Scope and Contents

This series is broken into two sections. The first deals with technological developments such as helicopters, air power, riverine war technologies. The second deals with the subject of chemical and biological warfare including Agent Orange. This section cover the use of weapons systems during the Vietnam Conflict. The material is primarily secondary in nature with an emphasis on research and development. General subject headings include: use of airpower, helicopters, anti- aircraft technology, target selection for bombing and air strike missions, riverine warfare, electronic barriers, and technical intelligence. Also included in this section is information relating to chemical and biological warfare in Vietnam, specifically the use and effects of toxic agents for defoliation and crop destruction programs such as Agent Orange and the issue of 'yellow rain.' Finally, this section examines the Ho Chi Minh Trail and its use during the war.

Biographical / Historical

Professor Pike was born in 1925. He served as a journalist in the Army during World War II (in the Pacific Theater of Operations) and during the Korean Conflict. He earned degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and American University. He served as an FSO in Taiwan, Korea, Lebanon, and Vietnam. In 1982 he began teaching at UC-Berkeley and in 1997 moved Texas Tech University. Professor Pike housed and supported the Collection until 1982 when he moved it to Berkeley. It remained there until 1992 when Berkeley considered discontinuing its support for the Indo-China Studies Project. After being approached by Professor Pike, Dr. James Reckner, Director of the Vietnam Center at Tech, and Dr. David Murrah, Assistant Director of Libraries for the Special Collections, worked together to bring the Collection to the Archive in 1994