Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link.
AAA: antiaircraft artillery.
ACAV: armoured cavalry assault vehicle.
ACV: Air Cushioned Vehicle.
AHC: assault helicopter company. (Hueys and gunships)
AIRBORNE: (Abn) paratrooper or parachutist-qualified.
AIRMOBILE: people or material delivered by helicopter.
AIR CAV: air cavalry, referring to helicopter-borne infantry.
AK-47: (also AK or Kalishnikov) rifle.
AMMO: ammunition
AO DAI: traditional slit skirt and trousers worn by Vietnamese women.
APC: an armoured personnel carrier.
ARCOMS: Army Commendation Medals
ARTY: artillery.
ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Army of South Vietnam).
ASAP: (A-sap) as soon as possible - a request for extreme urgency in a military assignment.
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.
ASHC: assault support helicopter company.
AWOL: absent without official leave. Far more serious and harder to prove, than "UA": unauthorised absence.
BANANA CLIP: banana shaped magazine, standard on the AK-47 assault rifle.
BASE CAMP: a semi-permanent field headquarters and centre for a given unit usually within that unit's tactical area of 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
BATTALION: (Bn) a battalion is an organisational 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
BINGO: Air Force term for the point in a flight in which there's only enough fuel remaining to return to base.
BIPOD: two-legged, supportive stand on the front of many weapons.
BIRD: any aircraft, usually helicopter.
BLUELEG: infantryman, aka "grunt".
BLUE LINE: a river on a map.
BOAT PEOPLE: refugees fleeing Vietnam by boat after 1975.
BODY BAGS: plastic bags used for retrieval of bodies on the battlefield.
BOHICA: short for "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again." Usually describing another undesirable assignment.
BOOBY TRAP: an explosive charge hidden in a harmless object, which explodes on contact.
BOOM BOOM: "short time" with a prostitute, typically cost $3-$5.
BOUNCING BETTY: explosive that propels upward about four feet into the air and then detonates.
BRIGADE: the term "brigade" is a basic military organisational institution.
During the Vietnam War, a division was organised into three brigades, with each brigade commanded by a colonel. A division consists of approximately 20,000 people.
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
BRING SMOKE: to direct intense artillery fire or air force ordnance on an enemy position.
BUSHMASTERS: any elite unit skilled in jungle operation.
CAL: calibre
CAMMIES: camouflage uniforms. Some Coastguardsmen wore any of the various types and styles used in Vietnam.
CAS: Close Air Support, missions flown in support of infantry forces in contact with NVA or VC hostiles.
CAV: nickname for air cavalry also referred to armoured cavalry using M113 APCs, and other light armoured vehicles.
CHARGE: an amount of explosive, powder, etc required to perform a task.
CHARLIE, CHARLES, CHUCK: Vietcong, short for the phonetic representation Victor Charlie.
CHICKEN PLATE: chest protector (body armour) worn by helicopter gunners.
CHINOOK: the CH-47 cargo helicopter; also called "Shithook" or "Hook."
CHOPPER: helicopter.
CIA: Central Intelligence Agency or simply "The Agency" or "The Company."
CIB: Combat Infantry Badge for actual time in combat.
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).
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.
CLUSTER BOMBS: a generic term for a number of different CBUs:
CO: commanding officer.
COBRA: the AH-1G "attack helicopter." Nicknamed by some the "Shark" or "Snake."
COMPANY: a company is an organisational 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.
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.
CREW CHIEF: Huey crew-member who maintains the aircraft.
C's: C-rations, C-rats, Charlie rats, or combat rations--canned meals used in military operations. The term "Charlie" was both the phonetic alphabetisation of the "C" in C-rations and signified the enemy or enemy activity.
CYCLO: a three-wheel passenger vehicle powered by a human on a bicycle.
DIME NICKEL: a 105mm howitzer.
DIRTY THIRTY: pilots who C47 out of Tan Son Knut as co-pilots to Viet Pilots.
DIV: division.
A division is a nearly universal military organisation 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:
DMZ: demilitarised zone.
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.
DRUM: holds ammunition until ready to mount on the weapon and "feed" the ammo.
DUFFLEBAG: the oblong, unwieldy bag in which troops stored all their gear. Also, 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.
DUSTOFF: a nickname for a medical evacuation helicopter or mission. 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 manoeuvrability 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.
ECM: electronic countermeasures, such as jamming, deception, and detection.
EGG BEATER: affectionate name for Huey or any helicopter.
ELEPHANT GRASS: tall, sharp-edged grass found in the highlands of Vietnam.
ENSIGN: entry level officer rank in the Navy and Coast Guard.
EVAC: see "Medevac."
EXTRACTION: voluntary or involuntary withdrawal by air of troops from any operational area via helicopter.
FAC: (Fack) Forward air controller.
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.
FAG: field artillery guy.
FANTAIL: the stern or aft open area of a ship, also called the afterdeck.
FATIGUES: standard combat uniform, green in colour.
FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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').
FEET WET: expression used by pilots to indicate they were over water (South China Sea or Gulf of Thailand).
FIELD OF FIRE: area that a weapon or group of weapons can cover effectively with fire from a given position.
FIGHTING HOLE: a foxhole with sandbag protection and sometimes an elevated roof of sheet metal, 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.
FIGMO: state of blissful abandon, achieved after receiving orders out of Vietnam. Literally "Fuck it, I Got My Orders."
FINI FLIGHT: an Air Force pilot's last mission in Vietnam.
FIRE BASE or FB: (sometimes called a fire support base) temporary artillery firing position often secured by infantry. These bases dotted VN and usually were comprised of four howitzers with crews and a company of Infantry.
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).
FIREFIGHT: exchange of small arms fire between opposing unit.
FIRE FOR EFFECT: when all ordnance was aimed at the enemy in continual firing.
FIRE MISSION: an artillery mission.
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 armoured 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.
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.
FIRST SHIRT: 1st Sgt.
FLACK JACKET: heavy fibreglass-filled vest worn for protection from shrapnel.
Later, 1969-70, incorporated pyroceramic plates to protect back and chest from rifle-fire.
FLARE: illumination projectile.
FNG: most common name for newly arrived person in Vietnam. It was literally translated as a "Fuckin' new guy."
FO: forward observer; calls fire missions to artillery and sometimes Air and Naval gunfire.
FRAG: the common term for any grenade.
FREE FIRE ZONE: any area in which permission was not required prior to firing on targets.
FREEDOM BIRD: any aircraft that took you back to the "world" (USA). The aircraft on which you left Vietnam.
FREQ: radio frequency.
FRIENDLIES: U.S. troops, allies, or anyone not on the other side.
FRIENDLY AIR ASSETS: U.S. air support.
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.
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!"
FUSE: cord filled with pyrotechnic composition, burned at a precise rate after ignition.
FUZE: triggering mechanism attached to the nose of an artillery shell or bomb.
G.I.: Government Issue.
GOOKS: Slang expression brought to Vietnam by Korean War Veterans. The term refers to anyone of Asian origin.
GP: general purpose, as in general purpose tent: large rectangular tent sleeping 10 to 12 men with an aisle down the middle.
GREEN BERETS: members of the Special Forces of the U.S. Army. They were awarded the Green Beret headgear as a mark of distinction. Also referred to as Green Beanies.
GREEN TRACERS: colour left by the ammunition fired from enemy AAA or AK-47s whereby you could track/trace its path.
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.
GUERRILLA: soldiers of a resistance movement who are organised on a military or paramilitary basis.
GUERRILLA WARFARE: military operations conducted in enemy-held or hostile territory by irregular, predominantly indigenous forces.
GUNG HO: very enthusiastic and committed. Chinese term for "All together."
GUNSHIP: an armed helicopter or adapted fixed-wing aircraft.
HANOI HILTON: nickname American prisoners of war used to describe the Hoa Loa Prison in Hanoi.
HE: high explosive.
HEAT: High Explosive, Anti Tank.
HOT: dangerous, such as Hot LZ (where aircraft are receiving enemy fire) Pg. 512. Also see Red.
HOT HOIST: extraction of a soldier by helicopter, using its hoist due to the triple canopy, while under fire.
HQ: headquarters.
HUEY: nickname for the UH-series helicopters: "utility helicopter."
HUMP: to slog around on foot.
I&I: intoxication and intercourse. This term was used in lieu of R&R.
ILLUM: illumination. Flares dropped by aircraft and fired from the ground by hand, artillery or mortars.
INCOMING: receiving enemy mortar or rocket fire.
INSERTION/INSERTED: secret helicopter placement of combat troops in an operational area. Pg. 512
INTEL: intelligence.
IN THE FIELD: any forward combat area or any area outside of a town or base camp.
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.
JINK: Air Force term for turning hard to avoid enemy fire or detection.
JOLLY GREEN GIANT: heavily armed air force C-47 aircraft supporting troops or an air force HH-53 heavy rescue helicopter.
K-BAR: combat knife with a six-inch blade and hard leather handle, used mostly by the Marine Corps.
KHMER ROUGE: "Red Khmers." The forces of the Cambodian Communist Party.
KIA: Killed In Action.
KLICK, K: short for kilometre (.62 miles).
LAW: (Law) M72 Light Antitank Weapon. A shoulder-fired 66mm rocket, with a one-time disposable, fibreglass launcher.
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.
LEATHERNECK: term for MARINE..(Marines wore a Leather neckband 1798-1880 for protection of the neck during sword combat.)
LIFER: career soldier.
LIGHT UP: to fire on the enemy.
LIMA-LIMA: low level, as in aircraft altitude GCI - Ground-Controlled Intercept.
LOACH OR LOH: light observation helicopter, notably the OH-6A.
LONG GREEN LINE: column of infantry advancing through jungle terrain.
LONG KNIFE: call sign of the Army Air Cav Hueys - also "Long Knives" as a generic term for the Air Cav.
LZ: landing zone.
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.
M-16: nicknamed the widow-maker, the standard American rifle used in Vietnam after 1966.
M-60: American-made 7.62mm (.308 cal) machine gun.
M-79: single-barreled, break-action grenade launcher, which fired 40mm projectiles, nicknamed the "Blooper." aka "Thumper" or "Thumpgun"
MAD MINUTE: concentrated fire of all weapons for a brief period of time at maximum rate; also called "Mike-mike."
MAMA-SAN: mature Vietnamese woman.
MASH: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
MECH: mechanised infantry.
MEDEVAC: medical evacuation by helicopter; also called an "evac" or "Dustoff."
"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.
MIA: Missing In Action.
MIKE: minute. Such as, "Move out in two-zero Mikes..." (20 minutes).
MIKE-MIKE: millimetres, as in "..a 60 Mike Mike" (60mm mortar).
MIKE FORCE, MSF: Special Forces Mobile Strike Force; composed of indigenous personnel and used as a reaction or reinforcing unit. Pg. 515
MRF - the Mobile Riverine Force, 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division and River Assault Flotilla 1.
NAPALM/NAPE: An incendiary used in Vietnam by French and Americans both as defoliant and antipersonnel weapon.
NEWBIE: any person with less time in Vietnam than the speaker.
NGFS: Naval GunFire Support (with 5" to 16" shells).
NUMBER ONE: good.
NUMBER TEN: bad.
NUMBER TEN-THOUSAND: VERY bad.
NVA: North Vietnamese Army, or referring to a soldier in it.
OD: olive drab colour, standard "Army Green" colour. Also, Officer of the Day.
PAPA-SAN: an elderly Vietnamese man.
PAVN: (Pavin) People's Army of Vietnam; also known as the NVA.
PETER PILOT: co-pilot, the less-experienced pilot in a Huey.
PH: Purple Heart
PLATOON: approximately 45 men belonging to a company.
Commanded by a lieutenant, a platoon is an organisational unit composed of two or more squads. A sergeant is usually second in command.
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.
POP: generically, to 'trigger' or 'initiate', as in "...pop a flare."
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 colour 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.
POW: Prisoner of War.
PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder.
RECON: reconnaissance.
RED LZ: landing zone under hostile fire. Also see Hot.
ROCK, THE: Guam.
ROCK 'N' ROLL: to put a M16A1 rifle on full automatic fire.
ROKs: Republic of Korea ground troops.
ROUND EYE: slang term used by American soldiers to describe another American or an individual of European descent.
RPD: enemy weapon; light machine gun.
RPG: Russian-manufactured antitank grenade launcher; also, rocket-propelled grenade.
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.
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.
RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).
SAPPERS: North Vietnamese Army or Vietcong demolition commandos. Pg. 520
SAR: search and rescue.
SEAL: Navy special-warfare force members.
SEARCH AND CLEAR: offensive military operations to sweep through areas to locate and attack the enemy.
SEARCH AND DESTROY: offensive operations designed to find and destroy enemy forces rather than establish permanent government control; also, called "Zippo missions."
SHAKE'n BAKE: an officer straight out of OCS (Officer Candidate School) without any combat experience.
SHELL: artillery projectile.
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.
SHOTGUN/SHOTGUNNER: armed guard on or in a vehicle who watches for enemy activity and returns fire if attacked. Also, a doorgunner on a helicopter.
SIT-REP: situation report.
SIX: from aviation jargon: "my 6 o'clock"--directly behind me; hence, my back--cover my back or rear of operation.
SKY PILOT: another name for the Chaplain.
SKYRAIDER: Douglas A1-H aircraft, single propeller aircraft used for Close Air Support (CAS)
SLACK MAN: second man in a patrol, behind the POINTMAN.
SLICK: helicopter used to lift troops or cargo with only protective armaments systems.
SLOPE: a derogatory term used to refer to any Asian.
SNAKE: in reference to the AH-1G Cobra.
SORTIE: one aircraft making one takeoff and landing to conduct the mission for which it was scheduled.
SPECIAL FORCES OR SF: U.S. Army soldiers; also called "Green Berets," trained in techniques of guerrilla warfare. Pg. 520
SQUAD: a squad is a basic organisational 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 are considered the squad for an armoured unit, as is the howitzer or gun and its crew in an artillery unit.
STERILIZED: restore a site to its original condition before moving out of it, particularly if there was a more than remote possibility 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.
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.
TAILBOOM: the back 1/3 of a Huey.
TET: Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday period. Also refers to the nation-wide NVA-VC offensive that began during Tet, 1968.
THUNDER ROAD: Highway 13, from Saigon to Loc Ninh, known for many mines, ambushes, etc.
THUMPER (THUMPGUN): M-79 grenade launcher.
TONKIN: northern section of Vietnam.
TOT: 'Time On Target,' multi-battery artillery tactic to provide massive destruction instantaneously.
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.
TRIPLE CANOPY: thick jungle, plants growing at 3 levels - ground level, intermediate, and high levels.
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 Squadron would say it every time someone asked "How's it going."
UA: unauthorised absence. (See "AWOL")
USAF: United States Air Force.
USMC: United States Marine Corps.
USN: United States Navy.
VC, CONG: Vietcong.
VHPA: Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.
VIETCONG: Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese government.
VIETNAM WAR MEMORIAL: after watching the film "The Deer Hunter" in 1979, Vietnam Veteran Jan C. Scruggs first conceived of the idea for a Vietnam Veteran's Memorial.
VILLE (VILLE): ostensibly "village" but used to refer to any group of hooches.
VN: Vietnam.
VT: Variable Time artillery fuse, incorporated a small radar transceiver, used to obtain a reliable 20 meter airburst.
VVA: Vietnam Veterans of America.
WAKEY: the last day in country before going home.
WATCHER: enemy.
WIA: Wounded In Action.
WORLD, THE: the United States or any place outside of Vietnam.
XM-203: fired the 40mm shells, fit on the M-16.
ZIPPO: flame-thrower. Also refers to the popular cigarette lighter of that brandname.
ZIPPO MISSION: search and destroy mission.
2.75: diameter of the side (pod) mounted rockets carried on all older "D" model Huey gunships and the newer Cobras.
7.62 MINIS: the AK-47; refers to the calibre bullet the AK used.