Scope and Contents

The Department of the Army Special Photographic Office (DASPO) Collection contains documents, videos, CD Roms and newsletters documenting the unit's work in Vietnam and their recent reunion, preservation, and fundraising activities.

Biographical / Historical

The Department of the Army Special Photographic Office (DASPO) was created in 1962, when Colonel Arthur A. Jones received a directive to form a unit to provide documentary films to the U. S. Army Pentagon, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. By 1968, a permanent unit had been stationed in Saigon, to cover military activities in Vietnam. When on assignment in Vietnam, DASPO teams operated much like civilian journalists covering the war, but with much greater access. They were assigned projects, created their own stories, and covered combat. DASPO photographers captured some of the most recognizable images of the Vietnam Conflict.