x
The following are included as explanatory remarks, not exact definitions, for the reader who may not be familiar with the terms.
ACV: Armoured Command Vehicle.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w7MUEibhn
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEqkpH6LNQ
Ao-dai: The Vietnamese national dress, a close-fitting top and bodice, with long flowing panels from the waist, under which long pants or trousers are worn. Pronounced "ow zhy," by the Northerners and "ow why' by the Southerners.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPi2fi4sRv2
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpn9s74kKRt
Arc of fire: Each weapon is positioned to fire over a certain piece of ground, which has left and right boundaries. If this is planted on a map, the area would be represented as an arc of the extremities of the boundaries. There are primary (main) and secondary arcs of fire.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPe2Vt10i7i
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjKMV9j7m7
ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam, usually pronounced "arvin."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjvWOifbKn
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9SuXCfr6t
AWOL: Absent Without Leave.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv8AxkcdUO
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27lqDQhHKZ
Back-up: With reference to meals, coming back for a second serving.
Base-bludging: Bludging in a base or rear area. Anyone who is farther back from the enemy than oneself is a base-bludger. They rarely, if ever, go forward of the wire.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlmt6PYLDu
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiotFyWv48
Base-up! Make camp.
Basic Webbing: Generally the minimum harness that a soldier can wear and carry to enable him to perform his basic fighting functions: waist belt, shoulder harness, ammunition pouches, water bottles, bayonet, entrenching tool, and whatever else the unit deems necessary. On this "basic" webbing the thoughtful army can build big and little packs, bedding, radios, and so on.
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfMOh2TxF7
BHQ: Battalion Headquarters.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8QlOzsadD
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6pK2ocOyj
Bird: girl/woman921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4amVGJldEB
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3WD4oiiWj
Brass-up: To shoot, be shot at, as in "they brassed up two Charlies," and "they got brassed up by a machine gun."
CHQ: Company Headquarters.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8OiPpdwdE
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGWalBhULy
Chalk: The group of passengers for a single aircraft.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIfDMuWsn9
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEI8Powus4
Charlie: The enemy, from VC = Viet Cong = Victor Charlie in radio phonetics.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtRW1Fogyf
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHI7yBOnaDd
CO: Commanding Officer.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IzhFo5ZNE
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KCCdA8o22
CP: Command Post921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXxO3JUfwl
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjB2ItBpZAr
CSM: Company Sergeant Major.
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPxuKVHb4m
Corps: The British army is composed of various corps e.g. infantry, artillery, transport, dental, etc. Everyone belongs to one of them.
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLQaiBhlGd
III Corps Conference: South Vietnam was divided into four Corps Tactical Zones (CTZ): I, II, III, and IV. These were a means of dividing the country into areas of responsibility in which the various units operated, and had nothing to do with the infantry, artillery, etc., kind of corps. The III Corps HQ was almost adjacent to the airbase and the Conference was attended by a British representative.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ02uzAhfzz
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsueikhpAYf
DMZ: The so-called Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqLDDTwPaT
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx0lPwKxoW
Dust-off: Radio callsign for a medical evacuation helicopter, the crews of which were renowned and revered for their efforts to lift wounded out of battle and back to the medical facilities despite bad weather and enemy gunfire. Spoken usage included: "We require Dust-off for six," and "Nigel got Dusted-off to Saigon," i.e., Nigel was evacuated to Saigon by helicopter.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiE9iBErS3
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbmab9OhnC
FAC: Forward Air Controller: a pilot who flies a small (Cessna) aircraft into the battle area to locate, mark, and guide the fighters or bombers onto the targets. A high degree of skill and courage was needed.
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jhO3giqBJ
FN: Fabrique Nationale, the Belgian firm of arms makers.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoreWeQENqH
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksT0KhZGRD
Forward of the wire: Outside the barbed-wire perimeter of the unit or base, i.e., out where the enemy may be met. See "basebludger" and "pogo."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhR5yTumLd4
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH7roG851K
GVN: Government of Vietnam, the Saigon regime.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOiXYrmwrW
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJwelD9MDN
Hutchi: Japanese (possibly Korean) word for house or shelter, corrupted to mean the soldier's tent in the field. American "hooch" or "hoochi."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUwhLrQ1kY
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbnXr8POCl
Huey: UH-1 Helicopter, became Huey.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizk8qAflxJ
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqb5u9zh2my
IO: Intelligence Officer.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCgHTZzgLq
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUflhXXhy2
Iron Triangle: A jungle area, roughly shaped like a triangle, about 30 miles west of Saigon, used by the Viet Cong as a base area.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHCkVlYWBe
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5GraaOoWp
J: Jungle.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWztgSwBGjr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2uE4zKoxu
KIA: Killed In Action.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfmz9KLTOa
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fJQcUhktL
Locstat: Location statement, present location.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNOGY4kfzz
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CUytK18RE
LO: Liaison Officer921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoewOlEsxY
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE2AFeZA96
Local Force: The Viet Cong National Liberation Front organized their fighting forces on several levels. At the bottom was the village guerilla, then units organized to operate in their home area----but larger than the usual village squad, and given tasks of a more demanding military nature, naturally enough these were called local force units. Above them were regional units and finally the main force.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nQXADhVWn
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyqH16ZqcK
LZ: Landing Zone921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OFweokbpL
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyQ4TG74wU
Main Force: Units of soldiers who have graduated from the village guerillas, local and regional force units, are full-time members of the armed forces, and are now regular troops who can be given military tasks such as those given to regular units of the NATO armies.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipEJ6aEKIK
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6VKEDNVA1
MASH: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uzt7QzdAI
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCrg3S89Iq
Military Region: The National Liberation Front had divided Vietnam into these areas for their own administrative and operational purposes.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z4EMtJLg4
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiEWU6d8Qe
MPC: Military Payment Certificate. "Play money" or "Monopoly money" issued by the military authorities in an attempt to halt the flow of dollars into the black market, etc. It is only good in the military system such as canteens, messes, etc. The type or pattern of MPC would be changed at very short notice, and all unchanged old MPC would then be so much paper. There are said to be people throughout Asia with boxes of old MPC, hoping for the day when the particular pattern is again issued, and they will get rich.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MY8tqbdDB
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQ49ByBeUX
MP: Military Police.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wE6Yakp9e
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5E8Yx4u5c
NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer, i.e., below the rank of 2nd lieutenant.
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtbKy1crT1
NLF: National Liberation Front. No Communist Revolution is complete without this title.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AxtwipDf9
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4nJdKywh6
NVA: North Vietnamese Army. Never admitted by Hanoi to be in South Vietnam, an assertion believed only by the very naive.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukRM3FT0de
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLR1pusKWC
OC: Officer Commanding. A company has an OC, a battalion a CO, a division a COC---General Officer Commanding.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiC6BFXXXj
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5Rbkj018V
Orders Group: A gathering for the purpose of passing on orders to subordinates.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH3zQwppLd
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oFsBmj7hh
Political Officer: The communist forces, being the armed effort of the political organization, are always subject to strict political control, which is achieved by placing a political infrastructure paralleling that of the military command, at all levels from company on up. The political officer has the final word in disagreements between the military and political. Called commissars in earlier times, they are a very important and effective means of ensuring control, motivation, and explanation of policy to the soldiers.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5YOEAQDk8R
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpHtwl6qbK
Pepper-pot: A tactic for advancing under fire where one or two soldiers at a time leap up, run forward a few paces, go down, roll away, and fire on the enemy while their comrades are doing likewise. The enemy is presented with fleeting targets all across his front, making it very hard for him to take on an accurate shot. Like many other things, it requires practice and teamwork.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0npwjHQ0t8
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1wQNESeaw
Pogo: See Basebludging. Pogos are the same, but worse. They supposedly spend their time bouncing aimlessly around the rear areas on a pogo-stick and are thus of no use to the fighting troops, i.e., anyone closer to, or likely to be closer to, the enemy.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0cT86K3sP
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jsdABOmJ3
PPS: Russian submachine gun of World War II vintage, firing a 7.62mm round.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxEvCExlbQ
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQnp3zsBVk
PX: Post Exchange = US Canteen.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmHrpVeuop
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdVcWAvJV1
RATTV: Royal Army Training Team, Vietnam.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxWlyjzN2s
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSU0vC2fAZ
Regional Force: Along with a similar organization called the popular force, were part-time troops of the Saigon Regime, used for guard and other light military duties, which could include operations to search for the VC, normally operating in their home locations or areas. Abbreviated in RF/PE so immediately were called "ruffpuffs."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4gRyTpFMr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0HVFI2U75r
RPD: Russian light machine gun for section or squad use. The initials stand for the Russian words, the D being for Degtyarev, the designer.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejmL8RwDHr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGgEboEwsv
RMO: Regional Medical Officer, the battalion doctor.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50XrY76UGf
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA7HOLKqbR
RSM: Regimental Sergeant Major, the senior noncommissioned officer in the unit, responsible to the CO for discipline.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyfygqhqCY
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1jZMXF4GO
RV: Rendezvous921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqnVR7J3Om
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAe5hyPaUbD
Slicks: Troop-carrying helicopters, as opposed to armed versions, the "gunships," called "pigs"921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrJi6unMgE
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyLVJHqRW7
Slope: U.S. term for Asian, similar to the British "wog."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1OKdpY1LH
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTCAnSZ2AS
SLR: Self Loading Rifle; the British-modified Belgian FN, produced at Birmingham, firing the standard NATO 7.62mm round, pronounced "slur."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FlNbXPdoE
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnP5EcEVwSw
Smoke: To shoot, kill921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFGQ0cJgzs
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PeCDYNwDJ
Tommy: A British soldier.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyZdSS7veC
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pcKTx4p0g
Twenty mike mike: 20-millimeter cannon, from 20mm.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G200XeFgX
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqTjNZ5IQ6
VC: Viet Cong, the Vietnamese for Vietnamese Communist.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pPCYccOom
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvrsxXgjme
VNAF: Vietnamese Air Force.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qmR0X3BCD
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyOLAnUnaA
War Zone D: A term dating from the 1950s war against the French, for a large expanse of jungle about forty miles northeast of Saigon, in which the VC had base camps, training areas, etc., and which was rarely entered by government forces prior to 1965; also called D-Zone or Zone D. Zone C was farther to the southwest, and others were to the north.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1fq56BcSb
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydtzTpA4Xh
Wog: British slang for an Asian: more fully "Westernized Oriental Gentleman." Plural is "wogs" and the land is sometimes referred to as "Woggeria."921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEbU3sx9Id
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLMog5mLTp
Watch your front!: Do not stare down your shirt buttons and trouser fly, but pay attention to the area of ground before you, your arc of fire.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi1iwgaXMV
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExoZkwp1AH
WIA: Wounded in Action. 921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlrCcSjTps
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvrm26DbUB
Yank(s): citizen(s) of the United States of America.921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfmci7jv8r
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjO27wCPoRu
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkPgttfHaKG
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZ8lilvNbd
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTvywcBTHc
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3CResV0A4
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXtaV4KtZd
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5yvhK6LMe
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJ5TMCW47f
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0knJNEYNHu
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fvDkmYUww
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Onqqzagqe
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrJIGMFwRq
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixFgmkkgky
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdem2vcsT8
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9vZgxCyqV
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJy0szeJ5GS
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmBiUHEsGG
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgPcEjYZgk
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJ8TCUFegB
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKmexdcqsr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBaKe13TRC8
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgohfxJ4oBr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUPJCn1brr
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9CPSVTFpe
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVwe3ZUe2d
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWaNcRijc5
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjd5P7XbpV
921Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWZoncTZo7
