Glossary

From Bravo 3/44th

Following is an in-progress glossary of words relating to the Vietnam War and Tour of Duty. Our goal is to include everything from military terms and American slang, to Vietnamese expressions and pop culture references. Contributions are always welcome via forum, email, or direct changes to this page (login is required to edit these web pages. Click the "log in / create account" link in the upper right corner of this page. For basic formatting tips for typing in these pages, check out this guide). Hope you enjoy!

Contents:		0-9   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

0-9

1st Av - 1st Aviation Brigade

1st Cav - 1st Cavalry Division ("First Team"), a rapidly deployable heavy armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Fort Hood, Texas. During the Vietnam War, it became an air assault division as the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), commonly referred to as the 1st Air Cavalry Division, using helicopters as troop carriers. The division began deploying to Camp Radcliffe, An Khe, Vietnam in July 1965. Along with the 101st Airborne Division, the division perfected new tactics and doctrine for helicopter-borne assaults over the next five years in Vietnam. (from Ep. USO Down: CREW CHIEF: Let's go—we gotta get to An Khe before dark. You don't wanna keep those First Cav boys waitin'.)

4-F - U.S. draft classification given to those deemed unfit for military service

105 - Field Howitzer with a 105mm bore

155 - Field Howitzer with a 155mm bore

175 - Field Howitzer with a 175mm bore

1049 - Request for transfer form

201 File - Personnel File

409th NVA Battalion - NVA unit whose actions included an attack against a Marine fort at the village of Binh Nghia in September 1966, and a sapper attack on FB Mary Ann on March 28, 1971. (from Ep. Under Siege: ANDERSON: NVA, 409th regular infantry. HEATH: Charlie's starting to make his move. Last report on this unit, they were north of Hanoi.)

A

AAA - Antiaircraft artillery. Also triple A

AAR - After Action Report

AC - Aircraft commander

Acting Jack - A person of lower rank temporarily holding the position of sergeant or above and authorized on special orders to wear the rank insignia.

Actual - Unit Commander, Radio Call Sign (i.e., Bravo 2-6 would be the radio man assigned to the lieutenant and talking on his behalf, Bravo 2-6 Actual would be the lieutenant himself)

ADSID - Air-delivered Seismic Intruder-Detection Device; microphone and transmitter dropped into suspect areas

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

AF - Air Force

AFB - Air Force Base

African Queen, The - a 1951 film directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, in which a riverboat captain (Bogart) is persuaded by a missionary (Hepburn) to use his boat (African Queen) to attack an enemy warship. In one scene, during their journey down the river, the African Queen becomes mired in the mud amid dense reeds. They try to tow the boat through the muck, only to have Bogart's character come out of the water covered with leeches. (from Ep. War Lover: PERCELL: Agh! Leeches! I got leeches on me! Come and get it! RUIZ: Let me get it, let me get it! TAYLOR: Back off, Roo, you dipstick. This ain't The African Queen.)

A-gunner - Assistant gunner

After Action Report - Report made by Unit Commander after a mission

AFVN - American Forces Vietnam Network. Also, Armed Forces Vietnam Network

AGL - Above Ground Level

AHB - Assault Helicopter Battalion

AID - Agency for International Development

Air America - a pseudo-civilian airline covertly owned and operated by the CIA from 1950 to 1976. It supplied and supported covert operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

Airborne - Soldiers qualified as parachutists

Airburst - Explosion in the air

Air Cav - Air cavalry, helicopter-borne infantry

Airmobile - helicopter-borne infantry

AIT - Advanced Infantry Training. Also, Advanced Individual Training, as not everyone in the Army was infantry and their training was different (i.e., medics).

AK-47 - Automatic rifle used by VC/NVA

AK-50 - newer version of AK-47; some have a permanently mounted "illegal" triangular bayonet, which leaves a sucking wound that will not close.

Alpha - Code word for "A" in the phonetic alphabet

Alpha-Alpha - Automatic ambush; combination of claymore mines configured to detonate simultaneously when triggered by a trip-wire/battery mechanism

Ammo. Dump - 'Safe' location for storage of ammunition

An Khe - Town in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam and the location of Camp Radcliffe, division base camp of the First Cavalry Division from 1965 until 1968. (from Ep. USO Down: CREW CHIEF: Let's go—we gotta get to An Khe before dark. You don't wanna keep those First Cav boys waitin'.)

Angel Track - Armored personnel carrier used as an aid station

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

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

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

AO - Area of Operations

AOD - Administrative officer on duty

Ao Dai - traditional outfit of Vietnamese women, tunic and trousers

APC - Armored Personnel Carrier (aka Track), usually armed with 50 caliber machine gun

APH5 - Helmet worn by gunship pilots (such as McKay)

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

Aqua Velva - Cheap brand of aftershave (apparently could be used as an alcoholic beverage for anyone desperate enough!?)

ARA - Aerial Rocket Artillery; a Cobra AG-1H helicopter with four XM-159C 19-rocket (2.75 inch) pods.

Arc Light - Bombing runs by B-52 in S. Vietnam

Armory - Weapons and Ammo room

Article 15 - A section of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) allowing commanders to administratively discipline troops without judicial proceedings (i.e., without a court-martial). Punishments include loss of pay, confinement to barracks, extra duty, etc. Article 90 - A section of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) detailing the following offense: Assaulting or willfully disobeying superior commissioned officer. (from Ep. Sitting Ducks: GOLDMAN: Anyone that does not show will be in direct violation of Article 90. Conviction carries five years. Got it? Now you think about it.)

Arty - Artillery

ARVN - Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Soldier, aka Marvin Arvin)

AVLB - Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge; folding portable bridge, usually on a M60 chassis

AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave

Ash and Trash - Non-combat flights made in helicopters (i.e., ferrying a VIP from one base to the next, etc.)

A-Team - Basic ten man team of US Special Forces

At Ease - Rest position or "as you were"

Attention - Rigid ready posture

Attrition - Act of wearing down enemy force, in this war, by eliminating them (stated as the American policy during the Vietnam War)

Azimuth - Compass heading

B

B-40 Rocket - A shoulder-held rocket-propelled grenade launcher

B-52 - Heavy Strategic Bomber (a Stratofortress)

Bac Si - Doctor (Vietnamese)

Ba Muoi Ba - Only beer in Vietnam (Vietnamese for '33'). Was sometimes spiked with formaldehyde to give it flavor

Bach Long Vi - Vietnamese island in the Gulf of Tonkin, about halfway between Haiphong and the Chinese island of Hainan. Bach Long Vi was a target of massive, multi-carrier "Alpha Strikes" conducted by the U.S. Navy early in the war. (possibly referenced in Ep. Under Siege: DALBY: Your air cover has been preempted by an attack on Long Vi. It's a mess. We got action everywhere.)

Banana Clip - Crescent shaped magazine holding 30 rounds

Bandoliers - Belts of machine gun ammunition

Bao Chi - The press (Vietnamese)

BAR - Browning Automatic Rifle

Base Camp - Main base for resupply for field units (i.e., Tan Son Nhut)

Basic - Basic Training back in the world.

Battalion - Military unit composed of a headquarters unit and two or more companies, batteries, or similar units

Battery - Artillery unit

BCD - Bad Conduct Discharge

BDA - Bomb Damage Assessment

Beehive - An anti-personnel, direct-fire shell carrying several thousand small steel darts or 'fleshettes'.

BEQ - Bachelor Enlistedmen's Quarters

Berm - Shelf of dirt between rice paddies (to be avoided on patrol)

Bic - Understand (Vietnamese) (from Ep. Blood Brothers: GOLDMAN: You'd better start talking real fast, you bic?)

Big Red One - 1st Infantry Division (Engineers trained for tunnel warfare in Vietnam)

Bird - helicopters or aircrafts

Bird Dog - Forward Air Controller

Bivouac - out field operations

Black Panthers - Militant black power political group of the 60s

Bloods - Black soldiers

Blooper - M79 grenade launcher (aka Thumper because of the noise it made).

Blue Leg - Infantryman

Blue Line - A stream. On standard military maps streams were represented by a blue line.

Boat People - refugees fleeing from Vietnam

Body Bag - Plastic bag for transporting bodies from the field

Body Count - Tally of enemy dead (or suspected dead, depending on how the numbers were that month!)

Boo Coo - Many (from the French "beaucoup")

Boom Boom - Slang for sex

Boonie Hat - soft caps worn instead of helmets

Boonie Rat - Infantryman

BOQ - Bachelor Officer Quarters

Bought the Farm - Dead

Bouncing Betty - Spring-loaded mine designed to first bounce to waist level before exploding, sending out shrapnel (designed to maim rather than kill). Used by the North Vietnamese/VC forces

Bravo - Code word for "B" in the phonetic alphabet

Breaking Squelch - Depressing transmit bar on radio handset without talking (thus disrupting the flow of static)

Brigade - Tactical/Admin. Unit composed of a headquarters and one or more battalions of infantry or armor, with other supporting units.

Bronco - Twin-engine observation aircraft, equipped with rockets and miniguns

Bronze Star - Decoration awarded for heroism or meritorious service not involving aerial flights

Brown Bar - Second Lieutenant

Buffalo Bill - American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. One of the most colorful figures of the Old West, William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was mostly famous for the shows he organized with cowboy themes. He received the Medal of Honor in 1872. (from Ep. USO Down: ANDERSON: Great. Couple o' amateur Buffalo Bills gonna get their heads handed to them.)

Bug Juice - Insect repellent

Busting Caps - Firing Rounds

Butter Bar - Second Lieutenant (insult)

BX - Base Exchange (Navy and/or Air Force Store)

C

C-123 - Small Cargo Plane (Provider) by Fairchild

C-130 - Large Cargo Plane (a Hercules) by Lockheed

C-133 - Large Cargo Plane (a Protector(?) usually named Cargomaster) by Douglas

C-4 - Plastic explosive

C-7A - The Caribou. Built by De Havilland Aircraft of Canada as a STOL aircraft. It was originally designated AC-1 & the Army designated it CV-2. When the Army was forced to relinquish its fixed wing tactical transports to the AF, the AF designated it C-7A. (A "funny" aside to the AF taking over the C-7A is that the AF didn't fly it as a STOL aircraft)

C&C - Command and Control

C's - Tinned Combat Rations (aka C-Rations, aka C-Rats, aka Rats)

CA - Combat Assault

Cache - hidden supplies

Cam Ranh Air Base - airfield at Cam Ranh Bay built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers along with civilian contractors in 1965. On November 1, 1965, it was turned over to the United States Air Force, which operated it as Cam Ranh Air Base, a large cargo/airlift facility as well as a tactical fighter base. The U.S. Navy also operated a major port facility at Cam Ranh, and flew various aircraft from Cam Ranh, conducting aerial surveillance of South Vietnam's coastal waters. The U.S. Army had a major presence there as well. It was one of three aerial ports where U.S. military personnel entered or departed South Vietnam for their twelve-month tour of duty. (e.g., Ep. War Lover: ANDERSON: Michaels, you say one more word, I'm gonna kick your butt all the way from here to Cam Ranh Bay—!)

Cam Ong - Thank you (Vietnamese)

Can Cuoc - ID Card (Vietnamese)

CAP - Civil Action Program, units and soldiers helped to rebuild public facilities and infrastructure. Also: Combat Air Patrol

Capping - firing rounds

Carbine - Short-barreled lightweight automatic or semi-automatic rifle

CAS - Close Air Support

Cattle Trucks - Deuce and halves used to transport personnel. see also "Deuce and a half"

Cav - Cavalry

CBs - Construction Battalion, aka Sea Bees (carpentry). see also "Sea Bees," "Seal"

CC - Company Commander

Cedar Falls - Code name for search and destroy program inside the 'Iron Triangle' in 1966 (Iron Triangle - 8 miles of tunnels outside Saigon in the Cu Chi province, also known as Hobo Woods)

CG - Commanding General

CH-47 - Chinook - Twin prop helicopter, by Boeing

Chain of Command - the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a military unit and between different units. (e.g., Ep. Notes from the Underground: ANDERSON: Is your problem with me, or what? Because if it is, I wanna' know right now, 'cause otherwise we've got us a long war in front of us. GOLDMAN: All right, fine. Let's just say you've got a real lax attitude about the chain of command here.)

Chao - Like saying 'Hello,' a greeting (Vietnamese)

Charlie - 1. Code word for "C" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. Viet Cong, VC (Victor Charlie, Victor Charles, etc.)

Charlie Tango - Control Tower

Cherry - New guy

Chicken Plate - Chest protector (body armor) worn by helicopter gunners

Chicom - Chinese Communist

Chief - Slang generic term of address

Chieu Hoi - Open Arms (Vietnamese) Program promising clemency and financial aid to enemy soldiers who stopped fighting and returned to S. Vietnam government authority

Chinook - CH-47 twin prop chopper, by Boeing

Choi Oi - Vietnamese exclamation, meaning, "Oh, my God" (literally, "Oh, Sky"), usually to express disbelief or surprise, often said while shaking one's head and rolling one's eyes

Chop Chop - Slang for food

Chopper - Helicopter Chu Lai - Headquarters of the 23rd Infantry Division aka Americal Division from approximately 1967 until 1971. (e.g., Ep. Nowhere to Run: GOLDMAN: Nikki. What the hell are you doin' here? RAINES: Evac hospital, Chu Lai. I just transferred in.)

CIB - Combat Infantry Badge

CID - U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (in 1971, became Criminal Investigation Command), a federal law enforcement agency that investigates serious crimes and violations of civilian and military law within the United States Army. (e.g., Ep. Burn, Baby, Burn: GOLDMAN: I gotta tell ya, man, they're gonna do a full investigation at CID. That's it.)

CIDG - Civilian Irregular Defense Group; American financed, irregular military units led by members of Special Forces A-teams. Members of these units were Vietnamese nationals of ethnic minorities in the country.

CINCPAC - Commander in Chief of all American Forces in the Pacific Region

Clacker - Firing device ("exploder") for triggering claymore mines and other electrically initiated demolitions

Class As - Dress uniform

Claymore - Crescent-shaped anti-personnel mine filled with steel ball bearings and C-4 plastic explosives used by American soldiers

Clutch Belt - Cartridge belt worn by Marines

CMB - Combat Medic Badge

CMH - Congressional Medal of Honor

CMOH - Congressional Medal of Honor

CO - Commanding Officer

Cobra - AH-1G combat helicopter by Bell

Code of Conduct - Also: Code of the U.S. Fighting Force; it represents an "ethical guide" and a United States Department of Defense directive consisting of six articles to members of the U.S. armed forces addressing how U.S. personnel in combat should act when they must "evade capture, resist while a prisoner or escape from the enemy."

Comics - Topographic maps, see also "funny papers"

Commo - Communications

Company - Unit usually consisting of a headquarters and two or more platoons

Compound - Fortified military installation

Concertina Wire - Coiled barbed wire usually surrounding firebase/base camp, etc.

Conex - Big 2-door corrugated metal container. Used for shipping or storage and was sometimes sandbagged at fire bases to act as a bunker.

CONUS - Continental United States

CORDS - Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support

COSVN - Central Office of South Vietnam; Communist headquarters for military and political action in South Vietnam

CP - Command Post

CP pills - anti-malaria pills

CQ - Company Quartermaster (Supplies - Laundry). CQ actually meant Charge of Quarters.

C-rats (or rations) - out field food

Cronkite, Walter - American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for The CBS Evening News for 19 years (1962 - 81). Cronkite’s influence is perhaps best illustrated through his commentary on the Vietnam War, which he delivered in 1968 upon returning from Vietnam, where he had reported on the aftermath of the Tet Offensive. Cronkite declared that the war could end only in a protracted stalemate, and it was held by some that U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s decision not to run for reelection that year was a direct result of Cronkite’s reporting. Johnson is reported to have said, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America." (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: GOLDMAN: I don't think Walter Cronkite's going to want this footage.)

CS - Riot Control Gas (Tear Gas)

D

Dai Wi - Captain (Vietnamese)

Daisy Cutter - Shell or bomb fitted with a fuze extension to provide detonation 1-6 feet above ground, minimizing the cratering effect and maximizing the blast effect. Often used to create an instant clearing in dense jungle for an LZ.

Da Nang Air Base - a Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) facility (1958-1975). The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War (1959-1975), stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there. (from Ep. Under Siege: HEATH: Charlie's intent—and intelligence reports confirm this—is to use this valley for a surprise attack on Da Nang and Chu Lai.)

Dapsone - Small pill taken periodically by U.S. troops, ostensibly to prevent malaria but actually meant to prevent leprosy

Darron - Barbiturate easily obtained by medics

Dau - Pain (Vietnamese)

Dayroom - Company Lounge-TV-Game Room

DD214 - Final Discharge Form

Dear John Letter - a letter to a serviceman from his wife or girlfriend, ending a personal relationship. (e.g., Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: ANDERSON: Now, I'm not sayin' it was right, but you gotta understand this Captain Wallace here, he was under a lot of pressure. I mean—I mean Brass was pushin' him too hard. And he was carryin' around a Dear John letter from his wife.)

Delta - Code word for "D" in the phonetic alphabet

DEROS - Date of Estimated Return from Overseas

Desk Jockey - A somewhat derisive term for non-combat personnel, clerks, headquarters personnel (both Commission and Non Commissioned)

Det Cord - Detonation cord

Deuce and a Half - 2 1/2 ton truck, troop transport. see also "Cattle Truck"

DH5 - Viet Cong claymore mine

DH10 - Viet Cong claymore mine

Diddy Bopping - Walking through the jungle as if it's a walk down main street, without care

Didi - Go, go away (Vietnamese)

Didi Mau - Go away quickly (Vietnamese) translated to 'Get the hell out of here/there' when used by soldiers

Dien Bien Phu, Battle of - the climactic battle of the First Indochina War between French forces and Vietnamese Viet Minh communist forces, occurring between March and May 1954, and culminating in a massive French defeat that effectively ended the war. The French had undertaken to create an air-supplied base at Dien Bien Phu, deep in the hills of Vietnam. Its purpose was to cut off Viet Minh supply lines, at the same time drawing the Viet Minh into a battle that would cripple them. Instead, the Viet Minh surrounded and besieged the French, who were unaware of the Viet Minh's possession of heavy artillery (including anti-aircraft guns) and their ability to move such weapons to the mountain crests overlooking the French encampment. (from Ep. Under Siege: ANDERSON: We still need tanglefoot and about ten or twelve rolls of chicken wire out there. HEATH: We're not building a farm here, Sergeant. ANDERSON: Yes, sir, I'm aware of that. I'm also aware of what happened to the French at Dien Bien Phu.) Dig - slang expression meaning "to appreciate, to enjoy, to love." Also, "to understand." (orig. US Black) (from Ep. War Lover: TAYLOR: Dig it, Marvin and Tammi. Also, RUIZ: We're talking about zigging when you should have zagged. Dig?) Ding Dongs - An American junk food icon, brought to you by Hostess. (from Ep. Battling Baker Brothers: BAKER: This guy eats Twinkies and Ding Dongs.) see also "Twinkies" Dink - Vietnamese person (insult)

Dinky Dao - Crazy, mad (Vietnamese)

DMZ - Demilitarized Zone

Dog Tags - GI ID Tags

Doubtfuls - Vietnamese individuals who could not be categorized as either Vietcong or civil offenders; suspect personnel spotted from ground or aircraft

Doughnut Dollies - Young American women who volunteered to spend a year in Vietnam as part of Red Cross or USO staff

DP - Displaced Person (usually someone who's home/village has gone)

DRO - Dining room orderly

DSC - Distinguished Service Cross; Second highest military decoration of the US Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force

DTs - Defensive targets

Dung Lai - Stop (Vietnamese)

Dust Cap - Camouflage canvas cover for Steel Pot (helmet)

Dustoff - Medical evacuation by helicopter (also usually their call sign)

DX - Direct exchange, also: to discard or dispose of, or to kill someone

E

E-1 - Rank of Private

E-2 - Rank of Private 2nd Class

E-3 - Rank of Private 1st Class (PFC)

E-4 - Rank of Corporal (and sometimes Specialist 4th Class)

E-5 - Rank of Sergeant (aka Buck Sergeant) and Spec. 5

E-6 - Rank of Staff Sergeant (as per Anderson)

E-7 - Rank of Sergeant First Class (see Gunnery Sergeant)

E-8 - Rank of Master or First Sergeant (depended upon duties. First Sergeant had diamond between chevrons & rockers, Master Sergeant nothing in that area)

E-9 - Rank of Sergeant Major (originally, only 1 type of Sergeant Major, then Command Sergeant Major was added. Different markings between chevrons & rockers)

E&E - Escape and evasion

Eagle Flights - large air assault by helicopters

Eagle Scout - A Boy Scout with the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). (from Ep. USO Down: GOLDMAN: You can read this map? LONG JOHN: Like I said... Eagle Scout.)

EAOS - Date of departure for overseas duty station; the Army term was ETS (estimated time of separation from military service) while the US Navy used EAOS (end of active obligated service).

Early Out - 1. Usually means early out of the service. 2. Unscheduled end of tour.

Echo - 1. Code word for "E" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. Code word for "East."

Elephant Grass - Tall, razor-edged tropical planet indigenous to certain parts of Vietnam, growing to 10 - 15 feet tall

EM - Enlisted Man

EM Club - a bar for enlisted men

EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal; bomb disposal

E-Tool - Entrenching Tool, folding shovel

Evac - Evacuation (usually by chopper)

Evac Hospital - Medical unit that casualties are taken to straight from the field. (e.g., Ep. Nowhere to Run: GOLDMAN: Nikki. What the hell are you doin' here? RAINES: Evac hospital, Chu Lai. I just transferred in.)

F

F-4 - Phantom Jet Bomber by McDonnell Douglas

FAC - Forward Air Controller

Fast Movers - also: fixed wing, Air Force, Marine and Navy jet fighters or fighter/bombers

Fatigues - standard combat uniform

FDC - Fire Direction Control Center

Fillmore, The - aka The Fillmore Auditorium. Historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by rock promoter Bill Graham. In the mid-1960s, it was the focal point for psychedelic music and counterculture in general, with acts such as The Grateful Dead, The Who, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Big Brother and the Holding Company performing at the venue. Besides rock, Graham also featured non-rock acts such as Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding as well as poetry readings. The venue had a legendary atmosphere, and performances were often accompanied with swirling light-show projections, strobe lights, and uninhibited dancing. (from Ep. USO Down: ANDERSON: What are you doin'? You think you're at The Fillmore or some damn thing?)

Finger Charge - Booby trap explosive the size of a man's finger. VC weapon

Fini - Stop or end (Vietnamese from the French)

Fire Base - Forward Base, remote artillery base

Fire Cracker - artillery round incorporating many small bomblets which are ejected over a target area and explode in "bouncing-betty" fashion — almost simultaneously; name comes from the fast popping sound

Fire Fight - Exchange of fire with the enemy

Fire Guard - military smoke detector

Five - Radio call sign for executive officer of a unit

Five O'clock Follies - Slang for the daily press briefings sponsored by the Joint United States Public Affairs Office in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Military officials, usually a Major or a Captain, provided news releases and verbal accounts of battlefield and air activity. According to American journalist David Halberstam, these briefings were so dubbed because of the generally low value of the information. Nonetheless they were the foundation of reporting in Vietnam, as reporters and news organizations could compare the on-the-record, official version of events with information from field reporters and other sources. (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: ANDERSON: What's the matter? Those, uh, public information types in Saigon didn't give you enough news about the war? VICKIE: At the press briefings? The five o'clock follies?) Flamethrower - a weapon that sprays out burning fuel

Flechettes - Mines filled with small, spear-shaped pieces of sharpnel. VC weapon

FNG - F@#$ing New Guy (a new arrival in country)

FO - Forward Observer

Fort Bragg - major United States Army installation, in North Carolina, U.S., near Fayetteville. In 1961, the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) & The 29th Artillery was activated at Fort Bragg, with the mission of training counter-insurgency forces in Southeast Asia. (from Ep. War Lover: ANDERSON: Look, Michaels, maybe it's time you go on back to Fort Bragg, teach what you know to somebody else.)

Foxtrot - Code word for "F" in the phonetic alphabet

Frag- 1. Fragmentation grenade. 2. Assassination of one's own men (usually 'incompetent' officers)

Fragging - Act of the above

Freedom Bird - Aircraft taking the troops home at the end of their tour

Free Fire Zone - Area around DMZ where anyone was regarded as a legitimate target

Friendly Fire - Weapons fired on own forces.

FSB - Fire Support Base

Funny Papers - Topographic maps, see also "comics"

FWMAF - Free World Military Assistance Forces; The Allies.

G

G3 - Division level tactical advisor

Garand - The M-1 rifle

Get Some - To kill the enemy (Get some action)

GI - Government Issue (this is the official translation!)

Golf - Code word for "G" in the phonetic alphabet

Gook - Vietnamese person (insult) Go South - to deteriorate, fail, or otherwise go wrong. (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: GOLDMAN: What are you sayin', Percell's goin' south on us? Also from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: ANDERSON: Look, lady, come on. You get a hold of yourself, now. I can't afford to have you goin' south on me now.)

Green - Combat uniform

Green Berets - Special Forces

Greenline - also: perimeter; outer limits of a military position

Green Stamps - S&H Green Stamps (also called Green Shield Stamps) were a form of trading stamps popular in the United States between the 1930s and early 1980s. They were a rewards program operated by the Sperry and Hutchinson company (S&H), founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry and Shelly Hutchinson. During the 1960s, the rewards catalog printed by the company was the largest publication in the United States and the company issued three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service. Customers would receive stamps at the checkout counter of supermarkets, department stores, and gas stations among other retailers, which could be redeemed for products in the catalog. (from Ep. Roadrunner: RADIO: Batwing Three, this is Mother Hubbard. Have your green stamps ready at objective Delta Zulu. Report your status, over. Batwing Three, you copy? GOLDMAN: Mother Hubbard, this is Batwing Three. The store will be open. Over.)

Grids - map broken into numbered thousand-meter squares

GR Point - Graves registration point; place on a military base where the identification, embalming and processing of dead soldiers takes place as part of the operations of the quartermaster.

Grunt - Infantryman

GSW - Gunshot wound

Gung Ho - enthusiastic (about military matters, the war, killing etc.)

Gunny - Gunnery Sergeant (Marine rank (E-7) only).

Gunship - Armed helicopter

GVN - Government of South Vietnam

H

H & I - Harressment and Interdiction (random night artillery fire)

Haight-Ashbury - district of San Francisco, California named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets. The district is famous for its role as a center of the 1960s hippie movement, a post-runner and closely associated offshoot of the Beat generation or beat movement, members of which swarmed San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood two to eight years before the "Summer of Love" in 1967. (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: TAYLOR: Maybe I ought to stop by off at this Haight-Ashbury on the way home. Introduce these hippie hammers to some real love.) Hair of the Dog - An expression referring to the ingestion of alcohol as a treatment for a hangover. (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: ANDERSON: So, how you feelin' this morning, pit bull? PERCELL: Like I... Sarge, like I'd like to be flat out, put out of my misery. ANDERSON: Why don't we tie on the hair of the dog tonight, then?)

HALO - High-altitude, low-opening jumping for insertion of troops behind enemy lines

Hamlet - Small rural village

Hanoi - capital of North Vietnam. During the war, Hanoi's transportation facilities were disrupted by the bombing of bridges and railways, which were, however, promptly repaired. Following the end of the war, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976. (from Ep. Under Siege: HEATH: We have a chance to end this war. Hanoi needs a victory.)

Hanoi Hilton - Slang term for North Vietnam's Hoa Loa Prison; place where American POWs were brought for interrogation and torture

Hanoi Taxi - a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter (SN 66-0177) which brought back the first returned prisoners of war in Operation Homecoming in 1973

Hastings, Operation - The goal was to hinder the NVA's effort to take control of Quang Tri province; the mission lasted from July 15 until August 3, 1966

HE - High Explosive. Heat Tab - Flammable tablet used to heat C-rations; often in short supply. (e.g., Ep. Sitting Ducks: SOLDIER: Hey, where'd you get them heat tabs, man?)

Hell Rag - Towel/cloth worn about neck to absorb sweat

Hippie - an advocate of the subculture that began as a youth movement in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world. The word hippie derives from hipster, and initially described beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district. Hippies inherited the countercultural values of the Beat Generation, created their own communities, listened to psychedelic rock, embraced the sexual revolution, and used drugs such as cannabis and LSD to explore alternative states of consciousness. (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: TAYLOR: Maybe I ought to stop by off at this Haight-Ashbury on the way home. Introduce these hippie hammers to some real love.) Ho Chi Minh - Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman, who was prime minister (1946–1955) and president (1946–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), and who led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-governed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. He led the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War until his death. (e.g., Ep. Roadrunner: ANDERSON: Shut up! What are you doing out here? What are ya doing? Why don't you just invite Ho Chi Minh to dinner?) Ho Chi Minh Trail - Group of trails and foot paths leading from North to South Vietnam, some via Laos and Cambodia. (from Ep. War Lover: TAYLOR: Ho Chi Minh Trail, baby. Gimme a button to squeeze and I'll be blowin' that sucker clean off the face of the planet. ANDERSON: The trouble is, Taylor, it's not one trail, it's thousands of trails.)

Hooch - see "Hootch"

Hook - A radio; a radio handset

Hootch - Hut of simple dwelling (military or Vietnamese), sometimes spelled "hooch"

Horn - Radio microphone. (e.g., Ep. Under Siege: HEATH: Just got off the horn with Brigade.)

Hotel - Code word for "H" in the phonetic alphabet

Hotel Three - Helicopter landing area at Tan Son Nhut Airbase

Hot LZ - Landing zone under enemy fire. (e.g., Ep. Pilot: ANDERSON: We're goin' in hot!)

Howitzer - Light artillery "canon"

HQ - headquarters

Huey - UH-1 helicopter (McKay's)

Hump - Trek through the jungle (as in, "Hump the boonies.")

I

I-Corps, II-Corps, III-Corps, IV-Corps - Four military regions into which S. Vietnam was sectioned, starting from the top of the country next to the DMZ. (see also individual entries below)

I Corps - the northernmost military region in South Vietnam

II Corps - the Central Highlands military region in South Vietnam

III Corps - the densely populated, fertile military region between Saigon and the Highlands

IV Corps - the marshy Mekong Delta southernmost military region

IG - Inspector General

Illum - An illumination flare, usually fired by a mortar or artillery weapon.

Immersion Foot - Condition resulting from feet being submerged in water for a prolonged period of time, causing cracking and bleeding. (see also "jungle rot")

Incoming - receiving enemy artillery, rocket or mortar fire

In Country - Stationed in Vietnam, located in Vietnam. (e.g., Ep. USO Down: COLBY: How long have you been in country?)

India - Code word for "I" in the phonetic alphabet

Insert - To deploy to another location by helicopter

Iron Triangle - Communist stronghold region northwest of Saigon (in Binh Duong province), the large tunnel systems were located here as well (especially around Cu Chi)

J

Jack - Slang generic term of address to a man or boy. [20C usage is US Black] (e.g., Ep. Sitting Ducks: TAYLOR: I ain't climbin' up there, Jack. I bet you that.)

JAG - Judge Advocate General

Jesus Nut - Bolt that holds rotor blades to chopper

Jodie or Jody - slang for a civilian who remains at home instead of joining the military service or who gets involved with a soldier's significant other while the soldier is away from home. In basic training, "Jody" was referred to constantly by the DI's. It was used to taunt the recruits and urge them into action. The '...piss 'em off and you will get more out of them' theory. (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: PERCELL: Yeah, my girl, or... used to be. Ah, it ain't no big deal. HAZZARD: No? Your rodeo queen? Yeah, I'll bet some Jody's circling that right now. Guaranteed. Also from Ep. The Hill: CAPTAIN 173rd: She runs off with Jody while I’m fighting a war and she can’t take it any more.)

Jolly Green Jungle - Euphemism for Vietnam

JP4 - Jet fuel

Juliet - Code word for "J" in the phonetic alphabet

Jungle Rot - Fungal disease of feet, see "immersion foot"

K

Kabar - Combat knife (aka K-Bar)

KBA - Killed by Artillery

Kemo Sabe - A reference to radio and television show The Lone Ranger. Both the Lone Ranger and Tonto called each other "Kemo Sabe," meaning "faithful friend" or something like that. Kemo Sabe was not really a term or words of any Native American tribes, but was made up by the actor that played Tonto and it stuck. It was foremost a term of respect and to a certain degree a term of endearment. (from Ep. War Lover: JOHNSON: Need you to help me out with some cover. RUIZ: No strain, Kemo Sabe.)

Khong Biet - I don't know (Vietnamese)

KIA - Killed In Action

Kilo - Code word for "K" in the phonetic alphabet

Kit Carson Scout - Enemy soldier now working as an adviser for the US military

Klick - Kilometer

Kool-Aid - Powdered, fruit flavored drink (just add water!)

KP - Mess Hall Duty (or any other dirty job that needs doing!)

L

L - type of ambush set-up shaped like the letter L

Lai Dai - Come here (Vietnamese)

LAW - Light Anti-tank Weapon (as per Johnson in credits)

Lay Chilly - Career Soldier

LBJ - Long Binh Jail, a military stockade on Long Binh post. (also, Lyndon B. Johnson) LBJ - Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson. (from Ep. Under Siege: NVA [on loud-speaker]: Put down your arms, GI. Why do you fight LBJ's unjust and immoral war?) (also, Long Binh Jail)

LCM - a medium-sized landing boat

Lifer - Career military man (often with a derogatory meaning)

Light Up - to fire on the enemy

Lima - Code word for "L" in the phonetic alphabet

Lima Zulu - Landing Zone. see also "LZ"

Litters - Stretchers to carry wounded

LLDB - Luc Luong Dac Biet (South Vietnamese Special Forces) (aka "Look Long Duck Back")

Loach - Small spotter/scout chopper. OH-6 Cayuse

Log Bird - Logistical (resupply) helicopter

Long Vi - see Bach Long Vi

LP - Listening Post

LRRP - Long Range Recon Patrol (aka "Lurps")

LRRP Rations - A successor to C rations & precursor of MREs. Came in a pouch; meal was dehydrated (you added water & heated or ate dry).

LSA - Small arms lubricant

LT - Lieutenant (aka "El-tee")

Lurp - see "LRRP"

LZ - Landing Zone. see also "Lima Zulu"

M

M-14 - Semi-Automatic Rifle (had several versions). Replaced the M-1, was predecessor of M-16

M-16 - Automatic Rifle. Standard US Infantry Weapon (plastic butt)

M-26 - Type of grenade

M-60 - Machine Gun (as per Ruiz) (aka Pig)

M79 - Short-barreled weapon (like mutant shotgun) that fires a 40mm grenade (aka Blooper)

MA - Mechanical ambush; euphemism for an American set booby trap

MAAG - Military Advisory and Assistance Group; an organization established in Saigon by the U.S. Army in August 1950 to oversee the distribution of American military aid to France and South Vietnam. In 1961 replaced by MACV.

MACV - Military Assistance Command - Vietnam

Marker Round - First round fired by mortars/artillery, usually smoke

MARS - Military Affiliate Radio Station; Used by soldiers to call home

MASH - Mobile Army Surgical Hospital

Masher, Operation - Renamed to Operation White Wing; started on January 28 and ended on March 6, 1966. Search and Destroy mission.

MAT - Mobile Advisory Team; five-man teams of American advisors who were assigned to live and work in the Vietnamese villages

Mechanized Platoon - Platoon operating with tanks/APCs

Med. Cap or MEDCAP - Medical Civil Action Program (or Medical Civic Action Program), in which US medical personnel would go into villages to minister aid to the locals. (e.g., Ep. Nowhere to Run: NIKKI: I wish I could be out in the field more, but that MEDCAP may be the last if those rumors of increased NVA activities are true.)

Medevac - Medical evacuation by helicopter (Dustoff was their usual call sign)

Mess or Mess Hall - Cafeteria

MG - Machine gun

MI - Military Intelligence

MIA - Missing In Action

MiG - short for Mikoyan & Gurevich; Soviet fighter planes

Mighty Mite - Commercial air-blower used for injecting gas into tunnels

Mike - Code word for "M" in the phonetic alphabet

Mike Mike - Millimeters

Mikes - Minutes/Meters. (from Ep. Battling Baker Brothers: RADIO: This is Bravo six. Air strike is confirmed. The birds are inbound, napalm in twenty mikes. Over.)

Million Dollar Wound - A non-crippling wound that is serious enough for a return to the US

Mo-gas - Motor Gasoline (petrol)

Monday Pills - Anti-malaria pills taken once a week. Usually gave you the shits. There was a smaller, everyday pill that was supposed to prevent the shits. In the Highlands, we had to take both.

Montagnard - Hill tribe of Central Highlands

Mop Pusher - slang for MP (Military Police).

Mortar - Portable muzzled loading cannon which "throws" projectiles (mortar shells) at high angles and fair distances

MOS - Military Occupational Specialty; Job Title (Army Personnel). (e.g., Ep. Pilot: ANDERSON: What is your MOS, soldier?)

MP - 1. Military Police. see also "Mop Pusher" 2. Motor Pool (Garage)

MPC - Military Payment Certificates (GI money used instead of dollars) (aka scrip)

MR - Marker Round and Mortar Round

Murphy, Audie - American soldier in World War II, who later became an actor and a country music composer. In 27 months of combat action in World War II, Murphy became the most decorated United States combat soldier in United States military history, receiving the Medal of Honor—the U.S. military's highest award for valor—along with 32 additional U.S. medals, as well as five from France, and one from Belgium. (from Ep. War Lover: ANDERSON: Listen, buddy. I ain't got time for your Audie Murphy fantasies.)

N

Napalm - Petroleum jelly-based incendiary device that ignites when exposed to the air. It burns.

Narc or Nark - 1. an informer. 2.a federal agent or police officer who enforces the laws regarding illicit sale or use of drugs and narcotics. (As in, Ruiz in Ep. Cloud Nine: "Do we look like narcs to you?")

NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer

NDP - Night Defensive Position

Next - a Short Timer, due to leave for the states at the end of his tour. As in "I'm Next."

NFL Draft - annual sports draft in which National Football League teams select newly-eligible players for their rosters, to determine which players will play for which NFL teams. In contrast, the military assigns duty posts, and no one has a choice. In other words, you can't pick your assignment, and you cannot be picked for an assignment. (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: GOLDMAN: Yeah, well, this ain't the NFL draft; we take what we can get.)

NLF - National Liberation Front; a coalition of different political groups who opposed the Saigon government. It was formed in South Vietnam in 1960 with direction from North Vietnam. The NLF conducted a guerilla war against the Saigon government and the American presence in South Vietnam. South Vietnamese President Diem labeled the NLF’s members “Viet Cong,” meaning Vietnamese Communist, even though most of its members were not communists.

No Fire Zone - An area so designated could not be fired into, even if you take fire from it

Nouc Mam - Fermented fish sauce (Vietnamese), a Vietnamese delicacy

November - 1. Code word for "N" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. North

NPD - Night Perimeter Defense

Number 1 - The best

Number 10 - The worst

Number 10,000 - Even worse than the worst!

NVA - North Vietnamese Army (regular army)

O

OCS - Officer Candidate School (as per Goldman).

OD - 1. Olive Drab. 2. Officer of the Day

OJT - On the Job Training (i.e., learn it as you go along)

Old Man, The - company commander, usually a captain. (e.g., Ep. Burn, Baby, Burn: GOLDMAN: I'd love to scrap this whole mission, but the old man told me Battalion said no way.)

OP - Out Post. Also Observation post

OPCON - Operational Control

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

OR - Operating room

Orderly Room - Company offices

Oscar - Code word for "O" in the phonetic alphabet

OSS - Office of Strategic Services

Over the Fence - Crossing the boarder to Laos or Cambodia

P

P-38 - Military style can opener (the Army has code numbers for everything)

Papa - Code word for "P" in the phonetic alphabet

Papa Sierra - Slang for Platoon Sergeant

Parker, Charlie - American jazz saxophonist and composer, widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians, along with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. (from Ep. USO Down: GOLDMAN: First of all, I don't know who Charlie Parker is...)

PAVN - People’s Army of Viet-Nam; it was the army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), referred to by American and Saigon government forces as NVA (North Vietnamese Army).

Perimeter - Outer limits of military position

Peta Prime - black, tar-like substance

PF - Popular Forces (North Vietnamese name for the VC)

PFC - Private First Class

Phoenix - Intelligence-based campaign to eliminate the Viet Cong infrastructure

Piaster (Piastre) - Vietnamese money (aka 'P')

Pig - M-60 machine gun (as per Ruiz)

PIO - Public Information Office(r)

PLAF - People’s Liberation Armed Forces; PLAF was the guerilla army of the National Liberation Front in South Vietnam, referred to by American and Saigon government forces as Viet Cong.

Platoon - Subdivision of a company-sized unit, normally consisting of two or more squads or sections.

Pogue - Soldier assigned to rear duties

Point - Position ahead of main body of patrol

Point Man - first man in leading position of patrol

Pop Smoke - To ignite a smoke grenade to mark position to aircraft

Pos - Position

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - The development of characteristic symptoms after the experience of a psychologically traumatic event or events outside the range of human experience usually considered to be normal. The characteristic symptoms involve re-experiencing the traumatic event, numbing of responsiveness to, or involvement with, the external world, exaggerated startled response, difficulty in concentrating, memory impairment, guilt feelings, and sleep difficulties (aka PTSD).

POW - Prisoner of War

PRC-25 - Portable Radio, standard Infantry radio in Vietnam (aka Prick 25)

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

PRD - The US Navy term meaning "projected rotation date"; the Army used DEROS

PRG - Provisional Revolutionary Government; it was the government formed in South Vietnam by the Hanoi government as a formal alternative to the American-backed Saigon regime. During the peace talks and in the last days of the war, the PRG represented the interests of the NLF.

Profile - Medical exemption

PRU - Province Reconnaissance Unit; irregular unit organized within each province for the official purpose of detecting guerrilla sanctuaries and collecting intelligence on guerrilla activities. These units were operated under the auspices of the CIA and were also the operating arm of the Phoenix program.

Puff the Magic Dragon - AC-47 & AC-130 gunships used for suppressing enemy attacks

Punji Stake or Punji Stick - Sharpened bamboo sticks hidden in pits

Purple Heart - medal awarded for wounds received in combat

PX - Post Exchange (subsidized military store)

PZ - Pick-up Zone

Q

QC - Vietnamese MP (aka White Mice)

QUAD-50s - A four-barrelled assembly of .50 caliber machine guns

Quebec - Code word for "Q" in the phonetic alphabet

R

R & R - Rest and Relaxation

Rack - Bed or cot

Rallier - Defector from the Viet Cong

Ranger - Soldier trained for recon and combat missions (usually S. Vietnamese)

RBF - Reconnaissance by fire

Rear Echelon - The section of an army concerned with administrative and supply duties. (e.g., Ep. Pilot: DUNN: I felt bad about bein' rear echelon. I used to envy guys like you. Frontline guys.)

Recon - Reconnaissance

Red Legs - Slang for soldiers in the Artillery

Red Line - A road. Roads on standard military maps were represented by a red line.

Regiment - Military unit usually consisting of a number of battalions

REMF - Derogatory expression for someone in combat service support; that is, a rear echelon M. .F__er.

Remington Raiders - Also known as "clerks & jerks." Usually provided the perimeter defense at division base camps

Rolling Thunder, Operation - Operation of air raids and carpet bombing against North Vietnam which started on March 2, 1965 and continued until November 1, 1968

Romeo - 1. Code word for "R" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. Radio call sign/nickname for reconnaissance platoon

RON - Remain-overnight operation

ROTC - Reserve Officers Training Corp. Program offered in many high schools and colleges, geared to prepare students to become military officers. (from Ep. Pilot: PERCELL: Well, I had ROTC in high school.)

Round-Eye- Usually referred to American/European women

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

RPG - Rocket Propelled Grenade (AKA B40 - NVA/VC weapon, like a long tube)

RTO - Radio Telephone Operator

Ruff Puffs - South Vietnamese Popular Forces (nickname)

Rules of Engagement - Specific regulations for the conduct of air and surface battles by US and Allied Forces during the Vietnam War

RVN - Republic of Viet-Nam; it was the official name given to South Vietnam, as proclaimed by its first president Ngo Dinh Diem, following the temporary partition of Vietnam in 1954.

S

S1 - Personnel Department

S2 - Intelligence Department

S3 - Operations Department

S4 - Supply Department

S5 - Civil Affairs Department

S&D - Search and Destroy

S&S - Supply & Service; designation of a support unit

SAC - Strategic Air Command

Saddle Up - Get your gear on and get ready to move out

SAF - Small Arms Fire

SAM - Surface to Air Missile

Sampan - Vietnamese peasant's boat

Sapper - Enemy soldier (usually VC) carrying satchel charges onto bases or camps/compounds to destroy personnel or property

SAR - Search and Rescue

Satchel Charge - Pack containing explosives that is dropped or thrown (more powerful than a grenade), looks like a satchel

Sea Bees - Navy construction engineers. see also "CBs," "Seal"

Seal - Experts in demolition. see also "CBs," "Sea Bees"

Shit Patrol - slang for (SP) Navy Shore Patrol

Shrapnel - Pieces of metal sent flying by an explosion

Short - Nearing the end of active duty in country

Short Sheet - a prank in which a bed is made by doubling back a single sheet so that the bed looks properly made, but will not allow a person to lie at full length in it; they will not be able to get their legs to the bottom of the bed because the folded part of the sheet is in the way. (from Ep. Saigon Part Two: MCKAY: Hey, he’s probably back at base by now, short-sheeting my rack.)

Short Timer - A person nearing the end of active duty in country

Short Timer's Calendar - A calendar used to mark off your time left in country. Generally used by short-timers, although some people started one as soon as they got in country

Short Timer's Stick - Bamboo stick usually notched with the number of days left in country, a piece is cut off at each notch every day until no notches are left

Sick Bay - Medical Clinic (usually the hospital)

Sierra - 1. Code word for "S" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. Code word for "South"

Sierra Sierra - Starlight Scope (like Infra-Red)

Silver Star - US military decoration for gallantry in action

Sit Rep - Situation Report

Six - Unit Commander (i.e., Captain Wallace)

Skate - Easy task, no problem assignment, easy duty. (As in, "I'm skating.")

Skippy - a brand of peanut butter. C-rationed peanut butter was hard to get out to the units in the boonies, but it was much coveted by these American boys. In many cases by the time it got to the guys, in that climate, it was bad and was used for a lot of things. It was so rancid it was inedible, and soldiers burned it as fuel rather than eat it. (from Ep. Angel of Mercy: TROWBRIDGE: It must have ricocheted off... C-rat jelly saved your life. GOLDMAN: Hope it didn’t get my Skippy.)

Sky Crane - Huge double-engine helicopter used for lifting and transporting heavy equipment

Slack Man - Second person in line during patrol, first man behind point man

Slant Eyes - Vietnamese person (insult)

Slick - Unarmed helicopter

Slope - Vietnamese person (insult)

Smoke - 1. Signal grenade. 2. Doped cigarette

SOG - Studies and Observations Group

SOI - Signal Operating Instructions; small book listing all call signals and radio frequencies of the units in Vietnam.

SOP - Standard Operating Procedure

Sopwith Camels - Slang term for a light, fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft

SP - Navy Shore Patrol. see also "Shit Patrol"

SP-4 - Specialist Fourth Class (Spec 4) US army non-com. rank

SP-5 - Specialist Fifth Class (Spec 5) as above

Spiderhole - Tunnel entrance or short bunker big enough for one man

Spooky - C-47 cargo plane mounted with gatling gun on either side, capable of firing hundreds of rounds per second

SP Pack - Cellophane packet containing toiletries and cigarettes, sometimes given along with C-rations to soldiers in the field

Squad - Small military unit consisting of less than 10 men

SSI - Standing signal instructions

Staff Sgt. - Second lowest non-commissioned officer rank

Stand Down - Period of rest for a military unit when all ops., other than security, are curtailed

Starlite, Operation - First offensive military action fought by US forces only, started on August 17, 1965 and was aimed at a Viet Cong base near Van Tuong

Stars and Stripes - newspaper published for the United States Armed Forces overseas. (from Ep. War Lover: ANDERSON: I'm writin' an article for Stars and Stripes. Keep up your subscription.)

Steel Pot - GI combat helmet

STOL - Short Take Off & Land aircraft (C-7A Caribou)

STRAC - An acronym for: Skilled Tough Ready (Around the) Clock. Army slang term for "a well organized, well turned-out soldier (e.g., pressed uniform, polished brass and shined boots)." A proud, competent trooper who can be depended on for good performance in any circumstance. (from Ep. Battling Baker Brothers: BAKER: I want you guys looking STRAC, too, okay? Also from Ep. Roadrunner: TAYLOR: You're a real lucky man, Caldwell, you know that? You bought a free trip to the mysterious Orient, got assigned to a STRAC outfit like this.)

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

Superdude - a nickname for Superman. Superdude was another term in those days and it was more from the hippies than anything. Hippies introduced a lot of slang to the country during this time. Up till then, "dude" was an outsider. A bunch of cowboys would call a city slicker a "dude." (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: PERCELL: You have to have x-ray vision to see anything out here tonight. RUIZ: Like Superdude. ERCOLANI: Ought to ring him up, tell him to grab his cape, and join the party.)

Syrettes - Hypodermic needle connected to a collapsible tube, containing morphine in most cases. After inserting the needle in the body one would squeeze the morphine tube like tooth paste.

T

TA-50 - Individual soldier's standard issue of combat clothing and equipment

TAC - tactical air strikes; fighter bombers. (e.g., Ep. Pilot: WALLACE: I already called for TAC air, we got zips on the wire now!)

T&T - Through and through wound; bullet or fragment has entered and exited the body

Tail-end Charlie - Last unit in a long column on the move

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

Tango - Code word for "T" in the phonetic alphabet

TDY - Temporary Duty Assignment

Tet - Lunar New Year, major holiday in Vietnam. A ceasefire was called during Tet.

Tet Offensive - Offensive launched by N. Vietnam (mostly using VC) during Tet 1968

Three - Radio call sign for the operations officer

Titi - Very little (Vietnamese)

TO&E - Table of Organization and Equipment

TOC - Tactical Operations Center

Tom Mix - American film actor and the star of early Western movies. Tom Mix was also an excellent horseman. (from Ep. Nowhere to Run: PERCELL: After Korea my old man did some championship rodeoing. He cut a path I'd have to be Tom Mix to match.)

TOT - Time On Target

Tracer - Ammo round chemically treated to glow in the dark so its path can be followed

Tracks - Any vehicle that moves on tracks rather than wheels (i.e., tanks, APCs, etc.)

Trestles - a collection of surf spots at San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County, California. (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: BAKER: Yeah, I'd like to see her on an eight-foot wave at the Trestles.)

Trip Flare - flare set off by someone tripping a ground wire

Tropical Lightning - 25th Infantry Div. (engineers specializing in tunnel warfare)

Tunnel Rat - Military unit specializing in tunnel warfare (The Big Red One and Tropical Lightning)

Twinkies - An American junk food icon, brought to you by Hostess. (from Ep. Battling Baker Brothers: BAKER: This guy eats Twinkies and Ding Dongs.) see also "Ding Dongs"

Two - Radio call sign for the intelligence officer

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

U

UCMJ - Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ, 64 Stat. 109, 10 U.S.C. ch.47), the foundation of military law in the United States.

UH-1 - Huey single rotor helicopter (as per McKay), manufactured by Bell, official name Iroquois (for UH-1A to UH-1H)

Unass - Leave the area/seat quickly

Uniform - Code word for "U" in the phonetic alphabet

USO - United Service Organizations. A private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support U.S. troops by providing morale, welfare, and recreation-type services. Founded in 1941 in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, its intent is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. (from Ep. USO Down: HORN: How did you guys end up playing rock 'n' roll for the USO?)

V

V - Type of ambush set-up, shaped like the letter V

VA - Veterans Administration. Now called "Veterans Affairs," the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides patient care and veterans' benefits. Through its National Cemetery Administration, the VA also maintains 125 national cemeteries as well as 33 soldier's lots and monument sites. (e.g., Ep. Nowhere to Run: NIKKI: When I was doing basic at Sam Houston, all I could think about was just getting to 'Nam and doing my duty, and going back to something that had a little more sanity to it. Pediatrics. But now I'm thinking about the VA after I'm out. Also, Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: ANDERSON: I'm gonna make it home, and I know I'm gonna drive by a VA cemetery some day, and I'm gonna look out there and I'm gonna get to think about what I did over here...)

VC - VietCong (Victor Charlie, Victor Charles, Charlie, etc.)

Victor - Code word for "V" in the phonetic alphabet

Viet Cong - Vietnamese Communist, guerilla fighters

Viet Minh - Communist political group, 1947-54, in the war against the French occupying force (forerunner to VC)

Vietnamization - Policy introduced by Nixon's government to try to turn over fighting to S. Vietnamese troops when US troops were pulled out of Vietnam

Villes - Villages

Vung Tau - city in southern Vietnam that was home to the Australian Army and American support units, and a popular spot for in country R & R for U.S. combat troops. (from Ep. Under Siege: HEATH: From now on, every month, the squad with the most kills get a week in R & R at Vung Tau, premier beach in Vietnam.)

VVA - Vietnam Veterans of America; the first congressionally chartered Vietnam veterans organization, it was founded in the late 1970s by Bobby Muller, Jim Pechin, and other former VVAW activists, initially to focus on concerns of Vietnam Veterans beyond that of the antiwar movement, such as Agent Orange, PTSD, and POW/MIA accounting. The Vietnam Veterans of America has grown to become the nation's largest organization of Vietnam Veterans, whose efforts have expanded to include educational outreach and other civic contributions.

VVAW - Vietnam Veterans Against the War; an anti-war organization formed in the mid-1960s.

W

Wake-Up, A - Last day of a soldier's tour. (e.g., Ep. War Lover: JAMES: Man, I got 18 days and a wake-up. Shouldn't be puttin' out here, puttin' up with this trash.)

Walking Barrage - Firing of artillery between friendlies and the enemy to provide protection while moving the impact point toward the enemy in order to drive him back.

Wasted - Killed

Wayne, John - actor who starred in several patriotic war films, and outspoken supporter of right-wing political causes and the Vietnam War, though he did not serve in the military. In Vietnam, "John Wayne" usually defined show-offs, those who were doing things for attention. "John Wayne-ing it" was to put yourself and others around you in danger, probably by doing something like running down a trail shooting an M-60 from the hip (the kind of thing John Wayne used to do in his movies). (e.g., Ep. War Lover: GOLDMAN: Who the hell is that? ANDERSON: John Wayne.)

Web Gear - Canvas belt and shoulder straps for packing equipment and ammunition on infantry operations

Whiskey - Code word for "W" in the phonetic alphabet

White Mice - Vietnamese MPs (QCs)

WIA - Wounded In Action

Willie Pete - White Phosphorous. see also "WP"

Wing Wiper - Rear echelon. Having served in country, but not on the front lines. (from Ep. Under Siege: SOLDIER: Hold your fire, there's a chopper coming in! ANDERSON: Get that wing wiper outta here!)

WO - Warrant Officer (Some helicopter jocks in 'Nam)

Woodline - Row of trees at the edge of a field or rice paddy

World, The - The US, the States, America... anywhere but Vietnam. (e.g., Ep. Nowhere to Run: ANDERSON: All right, Percell, I will be your best man. And I promise ya, honest to God, as soon as we get back to The World, I'll take you to Missoula myself, an' I'm gonna look up that little rodeo queen of yours. I'm gonna tell her what a good soldier you are.)

WP - White Phosphorus. see also "Willie Pete"

X

Xin Loi - Sorry about that (Vietnamese)

XO - Executive Officer

X-ray - Code word for "X" in the phonetic alphabet

Y

Yankee - Code word for "Y" in the phonetic alphabet

Yard Apes - Pesky street children (especially Saigon)

Yardbird - A new military recruit, esp. one assigned to menial tasks. (from Ep. Pushin' Too Hard: WALLACE: Told you that yardbird was full of it. Nothing out there but some sandal prints and an old campfire that hasn't been used in a few days.) You Bet Your Bippy - a catchphrase from the American sketch comedy television program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, which ran from January 22, 1968 to May 14, 1973. It is not exactly clear what "bippy" means, but here's one guess. (from Ep. Battling Baker Brothers: GOLDMAN: Oh my God. I don't believe this. Have a look, tell me if you see what I see. ANDERSON: Oh yeah, you bet your bippy I do.)

Z

Zippo - Lighter (brand name)

Zippo Raid - Burning down Vietnamese villages suspected of being VC strongholds

Zip - derogatory term for Vietnamese people Zipperhead - derogatory term for Vietnamese people. (from Ep. War Lover: RUIZ: What are you saying, Sarge? That those zipperheads are better than us? ANDERSON: Ain't nobody better than us. I'm just sayin' we got us an enemy we gotta learn to respect.) Zoomies - Army slang for graduates and cadets of the United States Air Force Academy. (from Ep. Roadrunner: GOLDMAN: Zoomies are raising all kinds of hell up there.)

Zulu - 1. Code word for "Z" in the phonetic alphabet. 2. Casualty report

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Other Resources

• Glossary of Military Terms and Slang from the Vietnam War at The Sixties Project

Compiled and edited with help from Jensen, Anna Kasienka, Erika, Ernie, Lorna, Mel, Rocketman, and Sheila. This is a work in progress. Please feel free to make corrections or add Vietnam War- or Tour of Duty-related terms and definitions directly to this page, by creating and using an account (see link at upper right corner of this page), then clicking the green "edit" links for the appropriate section. Questions, comments, additions, and corrections are also welcome through the Glossary Project thread in the Forum (forum-registration required) or by emailing me. Cheers, Erika