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Database
Overview
The database consists of over 5,000 events, which in
turn consist of ten fields and a dates range search. A search can consist
of a single field or a combination of fields, and include a single a
keyword or a short phrase.
FIELDS
Category: This field is
not currently available.
Date Time Group (DTG):
The
8-digit DTG represents the month, date, hour and minutes
MMDDHHmm).
The entire database is driven by the
Date Time Group (DTG), and although
this field is searchable, its main function is to place events in a
chronological order.
Sometimes you will see an 8-digit DTG followed by
a decimal point and a number (example: 03261752.4). The decimal is
used to put several events that happened in a very short period of
time in a probable logical order. Due
to a lack of information, the order of these events is often
a guess on my part.
3/26 Unit field:
The 3/26 Unit field is for
refining your search to a specific 3/26 companies; I, K, L, M, or
H&S. Units
have been entered as, for example, L
3/26 (as opposed to L/3/26).
Other Unit field:
If you are
searching for other than a 3/26 unit, you will need to use the Other
Unit field. 'Other Units'
are
units which supported 3/26 or 3/26 supported them during an
operation.
Map Grid:
An alphanumeric combination which represents a specific point on a
particular map, which in turn represents a specific spot on the
ground--a kind of latitude/longitude thing which is used often by the
military, only different.
MOST of the time the map grid will be a combination of 2
letters and 6 numbers, but a few times in this
database you will see a combination of 2 letters and 4 numbers-- and
in less than 10 instances you will find a combination of 2 letters
and 8 numbers.
What does it all mean? Actually it’s pretty simple.
The map I just looked at to use as a reference is named Cam Lo (usually
named after a geographic location on the map). This map is part of
series L7014, and since all of the tactical maps of I Corps are from
series L7014, it’s not likely that you will see this number again in
the database. The map has a reference number, and in this case it is
6342 1. On the maps, the last number is represented by a Roman
numeral (in this instance 1). I have converted them to Hindu-Arabic
numerals to make sorting
easier in the database.
Place: The
Vietnamese name of the place, or an American nickname given to a
location.
Activity: What
was happening at this time and place.
Casualty: Number
of and type of casualty/ KIA = killed in action; WIA = wounded in
action;
WIAE = evacuate; WIANE = not evacuated; DOW = Died Of Wounds.
Start Date & End Date:
The
system is designed to always search within a range of dates.
The default range of dates is the Battalion’s entire Vietnam
tour, 11 December 1966 to 19 March 1970.
How to Change the Date Range: The calendar is quite
simple to use. You can insert your curser directly into the field to
manually change the date, or you can use the drop-down calendar
which appears when you click in the Date field.
To do this, click in the date field you wish to
change. Then either select the highlight year which appears at the
top of the drop-down calendar, or use the arrows to the left and
right of the year to advance, or go back to the correct year. From
there, you can select the month and then the day. If you are
searching for events of a single date, you must enter the same date
for the Start and End date.
Name: If
a name was in the database, this would be the place to find it.
Names may also be included in other fields as well.
Search All Fields:
use this
field as a free-form search field. Search for a single word or a
short phrase in the search box.
Search Button:
Hitting the
Search button initiates you search.
Results:
The results of your search, which
will include four fields of data, will be listed.
If you have more than 100 results, be sure to note the page numbers
at the bottom of the results, where you can click through to view
all of your events.
The Asterisk "*":
The Asterisk indicates that the information
directly to the left of the asterisk is being questioned. This could
be due to a number of reasonable causes such as questionable
spelling of a name, or not being certain of the correct, time, date,
or whatever of an event. If you know the answer or you think you do,
please be sure to share the information by clicking on the 'View"
link to the left of the event, and then posting a comment on the
event page.
Your help would
be appreciated.
View More Info:
Click on the 'View' link to the left of any event to
be able to see all the fields for that event in profile view. Note -
the Activity field generally contains most, if not all of the
pertinent information relating to that event. Most events do not
have data in all fields.
Comments:
If you have any information to share, or have
questions regarding an event, while in profile view of the specific
event you want to communicate about, please submit a comment. Once
your comment is reviewed and released, it will be published where where others can then read,
respond, or join in on the conversation.
Comments Library: Comments will
be listed within the specific event page and will also be shown in
the Comment Library. You may have the comments listed by the most
recent on top or the oldest on top. From a comment in the Library
you should be able to go back to the relevant event.
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