OneGreatFamily Makes Changes To Conform To Microsoft Vista
Microsoft released to consumers their newest version of the Windows™ software, named Vista on January 30th. Microsoft has worked very hard to enhance the security provisions of Windows, especially to protect client computers from the latest generation of threats, including worms, viruses, and other malicious software (collectively known as malware). These security provisions caused many existing products to fail under Vista because of new requirements Microsoft put in place. OneGreatFamily has modified its installation process in order to conform to these new rules.
As a user, you do not have to do anything differently. When you try to run Genealogy Browser™ under Windows XP and earlier operating systems several steps were able to be combined into one:
- We download and install an automatic updater program. This program checks every time you run Genealogy Browser whether there is a newer version. If there is, this program will download it first.
- We download the current version of Genealogy Browser.
- Genealogy Browser is then started.
Last week we completed a fix to OneGreatFamily so that when you go to run Genealogy Browser it now does a pre-step of determining which operating system you are running. If it is XP or earlier, you are sent to the webpage that does the current process. If it is Vista, then you are sent to a new page that conforms to Microsoft’s new rules. You will notice prompts (i.e. authorization windows) - these are normal in Windows Vista. Any prompt that either says OneGreatFamily.com or Genealogy Browser is safe to authorize. Once complete Genealogy Browser now works as it did under Windows XP or earlier.
OneGreatFamily is committed to supporting Genealogy Browser under Microsoft’s Vista operating system so you can continue to focus on expanding your family tree.
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Vietnam War Records
by Mandy Mathews, Family Historian
Another collection of military records available for you to search are the Vietnam War Records. Similar to the Korean Conflict records, many of the Vietnam War records are protected under the U.S. Privacy Act. Several databases available deal mainly with the awards, casualties, and Prisoners of War.
Ancestry.com (a subscription website) has several Vietnam War records in their collection. Here is a brief outline of the possible information available through their website concerning the Vietnam War;
Vietnam War, Casualties Returned Alive, 1962-1979
The Combat Area Casualties Returned Alive File is maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It contains records transferred to the Archives by the U.S. government for U.S. military personnel who were captured or missing because of the Vietnam Conflict and were later released or returned to U.S. military control. The date range, May 1, 1962 - March 22, 1979, represents the dates of release or return to the U.S., not the dates in which individuals were captured or missing. This database can be a great source of information for researchers whose relatives served in the Vietnam War. Some information contained in this database includes the following:
• Name of individual
• Branch of military service (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard)
• Country of casualty (North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Laos, or Thailand)
• Type of casualty (Missing & Returned, Captured & Returned, or Non-hostile, Missing & Returned)
• Reference number (This number is assigned by the military in consecutive order for each country and major casualty series)
• Date record processed
• Military grade (rank; cross referenced with Pay Grade)
• Pay grade (cross referenced with Military Grade)
• Date released or returned
• Home city
• Home state
• Service occupation (e.g., Aircraft Engine Repairman)
• Date of birth
• Reason (Cause of casualty)
• Race (American Indian, Caucasian, Malayan, Mongolian, Negro, Unknown or not reported)
• Length of service in years
• Marital status (married, single, unknown, or not reported)
• Sex (male or female)
• Citizen (U.S. or non-U.S.)
• Date tour in Southeast Asia began (for individuals returned alive, this date may reflect the date originally captured or missing)
• Age (age at the time of casualty)
• Service component (National Guard, Regular, Reserve, Selective Service, Temporary, Unknown, or Not Reported)
• Province (a province is given only for casualties occurring in South Vietnam)
Not every record contains all of the information listed. Additional military information may be included as well.
Vietnam War, Awards and Decorations of Honor, 1965-1972
These records contain information about awards and decorations of honor awarded to U.S. and allied foreign military personnel during the Vietnam War. The awards were presented between 1965 and 1972. This database does not represent all awards and decorations presented for duties performed in Vietnam. Pertinent genealogical information includes:
• Name of Recipient
• Grade (military grade of individual receiving award)
• Command/Staff (command or staff agency to which the recipient was assigned)
• Service/Country (shows what country or service the individual served with)
• Date Eligible to Return from Overseas
• Date of Action (the date of action for a valorous or meritorious award)
• Approved Award (the name of the award or decoration that was approved for an individual)
• Level of Assignment
• General Order Number (Number of the General Order which authorized the award)
• Date Award Forwarded
• Award Presented in Republic of Vietnam (indicates whether the award was presented in Vietnam or not)
Although some of this information might seem insignificant, it can be valuable when researching military personnel records.
Vietnam War, Deceased Casualties, 1965-1972
This database contains records of U.S. servicemen who died in Southeast Asia because of the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1972. This includes individuals who died from both hostile and non-hostile incidents, as well as individuals who died while Missing in Action or while as a Prisoner of War. This collection is a compilation of two databases -- one originally created by the Department of Defense and the other by Richard D. Coffelt. The following information is included in these records:
• Name
• Sex
• Race
• Age
• Religion
• Marital Status
• Citizenship (U.S. or non-U.S.)
• Social Security or Service Number
• City of Last Residence
• State of Last Residence
• Birth Date
• Date Tour Began
• Length of Service
• Death or Casualty Date
• Country of Casualty
• Province of Casualty
• Air or Non-air Casualty
• Casualty Reason
• Type of Casualty
• Body Recovered or not
• Branch of Service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marines)
• Component (National Guard, Regular, Reserve, Selective Service, Temporary, or Unknown, Not Reported)
• Company (H, B, C, E, etc.)
• Unit/Regiment Type (Cavalry, Heavy Artillery, Infantry, etc.)
• Rank (Private, Corporal, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Captain, etc.)
• Pay Grade
• Decorations and Awards/Advancement
• Military/Service Occupation
• File Reference Number (Number assigned by the military in consecutive order for each country and major casualty series)
• Source (Indicates which database the record came from)
Because this collection came from two separate databases, all of the above information will not be found with every record.
As with other military records, this is just one of many sources for finding information. New information becomes available every day. Remember to check the U.S. National Archives (www.archives.gov), and the LDS Family History Library (www.familysearch.org). Both of these sources maintain extensive collections of military records that are constantly being updated. Do not disregard a general internet search for the record type you are searching. This is the best way to find new databases that become available.
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