Glossary Of Vietnam Terminology

[MORTARDUDE]

Glossary Of Vietnam Terminology

A
Agent Orange - Defoliant/herbicide containing 2,4,T Dioxin

AK47 - Soviet/Chicom 7.62mm assualt rifle

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

AO - Area of Operations, your "neighborhood". Ours were Cochise-Green & Walker

APC - Armored Personnel Carrier, usually an M-113

APDS - Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot -The baddest antitank round on earth

ARA - Aerial Rocket Artillery - gunships

Arclight - Radio code for a 3 ship Cell B-52 Strike

ARVN - collection of non-hostile South Vietnamese with weapons

Ash and Trash - Administrative functions of HHC

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

AW - Automatic Weapons

B
B40 - armor defeating shaped charge projectile fired by RPG2 and RPG7

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

Bandaid - Radio code for the medic

Baseball Grenade - Defensive Fragmentation hand grenade: explodes on impact

Base Camp Commando - See REMF

BDA - Bomb Damage Assessment - we counted the craters

Beaucoup - Many

Beehive Round - 90mm cannon round containing 8,500 darts or "flechettes" called "Green Can"

Bic - Vietnamese for "understand" "No bic" means "I don't understand"

Big Boy - Radio code for a tank

Black Can - 90mm Canister round containing 1,000 1/2x5/16 inch pellets

Blivet - huge rubber tire like container for water or diesel fuel: towed or airlifted

Blue Legs - Infantrymen

Blue Line - Radio code for a stream or river

BMFIC - Big Mother F_____ In Charge (Usually the Division Commander or ADC maneuver)

Boom Boom - sex with a prostitute

Boom Boom Girl - A prostitute

Box - Radio code for an M-113 APC

Broken Arrow - Radio code for a unit about to be overrun--diverts all Tactical air to support that unit

Bug Juice - Insect Repellent

C
C4 - Plastic Explosive in Claymores we used for heating coffee

C and C - Command and Control Ship, usually a Huey, sometimes a Loach

CAR-15 - Carbine version of M-16 with collapsable stock - Officers only

C Rations - Dog food left over from WWII and canned for GIs in Nam

Charlie - Viet Cong, from phonetic alphabet for VC, Victor Charlie

Charles - Formal reference to Charlie

Charm School - Initial training and orientation upon arrival in-country

Cherry Juice - Hydraulic fluid in tank turret traversing system

Cherry School - Initial training and orientation upon arrival in-country

Chieu Hoi - Literally "Open Arms" - RVN Amnesty program for NVA/VC

Chinook - a CH-47 cargo helicopter

CIB - Combat Infantryman Badge (a mark of honor among grunts, justifiably so)

CIDG - Civilian Irregular Defense Group. See ARVN, see also RF/PF

Claymore - antipersonnel mine (from Gaelic "claidheamh mor" pronounced like "Claymore" meaning Broad Sword)

Class Five - Ammo

Class One - Rations, usually hot

Class Six - Booze

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

Cockadau - derivative of Vietnamese slang, meaning "to kill"

Coke Girl - a Vietnamese woman who sold everything except boom boom to GIs

Concussion Bomb - A bomb containing kerosene that was devastating

Conex - Container, Explosive: used for housing in RVN

D
Daisy Cutter - a 15,000 pound BLU-82 bomb dropped by C130 to clear an LZ

Danger Close - an air strike or artillery mission within 100 meters of your location

Dee-Dee - To leave

Delta Tango - Designated Targets - Preselected artillery targets located in daylight for use at night

Detcord - Explosive that looks like rope- used to daisy-chain claymores

Dinky-dao - (pronounced "dinky dow") Crazy, Americanized Vietnamese

Donut Dolly - Women from the American Red Cross

Dragon Wagon - a tank transporter, also called Low Boy

Dumbo - A C-123 Provider of the USAF

Duster - an M42, an old M24 tank chassis with two 40mm AA guns in an open turret

Dustoff - Medical evacuation helicopter, usually a Huey

E
E&E - Escape and Evade

Elephant - Radio code for an M48-A3. Also the real thing: 'Nam was crawling with them

Elephant Grass - tall, sharp-edged grass found in the highlands of Vietnam

ELINT - Poor intelligence gathered electronically at great expense

EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal

ETS - Estimated Termination of Service - the day you got out of the Army

F
FAC - Forward Air Controller, usually flying around in an O-1 Birddog

Fast Mover - FAC radio code for an F100, F105, or F4C aircraft

Fifty - the .50 caliber M2HB machine gun

FNG - F______ New Guy, the term applied to everyone whose name you couldn't remember

FO - Forward Observer, an artilleryman, usually an officer

Frag - Offensive Fragmentation hand grenade: five second fuze

Friendlies - Other US or allied troops on the battlefield

Friendly Fire - Officially called "Misadventure" by the DOD. See Short Round

Fire Mission - radio request to the artillery to drop some HE on the bad guys

FSB - Fire Support Base: usually a battery (3 105mm howizters) of guns with a perimeter

FTA - Fun, Travel, Adventure, from Army recruiting ad

FTA - F___ The Army, the more common meaning

Funny Money - Military Payment Certificates, scrip issued in lieu of dollars

Funny Paper - Radio code for a topo map

G
Goofy Grape - Radio code for purple smoke

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

Green Can - 90mm cannon round containing 8,500 darts or "flechettes"

Grunts - Infantrymen

Guns - short for gunships

Gunship - Usually a UH1B Huey, later a UH1G Hueycobra

Gun Target Line - You don't want to be on it. See Short Round

Gun Truck - Cargo truck with added armor and machineguns for convoy escort

H
Hawk - Radio code for ambush team

Hawkeye - Use varied 1) a US sniper or 2) an O-1 aircraft with a starlight scope

HE - High Explosive

HEAT - High Explosive Anti-Tank - fin-stabilized armor defeating projectile

HEP - High Explosive Plastic (Composition B)

HHC - Headquarters and Headquarters Company

H & I - Harrassing and Interdicting artillery fire

Hoi Chanh - an enemy soldier who took advantage of the Chieu Hoi program

Hook - short for a CH-47 Chinook

Horn - the radio

Huey - A UH1D Helicopter, probably the image of Vietnam

I
IFFV - 1st Field Force Vietnam

II Corp - The AO for the 1/69 Armor, included Binh Dinh, Kontum, Pleiku provinces

Illum - Illumination rounds fired by artillery, M79, or dropped by aircraft

In-Country - on the ground in South Vietnam

Indian Country - Area controlled by Charles

IP - Initial Point - A reference point in the attack

J
Jody - "...Jody was there when you left, you're right"

JP-4 - Fuel for Hueys and fast movers

Jungle Boot - Special boots with stainless steel shank and holes to drain water out

Jungle Fatigues - tropical weight jacket and pants

Jungle Penetrator - bullet shaped device for extracting wounded in triple-canopy rain-forest

Jungle Rot - Any of a number of fungal infections caused by moisture in Vietnam

K
KHA - Killed Hostile Action

KIA - Killed In Action

Kit Carson Scout - North Vietnamese Regulars who defected and acted as scouts for US troops

Klick - a kilometer, 1,000 meters

L
La Dai - Come here!

Lager - Tanks or APCs circled in a defensive position, usually at night

LAW - Light Antitank Weapon - M-72 - Fired 66mm round from disposable launcher

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

LBJ - Long Binh Jail, the Army Stockade in Long Binh

Leaf Killers - nickname for Dumbo pilots spraying Agent Orange defoliant

Lefty Lemon - Radio Code for Yellow Smoke

Legs - non-airborne infantrymen (see also straight legs)

Lima Delta - Line of Departure: point of no return in an attack

Lima Lima - LL - Land Line: a field phone

Lima Pappa - LP - Listening Post

Little People - radio code for ARVNs

Loach - Light Observation Helicopter, usually an OH-6 (Hughes 500C) but also OH-58 (Bell Jetranger)

Log - Logistics

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

LOH - Light Observation Helicopter, usually a Hughes 500C but also Bell Jetranger

Louie Lime - Radio Code for Green Smoke

Low Boy - a tank transporter, also called Dragon Wagon

LRRP - Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol - 5 man team dropped into indian country

LRRP Rations - freeze dried food developed for LRRPs tasted better than "C" Rations

LZ - Landing Zone (note that some were Fire Support Bases and had names)

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

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

M-17 - Protective mask worn by non-vehicle crewmen

M-26A1 - Fragmentation hand grenade (offensive)

M-16A1 - Later, better model of the famous automatic rifle

M-16E1 - Early model M-16 which jammed frequently

M-18A1 - Claymore antipersonnel weapon

M-33 - Fragmentation hand grenade (defensive) aka "baseball grenade"

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

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

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

M-49 - Trip flare

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

M-60 - in Vietnam, the 7.62mm squad machine gun of the infantry

M-72 - LAW (Light Antitank Weapon) 66mm rocket in disposable launcher

M-79 - 40mm grenade launcher, aka "Thumper"

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

M-101 - Split trail 105mm Howitzer (traditional Artillery units)

M-102 - Closed trail 105mm Howitzer (Airborne and Air Cav units)

M-106 - Selp-propelled 4.2 inch mortor track (modified M-113)

M-107 - Self-propelled 175mm gun

M-109 - Self-propelled 155mm howizter

M-110 - Self-propelled 8" howizter

M-113 - Armored Pesonnel Carrier fitted with Chrysler 209HP gasoline engine
M-113A1 - M-113 fitted with General Motors 215HP Diesel engine
M-114 - Tracked, armored, scout vehicle fitted with Chrysler gasoline engine
M-114A1 - M-114 fitted with General Motors Diesel engine
M-132 - "Zippo" track mechanized flamethrower (based on M-113A1 chassis)

M-151 - Jeep (truck, cargo, 4x4)

M-548 - Tracked cargo vehicle

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

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

M-728 - Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) M-60 Chassis w/ 165mm demolition gun

Mac the FAC - The Forward Air Controller, usually flying around in an O-1 Birddog

MACV - Military Assistance Command Vietnam

Mad Minute - Random firing of all perimeter defensive weapons to discourage infiltration

MEDCAP - Medical Civil Action Program - Our Medics treated Vietnamese villagers

MFIC - Mother F_____ In Charge

Mighty Mite - Small portable blower used for filling tunnels with CS (tear agent) powder

Mike Mike - Millimeter

Mil - unit of circular and vertical/horizontal measurement in tank gunnery. 6,400 in a circle

MOGAS - Short for MOtor vehicle GASoline - military grade gasoline

Montegnard Bar - A Hersey Tropical Bar

MPC - Military Payment Certificates, scrip issued in lieu of dollars

MRRF - Mobile Road Reaction Force

N
Napalm - Thickened gasoline. Resembles Jell-O in bombs, maple syrup in a Zippo-track

NCOIC - Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge

NDP - Night Defensive Position

Nickel - radio code for a junior NCO

No Bic - I don't understand

Number One - The Best

Number 10 - The worst

O
OIC - Officer In Charge

One Four - The platoon Sergeant

One Six - The platoon leader

One Six Alpha - The platoon leader's gunner, the Assistant tank commander

Oscar Pappa - Observation Post

Oscar Track - Call sign for Company HQs or Bn S-3

P
P-38 - Can opener that came with C-Rations

Penny - Radio code for an enlisted man

PFT - Portable Flame Thrower

Piaster - Vietnamese Money (in fall 1968 100 piasters was 1 US Dollar)

POL - Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants

Poncho Liner - lightweight, camouflage blanket for use at night in Central Highlands. Very useful

Pop Smoke - to ignite a smoke grenade for identification and wind direction for Hueys

PRC-25 - AN/PRC-25 man portable FM radio set

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

Prick 25 - Slang for the AN/PRC-25 man portable FM radio set

Punji Stake - sharpened bamboo stick booby trap smeared with excrement to cause infection

Push - radio frequency (because you PUSHed a button to select one)

Q
Quad-50 - Four Caliber 50 machine guns (M2HB) mounted on a gun truck for convoy defense

Quick Reaction Force - Helicopter-borne infantry with gunships able to react to enemy attacks

Q-Service - Quarterly service of vehicles

R
Range Card - We never used them, but said we did

Red Ball - Radio code for a hard surface road

Red Haze - Radio code for ammonia sensing people-sniffer in aircraft

Red Legs - Artillerymen, aka Cannon-Cockers

Rootin Tootin Raspberry - Radio Code for Red Smoke

REMF - Rear Echelon Mother F_____

Remington Raider - term invented by "Stretch" Grohman: see Smith Corona Commando

RF/PF - Ruff Puffs Regional Forces/Popular Forces, usually without weapons (see ARVN)

Rock N' Roll - an M-16 on automatic

Rome Plow - A Caterpillar D7E bulldozer used for defoliation missions

Round Eye - Caucasian, usually a female

RPD - (Ruchnoi Pulyemet Degtyarova) Soviet made squad machinegun, 7.62mm

RPG2 - Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher, Soviet made

RPG7 - Later model Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher, Soviet made

RTO - Radio Telephone Operator

Rucksack - also ruck: packs carried by grunts

Ruff Puffs - Regional Forces/Popular Forces, usually without weapons (see ARVN)

S
SA - Small Arms

Sabot - Dutch word for "wooden shoe" cladding around an APDS round

Sandy - A1-E1 Skyraider providing fire supression on a SAR mission

SAR - Search And Rescue mission - looking for downed pilots

Sappers - NVA/VC whose job it was to blow things up

Search and Avoid - Typical ARVN mission

Short - Very little time left in-country

Short Round - an artillery round that falls short of the target on the Gun Target Line

Sinh Loi - Sorry about that!

Sitrep - Situation Report, made hourly to next higher headquarters

Six - Radio call-sign of a unit commander (Company, Battalion)

Six One Higher - Radio code for your boss if you're a Six

SKS - Soviet/Chicom 7.62mm carbine

Skypilot - Chaplain

Sky Soldier - paratrooper of the 173rd Airborne

Slick - a UH1D with no seats (slick floor) used for carrying troops

Sling Load - load carried beneath a helicopter on a cable

Smith-Corona Commando - (term invented by "Stretch" Grohman) See REMF

Snake - slang for AH-1 Hueycobra attack helcopter

SOI - Signal Operating Instructions: codes for radio communications

Spad - A1-E1 Skyraider providing tactical air support

SP - Start Point. Beginning of a road march

Spectre - Radio code for the AC-130 Gunship, which we called Spooky

Spooky - Radio code for the AC-47 Gunship the REMFs and Saigon reporters called "Puff"

SP Pak - Sundry Pak

SRAP - Short Range Ambush Platoon

Starlight Scope - AN/PVS-2 Image Intensification Device, turned night into day

Super-quick - 105mm howitzer round fuze for immediate detonation

T
TA-312 - Hand-cranked field phone

TAOR - Tactical Area Of Responsibility

Tango Charlie - Radio code for Tank Commander (also Track Commander)

Tea Party - radio code for an ambush

Tee Tee - very lttle

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

TOC - Tactical Operations Center: a huge bunker where the old man lives with his staff

Tracks - the collection of track blocks on a tracked vehicle (REMFs say treads)

U
UCMJ - Uniform Code of Military Justice

Uncle Ho - Ho Chi Minh

USARPAC - United States Army Pacific

USARV - United States Army Vietnam

URC-10 - AN/URC-10 Survivial Radio used by LRRPs

UTM - Universal Transverse Mercator - grid system on topo maps

V
Viet Cong - Literally, Vietnamese Communist. The Former Viet Minh were co-opted by communist sympathizers

Viet Minh - Literally, Vietnamese Nationalist: movement started by Ho Chi Minh to get French out of Indochina

Voting Machine - Nickname for ARVN tanks because they only came out during a coup d'etat

VTR - Vehicle, Tracked, Recovery (the tow track for tanks), Usually an M-88

W
Web Gear - canvas belt and shoulder straps used for packing equipment and ammunition on infantry operations

Whispering Death - Charles' name for a B-52 strike. He couldn't hear or see them

WHA - Wounded Hostile Action

WIA - Wounded In Action

Willie Pete - White Phosphorous round or grenade (evil stuff)

X
XM-177E2 - CAR-15, short-barrel, collapsable-stock version of M-16 rifle

XM-203 - 40mm grenade launcher attachment for M-16 rifle

XO - eXecutive Officer, the second in command of a unit.

Y
Yankee Station - Tonkin Gulf Area of South China Sea patrolled by US Navy

Yards - derivative of Montagnards

Z
Zippo Track - An M-113 APC converted to a mechanized flame-thrower M132A2

Zulu Time - Greenwich Mean Time (now UTC) about twelve hours later than our time zone in 'Nam

End of Glossary