in which a U.S. destroyer clashed with North Vietnamese fast attack craft. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave the U.S. president authorization to increase U.S. military presence. Regular U.S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965. More than 3 million Americans served in the Vietnam War. Operations crossed international borders: bordering areas of Laos and Cambodia were heavily bombed by U.S. forces as American involvement in the war peaked in 1968, the same year that the Communist side launched the Tet Offensive. The Tet Offensive failed in its goal of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government but became the turning point in the war. Tet was a military defeat for the Communists, yet a public relations victory. Despite many years of massive U.S. military aid to South Vietnam, the American public, distressed by mounting casualties, rising taxes and no prospect of a solution in sight, called for an end to war. Direct U.S. military involvement finally ended on 15 August 1973 as a result of the Case–Church Amendment passed by Congress. The capture of Saigon at the hands of the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year.

After fourteen long years of fighting, America lost more than 58,220 young men and women in combat, with another 153,303 wounded.

To help maintain the memory and sacrifices of so many West Seneca residents and residents from other locations in Western New York, the military service information of our Vietnam veterans has been created by questionnaires that were completed by the veteran themselves or by their family. In addition residents are urged to contribute any additional information on any Vietnam veteran they may know or have known. The goal is to have a complete military record for each Vietnam War veteran or Vietnam Era veteran whose unique and crucial contribution helped end the longest war.

Veteran must have been honorably discharged from military service

Must have served on active military duty during the:

Vietnam conflict era (February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975)

To create the database, our Vietnam War or Vietnam Era veterans or a member of their family must complete a questionnaire. If you would like to participate, click on the Vietnam Era Veterans Questionnaire link below, print and complete. Drop off the form or mail to the West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee at American Legion Post 735, 35 Legion Parkway, West Seneca. The questionnaire can also be scanned and emailed to wsvets1@gmail.com. The database compilation will be posted on the West Seneca Joint Veterans Committee website.

Click here to view the Database Questionnaire for Vietnam War and Vietnam Era Veterans. Print, complete and mail.

Help us thank our veterans for their selflessness, bravery and their sacrifice in advancing the cause of peace and freedom. Documenting the service of our Vietnam Era veterans will preserve their memory for generations to come.

Note:  The military uses acronyms and abbreviations for their military units. As such, several letters strung together do not have much meaning. Each set of acronyms, initials or abbreviations has been throughly researched to find the full meaning of the title of the unit, section or battalion. For example, the acronym "MSBS" probably would not mean much to the casual observer. Knowing that the initials stands for "Marine Scout Bombing Squadron", allows the observer to know what branch the individual served and what the individual's mission may have been.  Due to rapid buildup of forces, many units were only temporary and when the war ended, were removed from active service. In many cases, records may no longer exist on the mission of that particular unit.  For the sailors that served on ships, the ship's name was researched and additional information provided on the history of the ship.   This is an ongoing project. Any additional information or corrections to records is appreciated Your comments or suggestions are invited.

***Please note: This is a work in progress and is in no way completed.

Database is being expanded with return of questionnaires ***

West Seneca and WNY Residents
Answered the Call To Arms

Select the FIRST Letter of Last Name and Click to View the Listings of Vietnam War Era Veterans from West Seneca and Western New York

A	B	C	D
E	F	G	H
I	J	K	L
M	N	O	P
Q	R	S	T
U	V	W	X
Y	Z

Please direct questions or comments to the Webmaster

Copyright 2012          West Seneca Veterans Committee, West Seneca, New York U.S.A.          All rights Reserved.