Thanks to the Virginia University and its Sixties Project Glossary

 Glossary of Military Terms & Slang from the Vietnam War K-P

I hope to use this glossary again in the english edition of the dicctionary

This text, made available by the Sixties Project, is copyright (c) 1996 by Viet Nam Generation, Inc., or the author, all rights reserved. This text may be used, printed, and archived in accordance with the Fair Use provisions of U.S. Copyright law. This text may not be archived, printed, or redistributed in any form for a fee, without the consent of the copyright holder. This notice must accompany any redistribution of the text. The Sixties Project, sponsored by Viet Nam Generation Inc. and the Institute of Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, is a collective of humanities scholars working together on the Internet to use electronic resources to provide routes of collaboration and make available primary and secondary sources for researchers, students, teachers, writers and librarians interested in the 1960s.

GLOSARIO BASICO EN INGLES pdf

 

4-F

classification given to those deemed unfit for military service

50-cal

.50 caliber machine gun

51-cal

heavy machine gun used by the enemy

79

an M-79 grenade launcher

82 mm

a mortar used by the enemy

105

a 105-mm howitzer

201 file

a U.S. Army personnel file

A

AAR

after-action report

AC

aircraft commander

actual

the [Marine] unit commander. Used to distinguish the commander from the radioman when the call sign is used.

ADSID

air-delivered seismic intruder-detection device; microphone and transmitter dropped into suspect areas

Advance Guard Youth

Vietnamese student social and sports organization that evolved into a non-Communist nationalist movement by 1945.

Advanced Individual Training

specialized training taken after Basic Training, also referred to as Advanced Infantry Training

AFVN

Armed Forced Vietnam Network radio station

Agency

the Central Intelligence Agency

AGL

above level ground

A-gunner

assistant gunner

AHB

assault helicopter battalion

AID

Agency for International Development

Airborne

refers to soldiers who are qualified as parachutists

air cav

air cavalry; helicopter-borne infantry; helicopter gunship assault teams

Airmobile

helicopter-borne infantry

AIT

advanced infantry training

AK-47

Soviet-manufactured Kalashnikov semi-automatic and fully automatic combat assault rifle, 7.62-mm; the basic weapon of the Communist forces. Known as the Type 56 to the Chinese, it is characterized by an explosive popping sound.

AK-50

newer version of the AK-47. Some have a permanently mounted "illegal" triangular bayonet, which leaves a sucking wound that will not close.

ALPHA

military phonetic for the letter 'A'

ammo dump

location where live or expended ammunition is stored

amtrack

amphibious armored vehicle used to transport troops and supplies, armed with a .30-caliber machine gun. The Marines used them.

angel track

an armored personnel carrier used as an aid station

AO

area of operations

AOD

administrative officer on duty

ao-dai

traditional dress of Vietnamese women. A brightly colored silk top worn over loose fitting silk trousers.

APC

armored personnel carrier. A track vehicle used to transport Army troops or supplies, usually armed with a .50-caliber machine gun.

APL

barracks ship

APO

Army post office located in San Francisco for overseas mail to Vietnam.

AR

Army regulation

ARA

aerial rocket artillery. A Cobra AG-1H helicopter with four XM-159C 19-rocket (2.75 inch) pods.

arc light

code name for B-52 bombers strikes along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border. These operations shook earth for ten miles away from the target area.

Article 15

section of the Uniform Military Code of Justice. A form of non-judicial punishment.

arty

shorthand term for artillery

Arvin

soldier in the ARVN, or the ARVN itself

ARVN

Army of the Republic of Vietnam; the South Vietnamese Regular Army

A-team

basic ten man team of the U.S. Special Forces. The A-teams often led irregular military units which were not responsible to the Vietnamese military command.

AWOL

absent without leave; leaving a post or position without official permission

azimuth

a bearing from North

B

B-40 rocket

a shoulder-held rocket-propelled grenade launcher

B-52

U.S. Air Force high-altitude bomber; also, slang for a can opener

ba

married woman; used as a title, like "Mrs."

bac bac

bastardized Vietnamese for "to shoot"

bac-si

Vietnamese for doctor; also used to refer to medic in the U.S. Army

ballgame

an operation or a contact

Ba Mu'o'i Ba

brand name of a Vietnamese beer

band-aid

medic

bandoliers

belts of machine gun ammunition

BAR

Browning automatic rifle. A .30-caliber magazine-fed automatic rifle used by U.S. troops during World War II and Korea.

base camp

a resupply base for field units and a location for headquarters of brigade or division size units, artillery batteries and air fields. Also known as the rear area.

Basic

basic training

bac si de

home-brewed rice whiskey

basketball

an illumination-dropping aircraft mission, capable of lighting approximately a square mile of terrain

battalion

a military unit composed of a headquarters and two or more companies, batteries, or similar units

battery

an artillery unit equivalent to a company. Six 105mm or 155mm howitzers or two 8-inch or 175mm self-propelled howitzers.

battle-sight zeroing

process of adjusting a weapon's sights and windage to an individual soldier so the weapon, when fired, will hit the object of aim.

BCD

bad conduct discharge

BDA

bomb damage assessment

beans and dicks

military C-ration hot dogs and beans

beans and motherfuckers

military C-ration lima beans and ham

beaten zone

area where the majority of bullets will strike when a machine gun is laid-in to cover a part of a defensive perimeter or part of an ambush zone.

beehive round

an explosive artillery shell which delivered thousands of small projectiles, "like nails with fins," instead of shrapnel.

berm

perimeter line of a fortification; usually raised above surrounding area

Big Boys:

artillery; slang for tanks

Big Max

maximum security section of Long Binh Stockade, fashioned out of conex containers. There was one small hole in each side for light and air; in the sun they grew quite hot. Prisoners were allowed out twice a day to use the bathroom and exericise.

Big Red One

nickname for the 1st Infantry Division

Binh Xuyenn:

the organized crime syndicate that controlled much of the Vietnamese underworld and Saigon police until deposed by Diem's forces in 1955.

bird

any aircraft, but usually refers to helicopters

bird dog

forward air controller, usually in a small, maneuverable single-engined prop airplane

BK amputee

below-the-knee amputation of the leg

blood trail

a trail of blood on the ground left by a fleeing man who has been wounded

blooker

the M-79 grenade launcher. A 40-millimeter, shotgunlike weapon that shoots spin-armed "balls" or small grenades. Also known as a blooper.

blooper

the M-79 grenade launcher. A 40-millimeter, shotgunlike weapon that shoots spin-armed "balls" or small grenades. Also known as a blooker.

blue feature

any water feature. So called because of the color used to designate water on topographic maps.

body bag

plastic bag used to transport dead bodies from the field

body count

the number of enemy killed, wounded, or captured during an operation. The term was used by Washington and Saigon as a means of measuring the progress of the war.

boo-coo

bastardized French, from beaucoup, meaning "much" or "many".

boom-boom

sex

boondoggle

any military operation that hasn't been completely thought out. An operation that is absurd or useless.

boonie hat

soft hat worn by a boonierat in the boonies

boonierat

a combat infantryman

boonies

infantry term for the field; jungles or swampy areas far from the comforts of civilization

boot

a soldier just out of boot camp; inexperienced, untested

BOQ

bachelor officer quarters; living quarters for officers

bouncing Betty

antipersonnel mine with two charges: the first propels the explosive charge upward, and the other is set to explode at about waist level.

bowl

pipe used for smoking dope

BRAVO

military phonetic for the letter 'B'

Bravo

Army designation for the infantry man

breaking squelch

disrupting the natural static of a radio by depressing the transmit bar on another radio set to the same frequency

brigade

a tactical and administrative military unit composed of a headquarters and one or more battalions of infantry or armor, with other supporting units.

bro

a black soldier; also, at times, boonierats from the same unit

bronco

twin-engine observation aircraft equipped with rockets and miniguns

Bronze Star

U.S. military decoration awarded for heroic or meritorious service no involving aerial flights

brother

a fellow black Marine; sometimes used as slang for all black males

brown bar

a lieutenant; denotes the single bar of the rank. In the field, officers wore camouflage rank which was often brown or black instead of brass.

Brown Water Navy

term applied to the U.S. Navy units assigned to the inland boat patrols of the Mekong River delta.

BS

bullshit, as in chewing the fat, telling tall tales, or telling lies

buckle

to fight. "Buckle for your dust" means to fight furiously

bummer

bad luck, a real drag

bush

infantry term for the field

bust caps

Marine Corps term for firing a rifle rapidly

butter bar

see brown bar

C

C-4

plastic, putty textured explosive carried by infantry soldiers. It burns like sterno when lit, and was used to heat C-rations in the field.

C-54

largest of the American helicopters, strictly for cargo. Also called Flying Crane or Skycrane.

C-123

small cargo airplane

C-130

large propeller-driven Air Force planes that carry people and cargo; the Hercules

C-141

large cargo airplane; the Starlifter

CA

combat assault. The term is used to describe dropping troopers into a hot LZ

cache

hidden supplies

camies

World War II term for camouflage uniforms

can cuoc

an identification card

C&C

command and control helicopter used by reconnaissance or unit commanders

Can Lao

the powerful semisecret political party of the Diem government headed by Ngo Dinh Nhu, Diem's brother. It permeated the entire administrative, intelligence, and defense structures of South Vietnam.

Cao Dai

a religious and political sect formed in the 1920s by a group of South Vietnamese intellectuals, combining the three major religions of Vietnam -- Buddhism, Confucianism, and Christianity -- with the worship of Vietnamese and Western heroes. With a strength of more that 1,500,000 followers, groups of Cao Dai still waged a stubborn resistance war against the Communists (especially in Tay Ninh Province) even after the U.S. troop withdrawal.

CAP

civil action program. U.S. military personnel working with Vietnamese civilians.

capping

shooting at

CAR-15

a carbine rifle

carbine

a short-barreled, lightweight automatic or semiautomatic rifle

Caribou C-7A

small transport plane for moving men and material

Cav

Cavalry; the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

CC

company commander

CG

commanding general

chao

hello or goodby, depending upon the context

CHARLIE

military phonetic for the letter 'C"

Charlie

Viet Cong; the enemy

Charlie-Charlie

C&C

Chas

Viet Cong; the enemy

cheap Charlie

GI who is frugal with his money while in a bar

cherry

slang term for youth and inexperience; a virgin

Chicom

Chinese communist

Chicom mine

Chinese mine; can be made of plastic

Chieu Hoi

the "open arms" program, promising clemency and financial aid to Viet Cong and NVA soldiers and cadres who stopped fighting and returned to South Vietnamese government authority.

Chinook

CH-47 cargo helicopter

choi oi

exclamation of surprise

chop chop

slang for food

chopper

helicopter

chuck

term used by black marines to identify white individuals; often derogatory

Chuck

the Viet Cong; the enemy

CIB

combat infantry badge. And Army award for being under enemy fire in a combat zone, worn on both fatigues and dress uniforms.

CIDG

South Vietnamese Civilian Irregular Defense Groups

CINCPAC

commander in chief of all American forces in the Pacific region

Civilian Irregular Defense Group

American financed, irregular South Vietnamese military units which were led by members of Special Forces A-teams. Members of these units were Vietnamese nationals, but were usually members of ethnic minorities in the country.

clacker

a small hand-held firing device for a claymore mine

claymore

an antipersonnel mine carried by the infantry which, when detonated, propelled small steel cubes in a 60-degree fan-shaped pattern to a maximum distance of 100 meters

clearance

permission from both military and political authorities to engage the enemy in a particular area

cluster fuck

any attempted operations which went bad; disorganized

clutch belt

cartridge belt worn by Marines

CMH

Congressional Medal of Honor. The highest U.S. military decoration awarded for conspicuous gallantry at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.

Co

unmarried woman; used as a title, like "Miss"

CO

commanding officer

Cobra

an AH-1G attack helicopter. Also known as a gunship, armed with rockets and machine guns.

Cochin-china:

the French name for its southern Vietnam colony, encompassing the III Corps and Mekong Delta rice-producing lowlands, which earlier was part of Cambodia.

Co Cong

female Viet Cong members

Code of Conduct

military rules for U.S. soldiers taken prisoner by the enemy

comics

topographic maps

commo

shorthand for "communications"

commo bunker

bunker containing vital communications equipment. Usually included in the last redoubt of established defensive positions.

commo wire

communications wire

company

a military unit usually consisting of a headquarters and two or more platoons

compound

a fortified military installation

concertina wire

coiled barbed wire used as an obstacle

connex container

corrugated metal packing crate, approximately six feet in length

contact

firing on or being fired upon by the enemy

CONUS

continental United States

CORDS

civil operations and revolutionary development support. Created by civilian administration, MACV, and the CIA to coordinate American pacification efforts.

COSVN

central office of South Vietnam. Communist headquarters for military and political action in South Vietnam.

counterinsurgency

antiguerrilla warfare

country team

the staff and personnel of an American embassy assigned to a particular country

co van

advisor. American assigned to Vietnamese military units or to political division within the country to help direct and train Vietnamese military and civilian officials.

coxwain flat

the area where the coxwain (driver) stands when he steers a boat or ship

CP

command post

CP pills

anti-malarial pills

CQ

charge of quarters. An officer officially in charge of a unit headquarters at night.

C-rations

combat rations. Canned meals for use in the field. Each usually consisted of a can of some basic course, a can of fruit, a packet of some type of dessert, a packet of powdered coca, a small pack of cigarettes, and two pieces of chewing gum.

crispy critters

burn victims

CS

a riot-control gas which burns the eyes and mucus membranes

cumshaw

unofficial trading, begging, bartering, or stealing from other branches of the service

cyclo

motorized rickshaw

D

DA

Department of the Army

Dac Cong

Viet Cong special forces

Dai Doan Ket

Party of Great Solidarity. Organized in 1954 to unify the non-Communist nationalist organizations in South Vietnam in the period before Ngo Dinh Diem came to full power. Headed by Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, this was the forerunner of the Can Lao.

daily-daily

daily anti-malarial pill

dai uy

Vietnamese for captain

Dai Viet

formed in 1930 as a non-Communist revolutionary and political organization throughout Vietnam. Though more widespread and with a larger membership than Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh or Lao Dong Party, the Dai Viets were fragmented into regional factions. The assassination of Truong Tu Anh, the Dai Viet leader, in 1946 by Ho's agents further fragmented the Dai Viets. By the mid-1960s the Dai Viets had evolved into two major parties that both played key roles in opposing or supporting the various South Vietnamese governments. Since 1975, there has been severe repression against Dai Viet members, some of whom still carry on resistance to the Communist government.

dap

handshake and greeting which may last up to ten minutes and is characterized by the use of both hands and often comprised of slaps and snaps of the fingers. Used by black soldiers, highly ritualized and unit specific.

DCI

the Director of the CIA

de-Americanization

early term for Vietnamization

DELTA

military phonetic for the letter 'D'

DEROS

date of expected return from overseas. The day all American soldiers in Vietnam were waiting for.

det-cord

detonating cord used with explosives

deuce-and-a-half

two-and-a-half ton truck

dew

marijuana

DH5

Viet Cong claymore mine

DH10

Viet Cong claymore mine

di

go

dicks

derogatory expression referring to both male genitalia and the enemy

diddy-bopping

walking carelessly

didi

slang from the Vietnamese word di, meaning "to leave" or "to go"

didi mau

slang Vietnamese for "go quickly"

dink

derogatory term for an Asian

dinky dau

to be crazy

district team

American personnel assigned to act as advisors to Vietnamese military and civilian officials at the district level.

District Mobile Company

the major Viet Cong fighting unit organized within each district in Vietnam. The District Mobile Company was assigned to carry out various assignments from direct offensive operations to sabotage and terrorism.

DMZ

demilitarized zone. The dividing line between North and South Vietnam established in 1954 at the Geneva Convention.

doc

medic or corpsman

dong

unit of North Vietnamese money about equal to a penny

doo-mommie

English approximation of the Vietnamese du ma, meaning literally "fuck mother"

double veteran

Having sex with a woman and then killing her made one a double veteran.

DP

displaced person

D-ring

a D-shaped metal snap link used to hold gear together

DRO

dining room orderly

drops

reduction in length of tour caused by overall reduction and withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam.

DTs

defensive targets

dung lai!

stop!

dust-off

medical evacuation by helicopter

DX

direct exchange. Also, to discard or dispose of, or to kill someone.

E

eagle flights

large air assault of helicopters

Early-Outs

a drop or reduction in time in service. A soldier with 150 days or less remaining on his active duty commitment when he DEROSed from Vietnam also ETSed from the army under the Early Out program.

ECHO

military phonetic for the letter 'E'

elephant grass

tall, razor-edged tropical plant indigenous to certain parts of Vietnam

Eleven Bravo

the MOS of an infantryman

EM

enlisted man

EOD

explosive ordinance disposal. A team that disarms explosive devices.

E-tool

entrenching tool. Folding shovel carried by infantrymen.

ETS

date of departure for overseas duty station; estimated time of separation from military service.

evac'd

evacuated

expectants

casualties who are expected to die

F

F-4

Phantom jet fighter-bombers. Range: 1,000 miles. Speed: 1400 mph. Payload: 16,000 lbs. The workhorse of the tactical air support fleet.

FAC

forward air controller; a person who coordinates air strikes

fast mover

an F-4

fatigues

standard combat uniform, green in color

FB

firebase

FDC

fire direction control center

finger charge

explosive booby-trapping device which takes its name from the size and shape's being approximately that of a man's finger

fire base

temporary artillery encampment used for fire support of forward ground operations

firefight

a battle, or exchange of small arms fire with the enemy

Fire Track

flame-thrower tank

five

radio call sign for the executive officer of a unit

flack jacket

heavy fiberglass-filled vest worn for protection from shrapnel

flaky

to be in a state of mental disarray, characterized by spaciness and various forms of unreasoning fear

flare

illumination projectile; hand-fired or shot from artillery, mortars, or air

flechette

a small dart-shaped projectile clustered in an explosive warhead. A mine without great explosive power containing small pieces of shrapnel intended to wound and kill.

FNG

fucking new guy

FO

forward observer. A person attached to a field unit to coordinate the placement of direct or indirect fire from ground, air, and naval forces.

foo gas

a mixture of explosives and napalm, usually set in a fifty-gallon drum

fours

F-4s

FOXTROT

military phonetic for the letter 'F'

frag

fragmentation grenade; verb form of "fragging"

fragging

the assassination of an officer by his own troops, usually be a grenade

freak

radio frequency. Also, a junkie or a doper.

Freedom Bird

the plane that took soldiers from Vietnam back to the World

free fire zone

free strike zone

free strike zone

area where everyone was deemed hostile and a legitimate target by U.S. forces

French fort

a distinctive triangular structure built by the hundreds by the French

freq

radio frequency

friendly fire

accidental attacks on U.S. or allied soldiers by other U.S. or allied soldiers

FUBAR

acronym for "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition," used to describe any disorganized operation

fuck

along with fucked and fuckin', the most commonly used word in the GI vocabulary other than the article 'a'

fucked up

wounded or killed. Also, to get stoned, drunk, or to be foolish or do something stupid.

fugazi

fucked up or screwed up

FULRO

United Front for the Struggle of Oppressed Races. Resistance organization in the highlands of Vietnam made up of Montagnards, Cham, and ethnic Khmer. FULRO is still conducting resistance against Communist operations to subjugate the indigenous tribal peoples.

FUNCINPEC

National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia. Prince Sihanouk's non-Communist political and military organization which attempted to drive the Vietnamese occupation forces out of Cambodia and reestablish independence. In 1982 FUNCINPEC joined the Cambodian Coalition Government and shared the seat at the United Nations.

funny papers

topographic maps

FWMAF

Free World Military Assistance Forces. The Allies.

G

G-3

division level tactical advisor; a staff officer.

Garand

the M-1 rifle

ghosting

goldbricking or sandbagging; fucking off

GI

government issue. Usually refers to an American soldier.

Glad bag

slang term for body bag

GOLF

military phonetic for the letter 'G'

gook

derogatory term for an Asian; derived from Korean slang for "person" and passed down by Korean war veterans

Green Berets

U.S. Special Forces

greens

Army Class A uniform

GR point

graves registration point. That place on a military base where the identification, embalming and processing of dead soldiers takes place as part of the operations of the quartermaster.

grids

map broken into numbered thousand-meter squares

grunt

infantryman. Originally slang for a Marine fighting in Vietnam but later applied to any solder fighting there; a boonierat.

GSW

gunshot wound

the Gun

the M-60

gung ho

enthusiastic (usually about military matters and killing people)

gunship

armed helicopter

GVN

Government of South Vietnam

H

HALO

high-altitude, low-opening jumping for insertion of troops behind enemy lines. The jump is begun from 15,000 feet.

hamlet

a small rural village

hammer and anvil

an infantry tactic of surrounding an enemy base area, then sending in other units to drive the enemy out of hiding.

hand frag

a fragmentation grenade thrown by a soldier

H&E

high explosive

H&I

harassment and interdiction. Artillery bombardments used to deny the enemy terrain which they might find beneficial to their campaign; general rather than specific, confirmed military targets; random artillery fire.

hardstand

a pierced steel plate (PSP) platform over sand

hard-stripe sergeant

rank indicated by chevron insignia, equivalent to an E5 or E6, but denoting some limited authority as well. Others of the same rank without the stripes were little more than PFCs.

Heart

a Purple Heart award for a wound; the wound itself

heat tabs

flammable tablet used to heat C-rations. Always in short supply.

Hercules

a C-130

HES

Hamlet Evaluation System. An evaluation system devised and run by Americans in Saigon which required monthly computerized reports from all the DSAs in the country.

HHC

headquarters and headquarters company

higher-highers

the honchos; the command or commanders

HM

Navy hospital corpsman; a medic

Hmong

A dominant Laotian hill tribe, around sixty percent of whom opposed the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao, in alliance with the Americans and Royal Lao government. After 1975 the Communists stepped up repression against the Hmong, who refused to be collectivized. Massive numbers of Hmong have been killed or driven into Thailand.

Hoa Hao

a Buddhist sect of two million in the western Mekong Delta, founded in the 1930s. Since the assassination of the founder and prophet, Huynh Phu So, by Ho Chi Minh's forces, the Hoa Hao have been fiercely anti-Communist.

Ho Chi Minh slippers

sandals made from tires. The soles are made from the tread and the straps from inner tubes.

Hoi-Chanh

Vietnamese Communist soldiers and cadre who rallied to the South Vietnamese government under the Chieu Hoi amnesty program.

honey-dippers

people responsible for burning human excrement

honky

African American vernacular term for white people.

hooch

a hut or simple dwelling, either military or civilian. Also spelled hootch.

hoochgirl

Vietnamese woman employed by American military as maid or laundress

hook

a radio; a radio handset

horn

radio microphone

hot

area under fire

HOTEL

military phonetic for the letter 'H'

hot LZ

a landing zone under enemy fire

howitzer

a short cannon used to fire shells at medium velocity and with relatively high trajectories

HQ

headquarters

Huey

nickname for the UH-1 series helicopters

hump

march or hike carrying a rucksack; to perform any arduous task

I

I Corps

the northernmost military region in South Vietnam

II Corps

the Central Highlands military region in South Vietnam

III Corps

the densely populated, fertile military region between Saigon and the Highlands

IV Corps

the marshy Mekong Delta southernmost military region

IG

Inspector General of the U.S. Army

illum

an illumination flare, usually fired by a mortar or artillery weapon

immersion foot

condition resulting from feet being submerged in water for a prolonged period of time, causing cracking and bleeding.

in-country

Vietnam

increments

removable charges attached to mortar fins. If they become wet, the mortar round misfires and falls short.

INDIA

military phonetic for the letter 'I'

insert

to be deployed into a tactical area by helicopter

Iron Triangle

Viet Cong dominated area between the Thi-Tinh and Saigon rivers, next to Cu Chi district

J

JAG

judge advocate general, the legal department of the Armed Services

jet jockey

Air Force fighter pilot

Jody

the person who wins your lover or spouse away while you are in the Nam. From the marching song or cadence count, "Ain't no use in goin' home / Jody's got your girl and gone / sound off...."

john wayne

can opener. Also used as a verb to describe the actions of someone who exposes himself to danger. For an example of what some GIs though of John Wayne, see Robert Flynn's essay, "John Wayne Must Die."

JULIET

military phonetic for the letter 'J'

jungle boots

footwear that looks like a combination of combat boot and canvas sneaker used by the U.S. military in a tropical climate, where leather rots because of the dampness. The canvas structure also speeds drying after crossing streams, rice paddies, etc.

jungle utilities

lightweight tropical fatigues

k

kilometer

KBA

killed by artillery

K-bar

combat knife

KCS

Kit Carson scout

KIA

killed in action

killing zone

the area within an ambush where everyone is either killed or wounded

kill zone

the radius of a circle around an explosive device within which it is predicted that 95 percent of all occupants will be killed should the device explode

KILO

military phonetic for the letter 'K'

Kit Carson scout

former Viet Cong who act as guides for U.S. military units

khong xau

Vietnamese slang for "don't worry about it," literally, "not bad"

klick

kilometer

Kool-Aid

killed in action

KP

kitchen police; mess hall duty

KPNFL

Khmer People's National Liberation Front. The major non-Communist Cambodian political and resistance organization fighting against the Vietnamese occupation force. Formed in 1979 by former prime minister Son Sann, the KPNFL is responsible for caring for and protecting nearly two-thirds of the 250,000 Cambodian refugees on the Thailand border from attacks by both the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese. Also called the Sereika by Cambodians, the KPNLF joined the resistance coalition government (CGOK) in 1982 and shared Cambodia's seat at the United Nations.

L

L

a type of ambush set-up, shaped like the letter 'L'

lager

a night defensive perimeter

Lao Dong

the Vietnamese Workers Party

LAAW

a shoulder-fired, 66-millimeter rocket, similar in effect to a 3.5-inch rocket, except that the launcher is made of Fiberglass, and is disposable after one shot

lay chilly

to freeze; to stop all motion

LBJ

Long Binh Stockade, a military stockade on Long Binh post

LCM

a mechanized landing craft used in harbors and inland waterways

leg

slightly contemptuous term used by airborne-qualified troops when they are talking about regular infantry

lego

infantry unit

lien doi

company group. A Vietnamese military unit consisting of three militia infantry companies

lifer

career military man. The term is often used in a derogatory manner.

LIMA

military phonetic for the letter 'L'

lima-lima

land line. Refers to telephone communications between two points on the ground.

litters

stretchers to carry dead and wounded

little people

the enemy

lit-up

fired upon; shot and killed or wounded

LLDB

Luc Luong Dac Biet. The South Vietnamese Special Forces.

LMG

light machine gun. The Soviet made RPD, a bi-pod mounted, belt fed weapon similar to the American M-60 machine gun. The RPD fires the same cartridge as the AK-47 and the SKS carbine.

loach

a LOH

Log Bird

logistical (resupply) helicopter

LP

listening post. A two- or three-man position set up at night outside the perimeter away from the main body of troopers, which acted as an early warning system against attack. Also, an amphibious landing platform used by infantry for storming beaches from the sea.

LRRP

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. An elite team usually composed of five to seven men who go deep into the jungle to observe enemy activity without initiating contact.

LSA

small arms lubricant

LST

troop landing ship

LT

lieutenant

lurps

members of Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols

LZ

landing zone. Usually a small clearing secured temporarily for the landing of resupply helicopters. Some become more permanent and eventually become base camps.

M

M-1

World War II vintage American rifle

M-14

Wood stock rifle used in early portion of Vietnam conflict

M-16

the standard U.S. military rifle used in Vietnam from 1966 on. Successor to the M-14.

M-60

the standard lightweight machine gun used by U.S. forces in Vietnam

M-79

a U.S. military hand-held grenade launcher

MA

mechanical ambush. Euphemism for an American set booby trap.

MACV

Military Assistance Command / Vietnam. The main American military command unit that had responsibility for and authority over all U.S. military activities in Vietnam. Based at Tan Son Nhut.

mad minute

a weapons free-fire practice and test session

Main Force Battalion

the primary Viet Cong fighting force within each province of South Vietnam. These units were often large enough and well enough equipped to participate in direct attacks on large Vietnamese and American installations and units.

mama san

pidgin used by American servicemen for any older Vietnamese woman

MARS

Military Affiliate Radio Station. Used by soldiers to call home via Signal Corps and ham radio equipment.

Mas-Cal

mass casualty

MASH

mobile Army surgical unit

MAT

mobile advisory team. Five-man teams of American advisors who were assigned to live and work in the Vietnamese villages.

Mat Tran

the Vietnamese Liberation Front.

marker round

the first round fired by mortars or artillery. Used to adjust the following rounds onto the target.

mechanized platoon

a platoon operating with tanks and/or armored personnel carriers

Med Cap

Medical Civil Action Program in which U.S. medical personnel would go into the villages to minister to the local populace.

medivac

medical evacuation from the field by helicopter

mermite

large insulated foot containers

MFW

multiple frag wounds

MG

machine gun

MIA

missing in action

mighty mite

commercial air-blower used for injecting gas into tunnels

MIKE

military phonetic for the letter 'M'

mike-mike

shorthand for millimeter

million-dollar wound

a non-crippling wound serious enough to warrant return to the U.S.

Minigun

electronically controlled, extremely rapidly firing machine gun. Most often mounted on aircraft to be used against targets on the ground.

Mr. Charles

the Viet Cong; the enemy

MI team

military intelligence team

Monday pills

anti-malarial pills taken once a week

the Monster

a PRC-77

Montagnard

a Vietnamese term for several tribes of mountain people inhabiting the hills and mountains of central and northern Vietnam.

moose

a Vietnamese mistress

mortar

a muzzle-loading cannon with a short tube in relation to its caliber that throws projectiles with low muzzle velocity at high angles.

MOS

military occupational specialty

most ricky-tick

immediately, if not sooner

MP

military police

MPC

military payment currency. The scrip U.S. soldiers were paid in.

MR IV

Viet Cong military region surrounding and including Saigon

mule

small, motorized platform originally designed to carry a 106-millimeter recoilless rifle, but most often used for transporting supplies and personnel.

N

Nam

Vietnam

napalm

a jellied petroleum substance which burns fiercely, and is used as a weapon against personnel.

nape

napalm

NCO

noncommissioned officer. Usually a squad leader or platoon sergeant.

NDP

night defensive position

net

radio frequency setting, from "network."

New Socialist Man

Orwellian concept adopted by the Communists. The ideal collectivized citizen.

Next

the man who said he was the next to rotated home.

nickel

the number five

NLF

National Liberation Front

no sweat

easy, simple

NPD

night perimeter defense

number one

the best

number ten

the worst

number ten thousand

a description of how bad things can be

Nung

tribespeople of Chinese origin, from the highlands of North Vietnam. Some who moved South worked with the U.S. Special Forces.

nuoc-mam

fermented fish sauce used by the Vietnamese as a condiment

NVA

North Vietnamese Army

O

OCS

officer candidate school

OD

olive drab, a camouflage color

opcon

operational control

open sheaf

a term used in calling artillery, whereby the artillery rounds were spread along an axis rather than concentrated on a single point (as when it was desired to cover a treeline).

OR:

operating room

OSCAR

military phonetic for the letter 'O'

OSS

Office of Strategic Services

over the fence

crossing into Cambodia or Laos

P

P

slang for the Vietnamese piaster. One piaster was worth one cent or less.

P-38

a tiny collapsible can opener, also known as a "john wayne"

PAPA

military phonetic for the letter 'P'

papa san

pidgin used by U.S. servicemen for any older Vietnamese man

Papa Sierra

slang for platoon sergeant

Pathet Lao

the Laotian Communists who, from their inception have been under the control of the Vietnamese Communist Party.

PBR

river patrol boat. Navy designation for the fast, heavily armed boats used for safeguarding the major canals and rivers and their tributaries in South Vietnam.

peanuts

wounded in action

perimeter

outer limits of a military position. The area beyond the perimeter belongs to the enemy.

PF

Popular Forces. South Vietnamese National Guard-type local military units

PFC

private first class

Phoenix

intelligence-based campaign to eliminate the Viet Cong infrastructure

PIO

public information officer, or a person who works for that office

piss-tube

a vertical tube buried two-thirds in the ground for urinating into

platoon

a subdivision of a company-sized military unit, normally consisting of two or more squads or sections

pogue

derogatory term for military personnel employed in rear echelon support capacities, usually used by Marines

point

the forward man or element on a combat patrol

poncho liner

nylon insert to the military rain poncho, used as a blanket

pop smoke

to ignite a smoke grenade to signal an aircraft

pos

slang for position, usually meaning a friendly location

post-traumatic stress disorder

development of characteristic symptoms after the experiencing of a psychologically traumatic event or events outside the range of human experience usually considered to be normal. The characteristic symptoms involve reexperiencing the traumatic event, numbing of responsiveness to, or involvement with, the external world, exaggerated startle response, difficulty in concentrating, memory impairment, guilt feelings, and sleep difficulties.

POW

prisoner of war

PRC-25

Portable Radio Communications, Model 25. A back-packed FM receiver-transmitter used for short-distance communications. The range of the radio was 5-10 kilometers, depending on the weather, unless attached to a special, nonportable antenna which could extend the range to 20-30 kilometers.

PRC-77

a radio similar to the PRC-25, but with a cryptographic scrambling / descrambling unit attached. Very heavy. Transmission frequencies on the PRC-77 were called the secure net.

prick 25

PRC-25 radio

profile

a prohibition from certain types of military duty due to injury or disability

Proo

PRU

province chief

governor of a state-sized administrative te

Q

QUAD-50s

a four-barrelled assembly of .50 caliber machine guns

Quantico

Marine training base in Virginia

QUEBEC

military phonetic for the letter 'Q'

R

RA

Regular Army, prefix to serial number of enlistees

rabbits

white American soldiers, according to black vernacular

rack

bed or cot

rallier

defector from the Viet Cong

R&R

rest and recreation. A three to seven-day vacation from the war for a soldier.

Rangers

elite commandos and infantry specially trained for reconnaissance and combat missions

RBF

reconnaissance by fire

react

for one unit to come to the aid of another under enemy fire

recon

reconnaissance. Going out into the jungle to observe for the purpose of identifying enemy activity.

Recondo School

a training school in-country for LRRPs. The largest was at Na Trang, where the training action was taken against the 17th NVA Division.

red alert

the most urgent form of warning. Signals an imminent enemy attack.

redball

an enemy high speed trail or road

red bird

a Cobra helicopter

Red Legs

slang for Artillery. In the Civil War, Union Artillery men had red stripes on their pants.

reeducation camps

political prisons and labor camps of varying degrees of severity and size that comprised the Soviet-style gulag system throughout Communist Vietnam

regiment

a military unit usually consisting of a number of battalions

Regional Forces

militia units organized within each district in South Vietnam to engage in offensive operations against local Viet Cong forces. RF units were better paid and equipped than PF units and could be assigned duties anywhere within the home district.

REMF

rear-echelon motherfucker

repo depo

replacement detachment

RF/PF

Regional and Popular Forces. The South Vietnamese National Guard-type units. Regional Forces were company-size and protected district areas. Popular Forces were platoon-size and guarded their home villages.

rice paddy racers

rubber shower shoes used by GIs

RIF

reconnaissance in force. A heavy reconnaissance patrol. Later, RIF came to mean reduction in force; an administrative mechanism for retiring career soldiers prior to the end of their twenty year term.

ringknocker

graduate of a military academy. Refers to the rink worn by graduates.

rock'n'roll

firing a weapon on full automatic

ROK

soldier from the Republic of Korea

ROMEO

military phonetic for the letter 'R'

Rome plow

mammoth bulldozer used to flatten dense jungle

RON

remain-overnight operation

rotate

to return to the U.S. at the end of a year's tour in Vietnam

ROTC

Reserve Officer's Training Corps. Program offered in many high schools and colleges, geared to prepare students to become military officers.

RPD

a 7.62 mm Communist machine gun with a 100-round, belt operated drum that fires the same round as the AK-47

RPG

a rocket-propelled grenade. A Russian-made portable antitank grenade launcher.

RTO

radio telephone operator. The man who carried his unit's radio on his back in the field.

ruck/rucksack

backpack issued to infantry in Vietnam

Ruff Puff

derogatory term used by Americans for RF/PF

Rules of Engagement

the specific regulations for the conduct of air and surface battles by U.S. and allied forces during the Vietnam war

rumor control

the most accurate source of information prior to the actual occurrence of an event

S

S-1

Personnel

S-2

Intelligence

S-3

Operations

S-4

Supply

S-5

Civil Affairs

saddle up

put on one's pack and get ready to march

salvo

firing a battery in unison

sampan

a Vietnamese peasant's boat

SAF

small arms fire

S&S

Supply & Service; designation of a support unit

sapper

a Viet Cong or NVA commando, usually armed with explosives

satchel charges

pack used by the enemy containing explosives that is dropped or thrown and is generally more powerful than a grenade

SeaBees

Navy construction engineers

SEAL

highly trained Navy special warfare team members

search and destroy

an operation in which Americans searched an area and destroyed anything which the enemy might find useful

SEATO

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

seminar camp

the Laotian Communist version of the reeducation camp for political prisoners

Sereika (Khmer Serei)

the non-Communist Cambodian resistance force

Sgt. Rock

a combat-scarred World War II comic book character

SERTS

Screaming Eagle Replacement Training School

set

a party

SF

Special Forces

shake'n'bake

sergeant who attended NCO school and earned rank after only a very short time in uniform

shamming

goofing off or getting by with as little effort as possible

shaped charge

an explosive charge, the energy of which is focused in one direction

shit burning

the sanitization of latrines by kerosene incineration of excrement

short

a term used by everyone in Vietnam to tell all who would listen that his tour was almost over

short-timer

soldier nearing the end of his tour in Vietnam

short-timer's stick

when a soldier had approximately two months remaining on his tour in Vietnam, he might take a long stick and notch it for each of his remaining days in-country. As each day passed he would cut the stick off another notch until on his rotation day he was left with only a small stub.

shrapnel

pieces of metal sent flying by an explosion

SIERRA

military phonetic for the letter 'S'

Silver Star

U.S. military decoration awarded for gallantry in action

sit-rep

situation report

six

any Unit Commander, from the Company Commander on up

six-by

a large flat-bed truck usually with wooden slat sides enclosing the bed and sometimes a canvas top covering it. Used for carrying men or anything else that would fit on it.

skate

a task that required little effort or pain; verb form means to take it easy

SKS

Simonov 7.62 mm semi-automatic carbine

sky

to leave

sky crane

huge double-engine helicopter used for lifting and transporting heavy equipment

sky out

to flee or leave suddenly

slackman

the second man back on a patrol, directly behind the point

slant

derogatory term for a Vietnamese person

slick

a UH-1 helicopter used for transporting troops in tactical air assault operations. The helicopter did not have protruding armaments and was, therefore, "slick".

slope

derogatory term for an Asian person

SMG

submachine gun

smoke grenade

a grenade that released brightly colored smoke. Used for signaling.

Snake

a Cobra helicopter

SOI

Signal Operating Instructions. The booklet that contained all of the call signals and radio frequencies of the units in Vietnam.

solacium payment

standard amount paid by the U.S. government to Vietnamese civilians when U.S. forces were deemed responsible for a wrongful civilian death. For a detailed discussion of a Solacium payment see Jim Lynch's artice, "Solacium Payment."

SOP

standard operating procedure

Sopwith Camels

slang term for a light, fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft

soul brother

a black soldier

Spec-4

Specialist 4th Class. An Army rank immediately above Private First Class. Most enlisted men who had completed their individual training and had been on duty for a few months were Spec-4s. Probably the most common rank in the Vietnam-era Army.

Spec-5

Specialist 5th Class. Equivalent to a sergeant.

spider hole

camouflaged enemy foxhole

splib

term originated by black marines to identify other black soldiers. Supposedly meant to imply superior qualities.

Spooky

a large propeller-driven aircraft with a Minigun mounted in the door. Capable of firing 6,000 rounds per minute. Also used to refer to gunship helicopters with Miniguns.

SP pack

cellophane packet containing toiletries and cigarettes which was sometimes given along with C-rations to soldiers in the field.

squad

a small military unit consisting of less than ten men

staff sergeant

a E-6, the second lowest noncommissioned officer rank

stand-down

an infantry unit's return from the boonies to the base camp for refitting and training. Later, a unit being withdrawn from Vietnam and redeployed to the U.S.

Starlifter

a C-141, the largest military cargo transport airplane in the Air Force inventory

starlight scope

an image intensifier using reflected light to identify targets at night

steel pot

the standard U.S. Army helmet. The steel pot was the outer metal cover.

strac

smart, sharp, well prepared (from STRategic Air Command)

strategic hamlet program

a controversial pacification and village self-defense program implemented by the Diem government that attempted to turn all sixteen thousand South Vietnamese hamlets into fortified compounds.

strobe

hand held strobe light for marking landing zones at night

syrette

collapsible tube of morphine attached to a hypodermic needle. The contents of the tube were injected by squeezing it like a toothpaste tube.

T

TA-50

individual soldier's standard issue of combat clothing and equipment

TAC

tactical air strikes; fighter bombers

Tail-end Charlie

last unit in a long column on the move

T&T

through and through wound. One in which a bullet or fragment has entered and exited the body.

tanglefoot

single-strand barbed wire strung in a meshwork pattern at about ankle height. A barrier designed to make it difficult to cross the obstructed area by foot. Usually placed around permanent defensive positions.

TANGO

military phonetic for the letter 'T'

Tango boat

U.S. Navy designation for an armored landing craft mounted with 50-caliber machine guns and a 40-caliber anti-aircraft gun used for direct fire.

TC

tactical commander

Tet

January holiday, Buddhist lunar New Year. Buddha's birthday.

Tet Offensive

a major uprising of the National Liberation Front, their sympathizers, and NVA characterized by a series of coordinated attacks against military installations and provincial capitals throughout Vietnam. It occurred during the lunar New Year at the end of January, 1968.

tee-tee

pidgin for very small

TFES

territorial forces evaluation system. The companion report of the HES. A computerized military evaluation system devised by American authorities in Saigon and used by them to assess the readiness of the militia forces. Each month advisors at the district level had to fill out the long computer print-out sheets and report on many different aspects of quantity and quality in the militia forces. Like all computer programs, the quality of this one's output was dependent upon the quality of the input

thermite

a mixture of powdered aluminum and metal oxide which produces great heat for use in welding and incendiary bombs

Three

radio call signal for the operations officer

three-quarter

a three-quarter ton truck

tiger suits

camouflage fatigue uniforms

tight

good friends are close to ("tight" with) each other

TO

tactical officer

TO&E

Table of Organization and Equipment

TOC

tactical operations center

Top

a top sergeant

TOT

time on target. Prearranged mortar or artillery barrage, set to occur at a specific time in order to coordinate with an infantry assault

trach

a tracheotomy. Making an opening into the windpipe to facilitate breathing.

tracer

a round of ammunition chemically treated to glow or give off smoke so that its flight can be followed.

tracks

any vehicles which move on tracks rather than wheels

triage

the procedure for deciding the order in which to treat casualties

trip flare

a ground flare triggered by a trip wire used to signal and illuminate the approach of an enemy at night.

Tropic Lighting

the U.S. 25th Infantry Division

turtles

new replacements. They were called turtles because it took so long for them to arrive.

Two

radio call signal of the intelligence officer.

two-niner-two

the RC-292 ground plane antenna which was used to extend the range of the MAT and the district team's PRC-25.

unbloused

pants not tucked into boot tops

UH-1H

a Huey helicopter

UNIFORM

military phonetic for the letter 'U'

US

prefix to serial number of Army draftees

USAF

United States Air Force

USARV

U.S. Army Republic of Vietnam. Command of operations unit for all U.S. military forces in Vietnam, based in Long Binh.

USO

United Service Organization. Provided entertainment to the troops, and was intended to raise morale.

USOM

U.S. Operations Mission. Funded U.S. programs during the early American involvement in Vietnam.

V

V

a type of ambush set-up, shaped like the letter.

VA

Veterans Administration

VC

Viet Cong, the National Liberation Front

VCI

Viet Cong infrastructure. It was the aim of the Viet Cong to have a complete government in place when their victory was finally won. Thus, where manpower allowed, Communist cadres were secretly assigned positions as village chiefs, police officers, postment, District-level officers, Province-level officers, and National-level officers. The VCI were the "shadow government" of the National Liberation Front and were awaiting the day they could step forward and claim their offices.

VFW

Veterans of Foreign Wars. An American service organization.

VICTOR

military phonetic for the letter 'V'

Victor Charlie

the Viet Cong; the enemy.

Viet Cong

the Communist-led forces fighting the South Vietnamese government. The political wing was known as the National Liberation Front, and the military was called the People's Liberation Armed Forces. Both the NLF and the PLAF were directed by the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP), the southern branch of the Vietnamese Communist Party, which received direction from Hanoi through COSVN, which was located in III Corps on the Cambodian border. After 1968, as negotiations began in Paris, the NLF established the Provisional Revolutionary Government.

Viet Minh

Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or the Vietnamese Allied Independence League. A political and resistance organization established by Ho Chi Minh before the end of World War II, dominated by the Communist Party. Though at first smaller and less famous than the non-Communist nationalist movements, the Viet Minh siezed power through superior organization skill, ruthless tactics, and popular support.

Vietnamese Popular Forces

South Vietnamese local military forces.

Vietnamization

U.S. policy initiated by President Richard Nixon late in the war to turn over the fighting to the South Vietnamese Army during the phased withdrawal of American troops. The term was coined by Nixon's Secretary of Defense, Melvin Laird to replace the policy of "de-Americanization" first enunciated by Nixon on June 8, 1969.

ville

Vietnamese hamlet or village

VNAF

South Vietnamese Air Force

VNQDD

Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang, or Nationalist Party of Vietnam. A non-Communist movement formed in 1926, based on the doctrines of Sun Yat-sen. The VNQDD conducted the Yen Bai uprising in 1930, which began the modern struggle for Vietnamese independence. During World War II the VNQDD staged in southern China and were instrumental in gaining Ho Chi Minh's release from a Chinese prison to help with the resistance fight against the Japanese. Ho later broke with the VNQDD. By 1950, having lost their bases in southern China when Mao came to power, the VNQDD ceased to exist as an effective organization.

VSI

very seriously ill. Army designation for those troopers who may die without immediate and definitive medical care.

VVA

Vietnam Veterans of America. Veterans organization not affiliated with the Veterans Administration.

VVAW

Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Organization formed by Vietnam veterans who gathered to protest American involvement in Vietnam.

W

wake-up

as in "13 and a wake-up" -- the last day of a soldier's Vietnam tour.

walking wounded

wounded who are still able to walk without assistance.

Walter Wonderful

Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.

wasted

killed

Water Taxi

small engine-powered boat with a sheltered passenger compartment. These native craft plied the major canals and rivers of Vietnam and provided a means of transportation from one village to the next.

web gear

canvas belt and shoulder straps for packing equipment and ammunition on infantry operations.

weed

marijuana

WHISKEY

military phonetic for the letter 'W'

white bird

a LOH

white mice

derogatory name for South Vietnamese police. The nickname came from their uniform white helmets and gloves.

white phosphorus

a type of explosive round from artillery, mortars, or rockets. Also a type of aerial bomb. The rounds exploded with a huge puff of white smoke from the hotly burning phosphorus, and were used as marking rounds or incendiary rounds. When white phosphorus hit the skin of a living creature it continued to burn until it had burned through the body. Water would not extinguish it.

WIA

wounded in action

widow maker

a MA

Willy Peter

white phosphorus

wood line

a row of trees at the edge of a field or rice paddy

World, the

the United States

WP

white phosphorus

X

X

a type of ambush set up, shaped like the letter

xin loi

a Vietnamese idiom meaning "sorry about that"

XO

executive officer; the second in command of a military unit

X-RAY

military phonetic for the letter 'X'

Y

YANKEE

military phonetic for the letter 'Y'

YD

the grid 100,000 meters by 100,000 meters square from the Universal Transmercator (UTM) Grid Zone 48Q. The UTM map of the world dispenses with latitude and longitude in favor of a system of metric coordinates (usually six digits) which enable the user of the map to specify a location within 100 meters.

Z

zipperhead

derogatory term used to describe Vietnamese

Zippo raids

military operations which involved burning down Vietnamese villages. Often Zippo cigarette lighters were used to ignite the huts.

zapped

killed

zit

derogatory term for Vietnamese people

ZULU

military phonetic for the letter 'Z'

zulu

a casualty report