Download the combined incident-level dataset

Downloads and caches the master incident-level dataset that joins the VNDBA, SITRA, TIRSA, and VCIIA source files into a single standardized table covering ground combat events in South Vietnam from 1963 to 1973.

Usage

get_comb_inc_dta(cache = TRUE, force = FALSE)

Format

A data frame with 638,760 rows and 43 variables. Key variables include:

master_event_id

Unique incident identifier.

data_file_origin

Source file (VNDBA, SITRA, TIRSA, or VCIIA).

aggressor_side

Initiating force (Allied or enemy).

aggressor_sub_group

Specific unit or group.

general_action_category

Broad action type.

enemy_action_category

Enemy action type (e.g., direct attack, harassment, terrorism, mining).

initiation_date

Date of the incident.

initiation_time

Time of the incident.

n_friendly_kia

Number of friendly killed in action.

n_friendly_wia

Number of friendly wounded in action.

n_enemy_kia

Number of enemy killed in action.

n_enemy_wia

Number of enemy wounded in action.

prov_name

Province name.

corp

Corps tactical zone.

lat, lng

Geographic coordinates.

Source

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, MD. Derived from electronic records collected by the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV): the VNDBA, SITRA, TIRSA, and VCIIA source files. See Smith (2025) and its Online Appendix for full archival accession details and the construction procedure.

Arguments

cache

Logical. If TRUE (default), the downloaded file is saved locally and reused on subsequent calls without re-downloading.

force

Logical. If TRUE, re-downloads the file even if a cached copy already exists. Default is FALSE.

Value

A data frame with 638,760 rows and 43 variables.

Details

Each row is a discrete combat incident. The combined dataset was constructed by standardizing column names and actor labels across the four source files, tagging each record with its source file, merging the records, removing duplicate entries appearing in more than one source, and assigning a unique incident identifier to each remaining observation. It does not replace the individual source files, which retain additional variables not carried into the combined table.

References

Smith, Gregory L. (2025). "Beyond body counts: Vietnam war ground combat data." Conflict Management and Peace Science. doi:10.1177/07388942251391081

See also

get_vndba, get_sitra, get_tirsa, get_vciia

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
  comb_inc <- get_comb_inc_dta()
  head(comb_inc)
} # }