Understanding the power of a picture, the Veterans History Project encourages veterans to submit photographs of their time in the military. Photography can play an important role in telling a service story, and we focus our lens on 12 collections from the Vietnam War, all of which include candid, amateur photographs. Taken by soldiers, sailors, and Marines who sought to capture their experiences on film, these snapshots offer a counterpoint to images created by official military photographers, providing a vivid, intensely personal view of the Vietnam War through the eyes of those who served.

Fifty years after the fact, the Vietnam War remains part of our collective national consciousness. For the veterans who served during this era, this conflict has particular meaning. Each of these veterans experienced the war in a unique, individual way; no two stories are the same. As veteran Tom Hagel has explained, “When we think of wars – whether it’s Vietnam or any other war – we think of it as a unitary subject … but there are millions of Vietnam Wars.” To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Vietnam War, in 2012 the Veterans History Project highlighted a series of collections from this era. They are but a few of the “millions of Vietnam Wars” embodied by the stories of Vietnam veterans. These interviews represent a wide variety of branches, service locations, and military roles; collectively, they illuminate the dramatic—and ongoing—effects of the war on those who participated.

A collection of clippings, correspondence, military papers, printed matter, photographs and artifacts relating to Simonelli's service in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Simonelli was drafted into the United States Army in October 1965. In April 1966, he deployed to Vietnam, where he served near Cu Chi as a Mortar Platoon Squad Leader with A Company, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, returning to the United States in April 1967.

A collection of correspondence, creative works, a memoir, military papers and photographs, documenting the service of Trawczynski in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. In 1968, he was drafted into the United States Army, and served on active duty from March 8, 1968, until February 28, 1970. He served as a medical corpsman in the 13th Field Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, before deploying to Vietnam in May 1969. He was assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and completed combat and pacification missions in Hue, Boc Hoa, the A Shau Valley, Fire Base Roy, Camp Ra, Bien Hoa, Camp Eagle, and Fire Base Rifle.

A collection of clippings, correspondence, creative works, maps, military papers, periodicals, printed matter, photographic prints, and a video oral history relating to James David Tuczak's service in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Tuczak enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in February 1966. After training as a combat engineer, he served in Vietnam with the 9th Engineer Battalion.