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Military Jargon Summary

- a - b - c - d - e - f - g - h - i - j - k - l - m - n - o - p - q - r - s - t - u - v - w - x - y - z - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 -
  1. "ALPHABET" TERMS AND MEANINGS
    N -- November Q -- Quebec U -- Uniform Z -- Zulu
    Vietnam
  2. "FTA" also referred to the "First Team Academy" where 1st Cav assignees spent their first few days getting outfitted, learning the ropes, and such Cav things as rapelling, etc.
    Vietnam
  3. '16, M-16
    standard military rifle
    Special Forces
  4. '60, M-60
    7.62 mm machine gun
    Special Forces
  5. 'Yard
    slang, Montagnard, q.v.
    Special Forces
  6. (THE) DRAG
    squad behind the main maneuver element to ensure rear safety. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  7. (THE) WORLD
    the United States Pg. 523 Any place outside of Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  8. .22
    22 caliber weapon
    light pistol
    Special Forces
  9. .45
    45 caliber pistol
    Special Forces
  10. .50
    50 caliber machine gun
    Special Forces
  11. .51
    enemy weapon, 51 caliber machine gun
    Special Forces
  12. 105
    105mm howitzer or F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber ("Thud").
    Vietnam
  13. 122mm, 140mm, ETC.
    large-caliber enemy rockets. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  14. 122
    enemy weapon, 122 mm rocket
    Special Forces
  15. 123, C-123
    two engine cargo aircraft
    Special Forces
  16. 130, C-130
    four engine cargo aircraft
    Special Forces
  17. 2.75
    diameter of the side (pod) mounted rockets carried on all older "D" model Huey gunships and the newer Cobras.
    Vietnam
  18. 20, 20 mm
    mini-canon used on aircraft
    Special Forces
  19. 203, M-203
    40 mm grenade launcher mounted under a rifle barrel
    Special Forces
  20. 33
    BA MOUI BA.mot=1 sal=6 hai=2 bai=7 ba=3 tam=8 bon=4 chin=9 nam=5 moui=10 tram=100 e.g.
    hai moui tram dong = 2000 dong (piastres; money).
    Vietnam
  21. 4.2
    "four deuce", 4.2 inch mortar
    Special Forces
  22. 44TH MEDICAL BRIGADE
    The 44th Medical Brigade deployed to Vietnam in April 1966 and remained there until 1970, when it was dissolved into subordinate units. The 44th consisted of the 32nd Medical Depot at Long Binh; the 43rd and 55th Medical Groups in II Corps; the 67th Medical Group in III Corps; and the 68th Medical Group in III and IV Corps. The 44th Medical Brigade was responsible for medical evacuation (see "Medevac"), evacuation hospitals, field hospitals, Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH), convalescent centers, and ambulance detachments. Pg. 157
    Vietnam
  23. 4LZ
    landing zone. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  24. 7.62 MINIS
    the AK-47; refers to the caliber bullet the AK used.
    Vietnam
  25. 7.62 mini
    7.62 mm mini-gun
    Special Forces
  26. 80
    80 mm mortar
    Special Forces
  27. 82' WPB
    82' means 82 feet long. The Coast Guard numbers its small boats by adding the vessels length to the hull number, i.e. 82301 is a 82' boat with a hull number of 301. The hull number also defines the class of boat. The Coast Guard sent A and B class "versions" of the boat to VN. The C class was built to replace those sent."WPB." The Coast Guard used the designation of "W" for all its vessels. "W" simply means Coast Guard. The "PB" stands for patrol boat.Therefore, this is an 82' Coast Guard Patrol Boat.
    Vietnam
  28. A DUFFLE BAG DRAG AND A BOWL OF CORN FLAKES
    the final meal at Ton Son Nhut Air Force Base prior to boarding the Big bird for the flight back to the land of the big PX.
    Vietnam
  29. A LAUGH A MINUTE
    similar to the Naval Aviators "Walk in the Park," but it meant going up a river.
    Vietnam
  30. A SHAU VALLEY
    the A Shau Valley is located in Thua Thien Province of I Corps near the Laotian border. Actually several valleys and mountains, the A Shau Valley was one of the principal entry points to South Vietnam of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It was an area that was critical to the North Vietnamese since it was the conduit for supplies, additional troops, and communications for units of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Vietcong (VC) operating in I Corps. Because of its importance to the NVA and VC, it was the target of repeated major operations by allied forces, especially the U.S. 101st Airborne Division. Likewise, it was defended vigorously by the NVA and VC. Consequently, the A Shau Valley was the scene of much fighting throughout the war, and it acquired a fearsome reputation for soldiers on both sides. Being a Veteran of A Shau Valley operations became a mark of distinction among combat Veterans. The most famous battle of the A Shau Valley was Operation Apache Snow, also known as Hamburger Hill. Pgs. 29 & 30
    Vietnam
  31. A TEAMS
    12-man Green Beret units. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  32. A-O
    area of operations. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  33. AAA
    Anti Aircraft Artillery
    United States Air Force
  34. AAA
    antiaircraft artillery. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  35. AAM
    Air to Air Missile
    United States Air Force
  36. AA
    Anti Aircraft
    United States Air Force
  37. AA
    anti-aircraft
    Special Forces
  38. AC of S
    Assistant Chief of Staff. In the MACV military headquarters, there was a AC of S position for each section, i.e.
    AC of S J2 (Intell), AC of S J3 (Operations).
    Vietnam
  39. ACAV
    armored cavalry assault vehicle. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  40. ACC
    Air Combat Command
    United States Air Force
  41. ACM
    Air Combat Manuvering. The art dogfighting. If you've seen the movie Top Gun that the stuff Maverick and friends are being taught.
    United States Air Force
  42. AC
    aircraft commander.
    Vietnam
  43. AFB
    Air Force Base (US)
    United States Air Force
  44. AFB
    Air Force base.
    Vietnam
  45. AFT
    from AFTer...directional--in, at, toward, or close to the back or stern of a vessel or tail of an airplane.
    Vietnam
  46. AF
    Air Force.
    Vietnam
  47. AGM
    Air to Ground Missile
    United States Air Force
  48. AHC
    assault helicopter company. (Hueys and gunships)
    Vietnam
  49. AIDS-TO-NAVIGATION
    refers to all elements relating to functions of maritime navigation such as buoys, range markers, wreck markers, lights and lighthouses, including maintenance.
    Vietnam
  50. AID
    Agency for International Development. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  51. AIM
    Air Intercept Missile
    United States Air Force
  52. AIR CAV
    air cavalry, referring to helicopter-borne infantry. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  53. AIRBORNE DIVISION
    although the Joint Chiefs of Staff considered deploying the entire 82nd Airborne Division to Vietnam, only the 3rd Brigade ever received such orders, serving in Vietnam between February 18, 1968, and December 11, 1969. Attached to the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Brigade fought in I Corps, primarily in Hue. Late in 1968, the 3rd Brigade was moved down to Saigon to defend Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Pg. 128
    Vietnam
  54. AIRBORNE
    (Abn) paratrooper or parachutist-qualified. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  55. AIRBURST
    explosion of a munition in the air.
    Vietnam
  56. AIRMOBILE
    people or material delivered by helicopter. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  57. AIR
    Air Intercept Rocket (AIR-2 Genie)
    United States Air Force
  58. AIT
    Advanced Individual Training, the period following Basic Training, specialized training given each soldier based on his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), ie MOS 11B10, 11B20 received Infantry training, 13E20 received artillery training.
    Vietnam
  59. AK, AK-47
    enemy weapon, standard Warsaw Pact rifle
    Special Forces
  60. AK-47
    (also AK or Kalishnikov) rifle. Pgs. 503 & 513 The AK-47 was the basic infantry weapon of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Vietcong (VC). Originally manufactured by the Soviet Union, most the these "Assault rifles" used in the war were made in the People's Republic of China, which was the major supplier of armaments to NVA and VC forces. Also known as the Kalishnikov, after its Russian inventor, this weapon was sturdy, reliable, compact, and relatively lightweight. It fired a 7.62mm bullet in a fully automatic mode (continuous firing, like a machine gun, as long as the trigger was squeezed). The high muzzle velocity (speed of the bullet after firing) and the tumbling action of the bullet contributed to its effectiveness. The combination of these effects plus its rapid-fire capability meant that accuracy was not a major requirement, thus reducing the training time before a soldier could be sent into combat. Most armaments analysts judge the AK-47, which normally holds thirty bullets, to be superior to the U.S. M-16, which became the standard weapon of American, Korean, and South Vietnamese troops. It was more durable and less adversely affected by the climate and conditions of Vietnam. There are a number of accounts of cases in which American troops preferred to use the AK-47 and in fact did use it when combat conditions permitted. Pgs. 16 & 17. An inherent risk, however, to U.S. troops using the 'AK,' was that its distinctive "popping" sound might cause the firer to be mistaken for the enemy.
    Vietnam
  61. ALCE - Airlift Control Element - A regional Tactical Airlift Command Post Sand Box "ALCE" - The "ALCE" at Cam Ranh Bay Rocket Alley "ALCE" - The "ALCE" at Bien Hoa.
    Vietnam
  62. ALL AMERICAN
    in 1970, what D, 2/8 Cav was calling the automatic ambush.
    Vietnam
  63. ALPHA BOAT - Assault Support Patrol Boat (ASPB). A light, fast shallow draft boat designed specifically to provide close support to riverine infantry. Armament consisted of machine guns (M-60 and .50 cal.), plus whatever the boat crew could scrounge. M-79s and LAWs were common.ALPHA BRAVO
    slang expression for ambush, taken from the initials AB. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  64. ALPHA-ALPHA
    Automatic Ambush, a combination of claymore mines configured to detonate simultaneously when triggered by a trip-wire/battery mechanism.
    Vietnam
  65. AMC
    Air Mobility Command. The command which operates the transport and ref-fuelling aircraft for the USAF.
    United States Air Force
  66. AMERICAL
    23rd Infantry Division. Pg. 503
    Vietnam
  67. AMF
    literally, "Adios, Mother Fucker."
    Vietnam
  68. AMMO
    ammunition
    Vietnam
  69. AMNESTY BOX
    a bright blue box made of solid steel shaped like a free-standing US Postal box but about half again as high, twice as deep, and maybe four times as wide. It stood in the Rhein Main airbase in front of the customs line so you could dump any contraband (drugs, weapons, porno mags, whatever) no questions asked, before going through customs.
    Vietnam
  70. AMRAAM
    Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile designated AIM-120. The replacement for the AIM-7 Sparrow.
    United States Air Force
  71. ANG
    Air National Guard.
    United States Air Force
  72. ANZAC
    Australian and New Zealand Armed Corps Memorial Day on April 25th, commemorating the devastating losses which Australian and New Zealand forces suffered at Gallipoli in 1915.
    Vietnam
  73. AO DAI
    traditional slit skirt and trousers worn by Vietnamese women.
    Vietnam
  74. AO
    acronym, Area of Operations
    Special Forces
  75. AP ROUND
    armor piercing round.
    Vietnam
  76. APC
    an armored personnel carrier.
    Vietnam
  77. ARA
    aerial rocket artillery.
    Vietnam
  78. ARC LIGHT OPERATIONS
    code name for the devastating aerial raids of B-52 Stratofortresses against enemy positions in Southeast Asia, the first B-52 Arc Light raid took place on June 18, 1965, on a suspected Vietcong base north of Saigon. In November 1965, B-52s directly supported American ground forces for the first time, and were used regularly for that purpose thereafter. Pg. 23
    Vietnam
  79. ARCOMS
    Army Commendation Medals
    Vietnam
  80. ARTICLE 15
    summary disciplinary judgement of a soldier by his commander, may result in fines or confinement in the stockade.
    Vietnam
  81. ARTY
    artillery.
    Vietnam
  82. ARVN
    Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Army of South Vietnam). Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  83. ARvn
    acronym, Army of the Republic of Viet Nam
    Special Forces
  84. ASAP
    (A-sap) as soon as possible; a request for extreme urgency in a military assignment. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  85. ASH AND TRASH
    helicopter term similiar to "Pigs & Rice." Taking on mission flights that are considered non-combative (don't mean you aren't going to get shot at) and generally assigned to an area and taking men from field to rear base camp, taking hot food out to the field, evacuating men, etc. The term was perverted to "Ass and Trash" by many in-country aircrews to differentiate between hauling people and supplies.
    Vietnam
  86. ASHC
    assault support helicopter company.
    Vietnam
  87. ATFV OR ATFG
    Australian Task Force, Vietnam. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  88. ATF
    Advanced Tactical Fighter. Like the F-22.
    United States Air Force
  89. AWACS
    Airborne Warning And Control System (the E-3 Sentry)
    United States Air Force
  90. AWOL
    absent without official leave. Far more serious and harder to prove, than "UA:" unauthorized absence.
    Vietnam
  91. Afterburner
    A process by which fuel is sprayed into a jet exhaust and ignited to increase thrust at the cost of increased fuel comsumption. Also known as REHEATING.
    United States Air Force
  92. Also infantry term for Commanding Officer
    Vietnam
  93. Angels
    Altitude in Thoudsands of Feet. Angels fifteen = 15 000 feet.
    United States Air Force
  94. Arclight
    B-52 strike
    Special Forces
  95. As You Were
    Resume Former Activity
    Marines
  96. Avionics
    All the electronic things on an aircraft. Like radar, MFDs, and communications equipment.
    United States Air Force
  97. B-40 ROCKET
    a shoulder-held RPG launcher. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  98. B-52 BOMBER
    the B-52 is regarded by experts as the most successful military aircraft ever produced. It began entering service in the mid-1950s and by 1959 had replaced the awesome but obsolete B-36 as the backbone of Strategic Air Command's (SAC) heavy bomber force. Its primary mission was nuclear deterrence through retaliation.The B-52 has been amazingly adaptable. It was initially designed to achieve very high-altitude penetration of enemy airspace. But when that concept was rendered obsolete by the development of accurate surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), the B-52 was redesigned and reconstructed for low-altitude penetration. It has undergone eight major design changes since first flown in 1952, from B-52A to B-52H.When the Vietnam situation began to deteriorate in 1964, Key SAC commanders began pressing for SAC to get involved in any U.S. action in Vietnam. But the first problem was one of mission. How could a heavy strategic bomber designed to carry nuclear bombs be used in Vietnam? The answer was to modify the B-52 again.Two B-52 units, the 320th Bomb Wing and the 2nd Bomb Wing, had their aircraft modified to carry "iron bombs," conventional high explosive bombs. After a second modification, each B-52 used in Vietnam could carry eighty-four 500-pound bombs internally and twenty-four 750-pound bombs on underwing racks, for a 3,000-mile nonstop range. The two bomb wings were deployed to operate from Guam as the 133rd Provisional Wing. Later, additional units were deployed to Thailand and Okinawa to reduce in-flight time, and thus warning time.The first B-52 raids against a target in South Vietnam (and the first war action for the B-52) took place on June 18, 1965. The target was a Vietcong jungle sanctuary. The results were not encouraging. Two B-52s collided in flight to the target and were lost in the Pacific Ocean. The results of the bombing could not be evaluated because the area was controlled by the Vietcong.Although the press criticized the use of B-52s, ground commanders were much impressed with the potential of the B-52. Previous attempts to use tactical bombers and fighter-bombers to disrupt enemy troop concentrations and supply depots had not been successful. But the B-52 was a veritable flying boxcar, and the effect of a squadron-size attack was to create a virtual Armageddon on the ground.Ironically, the most effective use of the B-52 in Vietnam was for tactical support of ground troops. B-52s were called in to disrupt enemy troop concentrations and supply areas with devastating effect. From June 1965 until August 1973, when operations ceased, B-52s flew 124,532 sorties which successfully dropped their bomb loads on target. Thirty-one B-52s were lost
    eighteen shot down by the enemy, and thirteen lost to operational problems. Pgs. 33 & 34
    Vietnam
  99. BA-MA-BA
    term for "33" Vietnamese beer ("Tiger Piss"). More properly
    BA-MOI-BA (Vietnamese for "33"). Ba Moi being 30 and Ba being three. Moi counts 10s.
    Vietnam
  100. BAC SI
    Vietnamese term for Medical Corpsman/Doctor.
    Vietnam
  101. BAHT
    Thai unit of currency.
    Vietnam
  102. BANANA CLIP
    banana shaped magazine, standard on the AK-47 assault rifle.
    Vietnam
  103. BAR
    Browning Automatic Rifle, .30 cal, heavy, shoulder fired weapon, used in WWII and Korea. The M-14 sought to combine the firepower BAR with portablilty of the M-1. The M-60 machinegun replaced both the BAR and the Browning light machinegun.
    Vietnam
  104. BASE CAMP
    a semipermanent field headquarters and center for a given unit usually within that unit's tactical areas responsibility. A unit may operate in or away from its base camp. Base camps usually contain all or part of a given unit's support elements. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  105. BATTALION
    (Bn) a battalion is an organizational institution in the Army and Marine Corps. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel, an infantry battalion usually has around 900 people and an artillery battalion about 500 people. During the Vietnam War, American battalions were usually much smaller than that. Pg. 37
    Vietnam
  106. BDA
    acronym, Bomb Damage Assessment
    Special Forces
  107. BEEHIVE
    a direct-fire artillery round which incorporated steel darts (fleshettes), used as a primary base defense munition against ground attack.
    Vietnam
  108. BERM, BERM LINE
    hedgerow or foliated built-up area which divided rice paddies; also, a rise in the ground such as dikes or a dirt parapet around fortifications. Pg. 504
    Vietnam
  109. BIC (biet)
    Vietnamese term for "understand".
    Vietnam
  110. BIERE LaRUE
    Tiger beer (1 liter).
    Vietnam
  111. BIERE LaRUE
    Tiger beer (1 liter).
    Vietnam
  112. BIG RED ONE (BRO)
    nickname for the 1st Infantry Division, based on the red numeral "1" on the division shoulder patch. "If your gonna be one, be a Big Red One!!" Also known as the "Bloody One," "Bloody Red One," or "Big Dead One." Pg. 505. See the Ist Div. shoulder patch. (Use your browser's "Back" feature to return here.)
    Vietnam
  113. BIG SHOTGUN
    a 106mm recoilless rifle using antipersonnel canister ammunition. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  114. BINGO
    Air Force term for the point in a flight in which there's only enough fuel remaining to return to base.
    Vietnam
  115. BINJO MARU
    name given to the White River.
    Vietnam
  116. BIPOD
    two-legged, supportive stand on the front of many weapons.
    Vietnam
  117. BIRD DOG
    O-1 Aircraft.
    Vietnam
  118. BIRD
    any aircraft, usually helicopters. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  119. BLADDER BAG
    collapsible canteen.
    Vietnam
  120. BLADDER
    a heavy-duty, rubberized collapsible petroleum drum ranging from 2,000 to 50,000 gallons. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  121. BLIVET
    a heavy rubber bladder in which fuel was transported in an aircraft.
    Vietnam
  122. BLUE LINE
    a river on a map.
    Vietnam
  123. BLUELEG
    infantryman, aka "grunt".
    Vietnam
  124. BO DOI
    a uniformed NVA soldier. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  125. BOAT PEOPLE
    refugees fleeing Vietnam by boat after 1975. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  126. BOATSWAIN'S MATE 1st CLASS
    usually the "deck apes" and small box coxswains. The Aviation Boatswain's Mates were usually the guys who took care of towing the birds around the ramp area or flight decks and who made sure they were secured to the 'ground' when the weather went to pot.
    Vietnam
  127. BOATSWAIN
    an enlisted rating, running from boatswain's striker (E-2) thru Master Chief and then into Warrant Officers. A Navy and Coast Guard rating for deck crew.Also, personnel, generally specified as specializing in water transportation and all affiliated chores pertaining to operation and maintenance of deck equipment such as lines, paint, etc., which reflect the general "health" of the ship. The Boatswain also carried a "pipe" or whistle used to make shipboard announcements, often just a series of notes (a melody) not even accompanied by words of instruction. The tune itself was the announcement.
    Vietnam
  128. BODY BAGS
    plastic bags used for retrieval of bodies on the battlefield. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  129. BOHICA
    short for "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again." Usually describing another undesirable assignment.
    Vietnam
  130. BOK-BOK
    fight/fighting.
    Vietnam
  131. BOOBY TRAP
    an explosive charge hidden in a harmless object which explodes on contact. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  132. BOOKOO
    (beaucoup) Vietnamese/French term for "many," or "lots of..."
    Vietnam
  133. BOOM BOOM
    "short time" with a prostitute, typically cost $3-$5.
    Vietnam
  134. BOONDOCKS, BOONIES, BRUSH, BUSH
    expressions for the jungle, or any remote area away from a base camp or city; sometimes used to refer to any area in Vietnam. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  135. BOQ
    bachelor officer's quarters.
    Vietnam
  136. BOUNCING BETTY
    explosive that propells upward about four feet into the air and then detonates.
    Vietnam
  137. BOU
    a C-7A Caribou aircraft.
    Vietnam
  138. BOW
    front of the ship or boat.
    Vietnam
  139. BREAK SQUELCH
    to send a "click-hiss" signal on a radio by depressing the push-to-talk button without speaking, used by LLRPs and others when actually speaking into the microphone might reveal your position.
    Vietnam
  140. BRIGADE
    the term "brigade" is a basic military organizational institution. During the Vietnam War, a division was organized into three brigades, with each brigade commanded by a colonel. A division consists of approximately 20,000 people.
    Vietnam
  141. BRING SMOKE
    to direct intense artillery fire or air force ordnance on an enemy position. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  142. BRONCO
    OV-10 Aircraft
    Vietnam
  143. BUFF
    slang for B-52 (esp. D model). Stands for big ugly fat f***er.
    Vietnam
  144. BUF
    a B-52 aircraft (mnemonic for Big Ugly Fucker).
    Vietnam
  145. BUS TRANSFERS
    standard tongue-in-cheek expression. Use your metro bus transfers to change buses at a transfer point. Meant humorously, as troops did not have their "bus passes" with them at the time.
    Vietnam
  146. BUSHMAASTERS
    any elite unit skilled in jungle operations. Pg. 505
    Vietnam
  147. BUTTER BAR
    2nd Lieutenant, based on the insignia - a single gold bar.
    Vietnam
  148. BVR
    Beyond Visual Range. (Air Force).
    Vietnam
  149. BW
    Bomber Wing C
    (as in C-141 Starlifter) C stands for Cargo.
    United States Air Force
  150. BX
    base exchange.
    Vietnam
  151. Bandit
    A term for a confirmed enemy aircraft.
    United States Air Force
  152. Belay
    Make Fast/Secure or disregard
    Marines
  153. Below
    Downstairs
    Marines
  154. Berm
    a defensive wall of earth
    Special Forces
  155. Bingo
    The point at which an aircraft is at its maximum range. Once past bingo the aircraft will no longer have enough fuel to return to a landing strip.
    United States Air Force
  156. Bird
    an aircraft, usually a helicopter
    Special Forces
  157. Black Bird
    USAF aircraft for special operations, named for black paint job
    Special Forces
  158. Black Cadillacs
    Combat Boots
    Marines
  159. Bogey
    An older term for a confirmed enemy aircraft.
    United States Air Force
  160. Bouncing betty
    type of mine blown into the air before detonation to increase casualties
    Special Forces
  161. Brown Bagger
    Married Marine
    Marines
  162. Browning
    a 9 mm pistol
    Special Forces
  163. Bru
    a tribe of Montagnards, q.v.
    Special Forces
  164. BuSHIPS
    Bureau of Ships; Washington, D.C.; in charge of monitoring all Naval vessel activities, especially in regards to civilian contracts.
    Vietnam
  165. BulkHead
    Wall
    Marines
  166. Bunker
    a protective shelter
    Special Forces
  167. C & C
    Command and Control, see "Special Project"
    Special Forces
  168. C & C
    command and control.
    Vietnam
  169. C's
    C-rations, C-rats, Charlie rats, or combat rations--canned meals used in military operations. The term "Charlie" was both the phonetic alphabetization of the "C" in C-rations and signified the enemy or enemy activity. Pgs. 506, 507 & 508
    Vietnam
  170. C-4
    a very stable plastic explosive carried by infantry soldiers. Pg. 505 "C-4" was a plastic explosive popular among soldiers in Vietnam because of its various properties. It was easy to carry because of its lightweight, stable nature, and had a potent explosive power. Malleable with a texture similar to play dough, it could be formed into a shaped charge of infinite configuration. The availability of "C-4" reduced the necessity of carrying a variety of explosive charges. "C-4" would not explode without use of detonation devices, even when dropped, beaten, shot or burned. It was not destabilized by water, an important consideration given the Vietnam climate. Because it could be safely burned, "C-4" was popular with GIs, who would break off a small piece of it for heating water or C-rations. Sometimes they used it in foxholes to warm hands and feet on chilly nights. "C-4" replaced sterno as the heating fuel of choice. Soldiers in the field could obtain "C-4" on a resupply mission whereas sterno required a trip to the PX which, of course, was not necessarily possible. Pg. 57
    Vietnam
  171. CACA DAU
    Vietnamese Phrase for "I'll kill you."
    Vietnam
  172. CAL
    caliber
    Vietnam
  173. CAMMIES
    camouflage uniforms. Some Coastguardsmen wore any of the various types and styles used in Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  174. CAR, CAR-15
    rifle, carbine version of the M-16
    Special Forces
  175. CARRONADE
    We were with Inshore Fire Support Division 93; my ship, Flagship, was the U.S.S. Carronade (IFS-1). She was built for the Korean War, decommissioned and recommissioned for Vietnam. I sailed with her as a plankowner in 1965 through 1968. She was built from the keel up as a rocket firing ship. The LSMRs were old LSMs (Landing Ship Medium ) that later received the "R" designation (Rocket). The U.S.S. Carronade had 8, mk5 Rocket Launchers and could launch them with pinpoint accuracy ... 5,000 in just a few moments!; one, 5'38, duel-purpose gun; and two, twin, forty-milimeter, "Pom Pom" guns. Also, lots of 50 and 30 caliber machine guns.
    Vietnam
  176. CAR
    rifle, predecessor to the M-16, the Carbine, CAR-15.
    Vietnam
  177. CAS
    Close Air Support, missions flown in support of infantry forces in contact with NVA or VC hostiles.
    Vietnam
  178. CAV
    nickname for air cavalry. Pg. 506. also refered to armored cavalry using M113 APCs, and other light armored vehicles.
    Vietnam
  179. CCB
    Command & Control Boat. A converted landing craft of the Monitor class of riverine boats, packed with radios, designed for forward command and communications. Traveling with the flotilla of boats and landing craft of a typical riverine operation, it was used for relaying communications between the commanders in the field and the Army's Tactical Operations Center and Fire Support groups. By using larger antennas than would be practical in the filed, communications range could be extended to 10 to 15 miles.
    Vietnam
  180. CCC, CCN, CCS
    acronyms for military units, see "Special Project"
    Special Forces
  181. CCN (CCC,CCS)
    Command and Control, North. The poor SOB's who ran the ops north, instead of west, etc. There was also CCC (central) and CCS (south).
    Vietnam
  182. CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
    The Central Highlands, a plateau area at the southern edge of the Truong Son Mountains, was a strategically important region of South Vietnam throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Nearly one million people, primarily Montagnard tribesmen, lived in the 20,000 square miles of the Central Highlands in 1968. The region was economically known for its production of coffee, tea, and vegetables. Pg. 67
    Vietnam
  183. CFB
    Canadian Forces Base (Air or ground forces)
    United States Air Force
  184. CG
    Coast Guard.
    Vietnam
  185. CG
    commanding general.
    Vietnam
  186. CHARGE
    an amount of explosive, powder, etc required to perform a task.
    Vietnam
  187. CHARLIE, CHARLES, CHUCK
    Vietcong--short for the phonetic representation Victor Charlie. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  188. CHECK IT OUT
    a slang as ubiquitous as "okay" during the late sixties, meaning to have a close look at something or someone. The saying was prominently featured in Andrew Lloyd Webber's MISS SAIGON.
    Vietnam
  189. CHERRY
    a new troop replacement. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  190. CHICKEN PLATE
    chest protector (body armor) worn by helicopter gunners.
    Vietnam
  191. CHICOM
    (Cheye-com); a term describing a Chinese Communist or weapons manufactured in China. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  192. CHIEU HOI
    (Choo Hoy); "Open arms." Program under which GVN offered amnesty to VC defectors. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  193. CHINOOK
    the CH-47 cargo helicopter; also called "Shithook" or "Hook." Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  194. CHOGIE, CUT A CHOGIE
    to move out quickly. Term brought to Vietnam by soldiers who had served in Korea. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  195. CHOI OI
    Vietnamese term, exclamation like "Good heavens" or "What the hell!"
    Vietnam
  196. CHOKE
    peanut butter.
    Vietnam
  197. CHOPPER
    helicopter. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  198. CHURCH KEY
    bottle opener.
    Vietnam
  199. CIA
    Central Intelligence Agency or simply "The Agency" or "The Company." Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  200. CIB
    Combat Infantry Badge for actual time in combat. Pg. 506. The CIB was awarded only to combat veterans holding an infantry MOS and several award levels based on number of tours in a combat zone (meeting the base requirement each time).CIC
    Combat Information Center. Also, Communications and Information Center, but not aboard ship.
    Vietnam
  201. CIC
    Commander-in-Chief. (President of the United States)
    Vietnam
  202. CIDG
    (Sidgee) Civilian Irregular Defense Group. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  203. CINCPAC
    Commander in Chief, Pacific. Pg. 506
    Vietnam
  204. CLACKER
    firing device ('exploder') for triggering claymore mines and other electrically initiated demolitions.
    Vietnam
  205. CLAYMORE
    a popular, fan-shaped, antipersonnel land mine. Pg. 507Widely used in Vietnam, the claymore antipersonnel mine was designed to produce a directionalized, fan-shaped pattern of fragments. The claymore used a curved block of C-4 explosive, shaped to blow all its force outward in a semicircular pattern. A large number of pellets were embedded in the face of the explosive, creating a devastating blast of fragments similar to the effect of an oversized shotgun.With their directional pattern, claymores were well-suited as a perimeter-defense weapon. With electronic firing, defenders in bunkers could set claymores in a pattern to cover all approaches and fire them at will. One problem with this was the tendency of the enemy to use infiltrators to sneak into the defense perimeter before an attack and simply turn the claymores around. Then when defenders fired the mine, its fragments peppered their own position.A more unorthodox use was found for claymores by many American GIs. The explosive burned with intense heat, and a small amount of explosive could quickly heat a can of C-rations in the field. While never designed for it, and certainly never sanctioned, claymores became one of the most popular field stoves in the war. Pg. 82
    Vietnam
  206. CLEATS
    a strong device, usually metal, used to secure (tie down) to. Such tie-down points, for instance, would line a pier and provide places for mooring lines to attach to.
    Vietnam
  207. CLOSE AIR SUPPORT
    air strikes against enemy targets that are close to friendly forces, requiring detailed integration of each air mission with the fire and movement of those forces. Pg. 507
    Vietnam
  208. CLUSTER BOMBS
    a generic term for a number of different CBUs: "SADEYE/BLU-26B" Cluster Bombs, later nicknamed "guava" bombs by the Vietnamese. These one-pound, baseball-sized bombs were usually dropped in lots of 600 or more. The bomblets were released from a dispenser in such a way as to spread them across a wide area. When they hit the ground, they exploded sending out smaller, steel balls embedded in their cases.There were also CBU-24; CBU-25; Clamshell CBU, which exploded in a donut pattern, creating a circle of fire in a hollow; and CBU-49, a canister of time-delayed, baseball-sized bomblets that go off randomly over a thirty-minute period, each blasting out 250 white-hot ball bearings and Rockeye CBU, a thermite device used for burning targets.Check out a Cluster bomb called a "CBU-52" or SU-70. An SU is a cluster bomb before loading ... the canister, if you will. The SU-70 held what was referred to as "Postage Stamp" bomblets because of their shape. These Bomblets are stored in freon and not able to detonate while wet. When dry, this Bomblet would explode when stepped on ... (OUCH). This Bomblet's primary useage was to protect downed pilots. (Right!!)I believe I have the CBU and SU numbers correct, but you may wish to check it out. I bet even after 25 years, I could still build one in my sleep ... (think I have!)
    Vietnam
  209. CMB
    Combat Medic Badge

    Vietnam
  210. COASTIES
    nickname used to identify the United States Coast Guard servicemen and women.
    Vietnam
  211. COBRA
    the AH-1G "attack helicopter." Nicknamed by some the "Shark" or "Snake."The Cobra carried 2.75s, mini-guns, and a 40mm gun mounted in a turret under the nose of the aircraft. There were other configurations, also. The old "D" model Hueys were fazed out and the Cobras used in greater strength around 1968. Most of the Cobras were painted with eyes and big, scary teeth like a shark for psychological impact.
    Vietnam
  212. COMIC BOOKS (FUNNY BOOKS)
    military maps.
    Vietnam
  213. COMM (COMMO)
    communications. Pg. 507
    Vietnam
  214. COMPANY
    a company is an organizational institution commanded by a captain and consisting of two or more platoons. It varies widely in size according to its mission. An artillery company is called a battery, and a cavalry company is called a troop. Pg. 95
    Vietnam
  215. CONG BO
    water buffalo.
    Vietnam
  216. CONG KHI
    monkey.
    Vietnam
  217. CONG MOUI
    mosquito.
    Vietnam
  218. CONTACT
    condition of being in contact with the enemy, a firefight, also "in the shit."
    Vietnam
  219. CONUS
    continental United States. Pg. 507
    Vietnam
  220. COOK-OFF
    a situation where an automatic weapon has fired so many rounds that the heat has built up enough in the weapon to set off the remaining rounds without using the trigger mech. This was common in the 50 cal., and the only way to stop it was to rip the belt.
    Vietnam
  221. CORDS
    Civil Operations (and) Revolutionary Development Support. In Jan of 1970, they changed "Revolutionary" to "Rural." Civil Operations and Rural Development Support was the MACV advisory effort to the government of VietNam's pacification program. It was the Civil Affairs/Civil Military Operations aspect of the VietNam conflict. CORDS was a joint command, with all service branches represented on its military side. CORDS had a large, mostly American, civilian contingent as well. For most of the time after its inception (late 1968) and through the early 1970s, CORDS was headed by (honorary) Ambassador William Colby (later to become the head of the CIA), who answered directly to Commander, MACV (Gen Abrams), and U.S. Ambassador (Amb. Bunker).
    Vietnam
  222. CORK
    a drug used in the field with small teams to prevent defecation.
    Vietnam
  223. CORK
    burnt cork was used for facial camouflage.
    Vietnam
  224. CORPS
    two or more divisions, responsible for the defense of a Military Region. Pg. 507The term "corps" has a dual meaning in the armed services. It can be used to designate any group of military personnel performing a similar function, like the Signal Corps or the Medical Corps. As an organizational element in the military, a corps is a unit made up of at least two divisions. The corps commander, usually a lieutenant general, controls combat operations by issuing directives to division commanders and coordinating the work of artillery and cavalry groups. There were four corps operating in Vietnam during the war III Marine Amphibious Force,The XXIV Corps, I Field Force Vietnam, andII Field Force Vietnam. Pg. 102
    Vietnam
  225. COXSWAIN
    the person, generally a Boatswain's Mate, in charge of steering and/or directing the crew of a boat. A boat is defined as a vessel smaller than a ship.
    Vietnam
  226. CO
    commanding officer. Pg. 507
    Vietnam
  227. CP
    command post.
    Vietnam
  228. CQB
    Close Quarters Battle
    Marines
  229. CRACKER BOX
    field ambulance.
    Vietnam
  230. CREW CHIEF
    Huey crewmember who maintains the aircraft.
    Vietnam
  231. CRID
    (Crid) Republic of Korea Capitol Infantry Division. Americans called it the "Tiger" Division. Pg. 507
    Vietnam
  232. CROSSCHECK
    everyone checks everyone else for things that are loose, make noise, light up, smell bad, etc.
    Vietnam
  233. CS
    Composite Service. Also, riot control gas agent, such as a CS-grenade, used widely to clear out enemy tunnel works. Also, a type of tear gas. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  234. CT-O
    communications technician--Operation Branch.
    Vietnam
  235. CYA
    cover your ass.
    Vietnam
  236. CYCLO
    a three-wheel passenger vehicle powered by a human on a bicycle.
    Vietnam
  237. CannonCocker
    Artillery
    Marines
  238. Carry On
    Resume Previous Duty
    Marines
  239. Chit
    Reciept/Piece of Paper
    Marines
  240. Civvies
    civilian attire
    Special Forces
  241. Claymore
    a directional mine
    Special Forces
  242. Cobra
    a military helicopter used as a gun platform
    Special Forces
  243. Conex
    metal military container, large.
    Special Forces
  244. Cork
    a drug to prevent defecation, used in the field with small teams
    Special Forces
  245. Cover one's six
    watch the rear
    Special Forces
  246. Cover
    Hat
    Marines
  247. Covey
    the name of the USAF detachment that flew our radiocoverage
    Special Forces
  248. Crud, the
    various fungi and rashes common to soldiers in warm climates
    Special Forces
  249. D.I.E.
    "draft-induced enlistment." It was the Army's term for guys like me who "volunteered" only because they were about to be drafted.
    Vietnam
  250. DAPSONE
    small pill taken periodically by U.S. troops, ostensibly to prevent malaria but actually to prevent leprosy.
    Vietnam
  251. DAP
    a stylized, ritualized manner of shaking hands, started by African-American troops.
    Vietnam
  252. DASC
    Direct Air Support Center. (Location of communication/Intelligence/Coordination of Combat Air Strike Requests).
    Vietnam
  253. DASH
    Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter (DASH), a remote-controlled airborne miniature helicopter used to track and detect submarines at a distance.
    Vietnam
  254. DD
    destroyer. Variations
    DDG--destroyer with guided missiles; etc.
    Vietnam
  255. DEEP SERIOUS/DEEP SHIT
    the worst possible position, such as being nearly overrun. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  256. DENT CAP
    Dental Civilian Action Program. U.S.Militaty dental personnel went into the villes and tended to the dental problems and hygiene of the locals.
    Vietnam
  257. DEROS
    acronym, Date of Expected Return from Overseas
    Special Forces
  258. DEROS
    date eligible for return from overseas; the date a person's tour in Vietnam was estimated to end. Pg. 508Date, Established Return (from) Overseas Service.
    Vietnam
  259. DET CORD
    detonating cord. An 'instantaneous fuse' in the form of a long thin flexible tube loaded with explosive (PETN). Used to obtain the simultaneous explosion from widely spaced demolitions, such as multiple claymores. Transmitted the explosive chain at 25,000 feet per second. Also used to fell trees by wrapping 3 turns per foot of tree diameter around the tree and firing.
    Vietnam
  260. DEUCE AND A HALF
    2.5 ton truck.
    Vietnam
  261. DEUCE GEAR
    Marine term for the web gear issued to troops, named for the gear's Requisition Form 782, "Seven-Eighty-Deuce."
    Vietnam
  262. DEUCE
    two.
    Vietnam
  263. DI DI MAU
    move quickly. Pg. 508 Also shortened to just "Di Di."
    Vietnam
  264. DI WEE
    captain.
    Vietnam
  265. DIME NICKEL
    a 105mm howitzer. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  266. DINKY DAU
    Vietnamese term for "crazy" or "You're crazy."
    Vietnam
  267. DIRTY THIRTY
    pilots who C47 out of Than San Nhut as copilots to Viet Pilots.
    Vietnam
  268. DIV
    division. Pg. 508A division is a nearly universal military organization consisting of approximately 20,000 troops commanded by a major general. During the Vietnam War, the following U.S. divisions or elements thereof participated in the War

    Vietnam
  269. DMZ
    demilitarized zone. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  270. DOC
    affectionate title for enlisted medical aidman. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  271. DOC
    what the grunts would call medics.
    Vietnam
  272. DOD
    Department of Defense. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  273. DOI MOI
    renovation.
    Vietnam
  274. DONUT DOLLY
    American Red Cross Volunteer--female. Also seen as "Doughnut Dolly(ies)." Namesake of World War I counterpart; helped the morale of the troops.
    Vietnam
  275. DOPE
    Marine term for the adjustments made to weapon sights. Also a term for marijuana and other illicit drugs.
    Vietnam
  276. DOUBTFULS
    indigenous personnel who cannot be categorized as either Vietcong or civil offenders. It also can mean suspect personnel spotted from ground or aircraft. Pg. 508
    Vietnam
  277. DRESS WHITES
    the formal light weight uniform for the Navy and Coast Guard.
    Vietnam
  278. DRUM
    holds ammunition until ready to mount on the weapon and "feed" the ammo.
    Vietnam
  279. DU MI AMI
    the F-word with maternal overtones.
    Vietnam
  280. DUFFLEBAG
    the oblong, unwieldy bag in which troops stored all their gear. Also, an artillery term for motion/sound/seismic sensors placed along suspected enemy trails or areas. Dufflebag sensors contained small radio transmitters which sent a signal to an intelligence unit when triggered. Once triggered, the artillery fired on the "dufflebag" target to intercept or interdict the enemy.
    Vietnam
  281. DUNG LAI
    Vietnamese for "STOP!" or "HALT!"
    Vietnam
  282. DUSTER
    the M-42. It was an automatic twin 40mm "ack-ack" set up on a tank body. It was used for firebase and convoy security.
    Vietnam
  283. DUSTER
    these were WWII tracked vehicles brought to RVN. They were medium size and sported two 40mm pom-poms plus one M60 Machine Gun, plus a crew of about 4 to 5 with individual weapons. They were used for convoy security and perimeter security for artillery bases each night.
    Vietnam
  284. DUSTOFF
    a nickname for a medical evacuation helicopter or mission. Pg. 509. Also, see "Medevac." "I need a Dustoff" became an all-too-familiar call on the airwaves of Vietnam. Dustoff missions were medical evacuation missions using helicopters. While the term has been used to apply to all medical evacuation missions, GIs reserved the term for missions flown to pick up wounded soldiers in the field, often under fire. When a soldier was hit, the call went out for a Dustoff, and any helicopter in the area without a higher priority mission could respond.Many of the early helicopters used in Vietnam did not fare well in Dustoff missions due to their lack of maneuverability and relatively slow speed, combined with a small door. The UH-1 "Huey" excelled in this role, with its wide doors and ability to get in and out quickly.Still, flying Dustoffs took courage on the part of the crew, as ground fire was the rule rather than the exception. The rewards, however, were great. Dustoffs allowed wounded soldiers to be brought to medical facilities much more quickly than in any other war, usually in a matter of minutes, and saved many lives. Pg. 12582nd
    Vietnam
  285. DU
    the F-word.
    Vietnam
  286. Deck
    Floor
    Marines
  287. Didi
    Vietnamese, flee or leave rapidly
    Special Forces
  288. E & E
    acronym, Escape and Evasion
    Special Forces
  289. E & E
    escape and evasion.
    Vietnam
  290. E1, E2, ETC.
    enlistedmen's grades, E1-Trainee, E2-Private, E3-Private First Class, E4-Corporal or Specialist-4, E5 Sergeant or Specialist-5, etc.
    Vietnam
  291. ECM
    electronic countermeasures, such as jamming, deception, and detection.
    Vietnam
  292. EGG BEATER
    affectionate name for Huey or any helicopter.
    Vietnam
  293. ELD
    USCG Explosive Loading Detachment. There were four ELDs assigned to the Army in VN. They supervised the off loading of all the ammo in VN.
    Vietnam
  294. ELECTRIC STRAWBERRY
    a nickname for the 25th Infantry Division because of the division's shoulder patch representation of "Tropic Lightning." Pg. 509. See the 25th Div. shoulder patch. (Use your browser's "Back" feature to return here.)
    Vietnam
  295. ELEPHANT GRASS
    tall, sharp-edged grass found in the highlands of Vietnam. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  296. ELINT
    electronic intelligence.
    Vietnam
  297. EM
    enlisted man.
    Vietnam
  298. ENSIGN
    entry level officer rank in the Navy and Coast Guard.
    Vietnam
  299. EOD
    explosive ordnance disposal.
    Vietnam
  300. ETS
    date of departure from overseas duty station. Pg. 509 Established Termination (of) Service.
    Vietnam
  301. ET
    electronics technicians.
    Vietnam
  302. EVAC
    see "Medevac."
    Vietnam
  303. EXFIL
    exfiltrate, exfiltration--sneak out/pick up/extract personnel; point of exit from an AO.
    Vietnam
  304. EXTRACTION
    voluntary or involuntary withdrawal by air of troops from any operational area via helicopter. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  305. Each Corps in RVN had a DASC. The one I was at was III DASC at Bien Hoa RVN.
    Vietnam
  306. Exfil
    exfiltration, point of exit from AO
    Special Forces
  307. F-100 or HUN
    close support low flying jet.
    Vietnam
  308. F-4 PHANTOM II
    The F-4 Phantom II, a twin-engine, all-weather, tactical fighter-bomber, was one of the principal aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia. Capable of operating at speeds of more than 1,600 miles per hour and at altitudes approaching 60,000 feet, the first F-4s were deployed to participate in the air war over Vietnam in August 1964 by the United States Navy. On August 6, 1964, in response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident, five F-4Bs from the USS Constellation attacked North Vietnamese patrol boat bases. The F-4 aircraft expanded their operations beginning on April 3, 1965, when fifty F-4Bs attacked a road bridge 65 miles south of Hanoi.The first United States Air Force (USAF) F-4s were deployed to Southeast Asia in early 1965 and became involved in significant air operations during the summer. On July 10, 1965, two F-4Cs shot down two MiG-17 fighters over North Vietnam with Sidewinder missiles. In October 1965 the first RF-4s, aircraft equipped with reconnaissance equipment, were deployed to the theater. By March 1966, seven USAF F-4 squadrons were in South Vietnam and three were in Thailand. Buildup of F-4 aircraft and operations continued thereafter including F-4s from the Marine Corps.A total of 511 F-4s from all services were lost in Southeast Asia from June 6, 1965, through June 29, 1973. Of these, 430 were combat losses, while 81 resulted from aerial or ground accidents. Pg. 143The F-4 was called a lot of things, mostly with respect. It was referred to by some as "Fox 4."
    Vietnam
  309. FAC
    (Fack) Forward air controller. Pg. 509 The forward air controller (FAC) had the responsibility for calling in air strikes on enemy positions during the Vietnam War. Usually flying a low-level, low-speed aircraft, such as a single-engine Cessna O-1 Bird Dog spotter plane, the FAC identified Vietcong or North Vietnamese positions and relayed the information to attack aircraft, helicopter gunships, or high-altitude bombers. On the ground, a forward air controller would call in similar information. Pg. 157
    Vietnam
  310. FAC
    acronym, Forward Air Controller
    Special Forces
  311. FAG
    field artillery guy.
    Vietnam
  312. FANTAIL
    the stern or aft open area of a ship, also called the afterdeck.
    Vietnam
  313. FAST MOVER
    jet; usually the F-4.
    Vietnam
  314. FAT ALBERT
    a C-5A aircraft.
    Vietnam
  315. FATIGUES
    standard combat uniform, green in color. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  316. FBI
    Federal Bureau of Investigation. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  317. FEATHER
    a propeller adjusted in pitch so that it will neither pull nor push air (if it must be shut down, the prop will be "feathered" so as not to 'windmill').
    Vietnam
  318. FEET WET
    expression used by pilots to indicate they were over water (South China Sea or Gulf of Thailand).
    Vietnam
  319. FIELD OF FIRE
    area that a weapon or group of weapons can cover effectively with fire from a given position. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  320. FIGHTING HOLE
    a foxhole with sandbag protection and sometimes an elevated roof of sheetmetal, reinforced with sandbags. Sized for one or two troops, fighting holes might be dispersed around a company or battery area for defensive use during a ground attack.
    Vietnam
  321. FIGMO
    state of blissful abandon, achieved after receiving orders out of Vietnam. Literally "Fuckit, I Got My Orders."
    Vietnam
  322. FINI FLIGHT
    an Air Force pilot's last mission in Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  323. FIRE BASE or FB
    (sometimes called a fire support base) temporary artillery firing position often secured by infantry. Pg. 509. These bases dotted VN and usually were comprised of four howitzers with crews and a company of Infantry.
    Vietnam
  324. FIRE FOR EFFECT
    when all ordnance was aimed at the enemy in continual firing.
    Vietnam
  325. FIRE MISSION
    an artillery mission.
    Vietnam
  326. FIRECRACKER
    artillery round incorporating many small bomblets which are ejected over a target area and explode in 'bouncing-betty' fashion almost simultaneously, the name comes from the fast popping sound (best heard at a distance).
    Vietnam
  327. FIREFIGHT
    exchange of small arms fire between opposing units. Pg. 509
    Vietnam
  328. FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION
    during the nineteenth century, American cavalry units were horse-mounted troops designed to survey enemy positions and provide screens for incoming infantry units. The horse-mounted cavalry gave way during the twentieth century to armored personnel carriers and tanks. A major innovation of the Vietnam War was the use of air cavalry units where troops are moved into battlefield positions by helicopters. The FIRST CAVALRY DIVISION was one of the main air cavalry units in Southeast Asia. Pg. 12 Originally activated in 1921, the First Cavalry Division fought (dismounted) in the Pacific during World War II and later in Korea. In 1965 the division's flag was taken from Korea and presented to the experimental 11th Air Assault Division, which became the First Cavalry Division (Airmobile). (The former First Cavalry Division, still in Korea, became the new 2nd Infantry Division.) The division was deployed to South Vietnam in September 1965 and was the first full division to arrive in the country. It was almost immediately in battle in the Ia Drang Valley. The division won a Presidential Unit Citation for its fierce fighting. During 1966 and 1967 elements of the division were engaged in numerous actions throughout the II Corps Tactical Zone. Initially committed to operations in Binh Dinh Province in early 1968, the bulk of the division was hurriedly recommitted to the Battle for Hue and then to the relief of the marine position at Khe Sanh. Later in the year the division served in the A Shau Valley before being shifted to protect the northern and western approaches to Saigon. As the army's first airmobile division, the First Cavalry Division pioneered air assault tactics... It was considered one of the army's elite units in Vietnam, highly valuable because of its extreme mobility. The division suffered over 30,000 casualties during the war. Pgs. 146 & 147. See the 1st Cav shoulder patch. (Use your browser's "Back" feature to return here.)
    Vietnam
  329. FIRST SHIRT
    1st Sgt.
    Vietnam
  330. FLACK JACKET
    heavy fiberglass-filled vest worn for protection from shrapnel. Pg. 510.
    Vietnam
  331. FLARE
    illumination projectile. Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  332. FLYING COW
    C-123 or C-130 aircraft equipped with a rubberized collapsible drum and 350-GPM (gallons per minute) pumps. Also called "Bladder Bird" or "Cow." Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  333. FNG
    acronym, Fucking New Guy
    Special Forces
  334. FNG
    most common name for newly arrived person in Vietnam. It was literally translated as a "Fuckin' new guy." Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  335. FORWARD
    directional--in, at, toward, or near the bow or front of the ship or boat.
    Vietnam
  336. FO
    forward observer; calls fire missions to artillery and sometimes Air and Naval gunfire.
    Vietnam
  337. FRAG
    the common term for any grenade. Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  338. FREE FIRE ZONE
    any area in which permission was not required prior to firing on targets. Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  339. FREEDOM BIRD
    any aircraft that took you back to the "world" (U.S.A.). The aircraft on which you left Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  340. FREQ
    radio frequency.
    Vietnam
  341. FRIENDLIES
    U.S. troops, allies, or anyone not on the other side.
    Vietnam
  342. FRIENDLY AIR ASSETS
    U.S. air support.
    Vietnam
  343. FRIENDLY FIRE
    "Friendly Fire" was a euphemism used during the war in Vietnam to describe air, artillery or small-arms fire from American forces mistakenly directed at American positions. Pg. 167
    Vietnam
  344. FTA
    Free the Army. Pg. 510. Actually, "Fuck the Army;" a derogatory phrase used by frustrated soldiers. Often publically re-interpreted to "Fire The Artillery."
    Vietnam
  345. FUBAR
    short for "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair" or "Recognition." To describe impossible situations, equipment, or persons as in, "It is (or they are) totally Fubar!"
    Vietnam
  346. FUSE
    cord filled with pyrotechnic composition, burned at a precise rate after ignition.
    Vietnam
  347. FUZE
    triggering mechanism attached to the nose of an artillery shell or bomb.
    Vietnam
  348. Fast mover
    a jet, usually an F-4
    Special Forces
  349. Field Day
    Barracks Cleanup
    Marines
  350. Fire fan
    the field of fire of a larger gun or mortar
    Special Forces
  351. Firebase
    a remote artillery position, usually quite isolated
    Special Forces
  352. First shirt
    military slang for First Sergeant, usually the highest enlisted grade in a company
    Special Forces
  353. Float
    deployment by ship
    Marines
  354. G.I.
    government issue.
    Vietnam
  355. G.P STRAP
    general purpose strap that came off your rucksack. Many uses, but used mainly to replace the sling on an M-16.
    Vietnam
  356. GA MUG
    thank you.
    Vietnam
  357. GHOST BOATS
    what command called the four LSMRs in country.
    Vietnam
  358. GMG1
    Gunner's Mate Guns Class Petty Officer or just GMGFirst Class, which is the same as an E-6 in any service.
    Vietnam
  359. GOMERS
    North Vietnamese.
    Vietnam
  360. GOOKS
    slang expression brought to Vietnam by Korean War Veterans. The term refers to anyone of Asian origin. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  361. GPM
    gallons per minute. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  362. GP
    general purpose, as in general purpose tent
    large rectangular tent sleeping 10 to 12 men with an aisle down the middle.
    Vietnam
  363. GQ
    general quarters--battle stations where military personnel are assigned to go ASAP when alarm sounds.
    Vietnam
  364. GREASE GUN
    M2-A1 sub-machinegun, .45cal automatic weapon.
    Vietnam
  365. GREEN BERETS
    members of the Special Forces of the U.S. Army. They were awarded the green beret headgear as a mark of distinction. Pg. 511. Also referred to as Green Beanies. (See Special Forces.)
    Vietnam
  366. GREEN TRACERS
    color left by the ammunition fired from enemy AAA or AK-47s whereby you could track/trace its path.
    Vietnam
  367. GREEN-EYE
    Starlight scope. Light amplifying telescope, used to see at night.
    Vietnam
  368. GRUNT
    a popular nickname for an infantryman in Vietnam; supposedly derived from the sound one made from lifting up his rucksack. Also Ground Pounder or Crunchie. Pgs. 507 & 511
    Vietnam
  369. GSW-TTH
    casualty report term meaning 'gunshot wound, thru and thru.'
    Vietnam
  370. GUERRILLA WARFARE
    military operations conducted in enemy-held or hostile territory by irregular, predominantly indigenous forces. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  371. GUERRILLA
    soldiers of a resistance movement who are organized on a military or paramilitary basis. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  372. GUN TRUCKS
    the deuce-and-a-halfs that would accompany convoys. They were usually fitted with a .50 and one or two M60s, plus individual weapons for usually a crew of four to five.
    Vietnam
  373. GUNG HO
    very enthusiastic and committed. Pg. 511. Chinese term for "All together."
    Vietnam
  374. GUNSHIP
    an armed helicopter or adapted fixed-wing aircraft. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  375. GVN
    Government of South Vietnam. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  376. Geedunk
    Place on ship where candy/smokes/soda are
    Marines
  377. Grease
    slang, to kill
    Special Forces
  378. HAI VAN PASS
    a particularly treacherous pass through the mountians south of Phu Bai, just before coming into Da Nang.
    Vietnam
  379. HAM N'CHOKERS
    see HAM N'MOTHERFUCKERS.
    Vietnam
  380. HAM N'MOTHERFUCKERS
    C-Ration 'Ham and Lima Beans,' a well hated meal among soldiers.
    Vietnam
  381. HANOI HILTON
    nickname American prisoners of war used to describe the Hoa Loa Prison in Hanoi. Pg. 511
    Vietnam
  382. HAWSERS
    heavy line used in mooring a ship; often 4 or 6 inches in diameter or more. These lines are *never* referred to as "rope."
    Vietnam
  383. HEAT TABS
    fuel pellets used for heating C-Rations.
    Vietnam
  384. HEAT
    High Explosive, Anti Tank.
    Vietnam
  385. HEAVY
    LRRPs usually operated in teams of 5 or 6 guys. On occasion, when it was *known* the team was going to be in deep shit, they were assigned 10. This was commonly called a heavy team. It was more difficult to hide, but the additional M-60 machine gun and other firepower made the inconvenience worth the trouble.
    Vietnam
  386. HES
    Hamlet Evaluation System. A computerized system whereby CORDS personnel at MACV HQ "tracked" the progress of the pacification programs in hamlets throughout South VietNam. Input for the program was supplied by the American District Senior Advisor in each district "in country."
    Vietnam
  387. HE
    high explosive.
    Vietnam
  388. HIGHWAY ONE
    This was the route from the north into Saigon. Gens Seamans & De Puy with the Big Red One from Dian went up this route to clear it in '66 so that the rice harvest could get into the city. At the same time, the 9th & 10th, as I recall, VC Divs made an attack on Quan Dau Ting, which caused the 1st Inf Div to pull back to relieve what I recall as a Light Inf Bde -- maybe the 176 or 173 -- many years have passed. Hope this helps some.
    Vietnam
  389. HILLSBORO
    an AF "command and control" aircraft.
    Vietnam
  390. HOOTCH
    house or living quarters or a native hut. Pg. 512Also, the term had several meanings--house,weed,booze.
    Vietnam
  391. HORN
    radio, "Get the CO on the horn..."
    Vietnam
  392. HOSE (DOWN)
    massive automatic weapons fire, as from a minigun, Spooky or other high firepower gunship. Basecamp perimeters suspected of being infiltrated by sappers would be 'hosed down' by gunships and 'mad minutes'.
    Vietnam
  393. HOT HOIST
    extraction of a soldier by helicopter, using its hoist due to the triple canopy, while under fire.
    Vietnam
  394. HOT TOC
    hair cut.
    Vietnam
  395. HOT
    dangerous, such as Hot LZ (where aircraft are receiving enemy fire) Pg. 512. Also see Red.
    Vietnam
  396. HQ
    acronym, HeadQuarters
    Special Forces
  397. HQ
    headquarters. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  398. HUEY SLICK
    UH-1. The Bell UH-1 helicopter is one of aviation's true success stories. Thousands of the aircraft have been made in a number of variations, serving a multitude of roles. Called the "Iroquois" by the United States Army, the aircraft is much better know by its nickname of "Huey," derived from its initial designation of HU-1. In its multitude of roles in Vietnam, the Huey became a familiar sight on the television screens of America. Hardly a night passed without the evening news showing Hueys in dustoff, slick or other missions. Bell was chosen in 1955 to provide the army with a utility helicopter capable of serving as a front-line medical evacuation (see "Medevac") aircraft, a general utility aircraft, and an instrument training aircraft. Deliveries to the U.S. Army began in 1959. In 1961 a more powerful version, the UH-1B, was introduced. In 1967, starting with the UH-1D series, the airframe length was increased, giving the Huey a much roomier passenger-cargo compartment capable of carrying more troops or supplies. In 1968 Bell developed a specialized version of the aircraft with a stronger airframe and more powerful engine. The "Huey tug," as it was nicknamed, was capable of lifting loads up to three tons, nearly double that of a conventional Huey. Powered by a 1,400 SHP Avco Lycoming engine, the Huey had a cruising speed of 127 mph and a range of 318 miles. Fast and highly maneuverable, the Huey proved far superior to the CH-21 or CH-34 as an assault helicopter. Combat troops normally rode in the wide doors on each side of the aircraft, and could exit quickly, greatly reducing the time the helicopter was on the ground. Often troops jumped from a Huey just above the ground as it "bounced" in ground effect and then left, with the entire ground time reduced to a matter of seconds. Pgs. 463 & 464
    Vietnam
  399. HUEY
    nickname for the UH-series helicopters
    "utility helicopter."
    Vietnam
  400. HUE
    First built by Emperor Gia Long early in the nineteenth century, Hue was the imperial capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945. It is located on Highway 1 about 420 miles south of Hanoi and 670 miles north of Saigon and was an independent municipality under the Republic of Vietnam (Rvn). For the Vietcong and North Vietnamese, Hue was a city with tremendous historical significance. Being the former imperial capital of a united Vietnam, the center of Vietnamese cultural and religious life, and the capital of Thua Thien Province, Hue became an important symbol in the struggle for dominance of Indochina. It was also a difficult city to defend. Isolated by the Annamese mountain chain and bordered by Laos to the west and the Demilitarized Zone to the north, Hue was without access to a major port for resupply. Still, before the Tet Offensive, Hue was considered secure for South Vietnam. That all ended on January 31, 1968. At 3:40 a.m. that morning North Vietnamese Army (NVA) artillery began pounding the city. Elements of the NVA 6th Regiment simultaneously attacked Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) headquarters in Hue and ARVN 1st Division headquarters. Other NVA troops blockaded Highway 1 north and south of the city and attacked several hundred other sites in the city. By daylight, the Vietcong flag was flying atop the Imperial Citadel of the Nguyen emperors. Hue had fallen to the Communists. The American and ARVN counterattack on Hue began almost immediately with huge volumes of artillery, naval bombardment, and air strikes reducing much of Hue to rubble while elements of the First Air Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, the ARVN 1st Division, the U.S. 1st Marines, and ARVN Rangers and Marines engaged in house-to- house, hand-to-hand combat with NVA troops and Vietcong. The Imperial Citadel was not recaptured from the Communists until February 24, 1968. Hue had been devastated. More than 50 percent of the city had been totally destroyed, and 116,000 people of a total population of 140,000 had been rendered homeless. Nearly 6,000 civilians were dead or missing, and several thousand more were assassinated outright during the Vietcong occupation. The NVA and Vietcong suffered 5,000 dead; the United States, 216 dead and 1,364 seriously wounded; and the ARVN, 384 dead and 1,830 seriously wounded. Like the Tet Offensive in general, the battle for Hue was a tactical defeat for the Communists as well as a strategic victory. In taking control of the city, if only for several weeks, they had proven that MACV predictions of an imminent Communist collapse were totally groundless, undermining American faith in the credibility of political and military leaders. Hue in particular, and Tet in general, was indeed the turning point in the war. Pgs. 209 & 210
    Vietnam
  401. HUMP
    to slog around on foot.
    Vietnam
  402. HUN
    an F-100 aircraft.
    Vietnam
  403. Ham n' Choke Loaf
    Ham and Chicken Loaf/MRE
    Marines
  404. Hatch
    Door/Doorway
    Marines
  405. Head
    Restroom
    Marines
  406. Hillsboro
    an air force command and control aircraft
    Special Forces
  407. Hootch
    see "Hootch"
    Special Forces
  408. I CORPS
    northernmost military region in South Vietnam. Pg. 509 Also known as "Eye" Corps, I Corps was one of the four major military and administrative units of the Vietnamese government in the 1960s and early 1970s. In particular, I Corps was the Central Vietnam Lowlands administrative unit and consisted of the five northernmost provinces
    Quang Tri, Thua Thien, Quang Nam, Quang Tin, and Quang Ngai. The headquarters of I Corps was located in Da Nang. The major cities in I Corps were Hue, Quang Tri City, Da Nang, and Chu Lai. I Corps was also known as Military Region 1. During the course of the Vietnam War, the following U.S. military units fought in I Corps:9th Marine Amphibious Brigade, Third Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force, lst Marine Division, Americal Division, XXIV Corps, First (1st) Cavalry Division (Airmobile), 101st Airborne Division, First Brigade,Fifth Infantry Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division.Pg. 147
    Vietnam
  409. I&I
    intoxication and intercourse. This term was used in lieu of R&R.
    Vietnam
  410. IA
    acronym, Immediate Action
    Special Forces
  411. IFF
    Indentification Friend or Foe
    United States Air Force
  412. IG
    acronym, Inspector General
    Special Forces
  413. II CORPS
    Central Highlands military region in South Vietnam. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  414. III CORPS
    military region between Saigon and the Highlands. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  415. III MAF
    III Marine Amphibious Force. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  416. ILLUM
    illumination. Flares dropped by aircraft and fired from the ground by hand, artillery or mortars.
    Vietnam
  417. IN COUNTRY
    Vietnam. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  418. IN THE FIELD
    any forward combat area or any area outside of a town or base camp. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  419. INCOMING
    receiving enemy mortar or rocket fire. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  420. INSERTION/INSERTED
    secret helicopter placement of combat troops in an operational area. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  421. INTEL
    intelligence.
    Vietnam
  422. IP
    instructor pilot.
    Vietnam
  423. IR-8 and IR-5 Rice
    more popularly known as "Miracle Rice." Two strains of rice, developed by the U.S. in the Philippines, that CORDS personnel tried to get South VietNamese farmers to use. Tasted slightly different than standard "paddy rice" but had more yield per crop, more crops per growing season, and were less likely to be lost to flooding. The increased use of this rice was part of the eighth pacification program objective of 1969.
    Vietnam
  424. IRREGULARS
    armed individuals and groups not members of the regular armed forces, police, or other internal security forces. Pg. 512
    Vietnam
  425. IV CORPS
    the southernmost military region in South Vietnam, located in the Mekong Delta. Pg. 510
    Vietnam
  426. IVY (IV) DIVISION
    nickname of the 4th Infantry Division. (Patch has 4 ivy leaves.)
    Vietnam
  427. Ink Stick
    Black Pen
    Marines
  428. Insert
    insertion, point of entrance into AO
    Special Forces
  429. Intel
    intelligence information
    Special Forces
  430. JESUS NUT
    main rotor retaining nut that holds the main rotor onto the rest of the helicopter!!!! If it came off, only Jesus could help you.
    Vietnam
  431. JINK
    Air Force term for turning hard to avoid enemy fire or detection.
    Vietnam
  432. JOLLY GREEN GIANT
    heavily armed air force C-47 aircraft supporting troops or an air force HH-53 heavy rescue helicopter. Pg. 513
    Vietnam
  433. JUSPAO
    Joint United States Public Affairs Office.
    Vietnam
  434. JVC
    Victor Company of Japan, a Japanese electronics company, like Sony.
    Vietnam
  435. Jarai
    a tribe of Montagnards, q.v.
    Special Forces
  436. K, klick
    a kilometer, the U.S. military uses the metric system
    Special Forces
  437. K-BAR
    combat knife with a six-inch blade and hard leather handle, used mostly by the Marine Corps.
    Vietnam
  438. K-Bar
    Marine Fighting Knife=
    Marines
  439. KAK WHEEL
    carried on a thick string around an RTOs neck to encrypt map coordinates.
    Vietnam
  440. KHMER ROUGE
    "Red Khmers." The forces of the Cambodian Communist Party. Pg. 513
    Vietnam
  441. KHONG BIET
    Vietnamese for "I don't know" or "I don't understand."
    Vietnam
  442. KIA
    Killed In Action.
    Vietnam
  443. KIA
    acronym, Killed In Action
    Special Forces
  444. KLICK, K
    short for kilometer (.62 miles). Pg. 513
    Vietnam
  445. KOON SA
    the wacky weed.
    Vietnam
  446. KP
    kitchen police. Pg. 513
    Vietnam
  447. Khaki
    a sandish color, used in uniforms
    Special Forces
  448. LA VAY
    beer.
    Vietnam
  449. LAI DAI
    "Bring to me" or "Come to me."
    Vietnam
  450. LAW
    (Law) M72 Light Antitank Weapon. A shoulder-fired, 66mm rocket with a one-time disposable fiberglass launcher. Pg. 513
    Vietnam
  451. LAY CHILLY
    lie motionless.
    Vietnam
  452. LBGB
    little bitty gook boat (small watercraft, usually one or two people, sometimes made from reeds).
    Vietnam
  453. LBJ RANCH
    (L-B-J) the Long Binh Stockade. The last word was changed to make a pun on the initials of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  454. LC
    Library of Congress.
    Vietnam
  455. LEANING SHITHOUSE
    nickname of the 1st Log (logistics)(patch).
    Vietnam
  456. LEATHERNECK
    term for MARINE..(Marines wore a Leather neckband 1798-1880 for protection of the neck during sword combat.)
    Vietnam
  457. LIFER
    career soldier. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  458. LIGHT UP
    to fire on the enemy.
    Vietnam
  459. LIMA-LIMA
    low level, as in aircraft altitude GCI - Ground-Controlled Intercept.
    Vietnam
  460. LO DUN
    land mines. Referred to as such by tiger scouts.
    Vietnam
  461. LOACH OR LOH
    light observation helicopter, notably the OH-6A. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  462. LOCK AND LOAD
    (Editor's Note
    We've had some fun with this one. Our viewers have sent several meanings/ideas/etc. about this ... each separate below ... and each, mostly, from their own experiences and remembrances of Vietnam. We welcome them all.) meaning to chamber a round in your weapon. Lock and load comes from the rifle range training exercises, when we were ordered to chamber a round in our rifles. Lock means mounting the magazine; load means chambering a round. I've had grunts tell me I had it backwards or totally wrong. One grunt told me that load meant putting the magazine in, chambering a round, and lock meant putting the safety on. Others said load meant putting the magazine in and lock meant chambering a round. Since you can't chamber a round until you have the magazine in place, this didn't make sense to me (lock and then load), but several insisted that was the way it was.
    Vietnam
  463. LONELY HEARTS
    nickname of 24 Corp (patch).
    Vietnam
  464. LONG GREEN LINE
    column of infantry advancing through jungle terrain. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  465. LONG KNIFE
    call sign of the Army Air Cav Hueys - also "Long Knives" as a generic term for the Air Cav.
    Vietnam
  466. LORAN
    a "long-range radio-navigation" position fixing system using the time difference of reception of pulse type transmissions from two or more fixed stations.The USCG operated four "LORAN" stations in SE Asia
    two in Vietnam and two in Thailand. These stations were part of the chain of stations across the Pacific Ocean. "LORAN" operated in two modes
    "A" and "C." "A" model began operation in World War II and was eventually replaced in some areas of the world by "C" model"LORAN" is being made obsolete by the global positioning system (GPS), and the USCG closed its last Pacific "LORAN" station at Marcus Island in September 1993 and transferred to the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency.
    Vietnam
  467. LP
    Listening Position. A 3-man post placed outside the barbwire surrounding a fire base. Each would lay out claymore mines; they would have 1 radio and take turns during the night listening and looking. They were the early warning for the troops inside the parimeter.
    Vietnam
  468. LRP OR LRRP
    (Lurp) long-range reconnaissance patrol. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  469. LSMR 536
    meaning toilet boat.We were with Inshore Fire Support Division 93; my ship, Flagship, was the U.S.S. Carronade (IFS-1). She was built for the Korean War, decommissioned and recommissioned for Vietnam. I sailed with her as a plankowner in 1965 through 1968. She was built from the keel up as a rocket firing ship. The LSMRs were old LSMs (Landing Ship Medium ) that later received the "R" designation (Rocket). The U.S.S. Carronade had 8, mk5 Rocket Launchers and could launch them with pinpoint accuracy ... 5,000 in just a few moments! ... one 5'38 duel purpose gun, and two, twin, forty milimeter "Pom Pom" guns. Also, lots of 50 and 30 caliber machine guns.
    Vietnam
  470. LTC
    rank, Lieutenant Colonel
    Special Forces
  471. LURPS
    long-range reconnaissance patrol members. Also, an experimental lightweight food packet consisting of a dehydrated meal and named after the soldiers it was most often issued to. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  472. LZ CUT
    performed from C-130 aircraft usually by rolling a large bomb out the rear which was attached to a 6' fuse. The bomb blew horizontally, not creating a crater but making an instant LZ.
    Vietnam
  473. LZ watcher
    an enemy soldier assigned to guard and report on activities on an LZ
    Special Forces
  474. LZ
    acronym, Landing Zone, a site for a helicopter to land
    Special Forces
  475. Later, 1969-70, incorporated pyroceramic plates to protect back and chest from rifle-fire.
    Vietnam
  476. Liberty
    Rest and Relaxation
    Marines
  477. Lima Delta
    Light Duty or limp di@k
    Marines
  478. M-14
    .30 cal, select-fire rifle used in early portion of Vietnam War. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  479. M-16
    nicknamed the widow-maker, the standard American rifle used in Vietnam after 1966. Pg. 515, 523
    Vietnam
  480. M-1
    World War II vintage American rifle/carbine. Pg. 515. The 8 shot, .30 caliber "M-1" was superceded by the M-14 and subsequently by the 18 shot .223 M-16.
    Vietnam
  481. M-60
    American-made 7.62mm (.308 cal) machine gun. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  482. M-79
    single-barreled, break-action grenade launcher, which fired 40mm projectiles, nicknamed the "Blooper." Pg. 505. aka "Thumper" or "Thumpgun"
    Vietnam
  483. M11
    large, anti-malaria pill (Chloroquine). Taken every Monday, produced persistant diarrhea.
    Vietnam
  484. MA1E
    propeller-driven bomber.
    Vietnam
  485. MAC-SOG
    Military Assistance Command Studies and Observation Group. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  486. MACV-CORDS computer program designed to monitor the strength, size, location and effectiveness of the RF/PFs. Input supplied by MACV Advisors.
    Vietnam
  487. MACV
    (Mac-vee) Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Pg. 514 HQ'ed out of the "Pentagon East," just outside TanSon Nhut AB, there were MACV units, detachments, and advisory groups throughout VietNam.
    Vietnam
  488. MAD MINUTE
    concentrated fire of all weapons for a brief period of time at maximum rate; also called "Mike-mike." Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  489. MAG-16
    Marine Air Group 16, attached to the 1st MAW, the First Marine Aircraft Wing. They were stationed just south of Da Nang, near Marble Mountain.
    Vietnam
  490. MAGS
    magazines where ammunition kept/stored until placed in a weapon.
    Vietnam
  491. MAMA-SAN
    mature Vietnamese woman. Pg. 514
    Vietnam
  492. MASH
    Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  493. MAT
    Mobile Advisory Team. Usually a six-member team of two U.S. Army officers, three enlisted men, and an interpreter responsible for training territorial forces (RF and PF). Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  494. MECH
    mechanized infantry. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  495. MEDCAP
    (Med-cap) Medical Civil Action Program. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  496. MEDEVAC
    medical evacuation by helicopter; also called an "evac" or "Dustoff." Pg. 515"Medevac" was an acronym for medical evacuation, almost always associated with evacuation of casualties by helicopter during or after a battle. Consequently, the helicopters used for these missions also were called "medevac helicopters," or simply "medevacs." The use of the helicopter in a variety of missions was a distinguishing feature of the Vietnam War. For American and Allied troops, the sound of the helicopter was perhaps the most nearly ubiquitous sound of the war. Usually it evoked positive feelings for troops in the field, since the helicopter almost always meant relief in some form, be it additional troop reinforcements; supplies such as ammunition, food, and medicine; or evacuation of the wounded and/or dead. The medevac helicopter was an especially important factor in enhancing and sustaining troop morale in the field. Soldiers knew that if they were wounded, the probability was high that they would be transported quickly to a field hospital. Statistics suggest the validity of this assumption
    nearly 98 percent of those wounded in action were evacuated from the battlefield alive, and no battle- field was more than one hour's flying time from a hospital. Medevac helicopter crews often had to fly into "hot" landing zones to evacuate the wounded, and all of those involved in evacuating wounded under such conditions were at great risk of becoming casualties. The use of the helicopter for medical evacuation contributed substantially to the military performance of American and Allied troops during the Vietnam War, and medevacs resulted in many wounded being saved who might otherwise have died. A synonym for medevac was "Dustoff," used to refer to medevac missions and medevac helicopters after the death of Lieutenant Paul B. Kelley in 1964 while on a medevac mission. Dustoff was Kelley's radio call sign. Pgs. 279 & 280
    Vietnam
  497. MET MESSAGE
    weather conditions report sent from a meteorological unit.
    Vietnam
  498. MIA
    Missing In Action.
    Vietnam
  499. MIA
    acronym, Missing In Action
    Special Forces
  500. MIC
    microphone.
    Vietnam
  501. MIG
    (MiG) Soviet fighter plane. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  502. MIHN OI
    sweetheart.
    Vietnam
  503. MIKE FORCE, MSF
    Special Forces Mobile Strike Force; composed of indigenous personnel and used as a reaction or reinforcing unit. Pg. 515
    Vietnam
  504. MIKE-MIKE
    millimeters, as in "..a 60 Mike Mike" (60mm mortar).
    Vietnam
  505. MIKE
    minute. Such as, "Move out in two-zero Mikes..." (20 minutes).
    Vietnam
  506. MINI-POUNDER
    small radar transmitter used to mark locations on the ground for radar-carrying aircraft.
    Vietnam
  507. MOONBEAM
    nighttime name of "Hillsboro." Moonbeam was a night-time command and control aircraft that flew with BIG searchlights at fairly low altitudes, illuminating the ground.
    Vietnam
  508. MOS
    Military Occupational Specialty--the job designator; one's job title.
    Vietnam
  509. MOS
    acronym, Military Occupational Specialty
    one's job title
    Special Forces
  510. MOUA
    rain.
    Vietnam
  511. MPC
    acronym, Military Payment Certificate, used in lieu of cash
    Special Forces
  512. MPC
    military payment currency; used instead of U.S. dollars.
    Vietnam
  513. MRF - the Mobile Riverine Force, 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division and River Assault Flotilla 1.
    Vietnam
  514. MSG
    rank, Master Sergeant
    Special Forces
  515. MULE
    small 4-wheeled cargo vehicle.
    Vietnam
  516. Marine Corp Bible
    Marine BST/EST
    Marines
  517. Medivac
    medical evacuation, of injured personnel
    Special Forces
  518. Mess, messhall
    a military dining facility
    Special Forces
  519. Mike Force
    an allied reaction team, usually larger than a company
    Special Forces
  520. Mini-pounder
    small radar transmitter user to mark locations on the ground for radar-carrying aircraft
    Special Forces
  521. Montagnard
    one of the indigenous hill people of Southeast Asia
    Special Forces
  522. Moonbeam
    nighttime name of Hillsboro, q.v.
    Special Forces
  523. Moonfloss
    Toliet Paper
    Marines
  524. NAILS
    a type of warhead attached to a 2.75-inch, spin-stabilized, folding-fin, aerial rocket. Called flechettes, this round was used against personnel targets. It was usually launched from helicopter gunships. The number of nails in a round escapes me, but it is around several hundred.
    Vietnam
  525. NAPALM/NAPE
    An incendiary used in Vietnam by French and Americans both as defoliant and antipersonnel weapon. Pg. 516. Consisted of a flammable organic solvent, usually gasoline, gelled by soap. Delivered by bombs or flamethrower, napalm clung to the surfaces it touched, holding the burning solvent in place on the target.
    Vietnam
  526. NAVAL SLANG and idiom of the day.
    Vietnam
  527. NAV
    navigator or radar navigator in an aircraft.
    Vietnam
  528. NCO
    acronym, Non-Commissioned Officer
    Special Forces
  529. NCO
    noncommissioned officer. Pg. 516
    Vietnam
  530. NEWBIE
    any person with less time in Vietnam than the speaker.
    Vietnam
  531. NGFS
    Naval GunFire Support (with 5" to 16" shells).
    Vietnam
  532. NGO
    non-governmental organizaton.
    Vietnam
  533. NIPA PALM
    very sharp-edged palms that grew in very dense concentrations. Edges much like sawgrass. Nasty stuff.
    Vietnam
  534. NKP
    Nhakon Phanom Air Base, Thailand. Major comm and electronic warfare base.
    Vietnam
  535. NLF
    National Liberation Front, officially the National Front for the Liberation of the South.
    Vietnam
  536. NO SWEAT
    can do...easily done or accomplished.
    Vietnam
  537. NON LA
    conical hat, part of traditional Vietnamese costume.
    Vietnam
  538. NOOKDAU
    ice.
    Vietnam
  539. NOOK
    water.
    Vietnam
  540. NSA
    Naval Support Activity.
    Vietnam
  541. NSD
    Naval Supply Depot, aka
    NAVSUPDEP.
    Vietnam
  542. NUC or NOUC
    water.
    Vietnam
  543. NUMBER ONE
    good.
    Vietnam
  544. NUMBER TEN-THOUSAND
    VERY bad.
    Vietnam
  545. NUMBER TEN
    bad.
    Vietnam
  546. NUOC MAM
    fermented fish sauce, called "armpit sauce" by many.
    Vietnam
  547. NVA
    North Vietnamese Army, Pg. 516, or referring to a soldier in same.
    Vietnam
  548. NVA
    acronym, North Vietnamese Army
    Special Forces
  549. Necktie
    Scarf
    Marines
  550. O-2
    a light observation aircraft
    Special Forces
  551. O2 and benedryl
    oxygen and a strong antihistamine, for hangovers
    Special Forces
  552. O2
    Cessna Skymaster, also known as push-me-pull-you. FAC aircraft. Twin engine, one fore and one aft of cabin section.
    Vietnam
  553. O3
    Really 03--an infantryman. This is based on the 03 series of MOS. The pay grade 03 is Captain (US Marine Corps/US Army/US Air Force); or as a Lt. (US Navy/US Coast Guard). The grunt MOS is often referred to as "Oh-3"--at least in the Corps.
    Vietnam
  554. OAS
    acronym, Organization of American States
    Special Forces
  555. OCS
    Officer's Candidate School.
    Vietnam
  556. OD
    olive drab color, standard "Army Green" color. Also, Officer of the Day.
    Vietnam
  557. OFM(cap)
    Catholic religious order, Order of Friars Minor(Capuchin)
    Special Forces
  558. ONE O DEUCE
    refers to a 105mm howitzer. Many do not know the 105mm is actually 102mm.
    Vietnam
  559. OP
    acronym, Observation Post
    Special Forces
  560. OSS
    Office of Strategic Services. Created in 1942, the OSS was an intelligence-gathering operation which became a forerunner of the CIA. Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  561. OUC-DA-LOI
    Vietnamese for Australian.
    Vietnam
  562. OUT-COUNTRY
    the Southeast Asian conflict outside South Vietnam (i.e., Laos and North Vietnam, sometimes Thailand, Cambodia, and China) Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  563. Otter
    light observation aircraft, an O-1
    Special Forces
  564. P's
    piasters, the Vietnamese monetary unit. Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  565. P, piaster
    monetary units of Rvn
    Special Forces
  566. P-38
    can opener for canned C-rations. Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  567. PAPA-SAN
    an elderly Vietnamese man.
    Vietnam
  568. PAVN
    (Pavin) People's Army of Vietnam; also known as the NVA. Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  569. PBR
    also referred to as PROUD BRAVE RELIABLE.
    Vietnam
  570. PBR
    short for PATROL BOAT RIVER. A high-speed, fiberglass craft; about 31' beam of 11' 7" and weighing 15,500 without the crew; manned by a four-man crew and mounting armament sufficient to perform all normal river, canal, and tideway patrol activities. Powered by 2 diesel engines with waterjet pump drives. Two variations were in use in Vietnam
    the MK 1 and the MK 2. Standard armament -- twin .50 caliber machine guns forward, M-60 machine gun and M-18 grenade launcher midships, and a single .50 machine gun at the stern. Many different variations of armament were arranged by the crews.
    Vietnam
  571. PBR
    short for Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the only beer a PBR sailor would drink; warm (always) -- tastes terrible, cold (never happened in Nam) -- tasted terrible.
    Vietnam
  572. PETER PILOT
    co-pilot, the less-experienced pilot in a Huey.
    Vietnam
  573. PFC
    Private First Class. Pg. 517 In an aviation company, a "PFC" was not necessarily a Private First Class but rather a "Private Fuckin' Civilian," which we all aspired to become once again when our tour was over.
    Vietnam
  574. PF
    Popular Forces. Pg. 517
    Vietnam
  575. PGM
    Percision Guided Munition (a guided weapon)
    United States Air Force
  576. PH
    Purple Heart
    Vietnam
  577. PH
    acronym, Purple Heart, awarded for wounds received in action
    Special Forces
  578. PLATOON
    approximately 45 men belonging to a company. Pg. 517Commanded by a lieutenant, a platoon is an organizational unit composed of two or more squads. A sergeant is usually second in command. Pg. 372
    Vietnam
  579. POINT MAN
    lead soldier in a unit cutting a path through dense vegetation if needed and constantly exposed to the danger of tripping booby traps or being the first in contact with the enemy. Pgs. 517 & 518
    Vietnam
  580. PONCHO LINER
    nylon insert to the military rain poncho, used as a blanket. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  581. POP SMOKE
    to mark a target, team sight (location), or Landing Zone (LZ) with a smoke grenade.During extraction, the inbound helicopter crew would call out the color of the smoke they were seeing, normally yellow, purple, or green. This allowed a team on the ground to confirm for the chopper that the chopper was "on our smoke" because the enemy would occasionally pop a smoke grenade in an effort to lure the chopper to their location where they could have 'em for lunch. Many units reserved red smoke grenades for marking targets for gunships.
    Vietnam
  582. POPEYE
    expression used by a pilot to indicate that he was flying in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC); i.e., in the clouds.
    Vietnam
  583. POP
    generically, to 'trigger' or 'initiate', as in "...pop a flare."
    Vietnam
  584. PORT
    on the left of the ship or boat when facing forward.
    Vietnam
  585. POW
    Prisoner of War.
    Vietnam
  586. POW
    acronym, Prisoner Of War
    Special Forces
  587. PRC-25
    nicknamed Prick. lightweight infantry field radio. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  588. PRC-77
    radio, similar to PRC-25 but incorporated an encryption feature for secure communication.
    Vietnam
  589. PROJOS
    Howitzer projectile - term used by pilots transporting same.
    Vietnam
  590. PSDF
    Peoples Self Defense Force. Local South VietNamese citizens banded together in something of an armed "neighborhood watch." Primarily useful against local terrorists and squad-size VC units.
    Vietnam
  591. PSP
    Perforated Steel Plate. Construction panels, about 3'X8', made of plate steel, punched with 2" holes, and having features on the sides for interlocking together. PSP could be linked together to surface a road, airstrip, etc. or several sheets could be linked into a large plate to form the roof of a bunker, fighting hole, etc., usually covered with sandbags. PSYCHEDELIC COOKIE
    nickname of the 9th Infantry Division (patch).
    Vietnam
  592. PTSD
    post-traumatic stress disorder. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  593. PUCKER FACTOR
    assessment of the 'fear factor,' as in the difficulty/risk in an upcoming mission.
    Vietnam
  594. PUFF (the Magic Dragon)
    AC-47 aircraft fitted with side-firing miniguns and flares.
    Vietnam
  595. PUSH
    refering to a radio frequency, ie 'PUSH 71.675' meaning a frequency of 71.675 megahertz.
    Vietnam
  596. PX
    post exchange. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  597. Particle Board
    Oatmeal Cookie/MRE
    Marines
  598. Phantom
    air force fighter aircraft, the F-4
    Special Forces
  599. Pogs
    Admin Marines
    Marines
  600. Point, point man
    the soldier who walks first in formation and scouts the area ahead
    Special Forces
  601. Police
    Straighten up
    Marines
  602. Port
    Left
    Marines
  603. Prick 77
    PRC-77 Field Radio
    Marines
  604. QC
    Qua^n Ca~nh. Vietnamese equivalent of an American MP.
    Vietnam
  605. QUAD 50s
    A World War II vintage, anti-aircraft weapon used in Vietnam as an anti-personnel weapon. It consisted of four electric, selenoid-fired, 50 cal. machine guns mounted in a movable turret, sometimes put on the back of a deuce and a half. It was used for firebase and convoy security.
    Vietnam
  606. R & R
    rest-and-recreation vacation taken during a one-year duty tour in Vietnam. Out-of-country R & R was at Bangkok, Hawaii, Tokyo, Australia, Hong Kong, Manila, Penang, Taipei, Kuala Lampur or Singapore. In-country R & R locations were at Vung Tau, Cam Rahn Bay or China Beach. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  607. RADAR
    RAdio Detecting And Ranging
    United States Air Force
  608. RAP
    Rocket assisted projectile. A device whereby the range of a shell from a 5" gun is extended to a ridiculous length with absolutely no accuracy.
    Vietnam
  609. RC
    radio control, as in radio control models.
    Vietnam
  610. RECON
    reconnaissance. Pg. 518
    Vietnam
  611. RED LZ
    landing zone under hostile fire. Also see Hot. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  612. REDLEG
    or cannon-cocker
    Artilleryman.
    Vietnam
  613. REMF
    Rear Echelon Mother Fucker. Nickname given to men serving in the rear by front-line soldiers. Could also be RAMF attributed to the U.S. Marine Corps
    Rear Area Mother Fucker.
    Vietnam
  614. RF/PF
    Regional Forces and Popular Forces of South Vietnam; also known as "Ruff-Puffs." Pg. 519Regional Forces and Popular Forces of the VietNamese military. Somewhat similiar in make-up and deployment to the American National Guard of the 1960s. Generally operated in the areas where they were recruited. Not especially effective, militarily, against main-force, enemy units.
    Vietnam
  615. ROCK 'N' ROLL
    to put a M16A1 rifle on full automatic fire. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  616. ROCKn'ROLL
    firing of weapons on full automatic.
    Vietnam
  617. ROKs
    Republic of Korea ground troops.
    Vietnam
  618. ROME PLOW
    large bulldozer fitted with a large blade, used to clear jungle and undergrowth in order to make friendly operations easier in that area.
    Vietnam
  619. RONONE
    USCG Squadron One.
    Vietnam
  620. RONTHREE or RON3
    larger Coast Guard vessels assigned off-shore patrol work.
    Vietnam
  621. RON
    acronym, Remain OverNight, a nighttime position
    Special Forces
  622. ROUND EYE
    slang term used by American soldiers to describe another American or an individual of European descent. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  623. RPD
    enemy weapon, light squad machine gun
    Special Forces
  624. RPD
    enemy weapon; light machine gun.
    Vietnam
  625. RPG SCREEN
    chain link fence erected around a valuable position to protect it from RPG attack by causing the enemy rocket to explode on the fence and not on the protected bunker, etc.
    Vietnam
  626. RPG
    Russian-manufactured antitank grenade launcher; also, rocket-propelled grenade. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  627. RTO
    acronym, Radio-Telephone Operator, the soldier who carries the radio
    Special Forces
  628. RTO
    radio telephone operator who carried the PRC-25. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  629. RT
    acronym, Recon Team
    Special Forces
  630. RUCK, RUCKSACK
    backpack issued to infantry in Vietnam. Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  631. RVN
    Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Pg. 519
    Vietnam
  632. Racing Spoon
    Brown Spoon in MRE
    Marines
  633. Reckless
    slang, a recoilless rifle, small artillery piece
    Special Forces
  634. Round
    Bullet
    Marines
  635. Rvn
    acronym, Republic of Viet Nam
    Special Forces
  636. SAME-SAME
    same as....
    Vietnam
  637. SANDY
    the navigational name of the northeastern-most corner of the Saigon Flight Information Region (FIR), of which flight past assured the crew of combat pay and combat income tax exemption.
    Vietnam
  638. SAPPERS
    North Vietnamese Army or Vietcong demolition commandos. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  639. SAR
    search and rescue.
    Vietnam
  640. SEA HUTS
    Southeast Asia huts. Standard-designed buildings of corrigated tin roofs; walls of horizontal-louvered boards four feet up from the bottom, and screen from the bottom to the roof inside; some were on concrete pads and some were on blocks; some had sandbags around them about 30 inches from the wall and waist high; you could walk inside the sandbags from door to door; wooden walkways between buildings so you didn't have to walk in mud; a few sandbags were place on the roofs to keep them from blowing away in a hurricane.There were literally tens of thousands of these buildings all over Vietnam and Thailand being used for everything from offices to living quarters to clubs to BXs to "you name it."
    Vietnam
  641. SEABEES
    Naval construction engineers. Derived from C.B.--Navy construction battalion. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  642. SEAL
    Navy special-warfare force members. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  643. SEARCH AND CLEAR
    offensive military operations to sweep through areas to locate and attack the enemy. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  644. SEARCH AND DESTROY
    offensive operations designed to find and destroy enemy forces rather than establish permanent government control; also, called "Zippo missions." Pg. 520In '69, while with the Big Red One, we received a directive that we were no longer allowed to use the term "search and destroy" to refer to our missions. We were told to use the term "reconnaissance-in-force" or RIF. We generally thought of this as chicken sh*t!!
    Vietnam
  645. SEA
    Southeast Asia.
    Vietnam
  646. SEA
    acronym, SouthEast Asia
    Special Forces
  647. SEMPER FI
    short for "Semper Fidelis," Latin for "Always Faithful."
    Vietnam
  648. SERETTE
    little disposable needle with morphine.
    Vietnam
  649. SEVENTEENTH PARALLEL
    temporary division line between North and South Vietnam established by the Geneva Accords of 1954. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  650. SFC
    rank, Sergeant First Class
    Special Forces
  651. SFTG
    Special Forces Training Group.
    Vietnam
  652. SFTG
    acronym, Special Forces Training Group
    Special Forces
  653. SF
    acronym, Special Forces
    Special Forces
  654. SHACKLE
    encrypt, a method of encoding sensitive information, such as unit locations, in order to be able to send the information by radio.
    Vietnam
  655. SHADOW
    C-119 gunship - 7.62 and/or 20mm mini guns mounted in side windows.
    Vietnam
  656. SHAKE'nBAKE
    an officer straight out of OCS (Officer Candidate School) without any combat experience.
    Vietnam
  657. SHELL
    artillery projectile.
    Vietnam
  658. SHITHOOK
    slang for a Chinook Helicopter.
    Vietnam
  659. SHIT
    a catchall multipurpose term, ie, a firefight was 'in the shit', a bad situation was 'deep shit', to be well prepared and alert was to have your 'shit wired tight.'
    Vietnam
  660. SHORT ORBIT
    aircraft circling to land; small, close orbit by aircraft overhead.
    Vietnam
  661. SHORT, SHORT-TIME, SHORT-TIMER
    individual with little time remaining in Vietnam. Pg. 520 An expression which indicated you were close to your Fini Flight and the Freedom Bird. In your last couple of weeks, you were so "short" you were invisible.
    Vietnam
  662. SHOTGUN/SHOTGUNNER
    armed guard on or in a vehicle who watches for enemy activity and returns fire if attacked. Also a door gunner on a helicopter. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  663. SIN LOI, MINOI
    too bad, honey. (see "XIN LOI.")
    Vietnam
  664. SIN LOY
    see "XIN LOI."
    Vietnam
  665. SIT-REP
    situation report.
    Vietnam
  666. SIX TYPE
    a medic; Doc.
    Vietnam
  667. SIX
    from aviation jargon
    "my 6 o'clock"--directly behind me; hence, my back--cover my back or rear of operation.
    Vietnam
  668. SKATE
    goof off.
    Vietnam
  669. SKS
    enemy weapon, bolt action rifle
    Special Forces
  670. SKY PILOT
    Navy Chaplain.
    Vietnam
  671. SKY PILOT
    another name for the Chaplain.
    Vietnam
  672. SKYRAIDER
    Douglas A1-H aircraft, single propeller aircraft used for Close Air Support (CAS).
    Vietnam
  673. SKYSPOT
    Ground directed bombing conducted by the 1st Combat Evaluation Group of the Strategic Air Command. Directed and released ordinance from B-52, B-57 F-4 and other aircraft of the US, Austrailian and RVN. Ground sites were located on Vietnam and Thailand.
    Vietnam
  674. SLACK MAN
    second man in a patrol, behind the POINTMAN.
    Vietnam
  675. SLEEPER
    an undercover agent or a mole.
    Vietnam
  676. SLICK
    helicopter used to lift troops or cargo with only protective armaments systems. Pg. 520. Also, see Huey Slick.The Vietnam War became a helicopter war for American forces, and a common way for an infantryman to go into action was by "Slick." "Slick" was the term used to refer to an assault helicopter used to place troops into combat during airmobile operations. The UH-1 became the premier helicopter for this. Troops could ride in the wide doors of the aircraft, normally in two rows on each side, and could exit quickly when landing in a "hot LZ"--a landing zone under fire. Often a UH-1 would not touch down during "Slick" operations; instead, it would hover a couple of feet above the ground while troops evacuated the aircraft. Troops learned to feel the UH-1 "bounce" as it came in quickly and went into a hover, and would exit on the bounce, so that Slicks spent very little time close to the ground. Pg. 417
    Vietnam
  677. SLOPE
    a derogatory term used to refer to any Asian.
    Vietnam
  678. SLOW MOVER
    propeller driven AF fighter aircraft.
    Vietnam
  679. SNAFU
    Situation Normal All Fucked Up
    Vietnam
  680. SNAKE
    Snake-Eye bombs used for close air support, as in "Snake N' Nape" (bombs and napalm).
    Vietnam
  681. SNAKE
    in reference to the AH-1G Cobra.
    Vietnam
  682. SNEAKY PETES
    U.S. Army Special Forces or Rangers. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  683. SNOOP 'N' POOP
    Marine search and destroy offensive mission. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  684. SNOOPY
    this was a mission flown often in Nam (129th Assault Helicopter Co.). One ship flew at tree-top level, trying to draw enemy fire from hidden troops (this was "Snoopy"). The second ship (at high elevation) would then observe where the shots came from and dive and attack. These were Snoopy Missions.
    Vietnam
  685. SNUFFY
    was/is the term Marines use in the same way Army calls themselves grunts. This term's footnoted in one of the major books on Khe Sahn and was in common use in I Corps (1/67-7/68).It has triple meaning to Marines. to snuff is the mission, 2. we don't grunt under our loads, and 3. a wry reference to the historical willingness of Marine leaders to expend their lives for what may seem like small gains (arising from the fact that this small service just doesn't have the logistical ability to throw much ordnance on an objective beforehand). It is a most fundamental term.
    Vietnam
  686. SOG
    Studies and Observations Group. Pg. 521. Also, Special Operations Group.
    Vietnam
  687. SOG
    acronym, Special Operations Group, see "Special Project"
    Special Forces
  688. SOP
    acronym, Standing Operating Procedures
    Special Forces
  689. SORTIE
    one aircraft making one takeoff and landing to conduct the mission for which it was scheduled. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  690. SOS
    "Shit On A Shingle." Creamed meat on toast.
    Vietnam
  691. SPC-(4,6,...)
    Specialist Rank, having no command function.
    Vietnam
  692. SPECIAL FORCES OR SF
    U.S. Army soldiers; also called "Green Berets," trained in techniques of guerrilla warfare. Pg. 520
    Vietnam
  693. SPOOKY
    C-47 gunship - 7.62 mini guns mounted in side windows.
    Vietnam
  694. SQUAD
    a squad is a basic organizational institution in the United States Army and Marine Corps. A sergeant usually commands the squad, and the squad is composed of two teams of four men each. A tank and its crew is considered the squad for an armored unit, as is the howitzer or gun and its crew in an artillery unit. Pg. 427
    Vietnam
  695. SSG
    rank, Staff Sergeant
    Special Forces
  696. STAND-DOWN
    period of rest and refitting in which all operational activity, except for security, is stopped. Pg. 521
    Vietnam
  697. STANSIONS
    stabilizing devices.
    Vietnam
  698. STARBOARD
    on the right when facing forward.
    Vietnam
  699. STARLIGHT
    night-vision telescope, used by snipers and basecamp defense troops to see in the dark.
    Vietnam
  700. STAY BEHIND (LEAVE BEHIND)
    ambush tactic wherein a small group is left behind after a unit breaks camp in order to ambush enemy sweeping thru the 'deserted' area.
    Vietnam
  701. STERILIZED
    restore a site to its original condition before moving out of it, particularly if there was a more than remote possiblility of enemy troops coming across where American troops had been.This included not leaving any C-ration cans, bending bushes back that may have been leaned on, brushing the ground free of footprints or other impressions left by sitting or lying, etc. This was not always possible; but it was worth the effort because 6 (and even 10) men could be, and often where, outnumbered. Success (survival) depended upon not being discovered by their counterparts.
    Vietnam
  702. STERN
    back of a ship or boat.
    Vietnam
  703. STOL
    short takeoff and landing. C-123 and C-130 aircraft were noted for using little runway when not over-loaded.
    Vietnam
  704. STRAP HANGER
    comes from the Airborne--someone who is not a part/regular member of the organization/team but is along for the ride.
    Vietnam
  705. SWIFT BOAT
    U.S. Navy patrol boat, designated PCF (patrol craft fast), part of operation Market Time, used to patrol coastal waters and rivers of Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  706. Secure
    Stop/Finish/Put away
    Marines
  707. Sick-Bay/BAS
    Hospital/Dispensary
    Marines
  708. Slick
    troop transport helicopter, UH-1
    Special Forces
  709. Slow mover
    propeller driven air force fighter aircraft
    Special Forces
  710. Snake
    slang, a Cobra helicopter
    Special Forces
  711. Squid
    Any Sailor in the Navy
    Marines
  712. Stabo rig
    special web gear allowing the wearer to be picked up by the harness
    Special Forces
  713. Starboard
    Right
    Marines
  714. Straphang
    operate with a team other than one's own
    Special Forces
  715. Swab
    Mop
    Marines
  716. TAILBOOM
    the back 1/3 of a Huey.
    Vietnam
  717. TALLY-HO
    or just "Tally" - acknowlegement by a pilot that he had visually acquired another aircraft or ground target which had been called to his attention.
    Vietnam
  718. TANGO BOAT
    Armored Troop Carrier (ATC). Sorta like an APC that really did float, but didn't do so good on land. The originals were LCM-6s with armor plate and bar armor added. They had nine seats for the troops and a canvas top to keep the sun out. Each tango could carry a fully equipped rifle platoon. They had two twin .50 cal. machine gun mounts on and a canvas top to keep the sun out. Each tango could carry a fully equipped rifle platoon. They had two twin .50 cal. machine gun mounts on the boat deck and four Browning .30 cal. light machine guns rechambered for NATO 7.62 mm in the well deck. In 1968 the Navy deployed two new river assault squadrons with tango boats built from the keel up specifically for riverine operation.
    Vietnam
  719. TEE-TEE
    Vietnamese term for "A little bit."
    Vietnam
  720. TET
    Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday period. Pg. 521. Also refers to the nationwide NVA-VC offensive that began during Tet, 1968.
    Vietnam
  721. TFES
    (pronounced TEFF US). Territorial Forces Evaluation System.
    Vietnam
  722. THE ROCK
    Guam.
    Vietnam
  723. THUD
    F-105 aircraft.
    Vietnam
  724. THUMPER (THUMPGUN)
    M-79 grenade launcher.
    Vietnam
  725. THUNDER ROAD
    Highway 13, from Saigon to Loc Ninh, known for many mines, ambushes, etc.
    Vietnam
  726. TIGER BALM
    a foul-smelling oil used by many Vietnamese to ward off evil spirits.
    Vietnam
  727. TO&E, TOE
    acronym, Table of Organization and Equipment, the way a military unit is organized
    Special Forces
  728. TOC
    Tactical Operations Center.
    Vietnam
  729. TOC
    acronym, Tactical Operations Center
    Special Forces
  730. TOMMY-GUN
    .45cal, Thompson sub-machinegun, fully automatic shoulder fired weapon.
    Vietnam
  731. TONKIN GULF YACHT CLUB
    the U.S. Navy in operations offshore of both North and South Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  732. TONKIN
    northern section of Vietnam. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  733. TOT
    'Time On Target,' multi-battery artillery tactic to provide massive destruction instantaneously.
    Vietnam
  734. TRI-BORDER
    in SEA, the area where Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos meet.
    Vietnam
  735. TRIP-WIRE
    thin wire used by both sides strung across an area someone may walk through.Usually attached to a mine, flare, or booby trap.
    Vietnam
  736. TRIPLE CANOPY
    thick jungle, plants growing at 3 levels - ground level, intermediate, and high levels.
    Vietnam
  737. TRUNG WEE
    sergeant.
    Vietnam
  738. TU DAI
    a big concern in country was booby traps. The VC used to warn the locals of booby trapped areas by posting little wooden signs with those words on it just at the edge of the wood line. Ironically it was pronounced "To Die." The term "Tu Dai Area" was used in sit-reps.
    Vietnam
  739. TWO DIGIT NUMBERS
    used at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base in 1969/70. Meant less then one hundred days to that freedom bird out of Vietnam. Everyone in the Security Police Squardron would say it everytime someone asked "How's it going."
    Vietnam
  740. Tail
    the soldier who walks last in formation and covers the rear
    Special Forces
  741. The First (1st) Cavalry; the 1st, the 4th, the Fifth, the Ninth, the 23rd (Americal), and the 25th Infantry Divisions;The 82nd, and 101st Airborne;The lst, the Third, and the 5th Marines; andThe Second, the Seventh, and 834th Air.Pg. 118
    Vietnam
  742. The Rock
    Okinawa
    Marines
  743. There were also separate infantry brigades functioning in the Vietnam War. The 11th, 196th, and 198th Infantry Brigades fought in the war until 1967, when they were brought together to reconstitute the Americal Division, or the 23rd Infantry. The 199th Infantry Brigade and the 173rd Airborne Brigade continued to fight as independent entities. A number of combat support brigades, designed to provide supplies, medical care, and maintenance, also functioned in South Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. Pg. 50
    Vietnam
  744. Topside
    Upstairs
    Marines
  745. Tracer
    military round that leaves a visible trail as it travels
    Special Forces
  746. Tri-border
    that area of SEA around the point where Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos meet
    Special Forces
  747. Turn To
    Get Started/Begin
    Marines
  748. UA
    unauthorized absence. (See "AWOL")
    Vietnam
  749. USAF
    United States Air Force.
    Vietnam
  750. USAID
    U.S. Agency for International Development. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  751. USARPAC
    United States Army, Pacific. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  752. USARV
    United States Army, Vietnam. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  753. USCG
    Unites States Coast Guard.
    Vietnam
  754. USMC
    United States Marine Corps.
    Vietnam
  755. USN
    United States Navy.
    Vietnam
  756. USO
    United Service Organization.
    Vietnam
  757. V Corps
    "Five Corps", see "Special Project"
    Special Forces
  758. VC, CONG
    Vietcong. Pgs. 522 & 507
    Vietnam
  759. VCI
    Viet Cong Infrastructure. The VC's cadre. VC leaders, guides, ammo, and food storage site providers, safe house providers and local tacticianers. "Render Ineffective the VCI" was the second of eight pacification program goals for 1969. The "Phoenix Program" grew out of this effort.
    Vietnam
  760. VFW
    Veterans of Foreign Wars.
    Vietnam
  761. VHPA
    Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.
    Vietnam
  762. VIETCONG
    Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese government. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  763. VIETMINH
    Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi or the Vietnamese Independence League. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  764. VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
    After watching the film "The Deer Hunter" in 1979, Vietnam Veteran Jan C. Scruggs first conceived of the idea for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A Yale architectural student, Maya Lin, submitted the winning design. The Memorial was built in Constitution Gardens in Washington, D.C., through private donations from the public, and dedicated in 1982. The Memorial is referred to as "The Wall."
    Vietnam
  765. VIETNAM WOMEN'S MEMORIAL
    Diane Carlson Evans, RN, is the founder of this Memorial project. She served in the Army Nurse Corps from 1966 to 1972 and was in Vietnam from 1968-69. The sculptor is Glenna Goodacre, who created the Women's Memorial in bronze. The Memorial was dedicated over the Veterans Day weekend of November 10-12, 1993, and stands near "The Wall."
    Vietnam
  766. VILLE (VILL)
    ostensibly "village" but used to refer to any group of hooches.
    Vietnam
  767. VNAF
    Vietnamese Air Force.
    Vietnam
  768. VN
    Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  769. VT
    Variable Time artillery fuze, incorporated a small radar transceiver, used to obtain a reliable 20 meter airburst.
    Vietnam
  770. VVA
    Vietnam Veterans of America. Pg. 522
    Vietnam
  771. Ville
    slang, village, particularly a Montagnard village
    Special Forces
  772. WAKEY
    the last day in country before going home.
    Vietnam
  773. WALLABEE
    an Australian Caribou aircraft.
    Vietnam
  774. WART HOG
    A-10 aircraft. So slanged due to its 'ugly' appearance.
    Vietnam
  775. WATCHER
    enemy.
    Vietnam
  776. WEB GEAR
    canvas belt and shoulder straps used for packing equipment and ammunition on infantry operations. Pg. 523
    Vietnam
  777. WESPAC
    Navy and Coast Guard terms for Western Pacific operations, which extended to the Asian Pacific. A WESPAC tour, then, was a tour of duty in the Western Pacific, generally synonomous with service in/around Vietnam.
    Vietnam
  778. WHITE MICE
    South Vietnamese police. The nickname came from their uniform white helmets and gloves. Pg. 523
    Vietnam
  779. WIA
    Wounded In Action.
    Vietnam
  780. WILLIE PETER/WILLIE PETE/WHISKEY PAPA/W-P
    popular nicknames for white phosphorus mortar or artillery rounds or grenades. Pg. 523 Also, rockets used by FACs to mark placement for bomb runs.
    Vietnam
  781. WOBBLY ONE
    Warrant Officer, Grade W1.
    Vietnam
  782. WOC
    Warrant Officer Candidate.
    Vietnam
  783. WO
    Warrant Officer.
    Vietnam
  784. WP, willie pete
    a white phosphorus round or grenade
    Special Forces
  785. WWII
    World War II.
    Vietnam
  786. Watcher
    see LZ watcher
    Special Forces
  787. White mouse
    derogatory term for the national police of Rvn
    Special Forces
  788. XIN LOI or XOINE LOI
    pronounced by GIs as "Sin Loy," meaning 'too bad,' 'tough shit,' 'sorry bout that.' The literal translation is "excuse me."
    Vietnam
  789. XM-203
    fired the 40mm shells, fit on the M-16.
    Vietnam
  790. YARDS
    Montagnard soldiers. Pg. 523
    Vietnam
  791. ZIPPO BOATS
    LCMs with flame throwers.
    Vietnam
  792. ZIPPO MISSION
    search and destroy mission. Pg. 523
    Vietnam
  793. ZIPPO
    flamethrower. Pg. 523. Also refers to the popular cigarette lighter of that brandname.
    Vietnam
  794. ZONE AND SWEEP
    artillery tactic/fire pattern to cover a target with an "X" pattern of fire.
    Vietnam
  795. ZULU
    casualty report, also the phonetic pronunciation of the letter 'Z.'
    Vietnam
  796. Zero week
    an unassigned first week before the commencement of a school, frequently spent on details
    Special Forces
  797. `A
    (as in A-6 Intruder) A stands for attack
    United States Air Force

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