Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 1.25 linear feet of materials documenting Captain Gerard Tomczak's service with the 525th Military Intelligence Group, United States Army Vietnam in Gia Dinh Province near Saigon between October 1966 and September 1967. Other subjects include Tomczak's temporary duty assignment with the 191st Military Intelligence Detachment, 1st Cavalry Division at An Khe and a visit to the 196th Light Infantry Brigade Forward Headquarters at Tay Ninh near the Cambodian border. The materials include flyers/pamphlets (including propaganda); periodicals; newsletters; fact sheets; Viet Cong Use of Terror (U.S. Mission in Vietnam study); contact lists; clippings; detainee cards; newspapers; a greeting card; photocopies of maps (e.g. Saigon facilities, Ho Chi Minh City); artifacts; photographs; slides; images; a certificate of honorable service; VC/NVA Employment of Mines & Booby Traps (booklet); Chien Cu (VC/NVA weapons and equipment identification handbook); military orders (e.g. TDY, release from active duty, appointment to court martial); correspondence and letters of appreciation; personal recollections; list of VC tactics; POW handling instructions; memos; reports; award citations; service records; and notes on KIA Captain George Horsman. The materials are dated predominately 1963, 1966-1969, and 1975.

Biographical / Historical

Gerard S. Tomczak was born in July 1939 in Chicago, Illinois. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army through the DePaul University ROTC program. He spent over 5 years on active duty followed by over 16 years of Army Reserve and National Guard service. During the Vietnam War, Tomczak served with the 513th Military Intelligence Group (April 1964 - December 1965), HQ U.S. Army Europe (December 1965 - September 1966), and the 525th Military Intelligence Group (October 1966 - September 1967). He worked as a debriefing officer, debriefing intelligence officers about intelligence operations and order of battle information both midtour and before rotation. He worked with U.S. military units and Army advisors, as well as with RVN corps and divisions. During his time in Vietnam, he was stationed in Saigon. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. In 1990, Tomczak retired from the military at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following his military service, he worked as a professional photographer.