Welcome to the SEA SAR Database

Last Update: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Hosted by USAF PJ Association

Vietnam War CSAR Database
1964 - 1975

The Southeast Asia (SEA) Search and Rescue (SAR) database is the only known location where you will be able to find comprehensive information regarding USAF SAR missions flown in SEA during the Vietnam War. There are over 3000 combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions in the database.

Most Combat Search and Rescues (CSAR's) in the database will tell you the date, SAR objective, shoot down locations, who flew on the rescue aircraft, and who was rescued. It lists over 3000 combat rescues during the Vietnam War. The database DOES NOT contain ALL of the rescues accomplished in Southeast Asia (SEA). For purposes of this project SEA is defined as North Vietnam, South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin or South China Sea off the coastline of Vietnam. The database does contain the majority of the CSAR's flown; especially those flown by HH-3's and HH-53's. Many of the HH-43 missions are missing because those mission were not found during the research phase of this project.

You can input a name and a list of all SARs he flew, who he rescued, location of the CSAR, who was rescued and many, many more data fields about the SAR. In addition to PJs on each CSAR, the database also lists the names of rescue pilots, flight engineers, and any other crew positions on the rescue aircraft. The database actually contains much more information. Before you go to the database for the first time, read and print the search tips to get needed information about how to use the database.

At this time, the only rescue crewmen listed in the database are those who flew on a pickup aircraft. The names of the high bird rescue helicopter (Jolly or Pedro), Sandy pilots, FAC's and King / Crown are not listed. This is not because they were essential parts of the rescue mission; but because it would make the database too complicated to navigate through.

Until the creation of this database, no agency or individual had compiled all of the data sources into a single source document. These documents include:

7th Air Force Joint Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) save forms
SAR Mission Reports written by Sandy, Jolly, King and Pedro
Unit Histories from SAR units and the Sandies
SAR Unit Duty Officer Log Books
Unit scrap books and newspaper and magazine articles

Data collection for this project was begun by retired PJ Robert LaPointe in 1995. Ron Thurlow volunteered to assist Bob in adding data to the database. Ron is a retired USAF F-4 WSO. For several years Bob traveled about the USA collecting primary source documents and Ron inputted newly collected information into the database. In 2001, Ron gave the completed database back to Bob to publish on line. It initially went online at http://www.pjsinnam.com. That site went offline when he moved to the Philippines and that country did not have reliable internet connections.

Finally, it is back online for your use at this USAF Pararescue Association history website.

This database is copyrighted to Robert LaPointe and Ron Thurlow. Please cite this site as the source material for any data collected. Copying the database and use of it off of this website is prohibited. Hyperlinking your website to the database is permitted providing your hyperlink brings users to this page and not directly to the database search page.

Tips on how to best search the SEA CSAR Database

The types of data and the amount of data in the database make accurate searches more difficult than I would have preferred. However, if you follow the search tips below, you will be rewarded with all of the available information about a SAR.

Read and Print These Tips Prior to Attempting to Use the Database. Trust me you will wish you have a printed copy if you try to search without one. This database MUST be searched using certain rules or it will not work. These rules are defined in MS-Access/Excel databases. If you follow the search rules you will be rewarded with an incredible about of detailed data. This process MAY seem overly complicated but it is the best I can do with the knowledge and software at my disposal.

A "record" contains information about a specific SAR. Each rescue pickup aircraft has its own record. So if two helicopters each picked up a single survivor from a 2-seat aircraft, there would be 2 records from that SAR. A few SAR's have several records for a downed aircraft because multiple attempts were made to rescue the survivors.

A "query" is a technical term for a search. They mean the same thing for your purposes.

Searches are not case dependent. Searching for LaPointe, lapointe, or LAPOINTE will all result in the same records being returned.

You have to do one search at a time and narrow it down with follow on searches. This means you can only type in a search request into ONE (1) blank space and then hit "Submit Query." You do not have to delete the text from the original search (or searches) when submitting follow on searches. But, if you try a query with two NEW typed entries using a single "Submit Query" you will get the message "No Records Returned'

The easiest search is by last name. If you know the name of of a person on a mission, or if you want to know all of the missions a specific person flew on. Type the last name in the appropriate search block/s. If you know the survivors name and want to find out who rescued him, type his last name in the appropriate block/s.

Click Here to Search the Database