The Robert Withrow Vietnam War Collection is related to the 1965-1967 military service of Robert Withrow, a Fireman (E-3) aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. The collection consists of photographs taken by Withrow, as well as yearbooks and military patches collected by Withrow.

The color photographs, which do not feature any identifying captions, primarily feature aircraft aboard the USSKitty Hawk, including a Grumman A-6F Intruder, a North American A-5 Vigilante, and a McDonnell F-4D Phantom II. There is one image that shows the USSKitty Hawk at sea with a flight deck loaded with aircraft and one that shows the wake behind the aircraft carrier. Additionally, there is one image featuring a gun formation at an unidentified fort.

The collection also includes four patches. Two patches feature "USSKitty Hawk CVA-63" across the top. One patch reads "Far East Cruise 1965-1966" along the bottom and features an image of the ship at sea in the center. Around the image is small text listing the ports of call: "Hawaii, Yokosuka, Japan, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Philippines." The second patch reads "Far East Cruise 1966" along the bottom and includes a center image of the ship with red dots on green representing the various ports of call and the words "7th Fleet, Task Force 77, Yokosuka, Japan, Okinawa, Hawaii, Formosa, Hong Kong, Philippines." The third patch reads "Sorry About That - Viet Nam 66-67" and features two aircraft flying over a bent over male figure. The final patch reads "Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club" with an image of Vietnamese junk (ship) backed by three red horizontal lines in a reference to the flag of South Vietnam, which is red lines against a yellow background.

Additionally, the collection includes two cruise books, or yearbooks, for the 1965-1966 and 1966-1967 WestPac tours of the USS Kitty Hawk. The books are each in their original cardboard mailers; the 1965-1966 mailer has severe wear on one of the corners, which has impacted the yearbook as well, though to a lesser degree.

The 1965-1966 yearbook is green cloth with a golden embossed image of USSKitty Hawk in the lower right hand corner. Beneath the image is "USSKitty Hawk 1965-1966." The 1966-1967 yearbook is black leather with a golden embossed circular seal featuring the Wright Brothers' Flyer I airplane [flown at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina] in flight over waves and USSKitty Hawk-CVA 63. Underneath the seal is "USSKitty Hawk 1966-1967."

The books are comprised primarily of photographs, including group portraits of military personnel, in addition to snapshots of military personnel and activities, such as daily work aboard the ship. A few aircraft are featured, as well as military armaments and sight-seeing snapshots during the cruises. Various ports are included, such as the Phillipine Islands, Japan, Hong Kong (China), and Vietnam. The books also discuss day-to-day operations and provide background on what various divisions and squads were responsible for, such as "S-5" stewards being responsible for preparation and serving officers' meals and stateroom cleaning and "E" Division handling electrical duties for "telephone, circuits, and wiring."