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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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ75uhUrix0
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagtuKBI0ob
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eyOLS2t7q
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHex9N7h526
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNIYqJbRXf
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCcE4Qu9hc
ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam, usually pronounced "arvin."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW4zSK4gva
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AWOL: Absent Without Leave.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGbJeud8OV
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQd1Z3rUZ4
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDBW5qbfLu
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0cN7J7iFB
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.
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BHQ: Battalion Headquarters.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2kDVIfeBU
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CIaBLHXC3
Bird: girl/woman943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSjXabARR8
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGi6uUJlEXf
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvShXE2eh5
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUE5eZAwnf
Chalk: The group of passengers for a single aircraft.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC2KoUVtrP
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGoye3xYEw
Charlie: The enemy, from VC = Viet Cong = Victor Charlie in radio phonetics.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLAXZBBf9V
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTagHHep3wd
CO: Commanding Officer.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPv1bDuv8zP
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJ1xIcDgt3
CP: Command Post943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HqWyqvUGm
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQInzn40Bmv
CSM: Company Sergeant Major.
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHOKp3hsnV
Corps: The British army is composed of various corps e.g. infantry, artillery, transport, dental, etc. Everyone belongs to one of them.
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlc7n3vbo4a
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcoJHDH3ZF
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tasv8R7pU
DMZ: The so-called Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPlWeovAnq
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6i6t4Ju0i2
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirWZOv4lIs
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGGAPCjPmT
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.
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FN: Fabrique Nationale, the Belgian firm of arms makers.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDB80x82bm0
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0vHcGVQ1W
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."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXc14qHqW1
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgKeKH0Noi
GVN: Government of Vietnam, the Saigon regime.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOGq4H6Btu
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Hutchi: Japanese (possibly Korean) word for house or shelter, corrupted to mean the soldier's tent in the field. American "hooch" or "hoochi."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIcoFKwPUF
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKu2jDdrx3
Huey: UH-1 Helicopter, became Huey.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGuYmxwBK8
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IO: Intelligence Officer.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmp37Ev19ZL
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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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYE3Xes7mpU
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2P6dpa1Zb
J: Jungle.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EM6qZNS8V
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KIA: Killed In Action.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiXEums1Cv
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Locstat: Location statement, present location.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD0ebevCS3
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LO: Liaison Officer943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUevpBLzJX
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gbqGJgXoG
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2v37W0S50
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LZ: Landing Zone943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28g4bnlJmT
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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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hEWpPSDYo
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbdpmgM9PO
MASH: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1EsTekmak
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgtWqAFoPO
Military Region: The National Liberation Front had divided Vietnam into these areas for their own administrative and operational purposes.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75fwA6SLer
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00dUtGdh8Z
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QtFJqSJ0K
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3kkgnIDNO
MP: Military Police.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7itp0LfJVu
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NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer, i.e., below the rank of 2nd lieutenant.
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NLF: National Liberation Front. No Communist Revolution is complete without this title.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQV7I9zgnhB
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjQdATrgEg
NVA: North Vietnamese Army. Never admitted by Hanoi to be in South Vietnam, an assertion believed only by the very naive.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgFA2z0RSa
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRdn2LTztW
OC: Officer Commanding. A company has an OC, a battalion a CO, a division a COC---General Officer Commanding.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNbGzUePSM
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64yEG5Goli
Orders Group: A gathering for the purpose of passing on orders to subordinates.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBHW7CFqK7
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWPn6TBiOD
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8fYIwgVLM
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW67AdCaYYg
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTbvvK17Qw
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4n1PVzevTH
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo46TPT13mu
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuB1w1ExTh
PPS: Russian submachine gun of World War II vintage, firing a 7.62mm round.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lUNHLe1Cp
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzq0Q7v1kC
PX: Post Exchange = US Canteen.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWhD7j6pAJ
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvD1EhNz5A
RATTV: Royal Army Training Team, Vietnam.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DqdSkKlq2
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkl8DqvrDCl
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."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ADqwZeogA
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4Vg6I6A9n
RPD: Russian light machine gun for section or squad use. The initials stand for the Russian words, the D being for Degtyarev, the designer.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoO3353nb8
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpsL9JDBoB
RMO: Regional Medical Officer, the battalion doctor.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8XS6QSGDu
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBvbZZMEa2
RSM: Regimental Sergeant Major, the senior noncommissioned officer in the unit, responsible to the CO for discipline.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnwP21NJhV
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIlZm4b7ai
RV: Rendezvous943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCeySXhXzb
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTvYa01owY
Slicks: Troop-carrying helicopters, as opposed to armed versions, the "gunships," called "pigs"943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtP0LfJHAWO
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWFLThf1EL
Slope: U.S. term for Asian, similar to the British "wog."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNy1m6RvYK
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziqR9tpxYk
SLR: Self Loading Rifle; the British-modified Belgian FN, produced at Birmingham, firing the standard NATO 7.62mm round, pronounced "slur."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxoGPBY7kW
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQ4MEzYggj
Smoke: To shoot, kill943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldsjUqbcR2
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Tommy: A British soldier.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAKu9lyuo1
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUg9hmHQW3R
Twenty mike mike: 20-millimeter cannon, from 20mm.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZ3aoqzuvS
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiRpMzeR02
VC: Viet Cong, the Vietnamese for Vietnamese Communist.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sTY3MGYB7
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VP0LkXMyK
VNAF: Vietnamese Air Force.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLOdnjrIiq
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMzjGkNJ0C
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiZzLP3uYR
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhR1Kqwxjc5
Wog: British slang for an Asian: more fully "Westernized Oriental Gentleman." Plural is "wogs" and the land is sometimes referred to as "Woggeria."943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVckiCRlKy
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEjSXAaUth
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.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMDKghyVS6
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw72H18vlZA
WIA: Wounded in Action. 943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFobYF6ABf
943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8xYoZP14l
Yank(s): citizen(s) of the United States of America.943Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxnsA0qA7j
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