ANDY ADKINS

Army & Marine Corps "Lingo"

• 1/8 ("First of the eighth") - 1st battalion, 8th Cavalry.


• I Corps - "Eye Core"; First Corps (of four Corps) area of South Vietnam as determined by strategic organization. I Corps was located in the northernmost part of South Vietnam, next to the DMZ and was considered the most dangerous area and the place where the NVA operated with the greatest strength.


• I-A - Draft status: fit for military service.


• II-S - Draft status: deferred as full-time student.


• IV-F - Draft status: unfit for service.


• 105 - A howitzer firing 85-pound explosive shells that are 104mm (4 inches) in diameter.


• 155 - A howitzer weighing six tons and firing 100-pound explosive shells that are 155mm (6 inches) in diameter.


• 11-Bravo - MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) for Army Infantryman.


• 27-Mike ("two seven Mike") - an artillery forward observer attached to a field infantry unit. His primary job was to call in artillery for the support of his infantry unit. He typically carried his own field radio and may also function as a radio operator for an officer who was a forward observer.


• 270 Tango Oscar 030 - Firing clockwise from 270 to 030 degrees.


• 79'er - a soldier whose primary weapon was the M-79 grenade launcher (as opposed to a rifleman or gunner).


• A drag - something that is boring.


• A gas - something that is fun.


• AA - "Anti-Aircraft"


• AAA - "Anti-aircraft Artillery"


• AB - "Air Base"


• ABG - "Air Base Group"


• Abn - "Airborne"


• ACAV - "Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle"


• Accord - the term "accord" in what is known as the 1954 Geneva Accords has an official U.S. diplomatic definition. If a president want to negotiate a foreign affairs arrangement, but avoid the Constitutionality mandated treaty, his administration can negotiate on accord. This is based on "executive privilege" and does not require Congressional approval. Hence, American's earliest commitment to South Vietnam was done without formal Congressional approval.


• ACG - "Air Commando Group"


• ACR - "Air Cavalry Regiment"


• ACS - "Air Commando Squadron"


• Actual - radio talk for unit commander. Used to distinguish the commander from the radioman when the call sign is used over the radio.


• ADF - "Adios Mother Fucker."


• AFB - "Air Force Base"


• AFN - US "Armed Forces Network" radio stations.


• Afro - a curly hairstyle predominately associated with African Americans.


• AHC - "Assault Helicopter Company"


• Agent Orange - a chemical defoliant usually applied by air, designed to remove the jungle foliage used by the enemy for concealment.


• Airborne - an airborne unit consists of paratroopers, whose primary means of entering battle is by parachute. The 101st, the 173rd, and the 1st Brigade of the Cav, were airborne. The use of parachutes in Vietnam was rare to the point of being almost non-existent.


• Airburst - explosion in the air, used with a HE (High explosive) round to increase the anti-personnel effect of shrapnel thrown off by the explosion.


• Air mobile - a designation for a unit whose operations were highly integrated with its helicopter arm. Originally, only the First Air Cavalry Division was air mobile, but later the 101st Airborne also became air mobile. In practice this meant that infantry units were moved around by helicopter to locations where they would begin "humping the boonies." During firefights, air mobile units would receive a great deal of ARA gunship support.


• AIT - "Advanced Infantry Training"; phase of Army training, specific to a soldier's military occupational specialty ("MOS") that follows basic training. Examples include, infantry, cook, armor, helicopters, and artillery.


• AK-47 - Soviet-designed Kalashnikov assault rifle that fires a 7.62mm round, primarily used by VC/NVA. Less accurate than the M-16, but easier to maintain in jungle conditions.


• Albumen - a blood expander carried by medics to replace lost blood.


• ALO - "Artillery Liaison Officer", an officer responsible for calling in artillery in support of an infantry unit.


• Alpha Papa - An ambush patrol.


• Alpha Sierra - Air strike.


• Ambl - "Airmobile"


• AML - "Airmobile (Light)"


• AN/PRS-4 - Mine detector used by combat engineers.


• AN/PVS-2 - Smaller Starlight Scope for use on individual weapons.


• AN/TVS-2 - Larger Starlight Scope for use on crew-served weapons.


• AO - "Area of Operations", where a specific unit was located; typically included a base camp and a forward LZ.


• APC - "Armored Personnel Carrier," a replacement for the M-113, could carry more than 11 infantrymen plus a driver and machine gunner, and was constructed from aluminum armor welded over a watertight hull, allowing it to cross rivers and canals if necessary. It was a tracked vehicle designed to carry troops into combat and provided protection from small arms up to .50 caliber.


• APDS - "Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot"


• Ape - a term used to describe someone who explodes emotionally or becomes irate.


• ARA - "Aerial Rocket Artillery," a Huey or Cobra helicopter gunship with rocket pods capable of firing six rockets attached to each side of the chopper.


• Arc-Light - Code name for B52 strike missions, originating from Guam. These B52s were modified to carry up to 30 tons of conventional bombs, which were guided to the targets by ground-control radar.


• ARG - "Assault Ready Group"


• Arty - artillery.


• ARVN (pronounced "AR vin") - "Army of the Republic of Vietnam," founded by President Ngo Dinh Diem and was an American ally in South Vietnam.


• ASAP - "As soon as possible."


• ASHC - "Assault Support Helicopter Company"


• Ash & Trash - Administrative functions of HHC


• Assholes & elbows - meaning in a hurry or quickly.


• AT - "Anti-tank"


• Aussie - slang for Australian solder and an American ally; an Aussie Infantry Soldier is also called "Digger."


• AVLB - "Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge" (usually on an M-60 tank chassis).


• AW - "Automatic Weapons"


• AWOL - "Absent Without Leave"


• Azimuth - a compass bearing to a set location or point of travel.


• Baby san - a child or unmarried woman of any age.


• Bad - another term for "awesome."


• Badass - a tough guy; or a troublemaker.


• Ball - another term for sexual intercourse; or, a term for having a good time.


• Bandaid Box - Radio code for the medic vehicle, usually an M-113 APC.


• Bandaid - Radio code for the medic.


• Bandolier - a cloth cummerbund filled with two-hundred rounds of .223 caliber ammunition for the M-16 rifle. Soldiers usually refill their magazines with these rounds and then store the filled magazines in the five pouches of the bandolier; laces on both ends allow the rifleman to secure it almost anywhere.


• Bangalore torpedoes - explosive charges packed in sections of metal or bamboo tubing, for breaching wire entanglements.


• Barbeque - a call from Armored Calvary Units requesting Napalm on a location.


• Baseball Grenade - Defensive Fragmentation hand grenade; explodes on impact.


• Base camp - the headquarters of a Division. Usually, a large, permanent base in the "rear area" that supports brigade or division size units, artillery batteries and airfields. It is here where all new recruit training and standown occur, and where headquarters, mail, supplies, aircraft and ammo are stored.


• Base Camp Commando - soldier assigned to the main base camp. See REMF.


• Base Piece - howitzer closest to the battery center, fired first round of fire mission.


• Basic - Basic training, usually eight weeks when a new soldier first enters the service.


• Battalion - a unit composed of companies. It usually had four line companies (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta) in the field, though not necessarily all at the same time, and one company back at a rear area to guard the LZ or base camp. Battalions were grouped together to form Brigades.


• Battery - the primary artillery unit, consisting of 3 to 6 cannons of single caliber. Usually composed of the same number of men as a rifle company.


• BBT - "Bravo Bravo Tango" - Booby trap.


• BCT - Brigade Combat Team.


• BDA - "Bomb Damage Assessment" - assessing what damage was done after a bombing mission. For example, X number of people killed, x number of weapons destroyed, x number of secondary explosions.


• Bde - "Brigade"


• Beat feet - a term used to describe someone getting away quickly.


• BG - "Brigadier General"


• Beaucoup (pronounced, "Boo coo") - taken from the French slang, meaning much or many.


• Beehive round - 40mm round of ammo used in M-79 Grenade Launcher which is a special shell that fires pellets like a shotgun. Also an artillery shell which contains thousands of small flechettes (nails with fins) that exit the barrel when the weapon fires, mimicking a shotgun.


• Berm - a perimeter fortification comprised of bulldozed earth raised higher than the surrounding area - usually found surrounding smaller fire support bases.


• Betel nut - the name given to what was chewed for stimulation mainly by old people. It is a misnomer, since it is the leaves that are psychoactive. The leaf of the Piper betel plant is typically wrapped around an areca nut and the two of them are chewed together. The resultant juice is red, but it tends to turn the teeth black.


• Big Blue - a large river.


• Big Boy - radio code for a tank.


• Bingo - Fuel remaining is just enough to return to base.


• Bippy - a term coined on the TV show, Laugh In, meaning your rear-end; "You bet your bippy…"


• Bird - any aircraft, but usually refers to a helicopter.


• Bitchin - another term for something great or awesome.


• Black Can - 90mm canister round containing 1,000 ½ x 5/16 inch pellets.


• Black pajamas - thin, silky, black cloth from which a typical peasant's shirt and trousers were made, and the simplicity of their design, made them look just like Western pajamas. They were actually working clothes, especially in the countryside.


• Blanket party - an "exercise" performed on non-conforming soldiers whereby a small group of troops threw a blanket over someone's head and beat him to a pulp. The primary purpose was to help "square away" this person so others wouldn't be in danger.


• Blast - a term used to describe having a good time.


• Blasting cap - an electronic detonator similar in size to a short silver pencil-two-fifty foot long attached thin wires send an electrical charge to the cap-either by battery or manually via a detonation clacker. When exploding by itself, it sounds like a small firecracker.


• Blivet - rubberized, air-transportable fuel container. Could be used for water or fuel; towed or airlifted.


• Blood - a term used by African Americans to reference one another in a greeting.


• Blow my mind - a term used to describe something unbelievable.


• Blue Legs - Slang for infantrymen.


• Blue Line - radio code for a stream or river.


• BMFIC - "Big Mother Fucker in Charge" - usually the Division Commander or ADC maneuver.


• Bn - "Battalion"


• Boat People - millions of Southeast Asians took to the ocean in anything that could float in order to escape the new 1970s communist regimes. 250,000 of them died at sea.


• Body bag - thick, plastic, zippered 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.


• BOHICA - "Bend Over Here It Comes Again"


• Boom-boom - slang for having sex.


• Boom-boom Girl - Prostitute.


• Boonies - slang for a remote wild area, jungles or swampy areas.


• Boonie Rat - slang for US infantry soldier.


• Boonie hat - soft cloth hat with a brim, similar to a fishing hat, worn by infantry soldiers in the boonies.


• Boot - slang for new recruit.


• Boozers - a term used to describe a group that heavily drinks alcoholic beverages.


• Boss - a term used to describe something great or "cool."


• Bought the farm - slang for a person being killed. An old expression, apparently from the $10,000 compensation paid to the family of anyone killed in action (e.g., to look on the bright side, it was enough to buy the family farm in WWI. Signed into law by Woodrow Wilson.)


• Bouncing Betty - a land mine mounted with a pressure sensitive device. Releasing pressure on this device would cause the mine, buried just below the surface, to spring up to about chest height and explode. Antipersonnel mine with two charges; the first propels the explosive charge upward, the second set to explode at about waist or chest level.


• "Bowling Alley" - "The Bowling Alley" in I Corps which basically ran between Fire Base Roy to the North and Fire Base Los Banos/Lang Co to the South.


• Box - radio code for an M-113 APC.


• Brass - slang term for high-ranking officers, particularly those of field grade (full colonel & up).


• Brawls - terms used by infantrymen to describe very-close quarter enemy combat.


• Bread - a term used to describe money.


• Break Brush - to travel off a trail to avoid mines and booby-traps.


• Break squelch - a technique for reporting sitreps (situational reports), often used when out in the bush. The patrol radio operator would press then release the talk button on the handset; when you released the button, a scratchy white noise would be transmitted for a fraction of a second. You break squelch two times and everything is fine. Break squelch once, that means there's a problem.


• Brig - jail.


• Brig rat - jail inmate.


• Brig chaser - MP assigned to escort prisoners.


• Brigade - a large unit making up a Division, and itself made up of Battalions. Typically, three battalions made a Brigade. A Brigade was usually commanded by a Brigadier General.


• Bro / Brother - a black soldier; also, at times, referencing fellow soldiers from the same unit.


• Broken Arrow - universal code meaning that a ground unit or camp is being overrun and to send all available assets.


• Brown Water Navy - Navy forces assigned to the internal waterways of South Vietnam; also referred to as "River Rats."


• BS - "Bull shit", often used to describe telling tall tales, lies, or chewing the fat.


• Buck Sergeant - an E-5 Sergeant, one rank above E-4 (Spec-4 and Corporal). In the infantry, a Buck Sergeant usually commanded a squad.


• Buco, Boocoo (pronounced "boo coo") - slang meaning very much or a lot of.


• BUFFS - "Big Ugly Fat Flying Fuckers;" refers to B52 bombers.


• Bug juice - a slang term for military issued insect repellent. It was highly effective in repelling ants and, to a lesser degree, mosquitoes. However, its most important function was as a lubricant for the chamber of an M-16, since the grease in it seemed to prevent carbon build up. Bug juice bottles, which were small plastic bottles about the size and shape of nasal decongestant bottles, were stored in the camouflage band of the soldier's steel pot (helmet).


• Bug out - a term used to describe when someone leaves an area quickly.


• Buicks - used primarily in the infantry support role, the M48A3 tank was America's main battle tank in Vietnam. When mechanized units worked together (Tanks, APCs), they referred to tanks as Buicks and APCs as Fords.


• Bum trip - a term used to describe something that is a waste of time.


• Bummer - bad luck, a real drag.


• Bush - infantry term for the field.


• Butter Bar - slang reference for a Second Lieutenant; also called "LT".


• Buy the farm - to be killed.


• Bravo-Zulu (BZ) - Well done!


• C&C - Command and control ship, usually a Huey, sometimes a Loach.


• C-4 - plastic, putty-textured explosive carried by infantry soldiers, typically used in demolitions to blow up bunkers and weapons caches. When not compressed, it burns like sterno and was sometimes used to heat C-rations in the field.


• C-7 Caribou - The Caribou was designed as a "bush plane," capable of taking off and landing on short runways. This proved to be a vital feature in Vietnam, where many airstrips were degraded or designed for small aircraft.


• C-123 Provider - the basic transport plane used in the Vietnam War. It was originally acquired by the US Air Force in 1953, but the C-123K was generally flown by the Army and had two engines. Besides transport duties, the plane was also used in Agent Orange defoliation efforts.


• C-130 Hercules - created during the Korean War, it represents a heavy duty counterpart of the C-123. It is designed for both cargo and troop transportation and had four engines. Some C-130s were converted into gunships.


• C/A (or CA) - "Combat Assault" - a helicopter assault into an unsecured area where there is at least the possibility of an enemy presence.


• Cache - hidden supplies.


• Cannon Cockers - refers to artillery crews.


• CAP - "Combat Air Patrol"


• CAP - Combined Action Program - Marine Corps (nickname, "A Peace Corps with Rifles"); also flying a predetermined position/track. The Combined Action Program was a United States Marine Corps operational initiative implemented in the Vietnam War and proved to be one of the most effective counterinsurgency tools developed during that conflict. Operating from 1965 to 1971, this program was characterized by the placement of a thirteen-member Marine rifle squad, augmented by a U.S. Navy Corpsman and strengthened by a Vietnamese militia platoon of older youth and elderly men, in or adjacent to a rural Vietnamese hamlet. In most cases, the Popular Forces militia members (Nghia Quan) were residents of the hamlet who were either too young or too old to be drafted into the Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) or the Regional Forces (Dia Phuong Quan). The entire unit of American Marines and Popular Forces militia members together was designated as a Combined Action Platoon (CAP); combined 14-15 Marines with about 30 villagers).


• CAR-15 - Carbine version of M-16 with a collapsible stock; officers only.


• Caribou - Army twin-engine transport aircraft.


• Carry on - resume what you were doing.


• Casual company - unit of soldiers awaiting assignment / reassignment.


• Casualties - the number of servicemen killed, wounded, captured, or missing in action. This is often confused with the number only of troops killed in action.


• Catch you on the flip side - a CB radio slang phrase that means, I'll see you on my way back.


• Cav - "Cavalry," usually referring to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).


• CBU - "Cluster Bomb Units"


• CG - "Commanding General"


• CH-46 - Twin-rotor assault helicopter, also known as "Sea Knight." Used primarily for assaults, resupply, and medevacs. Usually a crew of five: pilot, copilot, crew chief, and two aerial machine gunners.


• CH-47 - Twin-rotor turbine-driven helicopter, also known as the "Chinnok." Usually a crew of four or five: pilot, copilot, crew chief, and one or two waist machine gunners.


• Chairborne - derogatory term for Air Force personnel in general.


• Charlie - short for "Victor Charlie," the military phonetic alphabet rendering of VC (Viet Cong), which denoted in particular indigenous guerrilla forces, and the enemy in general.


• Charm school - initial training and orientation upon arrival in-country.


• Check-fire - a signal used in artillery to immediately halt firing.


• Check Your 6 - watching out for the other guy or recon behind/around you.


• Cherry - designation for a new replacement from the states. Also referred to as FNG (Fucking New Guy), "fresh meat," and "new citizens." Someone who ceased to be in this category was said to have "lost his cherry."


• Cherry Juice - hydraulic fluid in tank turret traversing system.


• Cherry School - initial training and orientation upon arrival in-country.


• Chicken plate - chest armor of a solider.


• ChiCom - "Chinese Communist"


• Chill - a term used to describe someone who is relaxed.


• Chinook (CH-47) - a large two rotor helicopter which could carry an entire platoon. They were called, in the habitual profanity of the Army, "shit-hooks."


• Chit - written authorization or receipt.


• Chop chop - Vietnamese slang for food.


• Chopper - any helicopter.


• Chow - food.


• Chow hall - mess hall.


• Chuck - term used by black soldiers to identify white individuals; often derogatory.


• Chump - a derogatory term used to describe someone who is a loser, an idiot, or a fool.


• CIA - "Central Intelligence Agency"


• CIB - "Combat Infantry Badge"; earned when a solider has seen combat for more than 30 days or after coming under enemy fire in a combat zone.


• CID - "Criminal Investigation Division."


• CIDG - (pronounced "sid jee") "Civilian Irregular Defense Group." Friendly indigenous forces, usually organized and led by U.S. Army Special Forces teams. See "Montagnards."


• Clacker - a small hand-held firing device for a claymore mine.


• Claymore - M18 directional antipersonnel mine, which sprays out several hundred steel balls at human height through a kill range of hundreds of feet across a 60-degree arc, triggered by remote control as an ambush weapon.


• Click - one notch of adjustment on a rifle; also one kilometer in distance.


• Cloud nine - a term used to describe someone who is feeling happy.


• Cluster fuck - nothing is going right, congested, or botched up.


• Cinderella liberty - time off which ends at midnight.


• The 'Citadel' - a suspected Viet Cong stronghold, 25 miles north of Saigon.


• The 'Citadel' (Hue) - A walled city of about three square kilometers and comprising about two-thirds of the city of Hue, lies on the north bank of the Huong or Perfume River. The Citadel is surrounded by rivers on all four sides and further protected by a moat which encircles perhaps 75 percent of the interior city. The moat is reinforced by two massive stone walls.


• Class 1 - Rations, usually hot


• Class 2 - Individual equipment


• Class 3 - Fuel


• Class 4 - Barrier material and construction supplies


• Class 5 - Ammo


• Class 6 - Booze (hard liquor)


• Class 7 - Medical supplies


• Class 8 - Sundries; Coca-Cola, snacks, cigarettes, most common items found in a PX


• Class 9 - Spares


• Clear and Hold - the American military's effort to destroy a Vietcong sanctuary and make sure it never became one again was called "clear and hold." Simply labeled, it was easier said than done.


• Clearance - permission from both military and political authorities to engage the enemy in a particular area - usually near populated areas.


• Clip - a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. Sometimes the contents of a magazine are called a "clip."


• CO - "Commanding Officer." This term was almost always used for the commanding officer of one's own company, whose rank was captain, although sometimes a lieutenant would briefly become the CO on a temporary basis.


• Coax - the coaxially mounted M-73 7.62mm machine gun.


• Cobra - Bell AH-1G, a narrow, two-man helicopter used strictly as a gunship. Fast, extremely agile and heavily armed helicopter with rockets and machine guns.


• Coke girl - a Vietnamese woman who sold everything except boom boom to GIs.


• Colors - the flag; ceremony of raising or lowering the flag.


• Company - a unit made up of usually four platoons: three rifle platoons and a weapons platoon which was supposed to carry mortars. In practice, the weapons platoon was just another line platoon company in a line unit usually had about 100 men, although its maximum strength was set at 120. A company operated together in the field, although on occasion one of its platoons could be detached for some special patrol or other duty. Thus, a company was the largest social unit. Companies were grouped together into Battalions.


• Combat Assault (Charlie Alpha) - generally defined as a military attack involving direct combat with enemy forces. A combat assault is also a concerted effort to reach a goal or defeat an adversary. Combat assaults during Vietnam were generally made by helicopter since it was the most expedient way of moving troops from one location to another.


• Commo - short for "communications."


• Commo bunder - bunker containing vital communications equipment normally within a battalion-sized firebase, where communications is maintained with all the battalion elements outside of the camp. Usually houses the Colonel and Executive Officer.


• Commo wire - Communications wire similar to phone wire.


• Compound - any fortified military installation.


• Concertina wire - coils of barbed or razor wire that can be expanded out like an accordion or concertina. Coupled with straight barbed wire set on fences, it can be an imposing barrier to infantry assault. It can be surmounted by a soldier throwing himself on top of the wire, which then collapses. The rest of the assault then run over his prostrate body.


• Concussion bomb - a bomb containing kerosene that was devastating.


• CONEX - A large steel shipping container with doors.


• Conscientious objector (CO) - the United Nations defines a CO as, "an individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service." This is almost invariably done on moral grounds, most particularly, those founded in religious pacifism. In the U. S. Armed Forces, in order to be certified as a CO, the candidate has to appear in front of a panel that includes psychiatrists, military chaplains and officers. In many cases, a CO may accept a job in the military that does not involve combat.


• Contact - becoming militarily engaged with the enemy. Usually embedded in the expression, 'making contact.'


• Cool - a term used to describe something that is nice.


• Cool head - a term used to describe someone who is trustworthy.


• Cop out - a term used to describe when someone quits or backs out of an assignment.


• CORDS - "Civilian Operations and Revolutionary [later changed to Rural] Development Support." This was the integrated military and civilian effort to destroy the VC infrastructure and build stronger support for the South Vietnamese government in the countryside. A program created by US Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge in 1967.


• Corps - military headquarters directing two or three divisions, commanded by a Lieutenant General.


• Corpsman - Navy medical specialist attached to a unit, same as Army or Marine medic. Navy corpsmen were often assigned to Marine combat units, three to a company.


• COSVN - "Central Office for South Vietnam" or Trung Uong Cuc Mien Nam - communist headquarters, usually located near the Cambodian border. Commonly called the "Bamboo Pentagon."


• Cover - hat.


• Cover ass - take precautions to avoid blame.


• CP - "Command Post." Originally, the place where the commander and personnel attached to him were posted.


• CQO - "Charge of Quarters Officer"


• Crash - a term used to describe when someone collapses or goes to sleep.


• Crash pad - a place to sleep.


• The Crotch - derogatory term for Marine Corps.


• Cruise - period of enlistment, tour of duty.


• C-rations - C-rats, canned field rations. A unit came in a cardboard box containing cans of food, a small can opener, plastic utensils, and toilet paper. Basic course, a can of fruit, a packet of some type of desert, a packet of powdered cocoa, a four-pack of cigarettes, and two pieces of chewing gum.


• Crow's foot - a four-pointed booby trap device which, when thrown, will land with one point up.


• CRS Syndrome - "Can't Remember Shit" Syndrome.


• CS Grenade - Tear gas grenade which burns the eyes and mucus membranes.


• CSG - "Combat Support Group"


• CTZ - "Combat Tactical Zone"


• D-7 - a large plow that could dig up both ground and jungle.


• D-day - the day an operation begins. Used also to designate specifically the first day of the Normandy invasion during WWII, June 6, 1944.


• Daisy cutter - a shell or bomb fitted with a fuse extension to provide detonation 1-6 feet above ground, minimizing the cratering effect and maximizing the blast effect. Typically used with large bombs (2000 lb) and 6-foot daisy cutter fuses to create an instant clearing in dense jungle for an LZ.


• Danger close - calling in artillery support exceptionally close to friendly lines, usually within 100 meters of your location.


• DAP - greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Used by black soldiers, highly ritualistic and unit specific.


• Dapsone tablet (diamino-diphenyl sulfone) - a white anti-malaria tablet given daily, typically by the platoon medic. In conjunction with dapsone, troops were given a large orange tablet every week, called an "elephant pill," composed of chloroquine-primaquine.


• De-ass - slang for moving your ass, specifically from a static location (like on a helo).


• De-escalation - during its Tet Offensive debates, the Johnson administration disagreed on a working definition of de-escalation. Some said it meant pulling out U.S. troops. Others said it meant maintaining current troop strength levels.


• Deck - floor.


• Decked - a term used to describe when someone is knocked out during a fight.


• Decked out - a term used to describe when someone who is all dressed up.


• Delta-Oscar - the Duty Officer.


• Delta-Tango - defensive target, designated and preselected by an artillery forward observer for quick attention if his unit comes under attack.


• DEROS (pronounced, "DEE-roase") - "Date Eligible Return from Overseas," commonly referred to as "tour of duty."


• Det - "Detachment"


• Det-cord - white, rope-like cord used with explosives or as a standalone.


• Deuce-and-a-half - 2½ ton truck, used for transporting ground troops and materials. Also known as six-by (6x6 for six wheels with driving power). Usually covered with a canvas top.


• Dew - slang for marijuana, pot, dope.


• DI - "Drill Instructor"


• Dibs - a term used to describe when something is owned by a person; usually, "I've got dibs on it."


• Dig - a term meaning, "pay attention to this."


• Dinks - slang term for Vietcong


• DISCOM - "Division Support Command"


• Ditty bag - cloth, drawstring bag for small items.


• Div - "Division"


• DIVARTY - "Division Artillery"


• Division - the largest military unit functioning in Vietnam, composed of three Brigades. Every member of a division carried its patch on the left shoulder of his every uniform. The army divisions in Vietnam were the First Air Cav, the Big Red One (First Infantry Division), the Fourth Infantry Division, the Ninth Infantry Division, the Americal Division, the 101st Airborne, the 173rd Airborne, and MACV.


• Dixie Station - US Navy nickname for the area of waters off of South Vietnam where US ships are assigned. See "Yankee Station" (off North Vietnam).


• DMZ - "Demilitarized Zone;" neutral area along the 17th parallel separating North Vietnam from South Vietnam, about five kilometers (three miles) wide on each side. It was established as a demarcation line at the close of the (French) Indochina War by the 1954 Geneva Accords.


• Domino Theory - the idea that if one country came under Communist influence, neighboring countries would follow. In 1946, President Truman received an evaluation from Abbot Low Moffat, a State Department expert on Asia, indicating that Vietminh and its leader, Ho Chi Minh, was "probably" a passionate communist, and that Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, would soon fall like "dominoes" to communism.


• Don't mean nuthin' - a term used to describe something that isn't an issue, nothing to worry about.


• Don't sweat it - a term meaning, "don't let this bother you or let you down."


• Donut Dolly - Women from the American Red Cross.


• Double-time - quickly and at a run.


• DOW - "Died of Wounds."


• Downer - a term used to describe a situation that is depressing.


• DP - "Displaced Person"


• Drag - a term used to describe a disappointment.


• DRAG - "Delta Regional Assistance Command"


• Dragon Wagon - a tank transporter, also called Low Boy.


• Dream on - a term used to show someone they are being unrealistic.


• Drop a dime - a term used to call or inform someone (it was the cost of a phone call).


• DRV - "Democratic Republic of Vietnam"


• Dry fire - practice.


• Dry run - practice.


• DSC - "Distinguished Service Cross" - the second highest award for valor given in the U.S. Army.


• DTOC - "Division Tactical Operations Center"


• Dumbo - a C-123 provider of the USAF.


• Duster - M-42 Self Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun. Its chassis was that of a light tank, but was armed with a turret that had two 40mm Swedish Bofors anti-aircraft guns. These guns were clip-fed with either armor piercing rounds or explosive tracer shells. It could contain a crew of 6, but in practice it was usually manned by 4 soldiers.


• Dust-off - dust-off was the accepted call sign for medical evacuation by helicopter. Normally a helo squadron would change its call sign monthly, but early during the war, it was decided to have a permanent call sign to make medivacs easier. Also, slang for a medevac helicopter.


• Dweeb - awkward or weird new guy.


• DZ - "Drop zone"


• E8 - 35mm 16-tube disposable CS gas canister launcher. Had a nasty habit of firing by itself.


• E&E - "Escape and Evade"


• Eagle flight - a reaction force circling in aircraft while awaiting a target.


• ECM - "Electronic Countermeasures" deployed by aircraft against ground defenses.


• Eighth and eye - headquarters, Marine Corps.


• Elephant - radio code for an M48-A3.


• Elephant grass - tall, razor-edged tropical plant that grows in dense clumps up to ten feet high. The grass is the favorite meal for elephants and also for feeding livestock and wildlife.


• Eleven Bravo - military occupation specialty (MOS) for an infantryman.


• ELINT - Poor intelligence gathered electronically at great expense.


• EM - "Enlisted Man (men)"


• Emotional numbing - a term used to describe how a soldier gets himself into a frame of mind to do what needs to be done and stick with it.


• Eng - "Engineer"


• Entrenching Tool - or E-tool; a collapsible shovel and pick used primarily for troops to dig in.


• EOD - "Explosive Ordnance Disposal" - Personnel engaged in this activity specialize in getting rid of old or captured ordnance and live booby traps or mines. This is usually done by exploding them under controlled conditions, hence their common nickname, "Boomer."


• ETS - "End Time of Service" - the date ending a soldier's term of service.


• Exp - "Expeditionary"


• Eye fuck - scrutinize; inspect closely.


• FA - "Field Artillery"


• FAC - "Forward Air Controller." A light plane pilot who directs air strikes and artillery fire from the air. Also referred to as "Oscar Deuce" and "Bird Dog," because of the style of plane used: O-2. Unless you were in a "free fire zone," you couldn't drop a bomb off an airplane or jet in-country unless it was cleared by an FAC.


• FAG - "Field Artillery Guy."


• Far out - a term used to describe something that is unbelievable.


• Fartsack - mattress cover or flight suit.


• Fast mover - a USAF or US Navy jet aircraft that carries bombs, rockets, and cannon.


• Fatigues - standard combat uniform, green in color.


• FDC - "Fire Direction Control."


• FDO - "Fire Direction Officer"


• Feet wet - Flying over water.


• FFV - "Field Force, Vietnam"


• Field day - general cleanup of barracks or facilities.


• Field strip - A procedure in which a weapon is completely disassembled, primarily for the purpose of cleaning or instruction on its components and operation.


• Fifty - the .50 caliber M2HB machine gun.


• Fifty percent alert - a term used to describe an alert status where two men in foxholes or bunker, one of them must stay awake while the other sleeps.


• FIGMO - "Finally, I got my orders." FIGMO chart - a short timer's calendar.


• Fire in the hole! - warning that explosives are about to be detonated.


• Firebase - a position occupied by the Artillery to provide support fire to the area within its range, usually a temporary location.


• FIRECRACKER - A 155mm or 8inch shell carrying a large number of golf ball sized bomblets, which it ejects at altitude over the target area. Upon ejection each bomblet opens canted 'umbrella-like' fins and floats spinning to earth. The fluttering, spinning fall has the appearance of a butterfly in flight. Upon impact a spring on the bottom of the bomblet reacts, throwing the bomblet back into the air and starting a time delay mechanism. When the bomblet rises back to about 6 feet above the ground the delay expires and the bomblet detonates with energy slightly less than an M26 frag grenade.


• Fire Fly - Two choppers in a flight, one with lights out.


• Fire-for-effect - the continuous firing of an artillery battery's cannon, sustained until a "cease-fire" or "check-fire" is received.


• Fire mission - an assignment for the artillery to go into action. Often referred to an order to begin an artillery bombardment.


• Firefight - a battle between isolated units, battalion size or smaller. So-called on account of their size and intensity.


• First light - the time of nautical twilight when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.


• First shirt - the First Sergeant is typically a senior non-com officer rank and is often referred to as "first shirt."


• 'Fishhook' area - Area 50 miles northwest of Saigon (in Cambodia) which is thought to be a "key control center for the enemy and its "headquarters for the entire communist military operation in South Vietnam."


• Five - in communications radio code, refers to the company executive officer or second-in-command.


• Five finger discount - the cost for something acquired by theft.


• Five O'clock Follies - Daily press briefings by military personnel in Saigon.


• FLA - "Farmers' Liberation Association"


• Flak - antiaircraft fire.


• Flak jacket - a heavy, fiberglass-filled protective vest worn by soldiers for protection against shrapnel.


• Flank - a group of men placed at a relatively short distance on the flanks (or sides) of a formation. In common parlance, "to send out flank," meant to place maybe two men about 10 or 15 yards out from the main column. These men would be spread evenly, perhaps about 20 yards between each. The object of flank was to protect the main column from ambush, and functioned as the lateral equivalent of the point element.


• Flare - illumination projectile; hand-fired or shot from artillery, mortars, or dropped by aircraft. They float on parachutes and depending upon the size, could last several minutes.


• FLD - "Final Line of Departure."


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


• Flick - another term for a movie.


• Flower child - a term used to describe a hippie.


• Flower seeker - term used to describe a man in search of a prostitute.


• Fly-by resupply - a method to resupply troops in an Operating Area without landing. The helicopter would fly at tree-top level while the crew would push out food, water, and ammunition without the helo actually touching down.


• FM - "Frequency Modulation" - used in most tactical radios. Also known as "Fox Mike."


• FNG - "Fucking New Guy," designation for a new replacement from the states. Also referred to as "Cherry," "fresh meat," and "new citizen."


• FO - "Forward Observer." An artilleryman usually assigned to an infantry unit where he coordinated supporting artillery fire.


• Foam domes - a term used to describe when a female puts tissues in her bra.


• FOB - "Forward Operating Base"


• FOD - "Foreign Object Damage."


• Foo Gas - type of mine which uses an explosive charge to project burning liquid onto a target. Often used as a defensive perimeter weapon. Also known as "fougasse."


• For real - a term that describes something that is truthful and not a joke.


• Four-by - light truck.


• Fox Four - FAC terminology for an F-4 Phantom in the ground support role.


• Fox Mike - an F.M. radio.


• Foxhole - a hole in the ground for a small number of men, dug deep enough so that a sitting man would be completely concealed below ground. So called from its resemblance to a fox's den. Such a structure protects a man from level gunfire and the effects of artillery, the shrapnel of which blows over the hole. Too large a hole becomes vulnerable to artillery and grenades since it is a bigger target and an explosion within it will have a more devastating effect. Consequently, the ideal foxhole would be for one man, except in the case of the machine gun, which requires a hole large enough to accommodate the assistant gunner.


• Frag - fragmentation grenade. Also refers to the murder of fellow soldiers in retaliation for an action or order that resulted in somebody getting hurt or killed. This usually happened by tossing a live grenade into a latrine or barracks occupied by the individual.


• Fragging - a violent attack on an officer by his own men; common fragging booby traps were grenades and weapons of choice.


• Freak - radio frequency; also, a junkie or doper.


• Freak out - a term used to describe someone who loses control over an unpleasant event.


• Freedom bird - the plane taking soldiers from Vietnam back to "The World" after their tours end.


• Free Fire Zone/Area - Area designated for firing with prior approval.


• Friendlies - other US or allied troops on the battlefield.


• Friendly fire - accidental attacks on US or allied soldiers by other US or allied soldiers.


• Front-leaning rest position - pushup position.


• Fruit Salad - Rows of ribbons on the dress uniform.


• FSA - "Forward Support Area" (or activity) - one-stop service base established by logistical units near an operation or forward base camp.


• FSB - "Fire Support Base," usually a batter (3, 105mm howitzers) of guns with a perimeter.


• FTA - "Fun, Travel, Adventure," from any Army recruiting ad.


• FTA - "Fuck the Army"


• FUBAR - "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition"


• Fuck up - a serious error.


• Fucked up - wounded or killed; also, stoned, drunk, foolish or doing something stupid.


• Fugazi - term used to describe someone or something completely out of whack, fucked up, or screwy.


• Funky - a term used to describe something that is hip; or if something back, it is raunchy.


• Funny money - Military Payment Certificates, script issued in lieu of US dollars.


• Funny paper - radio code for a map.


• FUO - "Fever of Unknown Origin" - used for anyone running a high temperature that is not more specifically diagnosed by the medic.


• Fuzz - derogatory term for police.


• G1 - Divisional Administration - Personnel


• G2 - Divisional Administration - Intelligence


• G3 - Divisional Administration - Operations


• G4 - Divisional Administration - Logistics


• G5 - Divisional Administration - Government / Civilian Liaison


• Galley - kitchen.


• Gang way! - stand back or move away.


• Gatling Gun - a machine gun with rotating set of barrels, with a motor capable of firing six thousand rounds per minute.


• Gas - a term used to describe any activity likely to inspire laughter.


• Gear - equipment.


• Gedunk - refers to snack foods, such as candy or chips, as well as the place they are sold.


• Get down - a term meaning to relax with no inhibitions, or pursuing something with vigor.


• Get Your Shit Together - usually said to FNGs, meaning to shape up and learn everything possible to stay alive.


• GHQ - "General Headquarters"


• G.I. - "Government Issue;" often used to describe military personnel.


• Gig - a term used to describe a job or assignment; usually associated with a musical appointment.


• Gimme some skin - term used asking for a handshake or to slide palms against one another.


• Gizmo - gadget; anything that defies description.


• GLO - "Ground Liaison Officer."


• Go go boots - cheap, shiny, white, knee-high boots worn with miniskirts.


• Golden BB - that lucky small arms round that brought down a helicopter or other aircraft.


• Goofy Grape - radio code for purple smoke.


• Gook - derogatory term referencing Vietcong or NVA soldiers. Also called, "Chuck," "Charlie," "Dinks," and "Slopes."


• Gooks in the wire - alarm for enemy soldiers trying to infiltrate a basecamp or firebase.


• Gourd - head; a place to wear your cover.


• GP - General Purpose bomb. Can kill troops or bust bunkers.


• Grabass - play around, frivolous activity.


• Grass - slang term for marijuana, also called "pot" or "weed." It was extensive smoked in Vietnam and could often be obtained already rolled in cigarette form.


• Greased - killed, also referred to as "zapped" and "bought the farm."


• Greasers - a derogatory term used to describe men who used petroleum jelly in their hair, wore cuffed jeans, ankle high boots and leather jackets.


• Green Berets - popular name for the Special Forces, taken from the color of their distinctive headgear.


• Green can - 90mm cannon round containing 8,500 darts or "flechettes."


• Green machine - the Marine Corps.


• Green Weenie - the Army Commendation medal.


• Grinder - parade ground.


• Groovin - a term that describes something mentally enjoyable.


• Groovy - a term meaning something outstanding, wonderful, or excellent.


• Grp - "Group"


• Grunt - a US infantryman, also known as "Ground pounders."


• Guns - short for gunships.


• Gung ho - enthusiastic and ready to go.


• Gunner - soldier usually assigned the M-60 machine gun as his primary weapon. He had an assistant gunner whose responsibility was to feed ammo into the gun and to take over in case the gunner was hit. He also had two or three ammo bearers whose duty was to supply ammo to the assistant gunner. Being a gunner was an extremely dangerous job, since the enemy always tried to knock out the guns to reduce a platoon's firepower.


• Gunny - gunnery sergeant (E-7 rank).


• Gunship - armed helicopter (usually Hueys or Cobras) with the primary mission of fire support, armed with min-guns and rockets.


• Gun Truck - cargo truck with added armor and machineguns for convoy escort.


• Gyrene - short for G.I. Marine.


• H-13 - Army light observation helicopter.


• H & I - "Harassment and Interdiction." H & I was a procedure used to protect perimeters at night. At random intervals throughout the night, the person on guard at a foxhole would throw a grenade in front of his position to inhibit snipers or sappers from infiltrating the perimeter. The ultimate H & I was the "Mad Minute."


• H & S - "Headquarters and Supply."


• HAL - "Helicopter Attack Squadron Light"


• Half-track - Armored personnel carrier with two front tires and caterpillar tracks in the rear.


• Hamburger Hill - the battle of Ap Bia.


• Hamlet - a Vietnamese small village.


• Hang loose - a term meaning to standby, relax, or take it easy.


• Hanoi Hannah - the Tokyo Rose of the Vietnam War.


• Hard charger - motivated soldier.


• Hard stripe sergeant - rank indicated by three chevron insignia, equivalent to an E5, lowest grade of a non-commissioned officer.


• Hash - C-47 speaker.


• Hawk - radio code for ambush team.


• Hawkeye - a US sniper, or an O-1 aircraft with a starlight scope.


• Hawks and Doves - the term "hawk" dates back to the Congressional "War Hawks" of 1810-1812 who favored a war with Britain in the name of honor, pride, and a deep hatred for anything English. The term "dove" is a product of 1967-1968 Vietnam War debates, and refers to the desire for a peaceful, nonviolent foreign policy.


• HE - "High Explosive" - kind of explosive found in artillery shells and grenades, as opposed to WP (white phosphorous).


• Heads - group identified as dopers - those who used drugs (heroin, marijuana, etc.).


• HEAT - "High Explosive Anti-Tank" - fin-stabilized armor defeating projectile.


• Headman - the boss man of a local community; his word is usually law.


• Heavy - a term used to describe something deep, chaotic, sad, or controversial; an emotional state.


• HEP - "High Explosive Plastic" (Composition B)


• Heart - Purple Heart award for a wound; the wound itself.


• Heat tabs - flammable tablet used to heat C-rations that were always in short supply. These tabs were not as hot as C-4 and took longer to cook a meal that wasn't as hot.


• Heavy Artillery - B-52s of Fighters Strike.


• HHC - "Headquarters & Headquarters Company"


• Hickey - term used to describe a "love bite;" a bruise usually on the neck from continued sucking.


• High-and-tight - standard Marine haircut; shaved sides and short on top.


• Hippies - characterized by their long hair, casual drug use, love of rock music, and promiscuity, the hippies were a social phenomenon of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Usually born into comfortable white middle-class families, these young Americans rejected their parents' values and questions a government and society that encouraged their support of the Vietnam War.


• HMFIC - "Head Mother Fucker in Charge."


• HMH - Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron


• HML - Marine Light Helicopter Squadron


• HMM - Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Light) - Originally, UH-34D Sikorsky helicopters, then Chinook.


• Hmong - the Montagnards of Laos. Comprised the bulk of the Laotian Royalist Army, fought for US.


• Ho Chi Minh sandals - sandals made from worn-out truck tires. Also referred to as "Ho Chi Minh Road Sticks." This footwear was most common to the Vietcong.


• Ho Chi Minh Trail - a network of roads extending from North Vietnam south through eastern Laos and Cambodia with numerous spurs extending into South Vietnam. Used by VC/NVA to move supplied and personnel into South Vietnam.


• Hog / Pig - M60 Machine Gun primarily used by Americans. Uses 7.62 x 51 NATO rounds which are longer and similar to the enemy's Russian made AK-47 (7.62 x 39). These rounds are not interchangeable and cannot be fired from the opposing weapon.


• Honcho - boss man or whoever is in charge.


• Hooch - any kind of (Vietnamese) shelter or residence.


• Hoochgirl - Vietnamese woman employed by American military as a maid or laundress.


• Hook - short for CH-47 Chinook.


• Horn - slang for radio microphone.


• Hot LZ - a landing zone under heavy enemy fire.


• Hotel Charlie - another name for Hot Chow.


• How - "Howitzer"


• Howard Johnson's - any of a multitude of pushcart vendors selling food in the street.


• HQ - "Headquarters." The place where the commanding officer was situated with his staff and his personnel.


• Hre - Tribe of Montagnards, 110,000 strong.


• HRP - "Human Remains Pouches" - the official name for body bags; a large rubberized bag with six heavy web carrying straps and a zipper that ran full length down the middle of the bag. They were colored olive drab green.


• HS - "Helicopter Squadron"


• Huey - the standard army assault helicopter (UH-1; "Utility Helicopter") used mainly to carry troops and supplies. They were also used as gunships and Medevac choppers. Six or seven men could fit in the cabin, whose doors were either left open or removed altogether. The cockpit contained a pilot and a copilot, who were generally warrant officers. Between the cockpit and the cabin were two door gunners, one on each side, using a swivel mounted M-60 machine gun, the same used by the infantry.


• Humping - walking from one location to another while carrying full rucksacks and supplies - routes can be through dense jungle, along paths or trails, through streams and rice paddies and sometimes uphill or downhill on very steep slopes. Also means simply to march, to carry, and to be burdened with.


• Hundred Feet of Flight Line - nonexistent; used on Cherries to send them on a wild-goose chase.


• Hunter-killer team - a reconnaissance/combat team of six, usually assigned to seek out and ambush the enemy.


• HW - "Heavy Weapons"


• I & I - "Intoxication and Intercourse'; slang for R&R


• IC - "Innocent Civilians" - designation for non-combatant or civilian personnel.


• I Corps (pronounced "EYE-kore") - The northern most (of four) Corps areas of Combat Tactical Zones in South Vietnam.


• I.D.C. - "Installation Defense Command"


• IDS - "In Da Shit."


• IFFV - 1st Field Force Vietnam


• Illum - 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. Also called "jungle rot" or "trench foot."


• Impact - "Improvement by Action. RF/PF installations.


• In country - meaning within the country of Vietnam.


• Incoming! - (always yelled), meaning "Hit the dirt!" A warning for aerial barrage with mortars, artillery, rockets, etc., from enemy soldiers.


• Indian Country - area controlled by Charlie (VC).


• Inf - "Infantry"


• Inn keeper - Chinook Chopper.


• Intel - intelligence


• IP - "Initial Point" - a reference point in an attack.


• IPW - "Interrogation of Prisoner of War." This was an American run operation with Vietnamese attachés to help in translation.


• Irish pennant - a loose string dangling from closing, indicating sloppy appearance.


• Iron Triangle - a 60-square mile area of jungle between the Thi-Tinh and Saigon rivers, next to Chu Chi district, believed to contain enemy base camps and supply dumps.


• I shit you not - a saying to mean, "I am very serious."


• Jam - a term used to describe when musicians get together a play music.


• Jarai - Tribe of Montagnards, living in the Pleiku area.


• Jarhead - slang for Marine soldier.


• Jazzed - a term used to describe someone who is excited, or elated.


• JCS - US "Joint Chiefs of Staff"


• Jesus Nut - the main connector holding a rotor in place on a helicopter.


• Jodie - term used by GIs to describe men at home who dated servicemen's girlfriends while they were away.


• Jolly Green - CH-3 rescue chopper.


• JP-4 - fuel for Hueys and fast movers.


• Juicers - a derogatory term for one who drinks alcohol… a lot. (see Heads).


• 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 fatigues - tropical weight jacket and pants.


• Jungle penetrator - a type of litter that would be dropped down from a hovering helicopter to extract wounded soldiers from dense jungle locations where an LZ is not available. You would put somebody in it, and they'd pull him back up.


• Jungle Rot - generally, a fungal of staph infection causing boils, swelling, and tissue necrosis resulting from dirt, grime, and constant wet conditions. Mostly found on soldier's feet because of the amount of time humping through water.


• JUSPAO - "Joint US Public Affairs Office"


• K-bar - Marine-issued fighting knife with a seven inch blade and a wrapped leather handle.


• KCS - "Kit Carson Scout"


• KHA - "Killed Hostile Action"


• Khmer Rouge - a homegrown nationalist and radical communist movement, responsible for the Cambodian Holocaust of the 1970s.


• KIA - "Killed in Action."


• Kill zone - the radius of a circle around an explosive device within which it is predicted that 95% of all occupants will be killed should the device explode.


• Kit Carson scouts - former North Vietnamese Communist soldiers that had surrendered and helped guide US troops.


• KIWIS - a New Zealander soldier and America's ally.


• Klick - one kilometer - 6/10th of a mile. On a topographical map, each outlined grid is considered 1km x 1km.


• Knuckle Dragger - aircraft mechanic.


• KP - "Kitchen Police." This is the military sense of "police," now obsolete in the language spoken outside the military, and meaning "cleaning, straightening up." KP was duty in the mess hall that involved mainly washing dishes. It was an obnoxious job, and people often were assigned KP as a punishment.


• Lager - tanks or APCs circled in a defensive position, usually at night.


• Lane Grader - military slang for an instructor.


• Lanyard grease - non-existent item, prank used to send Cherries on a wild-goose chase.


• Later - a term used to say "goodbye," or "see you."


• LAW - "Light Antitank Weapon," a shoulder-fired 66mm rocket, used by US and South Vietnamese forces. The launcher is made of fiberglass and is disposable after one shot.


• Lay it on me - a term meaning to speak your piece, tell me what's on your mind.


• LBE - "Load Bearing Equipment", web gear system for carrying canteen, ammo, pack, battle dressing.


• LBJ - Long Binh Jail; the USARV Stockade, located 12 miles northeast of Saigon; also Camp Long Binh Junction, home of the 90th Replacement Battalion, through which most individual replacements are processed. Also "LBJ" was the nickname of Lyndon Baines Johnson, president of the United States during much of the Vietnam War.


• Leaf Killers - nickname for Dumbo pilots spraying Agent Orange defoliant; Operation Ranch Hand.


• Leave - authorized absence for more than 24 hours.


• Left handed monkey wrench - a non-existent tool; often the object of fruitless searches undertaken by recruits at the behest of the more experienced service members.


• Lefty Lemon - radio code for Yellow smoke.


• Legs or Straight Legs - non airborne personnel.


• LIB - "Light Infantry Brigade"


• Liberty - authorized absence for less than 24 hours.


• Lifers - career soldiers; often used as a derogatory term.


• Lima Charlie - International Phonetic Alphabet words for "LC", short for "loud and clear" in Army radio speak.


• Lima Delta - "LD" - Line of Departure; point of no return in an attack.


• Lima Lima - "LL" - Land Line, a field phone.


• Lima Pappa - "LP" - Listening Post


• Line (unit) - any kind of combat infantry unit. As a rule such units are found at the front line and even define its position, but in Vietnam there were no lines, so the nomenclature had become obsolete. A foot soldier combat veteran will still describe himself as "line infantry."


• Litters - stretchers to carry dead and wounded soldiers.


• Little Blue - a stream.


• Little people - radio code for ARVNs.


• LLDB - "Luc Luong Dac Biet" - South Vietnamese Special Forces.


• LNO - "Liaison Officer." A person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may coordinate activities to protect units from collateral damage. They also work to achieve mutual understanding or unity of effort among disparate groups.


• LOACH - "Light Observation Helicopter" a small, agile, unarmed two-person helicopter, Hughes OH-6 "Cayuse" used for reconnaissance, observation, and carrying small loads. Often used as decoys to lure the enemy into firing upon the aircraft, they are part of a hunter-killer team, and after identifying the enemy, gunships attack the suspect area. 842 out of the 1,419 OH-6As built for the US Army were destroyed in Vietnam, mostly from hostile ground fire.


• Loaded - another term for intoxicated.


• LOC - "Lines of Communication"


• Lock & load - arm and ready your weapon.


• Log - Logistics


• Log Bird - resupply helicopter, usually Huey, sometimes a Chinook.


• LOH - Light Observation Helicopter (LOACH), usually a Hughes 500C but also a Bell Jetranger.


• Louie - slang term for Lieutenant.


• Louie Lime - radio code for Green smoke.


• Low Boy - a tank transporter, also called Dragon Wagon.


• LP - "listening post" - location outside of the perimeter, away from the main body of soldiers, primarily used by the infantry at night as an early warning device, usually manned by two or three soldiers.


• L-T - pronounced "ell-tee" which is short for Lieutenant; most infantry officers accepted this title while in country.


• LRP - "Long Range Patrol", pronounced "lurps."


• LRPD - "Long Range Patrol Detachment"


• LRRP - "Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol." Usually 4-8 men, that worked deep in enemy controlled areas to gather intelligence. The purpose of a LRRP in Vietnam was to send a team of about six infantrymen to a strategic place to observe and report enemy movement. The LRRP team was to avoid detection by and contact with any NVA or VC personnel because it not only would destroy their ability to gather and report information, but it would also almost certainly result in death or capture of all the members of the team. A LRRP team was also used as a spotter for artillery, helicopter gunships and fighter bomber missions. The Battalion and the Brigade had their own permanent LRRPs.


• LRRP Rations - freeze dried food developed for LRRPs tasted better than C-rations.


• LST - "Landing Ship, Tank" - a large vessel used for amphibious landing of personnel, tanks, and other equipment.


• L-T - acronym for Lieutenant" and used primarily in the field.


• LTG - "Lieutenant General"


• LZ - Landing Zone - anywhere a helicopter can land. Most were not too large and had a perimeter surrounded by numerous rows of barbed wire. Bunkers were placed around the perimeter and many were armed with machine guns. "Forward LZs" were usually quite small and were guarded by a company, usually rotated in from the field for a short stay.


• M-2HB - caliber 50 machine gun (HB=Heavy Barrel)


• M-3A1 - caliber 45 submachine gun (M-3 was older variant)


• M-14 - US Army 7.62mm semiautomatic infantry rifle, standard until 1966-68, when progressively withdrawn.


• M-16 - US 5.56mm rifle, a much lighter automatic weapon than the M-14 that it replaced, whose 1966-68 versions (M-16E1) proved prone to jam in action.


• M-17 - protective mask worn by non-vehicle crewmen.


• M-18A1 - Claymore antipersonnel weapon; threw out 700 steel balls, lethal to 50 meters.


• M-26A1 - Fragmentation grenade. Also referred to as "Mike-26" and "frag."


• M-291 - 81mm mortar, range about 3,500 meters; found in weapons platoon of Infantry Rifle Company.


• M-30 - a 4.2 inch (107mm) mortar (rifle tube), maximum range 5,650 meters; usually a platoon was assigned to a Bn Hqs.


• M-33 - Fragmentation hand grenade, aka "Baseball grenade."


• M-41 - Korean War vintage Walker Bulldog light tank (ARVNs only)


• M-42 - Duster (twin 40mm Bofors antiaircraft cannon on M-41 chassis)


• M-48A3 - Main Battle Tank used in Vietnam because of its thick hull


• M-49 - Trip flare


• M-55 - Quad .50 caliber machine-gun mount. Range 7,275 meters.


• M-56 - Self-Propelled Anti-Tank gun (90mm) on tracked chassis, named "Scorpion" used by D/16th Armor 173rd Airborne.


• M-52A2 - 5-ton tractor, as in tractor-trailer


• M-60 Machine Gun (Machine Gunner) - standard, lightweight machine gun used by US forces in Vietnam. It weighs 23 pounds and fires 7.62mm ammunition (same as the AK-47); belt fed, air-cooled; 600 rounds per minute.


• M-67 - 90mm recoilless rifle; range 450-800 meters. An Anti-Tank weapon, used to bust bunkers in Vietnam.


• M-72 - LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon), 66mm rocket in disposable launcher.


• M-79 Grenade Launcher (Grenadier) - hand-held 40mm grenade launcher; also known as a "Blooper" or "Thumper." It can fire high-explosive grenades (HE round), heavy buckshot (shot-gun round), or fléchettes, small arrow-like projectiles, in a wide arc.


• M-88 - Tracked recovery vehicle (used by armor and Maintenance units).


• M-101 - Split trail 105mm Howitzer (traditional Artillery units); range 11,000 meters.


• M-102 - Closed trail 105mm Howitzer (Airborne and Air Cav units); range 11,500 meters; could be lifted by a Huey.


• M-106 - Self-propelled 4.2 inch (107mm) mortar track (modified M-113)


• M-107 - Self-propelled 175mm gun; tube maximum range 32,600 meters; crew of five.


• M-108 - Self-propelled 105mm howitzer; tube had range of 11,500 meters.


• M-109 - Self-propelled 155mm howitzer; tube had range of 14,600 meters; largest direct-support artillery.


• M-110 - Self-propelled 8" howitzer; tube range 16,800 meters; five man crew.


• M-113 - Armored Personnel Carrier fitted with Chrysler 209HP gasoline engine.


• M-113A1 - M-113 fitted with General Motors 215HP Diesel engine.


• M-114 - Tracked, armored, scout vehicle. Fitted with Chevy 283 cubic inch gasoline engine.


• M-114A1 - M-114 fitted with General Motors Diesel engine.


• M-125A1 - Self-propelled 81mm mortar (based on M-113A1 chassis).


• M-132 - "Zippo" track mechanized flamethrower (based on M-113A1 chassis).


• M-151 - Jeep (truck, cargo, 4x4).


• M-449 - "Firecracker" round fired by artillery contains bomblets which go off in mid-air.


• M-548 - Tracked cargo vehicle.


• M-577 - Tracked command vehicle, modified M-113 (used by all maneuver Bns).


• M-578 - Tracked recovery vehicle (used by infantry and artillery).


• M-728 - Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) M-60A1 chassis/turret w/ 165mm demolition gun.


• MAB - "Marine Amphibious Brigade"


• MABS - "Marine Air Base Squadron"


• MAC - "Military Assistance Command"


• MACV (pronounced, "MACK-VEE") - "Military Assistance Command in Vietnam;" General Paul D. Harkins - commander. MACV was the interservice headquarters that commanded all military operations in South Vietnam and its coastal waters.


• Mad minute - an unusual practice in which a whole unit, usually an entire company, would fire all its weapons simultaneously for 60 seconds, done at a predesignated time. Its purpose was to discourage the enemy or probes of an American position.


• MAF - "Marine Amphibious Force." Two or more Marine divisions plus necessary Marine air support.


• Mafia HQ - MACV


• MAG - "Marine Air Group"


• MAG - "Military Advisory Group"


• MA Deuce - Browning M2 .50 cal. Machine gun.


• Malayan gate - a booby trap device which depends on a fulcrum for action and usually employs spikes as the killing device. Devised by Malay communists during their unsuccessful 10-year fight against the British.


• Mama San - GI reference to all older Vietnamese women.


• Marker round - first round fired by mortars or artillery, used for confirming a location on a map or an adjustment point when firing upon the enemy.


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


• Marvin the Arvin - stereotyped soldier in the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN).


• MASH - "Mobile Army Surgical Hospital"


• MASS - "Marine Air Support Squadron"


• MAW - "Marine Air Wing"


• Max ord - Maximum height AGL (above ground level) of artillery firing.


• Meat factory - slang for any hospital.


• Meat wagon - slang for ambulance, or any other medical vehicle.


• MEB - "Marine Expeditionary Brigade"


• Mech - "Mechanized"


• Mechanical ambush - (nickname, "Mike Alpha" or "MAs") a strategy of placing and connecting Claymore mines every few feet in daisy-chain fashion alongside a trail with trip wires in order to ambush the enemy without physically being there. When tripped, they all explode at the same time.


• Mechanized platoon - a platoon operating with tanks and/or armored personnel carriers.


• Med - "Medical"


• MEDCAP - "Medical Civic Action Program" - deployment of military medical teams to provide care to the civilian population.


• Medevac - short for "Medical Evacuation." A Huey helicopter ambulance that picked up the wounded and flew them back to the forward LZ for initial emergency medical treatment.


• MFIC - "Mother Fucker in Charge"


• MG - "Major General"


• MG - "Machine Gun"


• MGF - "Mobile Guerilla Force"


• MIA - "Missing in Action"


• Mighty Mite - small portable blower used for filling tunnels with CS (Tear agent) powder.


• MIKE - "Mobile Strike Force"


• Mike Boat - landing craft, mechanized (LCM8) used to carry troops.


• Mike Force - an elite force of volunteer strikers held as a general reserve and used in the most serious situations. Led by US Special Forces and Australian Special Air Service noncoms and officers.


• Mike-Mike - millimeter.


• Mil - "Military"


• Mine Magnet - any armored vehicle (APC, tank, etc.).


• Mini-guns - a modern day Gatling Gun with rotating barrels that fires an enormous amount of ammunition in a short amount of time. Typically mounded on gunships and C-47 aircraft.


• MOGAS - short for "Motor Vehicle Gasoline" - military grade gasoline.


• Monopoly Money (MPC) - "Military Payment Certificates" used by the military in Vietnam. U.S. Dollars (greenbacks) were illegal.


• Montagnards (pronounced, "mon ton yards") - indigenous people of Central Highlands. It referred to the people living in the mountains who were not Vietnamese. They spoke the Hmong language, found also as far north as China. They were a rather abused minority, and naturally sided with the United States in the war. These groups led to the formation of Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG).


• Moonshine - C-47 flare ship.


• 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." This term designated the army job category to which a soldier belonged. A rifleman was an 11B (eleven bravo), a mortar man was an 11C (eleven charlie).


• Mountain Magnet - term referring to unreliable aircraft.


• MP - "Military Police."


• MPC - "Military Payment Certificate" - money used in South Vietnam on bases, instead of American dollars, which were illegal and anyone caught with American dollars could be court-martialed.


• MR - "Military Region"


• MRRF - "Mobile Road Reaction Force"


• MSF - "Mobile Strike Force"


• MSFC - "Mobile Strike Force Command"


• Mtr - "Mortar"


• M.U.L.E. - "Multi-utility Light Equipment;" small motorized cart used to carry equipment and supplies within firebases.


• M.U.S.T. - "Medical Unit Self-contained Transportable" - an easily transported, rubber, air-filled Quonset Hut.


• Mustang - an enlisted man who receives a commission as an officer.


• Nam - short for "Vietnam."


• Napalm - gelatinized petroleum used to burn, well, anything and everything. The burst is so hot that the oxygen is literally removed from the air and some enemy soldiers had died from suffocation instead of the flames.


• NCO - "Non-commissioned Officer." A person having the rank of corporal or sergeant in the Army or Marines; sergeant in the Air Force; petty officer in the Navy. See also noncom.


• NCOIC - "Non-commissioned Officer in Charge"


• NDP - "Night Defensive Position" where platoon-sized or larger units set up sleeping and defensive positions in a circle. Claymore mines and trip flares are used outside of the perimeter and a guard position routinely positioned in the center where individuals rotate on hourly watches.


• Net - short for radio network. All tactical radios operated within a defined network on a designated frequency.


• Nickel - radio code for a junior NCO.


• NLF - "National Liberation Front;" armed forces were the People's Liberation Armed Forces, also known as the Viet Cong.


• NLT - "No Later Than"


• No Joye - Target or point is not in visual contact.


• Noncom - a noncommissioned officer, e.g., a corporal or sergeant of any pay grade, appointed by authority of the Secretary of the Army. See also NCO.


• Non-qual - Marine who fails to fire a qualifying score at the rifle range.


• No Sweat - any task that is simple or easy; usually said in response to being asked to perform it, to mean you will do it and it won't be difficult.


• NSC - US "National Security Council"


• Numbah-one GI - a serviceman who spends a good deal of money on the Vietnamese economy.


• Numbah-ten GI - servicemen who spends little money on the Vietnamese economy, or one who refuses to make a proposed purchase.


• Numbah-ten thousand - absolutely the worst of the lot.


• Numnuts - a stupid or incompetent person.


• Nung - Vietnamese ranger battalion; tribe of Montagnards, 15,000 strong; the fiercest of the Montagnard CIDG troops.


• NVA - "North Vietnamese Army" soldiers. This was the regular army of Communist North Vietnam. They wore regular army uniforms which featured the pith helmet. In contrast, the VC or irregulars often times had no uniform at all and were difficult to distinguish from civilians.


• OCS - "Officer Candidate School" The U.S. Army's main training academy for prospective Army Officers. The school is generally open to qualified enlisted Noncommissioned Officers, along with civilians who hold at least a four-year college degree. Candidates who successfully complete the rigorous, 12-week school receive formal commissions as U.S. Army Officers and assume the ability to command Soldiers.


• Off the wall - a term meaning weird or unusual.


• Office pogue - desk-bound Marine.


• OIC - "Officer in Charge"


• OK SAHLEM - Village children begging for menthol cigarettes from GIs.


• Old Boots / Old Timers - those soldiers who have been in country for a while; others look to them for advice and direction due to their experience.


• Old lady - a term of endearment for your girlfriend or wife.


• Old Man - slang for a unit's commanding officer.


• One Four - the Platoon Sergeant.


• One Six - the Platoon Leader.


• One Six Alpha - the Platoon leader's gunner, the Assistant tank commander.


• Online - military term that generally means being at the forward edge of the battle area. Also means being with the operational elements of a military unit.


• Ontos - armored, tracked vehicle mounting six 106mm recoilless rifles.


• OOA - "On or About"


• OP - "Observation Post" - location outside the perimeter used by infantry personnel during the daytime as an early warning device. Also known as an LP ("Listening Post"). An OP typically consisted of one man with a radio and two others armed with rifles (etc.) without any heavy weapons such as machine guns.


• OPCON - "Operational Control"


• Ord - "Ordnance"


• Order of battle - listing of units committed to a theater of operations. Obtaining a correct OB on the enemy was a major intelligence operation.


• Ordnance - military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in connection with artillery.


• Oscar Pappa - OP (Observation Post)


• Oscar Track - call sign for Company HQs or Bn S-3s.


• OSS - "Office of Strategic Services," predecessor to today's CIA.


• Out of sight - a term meaning unbelievable.


• Over the hill - absent without authorization.


• Over the hump - more than halfway through enlistment period.


• Ps - piasters; basic Vietnamese money. $1 US dollar equals 118 piasters (in later years).


• P-38 - hand held can opener that came with C-rations. Also known as a "John Wayne."


• PACFLT - "Pacific Fleet"


• Pacification - involved the effort to secure U.S. and ARVN control over South Vietnamese villages, win the locals' allegiance to the Saigon regime, and deprive the enemy of all strongholds in the countryside.


• Papa San - GI reference to all older Vietnamese men.


• Pathfinder - During WWII, small numbers of airborne "pathfinders" were dropped ahead of the bulk of paratroopers in order to mark drop zones and conduct reconnaissance. Pathfinders in Vietnam filled a similar role as they prepared landing zones for troops dropping from helicopters, provided ground-level intelligence to those troops and their pilots, and stayed ready to aid troops whose chopper might be shot down. In Vietnam, the Pathfinder team consisted of three, 3-man teams.


• Patrol - a mission assigned to a smaller unit, usually involves walking outside the sight and rifle range of a larger unit.


• PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese troops).


• PDQ - "Pretty Damn Quick;" on the double or in a hurry.


• Pedro - USAF rescue chopper.


• Pentagon East - slang term used for the MACV.


• Pedicab - a foot-powered cycle.


• Penny - radio code for enlisted man.


• Perimeter - a circular defensive line that marks the forward positions of a military unit. In the field a perimeter of foxholes was set up for the night. The usual pattern for setting up a company in the field was a circle in which each foxhole visible to the one adjacent to it. On LZs, the perimeter was marked with rows of barbed wire behind which were bunkers made of sandbags and steel plating.


• PF - "Popular Force;" Vietnamese village militiamen. Native military forces locally recruited and employed within their home districts by district chiefs.


• PFC - "Private First Class." A rank in the US Army. A trainee (bootcamp) begins with a rank designation of E-1 and is called a "Private E-1." As a soldier progressed through training, he was normally automatically promoted to Private E-2. After assuming duties in the regular Army, he advanced to the rank of Private E-3, which is designated as "Private First Class" and was indicated on the uniform by a single stripe. In the infantry, the rank immediately above PFC had been Corporal (two stripes), but during the time of the Vietnam War, in the infantry the rank of Corporal had been replaced by Spec-4 (Specialist Fourth Class).


• PFT - "Portable Flame Thrower"


• Phantom - nickname for an F-4 fighter jet.


• Piasters - Vietnamese money; in Fall 1968, 100 piasters was 1 US Dollar.


• Pigeons - Heading and distance to a point.


• Piece - rifle.


• PIO - "Public Information Officer." Army public relations and media liaison.


• Piss cutter - envelope-shaped overseas cap.


• Piss and punk - bread and water punishment.


• Piss tube - field urinal; also a rocket launcher (bazooka), which resembles one.


• PLAF - "People's Liberation Armed Forces"


• Platoon - a Platoon was composed of four Squads, one of which was a weapons squad devoted to machine guns and their crews. There were four platoons to a company with the CP functioning as a kind of independent platoon about the size of a squad. A platoon should have about 28 men, but in practice most had around 25 or less. A platoon was run by a lieutenant and a platoon sergeant. It was a miniature version of a company, which was run by a captain and a top sergeant.


• Plt - "Platoon"


• Plenty cheap Charlie - one who wastes even less money than an ordinary cheap Charlie.


• Pogue - lazy individual; also slang for office worker or rear echelon.


• Pogey bait - candy & sweets.


• Point - the first position in a moving column of infantry. The point man was usually the first to make contact with the enemy and the first to become a casualty. The danger of "pulling point," was so great that people took turns in a set order. Generally, machine gun crew never pulled point, nor radio operators, officers, or NCOs (unless the last volunteered).


• POL - "Petroleum, Oil, & Lubricants"


• Police call - time allocated to clean up an area.


• Poncho - the five-foot square, plastic coated nylon poncho had a permanently attached hood in the center, and snap fasteners down both sides. Used as a rain cape, blanket sleeping bag cover, ground cover for sleeping, tent half, and litter to carry wounded soldiers.


• Poop (also dope, scoop) - the latest information.


• Popeye - (Aviation) - Flying in instrument conditions.


• Pop-flare - hand-held and launched aerial illumination flare. The cap is removed and placed over the opposite end…hold center of flare with left hand and point it upward, then using the heel of your right palm, come up and hit the bottom…a firing pin will engage the explosive and send the flare into the air.


• Pop smoke - request to ignite a smoke grenade to signal an aircraft.


• Pos rep - "Position report."


• POW - "Prisoner of War"


• PRC-77 - AN/PRC-77 man portable secure FM radio set.


• Prick twenty-five - slang for PRC 25 radio, mounted on aluminum backpack. It was powered by a battery which was fastened to the bottom of the unit with metal clips. The total weight was about 23.5 pounds. It was an FM receiver/transmitter used for short-distance communications; the range was 5-10 kilometers.


• Primo - a term meaning something is first class, or top of the line.


• PRP - "People's Revolutionary Party" - founded January 15, 1962.


• PRUs - Provincial Reconnaissance Units


• PSP - "Perforated Steel Planking;" standardized, perforated steel matting material originally developed by the United States shortly after WWII, primarily for the rapid construction of temporary runways and landing strips. A runway 200' wide by 5,000' long could be created within two days by a small team of engineers.


• Psy Ops - Psychological Warfare Operations


• PT - "Physical Training."


• PTSD - "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder". Stress that continues after a traumatic event, such as combat or harsh treatment of returning Vietnam veterans.


• Puff - originally called "Puff the Magic Dragon," a AC-47 armed with miniguns or other rapid fire weapons. It is said that if firing while flying over a football field, a bullet will hit every square foot of the field. Also called "Spooky." When Puff makes a run during the night, the string of tracers is constant and sometimes looks like an imaginary pee stream; some soldiers reference this as "Bringing Pee" on the enemy.


• Punji stake - a sharpened bamboo pole, hardened by fire, planted in the ground with the point sticking up, usually tipped with poisons. Usually concealed near jungle trails, rice paddies, or wherever troops walked on patrol.


• Push - radio frequency; because you "pushed" a button to select a frequency.


• PX - "Post Exchange." Located on every major Army post, it is a government run department store who goods are sold at discount to military personnel only.


• QM - "Quartermaster"


• QRF - "Quick Reaction Force." A unit, typically a Platoon, that is in a constant state of advanced readiness in order to be called into action for a mission that requires immediate execution.


• Q-service - quarterly service of vehicles.


• Quad-50 - four caliber 50 machine guns (M2HB) mounted on a gun truck for convoy defense.


• Quarter Cav-50 - nickname for 1/4th Cavalry


• Quarters - your living space.


• Queen of Battle - the infantry.


• Queer - a term used to describe something that is odd, dumb, or dorky.


• R&R - "Rest and Relaxation." A one week period of leave granted twice a year. One R&R was taken in-country at "pacified" places like China Beach (Da Nang), Cam Ranh Bay, Qui Nhon, etc. R&R outside the country could be taken in Hong Kong, Australia, Bangkok, and maybe Singapore.


• RA - "Regular Army;" those soldiers who joined voluntarily.


• Rack - a bed or bunk.


• RAG - "River Assault Group"


• RAGE - C2B speaker.


• RAID - "River Assault Interdiction Division"


• Rappel - descend from a cliff or a helicopter by rope.


• Rats - an "in" term used by some Saigon warriors for "white mice."


• Rear - formerly, the "rear" meant areas behind friendly forward lines. But in Vietnam, since there were no lines, it mean any area other than "the field."


• Rcn - "Recon"


• Recon - Force reconnaissance Marine.


• REDCON - Readiness Condition.


• Redball - The system used in Vietnam to expedite delivery of critical supplies and repair parts. Also, Camp Redball, a small base camp near Go Vap, a Saigon suburb. Also a radio code for a hard surface road.


• Red alert - the most urgent form of warning, this signals an imminent enemy attack.


• Red Haze - radio code for ammonia sensing people-sniffer in aircraft.


• Red Legs - artillerymen, aka "cannon-cockers".


• Red Splash - another name for a mad-minute.


• REFRAD - "Released From Active Duty."


• Regiment - military unit normally composed of three battalions, commanded by a full colonel.


• Remington Raider - another term for REMF, anyone typewriter-armed; also "Smith-Corona Commando."


• REMF (pronounced, "REMPH") - "Rear Echelon Military Force" - derogatory term is "Rear Echelon Mother Fucker."


• Renago - tribe of Montagnards, 10,000 strong.


• Republic of Vietnam - South Vietnam.


• Re-up Bird - a Blue Eared Barbet bird, whose song sounds like "Re UP" to those soldiers in the jungle.


• RF/PF - "Regional Forces / Popular Forces." Slang would be "ruff puffs." Militias recruited by Saigon for local defense, lightly armed and commanded by province chiefs, totaling 525,000 men.


• Rgt - "Regiment"


• Rhade - tribe of Montagnards, 120,000 strong, of Maylay-Polynesian descent, continued to build houses on stilts.


• RHIP - "Rank Has Its Privileges."


• Rice wine - an alcoholic drink, very inexpensive and made from rice. Usually tastes like kerosene.


• Ride - term used to describe a method of transportation.


• RIF - "Reconnaissance in Force"


• Rifleman - an infantryman whose primary weapon was the rifle, which in Vietnam was the M-16. He might also be armed with four or more grenades, a claymore, and even an anti-tank rocket. A rifleman is the most common member of a line unit.


• Right on - term meaning, exactly or a way to express agreement or encouragement.


• Righteous - a term meaning something noble, ethical, or moral.


• Rikki-Tik - to do quickly… "move out and Rikki-tik."


• Riv - "Riverine"


• River Rats - Navy forces assigned to the internal waterways within Vietnam. Also called "Brown Water Navy."


• River Sweep - A reconnaissance mission typically done by a squad using rubber boats with small outboard motors on the back which the squad troops would drive along the edge of the river looking into the banks for tunnels and caves and if finding any, using demolition to destroy them and for any VC that were inside.


• RL - "Rocket Launcher"


• RLO - "Real Live Officer." A commissioned, regular Army officer, as opposed to a warrant officer.


• RMG - "River Mine Group"


• The 'Rockpile' - a US Marine base near the DMZ.


• Rock N' Roll - an M-16 on automatic.


• RoE - "Rules of Engagement" whereby US forces were permitted to attack communist forces and installations; entirely different in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and varied during the course of the war.


• Rog (pronounced "rahj") - short for "Roger," the radio term for "I read/understand your transmission."


• Roger That / Roger Roger - term used by Army aviators indicating that the transmission was received and understood.


• ROK / ROCK - Marines from Korea, allies to the U.S. to fight communism.


• Rome plow - mammoth bulldozer used to flatten dense jungle and create berms on perimeters.


• Romp 'n stomp - to drill or march.


• RON - "Remain Overnight Operation"


• Rootin Tootin Raspberry - radio code for Red smoke.


• ROTC - "Reserved Officers' Training Corps." A unit formed at institutions of higher learning that involves course work and training to become an officer in the US military. Those who complete the whole course incur an obligation to serve for a specified period of time in the branch of the service for which they trained.


• Rotor Wash - a non-existent item. New troops are sent to supply to look for a can of this. Also refers to the wind that is present when helicopter rotors are turning.


• Round - a bullet or artillery round or mortar shell.


• Round-eye - Caucasian women.


• RPD - Soviet (NVA) caliber 7.62mm light machine gun.


• RPG - "Rocket Propelled Grenade", also known as the B-40; weapon of choice by VC/NVA for attacks on armor and against sandbagged bunkers. Shoulder-fired weapon delivering an 82mm rocket warhead with a range of 150 yards that could penetrate seven inches of armor.


• RPG - "River Patrol Group"


• RRF - "Rapid Reaction Force." Same as "ORF."


• RTB - "Return to Base." (Usually given with a CACAN)


• RTO - "Radio Telephone Operator." The radio, which was large and heavy, was configured like a back pack. It had a long antenna and corkscrew style speaker phone cable which allowed the user to speak over the radio while standing next to the RTO. One drawback to the design was the length of the antenna which was a dead giveaway to the position of the operator and more particularly, the officer who was likely using it. The enemy would aim to the side of the antenna, which resulted in the deaths of many an American officer, including at least one in our company. Consequently, the antenna was often bent down, but this interfered with the broadcasting efficiency of the radio.


• Ruck / rucksack - backpack issued to infantry in Vietnam to carry rations and other supplies.


• Ruff-Puffs - Derogatory term used by Americans to the RF/PF troops. South Vietnamese Regional Forces were roughly akin to militias. Recruited locally, they fell into two broad groups - Regional Forces and Popular Forces.


• RVN - "Republic of Vietnam"


• RVNAF - "Republic of Vietnam Air Force"


• S1 - Regimental, Battalion, or Brigade Administration - Personnel Staff Officer


• S2 - Regimental, Battalion, or Brigade Administration - Intelligence Staff Officer


• S3 - Regimental, Battalion, or Brigade Administration - Operations Staff Officer


• S4 - Regimental, Battalion, or Brigade Administration - Logistics Staff Officer


• S5 - Regimental, Battalion, or Brigade Administration - Government / Civilian Liaison Staff Officer


• SA - "Small Arms"


• SAC - USAF "Strategic Air Command" of which the B-52 bomber force was the principal component.


• Saddle up - to put one's gear on, ready for march.


• Saigon Tea - colored water (sometimes soda) purchased in thimble-size glasses as the price of a hostess' company in a bar or nightclub. The hostess gets a commission, and she can drink as many as the customer can buy, as fast as he can buy them.


• Saigon warrior - drugstore soldier, especially one who serves or has served in Saigon.


• Salt - an old-timer or experience Marine.


• SAM - Soviet-built "Surface to Air Missile", most commonly the SA-2, deployed in North Vietnam from 1965.


• Sandy - A1-E1 Skyraider providing fire suppression on a SAR mission.


• Sapper - a soldier, especially an enemy soldier, whose job is to blow things up. NVA soldiers would throw satchels of explosives into a camp, giving the impression of a mortar barrage.


• SAR - "Search and Rescue" mission; looking for downed pilots.


• SAS - "Special Air Service"


• Satchel charge - explosive package fitted with a handle for each of handling or throwing. They are powerful and can destroy bunkers and other equipment.


• Scag - another name for heroin.


• Scoop - term meaning the latest information.


• Score - term used to describe obtaining something valuable or necessary.


• Scorched earth - this term has been used to describe one opponent's effort to lay waste to the territory of another. Meant to break an enemy's will to fight as well as deprive him of anything and everything in a given area, scorched earth can be employed by both an attacking and a retreating army.


• Scuttlebutt - rumors; also means a drinking fountain.


• SDS - "Students for a Democratic Society"


• Seabees - Navy construction force (after CB - "Construction Battalion")


• SEAL - "Sea, Air and Land"; Navy commandos who operate in all three environments: sea, air, & land.


• Search and Avoid - typical ARVN mission.


• Search & Destroy Missions - usually a company sized, occasionally a platoon sized, patrol in which villages were searched for enemy munitions and other supplies. These were destroyed on the scene as a rule.


• SEATO - "Southeast Asia Treaty Organization", created in 1954


• Sec - "Security"


• Secure - tie down; also to recycle or dispose of; put something in its proper place.


• Sedang - tribe of Montagnards, 70,000 strong.


• Serv - "Service"


• Shades - another term for sunglasses.


• Shadow - AC-119 gunship.


• Shafted - a term used to describe someone cheated, humiliated, or treated unfairly.


• Shake 'n Bake - Soldiers who earn sergeant stripes after specialized training prior to arrival in Vietnam. Program was established to help fill-in leadership holes within the ranks during the war.


• Shaming - goofing off or getting by with the least amount of effort.


• Shit bird - messy or undisciplined; a fuck up.


• Shit burning - day-long ritual at firebases where filled half-barrels are pulled out from the enclosures and replaced with empties. A soldier or Vietnamese is assigned to burn all the waste with a mixture of kerosene and diesel fuel - continuously stirring the contents during the 10 hour process.


• Shit can - trash can. Also, as a verb, to dispose of.


• Shit hook - Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter. They were long, dark green, two-engine helicopters having a capacity of about 35 men.


• Shit list - an informal list, kept in the memory of hierarchical superiors, of subordinates who merit special ill treatment.


• Shit on a Shingle - slang for a piece of toast with chipped beef and gravy.


• Shit sandwich - term used by Marines to describe a tough firefight.


• Shitters - outhouse like enclosures; usually 3 or 6 holes (3 and 3 across from one another) cut in a wooden plank and suspended over 55 gallon half barrels. Usually found on firebases.


• SHORT - term signifying that the individual's tour of duty is almost completed - usually less than 100 days. Short timers carry notched walking sticks, colorful calendars…most compare the last 30 days in country with their Cherry days and become extremely paranoid and not wanting to take risks anymore.


• Short-timer - soldier nearing the end of his tour in Vietnam.


• Short round - ordnance, which falls short of the intended target.


• Shrapnel - high velocity metal fragments thrown off by an exploding shell.


• Sick bay - clinic or hospital.


• Sierra-Hotel - acronym for "Shit Hot."


• Sit-Rep - Short for "Situation Report." Field units and firebase bunkers are normally contacted on an hourly basis by the company / battalion radio operator. If nothing is going on, we normally answered - "negative sit-rep." If we were in hostile territory, a negative response is interpreted as breaking squelch twice in a row on the radio.


• Six - radio call-sign for unit commander (Company, Battalion).


• Six One Higher - radio code for your boss if you're a Six.


• Six-by-six - standard three-axle truck.


• Skag - a derogatory term used to describe an ugly girl.


• Skanky - term used to describe something gross or disgusting.


• Skinny - term used to describe the latest information.


• Skivvies - underwear.


• Skivvie house - brothel.


• SKS - a Russian 7.62mm semi-automatic carbine; not too many were used by the enemy.


• Skypilot - slang for Chaplain.


• Sky soldier - paratrooper of the 173d Airborne.


• Slackman - the second man on a patrol, following behind the point man to cover his back. He usually scans the treetops and flank areas; takes compass readings and counts steps.


• SLF - "Special Landing Force"


• Slick - a transport helicopter, typically a Huey. The helicopter did not have protruding armaments and was therefore, "slick."


• Sling load - load carried beneath a helicopter on a cable.


• Slopchute - diner or restaurant.


• Slop and slugs - coffee and donuts.


• Smack - heroin.


• SMEH - "Semi Mobile Evacuation Hospital"


• SMG - "Sub Machine gun"


• Smoke grenade - a canister, armed similar to a grenade, emits brightly colored smoke after the contents are ignited by the blasting cap. They are available in various colors and used for signaling.


• Smokey the Bear - USAF flare ship, usually a C-123, but occasionally a C-47.


• Smoking lamp - authority to smoke when it is lit.


• SNAFU - "Situation Normal All Fucked Up." A snafu occurred when normal procedural expectations were frustrated by mistakes ("fuck ups") made somewhere in the military chain of responsibility.


• Snakes - Cobra gunships.


• Snoopin' and poopin' - reconnoitering.


• Snot locker - a person's nose.


• Snuffy - a Private that nobody likes.


• SOG - "Studies & Observation Group"


• SOI - "Signal Operating Instructions", codes for radio communications.


• SOL - "Shit out of Luck"


• Solid - term used to describe something that is ok or all right.


• SOP - "Standard Operating Procedure"


• SOS - "Special Operations Squadron"


• Soul brother - a friendly reference to two or more people of different ethnic origins.


• SOW - "Special Operations Wing"


• Spad - A1-E1 Skyraider providing tactical air support.


• SP - "Starting Point." Beginning of a road march.


• Spaced out - term used to describe someone who is high on drugs or aloof.


• Spade - derogatory term for an African American.


• Sparky - aircraft electrician.


• Spaz - a term meaning a real idiot.


• Speak - Psy Ops U-10


• Spec-4 - Specialist fourth class; Army rank equal in pay grade to corporal but without command responsibility; 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, the most common rank in the Vietnam-era Army.


• Special Forces - elite organization in the U.S. Army, also known as the "Green Berets," for their distinctive headgear; trained in unconventional warfare.


• Spectre - AC-130 gunship, armed with 20, 40, and 105mm cannon and a host of defensive devices.


• Spider hold - camouflaged enemy foxhole with an overhead cover that raises and lowers after firing-sniper is well hidden and hard to find. Sometimes these holes are connected to small escape tunnels.


• Split - term used to describe when leaving an area quickly.


• Sponge - a term used to describe someone who never contributes, but expects to share from others.


• Spooky - AC-47 gunship. "Spooky" was a converted C47 or DC3. Mini guns were mounted on the side and fed by crew members. Each mini gun was able to fire 6,000 rounds a minute of 7.62 ammunition. Every fifth round was a tracer.


• Spud - A1E Rescue cap.


• Spud locker - pantry in a kitchen.


• Sqn - "Squadron"


• Squad - in a rifle Platoon, a small unit of about 5 men or so. It was supposed to be broken into two fire teams, but in practice the fire team did not exist. Four squads made up a platoon, three rifle squads and one weapons squad. The rifle squads were composed of riflemen, as the name suggests. The weapons squad was made up of two machine guns, each with a gunner, an assistant gunner, and two or three ammo bearers. Squads were commanded by a Buck Sergeant (E-5), although in theory the weapons squad was supposed to be commanded by an E-6.


• Squared away - neat, orderly, and organized.


• Squid - slang for Navy sailor.


• SRAP - "Short Range Ambush Platoon"


• Stack arms - command given to place three (3) rifles in a pyramid.


• Staff Sergeant (SSGT) - on rank above Buck Sergeant (E-5) and one rank below Platoon Sergeant (E-7). Both Staff Sergeants and Platoon Sergeants were typically the chief NCO for a Platoon.


• Stand-down - an infantry unit's return from the boonies to the base camp for refitting, training, and resting.


• Starlight scope - a device that magnifies faint light; three inches in diameter and twelve inches long. An infrared light source within enabled the viewer to see in the dark, although everything appeared in a green hue. See also AN/PVS-2 and AN/TVS-2.


• Stars & Stripes - the daily newspaper of U.S. armed forces.


• Steam and Cream - steam room or massage parlor operated by prostitutes; pay for "happy endings."


• Steel pot - the outer helmet made entirely of steel. Inserted inside the steel pot was a helmet liner made of light weight material. The steel pot was very heavy and cumbersome, which made it unpopular as a head gear. In the rear, people took them off whenever they thought they could get away with it. It rarely stopped bullets unless they struck it at an odd angle or were largely spent. It did stop shrapnel, however. The steel pot was often taken off, inverted, and filled with water to use in shaving. It could also be used as a water pitcher.


• STIF - acronym for "Saigon Tea Is Fini," a now-defunct organization formed to combat increases in the price of Saigon Tea. Members would fill a bar which had raised its prices and sit sipping beer without buying Tea. Their "drink-ins" met with limited success.


• Stoners - term used to describe those who usually partake in weed (marijuana) or drugs.


• Straight arrow - serviceman who remains faithful to his wife or Stateside girlfriend throughout his Vietnam tour. (See "broken arrow.")


• Strikers - slang for members of the Strike Force, a military force recruited by the American Special Forces. See also CIDG.


• Strip alert - a state of readiness for a reaction force that generally meant they were either next to the aircraft or actually sitting in the aircraft that parked alongside an airstrip.


• Strobe - hand held strobe light for marking landing zones at night or identifying friendlies to overhead aircraft.


• Strongpoint - term for any defended position, especially along highways to discourage ambushes.


• Student Deferment - any male student in an institution of higher learning could apply for student deferment status in the 1960s. By maintaining a B to B-plus average or above in his studies, he was spared from a military draft system that most likely would quickly send him to Vietnam.


• STZ - "Special Tactical Zone"


• Sup - "Support"


• Super quick - 105mm howitzer HE round fuse for immediate detonation.


• SW - "Strategic Wing"


• Sweep - a maneuver done by a platoon or company sized unit, in which a village is systematically examined for contraband and the presence of enemy personnel. For a small village, the unit would often form a line rather than a column, and walk through shoulder-to-shoulder to the extent that this was possible.


• Swift Boats - Patrol Craft Fast (PCF) were all-aluminum, 50-foot (15 m) long, shallow-draft vessels, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the Brown-water navy to interdict Vietcong movement of arms and munitions, transport Vietnamese forces and insert SEAL teams for counterinsurgency operations during the Vietnam War.


• TA-312 - hand-cranked field phone.


• TAC-E - Tactical emergency.


• Tally Ho - Target or point is in visual contact.


• Tango Charlie - radio code for Tank Commander (also Track Commander).


• TAO - "Tactical Area of Operations"


• TAOI - "Tactical Area of Interest"


• TAOR - "Tactical Area of Responsibility" - usually associated with an area for Brigade. The geographic area over which the unit was expected to operate in and exercise military control over.


• TARFU - "Things are Really Fucked Up."


• Tarmac - Material used for surfacing roads or other outdoor areas, consisting of crushed rock mixed with tar. It is often used to describe the apron or runway of an airport.


• TASS - "Tactical Air Support Squadron"


• TC - "Troop Carrier"


• TC - "Tank Commander"


• TCG - "Tactical Carrier Group"


• TCS - "Tactical Carrier Squadron"


• TDY - "Temporary Duty"


• Tea party - radio code for ambush.


• Territorial Forces Evaluation Survey - a month assessment conducted by US advisors of Vietnam units in terms of training and proficiency.


• TF - "Task Force"


• TFS - "Tactical Fighter Squadron"


• TFW - "Tactical Fighter Wing"


• TG - "Tactical Group"


• The Man - term that normally references the government or a person of authority.


• The Pill - any one of several types of tablets taken weekly by all servicemen in Vietnam as a defense against most types of malaria.


• The pits - term used to describe something that is meaningless, or the worst ever situation.


• "The World" - U.S. military slang for a trip back to CONUS (Continental United States) was known as going back to the world. It carried the connotation that after Vietnam, an adjustment to American life and culture might be difficult.


• "There It Is" - Saying that meant 'you got that right' or are in agreement with something said by others.


• Think fast - a term spoken usually to warn you before throwing something at you (like, heads up).


• Threads - another term for clothes.


• Three quarter CAV - nickname of 3d Squadron 4th Cavalry because abbreviation is 3/4 Cav


• Thumper - an M-79 Grenade launcher, so called because it made a hollow "thump" when fired.


• Thunder Road - National Highway 13.


• TIC - "Troops in Contact"


• Tiger Force - commando platoon, small hand-picked teams, capable of remaining in the jungle for weeks at a time. Fast moving & deadly, intended to out guerilla the guerillas. Fought in 6 different provinces.


• Tight - term used to describe the closeness of friends.


• TO&E - "Table of Organization and Equipment"


• TOC - "Tactical Operation Center." A TOC usually includes a small group of specially trained officers or military personnel who guide members of an active tactical element during a mission. A bunker or tent where combat operations were planned and monitored.


• TOP - military slang for the "top" enlisted man in the unit; often the First Sergeant.


• TOT - "Time on Target." The firing of multiple batteries so that all fire on the same location. Strictly speaking, the rounds should all land at about the same time.


• Tracer - a shell (bullet) filled with phosphorous that leaves a visible trail as it travels toward its target. Tracers are placed among regular automatic-weapons rounds to assist in directing fire, usually every fifth round is a tracer. Infantry soldiers usually load a couple of tracer rounds in their magazines; some only use them as a last round to signify an empty magazine. VC and NVA tracers are mostly green and USA is red.


• Tracks - any vehicles which move on tracks rather than wheels.


• Trans - "Transportation"


• Treeburst - explosion above ground, usually unintentional, due to a shell striking and detonating on trees or other above-ground-level objects.


• Tree line - row of trees at the edge of a field or rice paddy.


• Trip flare - a ground flare triggered by a trip wire used to signal and illuminate the approaching enemy at night.


• Trip Wire - a wire or string, placed across a path or trail, which would set off an explosive charge.


• Triple canopy - dense jungle cover of trees and vines, preventing visibility from airplanes or helicopters.


• Trippin - term used to describe when someone is high on drugs, spaced out, or zoned out.


• Tropo - short for tropospheric antennae used for long range voice communication.


• Trp - "Troop"


• TRS - "Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron"


• TS Card - "Tough shit" card - issued by military units when someone starts complaining.


• Tube - another term for television.


• Tube of Super Torque - Non-existent article - newbies are sent to locate this item within chopper groups.


• Twin forties - a two barrel anti-aircraft artillery piece that fired 40 mm explosive shells. The two barrels were side by side and fired alternately. In Vietnam, they were used as antipersonnel weapons, since enemy aircraft were never seen by the ordinary soldier.


• Two Stepper - a Bamboo pit viper; said to kill a person within two steps after being bitten.


• Tunnel Rat or "Rat" - a soldier trained to enter enemy enclosed spaces like tunnel systems to search them and eliminate and/or capture any occupants.


• Turn to - begin work.


• UA - "Unauthorized absence."


• UCMJ - "Uniform Code of Military Justice."


• UD - "Undesirable discharge."


• UFN - "Until Further Notice"


• Un-ass - to move immediately or leave one's current position.


• Uncle Ho - slang for Ho Chi Minh


• Unglued - term used to describe someone who is losing it, distraught, or an emotional fallout.


• Unreal - term meaning unbelievable, or lacking in substance.


• Upcountry - any place north of the Saigon-Long Binh-Bien Hoa area.


• Uptight - term meaning someone is on the edge, tense, nervous, or uneasy.


• URC-10 - AN/URC-10 survival radio used by LRRPs.


• U.S. - "Unwilling Service" (referring to draftees)


• U.S. Army - "U Sonabitches Are Ruining My Youth."


• U.S. ARMY - "Uncle Sam Ain't Released Me Yet."


• USAF - "United States Air Force"


• USARPAC - "United States Army Pacific"


• USARV - "US Army, Vietnam"


• USIA - "United States Information Agency"


• USELESS - homonym pun on USIS, United States Information Service."


• USMC - acronym for "Uncle Sam's Misguided Children."


• USO - "United Service Organization" - provided entertainment to troops and was intended to raise morale.


• Utilities - olive drab field uniform.


• UTM - "Universal Transverse Mercator" - grid system used on topo maps.


• "V" - V-100 Armored Car made by Cadillac and used as a convoy escort.


• VFW - "Veterans of Foreign Wars"


• Vietcong ("VC") - Hanoi-backed armed opposition to the South Vietnamese government. Also known as VC and Victor Charlie, or simply Charlie. Vietcong is also a contraction of "Vietnamese Communists."


• Viet Minh - Vietnam Independence League, founded by Ho Chi Minh.


• Vietnamization - coined by President Nixon (?) - gradual transfer of war's conduct from American forces to South Vietnamese forces; U.S. effort to train and equip South Vietnamese troops while reducing America's role in the war.


• VNAF - South Vietnam Air Force


• VNMC - Vietnam Marine Corps


• VNN - Vietnam Navy


• VNSF - Vietnam Special Forces


• VPAF - Vietnam People's Air Force


• VR - "Visual Recon"


• VTR - "Vehicle, Tracked, Recovery" (the tow track for tanks), usually an M-88.


• VVA - Vietnam Veterans of America, a service organization comprised of several thousand Vietnam veterans.


• VVAW - "Vietnam Veterans Against the War." A group of antiwar veterans active in the early seventies.


• Wait-a-minute vines - when humping through the thick jungle boonies with a backpack/rucksack, vines would catch on the rucksack, stopping the trooper cold, thus causing the GI to "wait a minute."


• Wake up - as in "13 and a wake up," used by short-timers to indicate how long they had left in Vietnam.


• Walking wounded - soldiers injured, but still able to walk without assistance.


• Warrant officer - a rank above sergeant major and below second lieutenant rates a salute by lower ranks, receives pay similar to junior officers, but is limited to technical specialties. Most Army warrant officers are helicopter pilots and most Army pilots are warrant officers.


• Wasted - Slang term having two meanings. The first denotes somebody extremely high on drugs or drunk from booze and unable to function properly. The second, referred to dead enemy soldiers. For example, "we wasted them."


• Web gear - canvas belt and shoulder straps for packing equipment and ammunition on infantry operations; similar to a belt and suspenders.


• Wedgie - term used to describe when someone forcefully pulls your underwear up from behind so it "wedges" in your butt crack.


• Weed - another term for marijuana.


• WESTPAC - "Western Pacific"


• WHA - "Wounded Hostile Action"


• Whispering Death - VC name for B-52 strike; VC couldn't hear or see them.


• White mice - the Canh Sat; the Vietnamese national police force. Its members wear white shirts.


• WIA - "Wounded in Action."


• Willie Pete / Wilson Pickett - slang for white phosphorus. Units in the field request marking rounds which explode in the air at a set of coordinates - when shooting an azimuth with a compass and estimating the distance (using sight and sound - counting the seconds before hearing the explosion) their location can be verified on a grid map.


• WLA - "Women's Liberation Association"


• WO - "Warrant Officer"


• XO - "Executive Officer." The XO is typically responsible for the management of day-to-day activities, such as maintenance and logistics, freeing the unit commander to concentrate on tactical planning and execution. The XO also takes charge in the absence of the Commanding Officer.


• Yankee Station - US Navy nickname for the area of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin, off North Vietnam where US ships are assigned. See "Dixie Station" (off South Vietnam).


• Yard - slang for Montagnard, a member of one of thirty indigenous tribes that inhabit the Central Highlands. Small, dark-skinned, and no friend of the lowland Vietnamese, who regarded them as dangerous savages.


• Yeah, you right - a term of agreement.


• Yippies - led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, the Youth International Party, or Yippies, championed an anarchist agenda that favored an immediate end to the Vietnam War, capitalism, drug laws, work, and the police.


• You Bam Bam - Another Vietnamese saying used to tell GI's they were "Crazy," similar to "Dinky Dau."


• Zap - to kill or seriously wound also referred as "wasted."


• Zero-dark thirty - pre-dawn; early.


• Zippo - Brand of lighter most commonly carried during the war. Soldiers engraved them to show their personality.


• Zippo Track - any tracked vehicle or boat that has an attached flame thrower.


• Zoomie - slang for jet jockey / pilot.


• Zoned out - term used to describe when someone is daydreaming or staring in space, deep in thought.


• Zulu Time - Greenwich Mean Time (now known as UTC) about twelve hours later than the time in 'Nam.

Sources

• Cherries Writer
• Vietnam War Stories

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