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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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgOPMgjWFt
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuFTGaqK5u
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBdnmbiKLe
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcGqAK6qw5
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIyI8Pmx9C
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRwEpxiLPv
ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam, usually pronounced "arvin."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwTNas4vju
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCITF6jkHx
AWOL: Absent Without Leave.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPxQuTxT25
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MVxeRDeRO
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxecyTeZh9
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfpLYltPSP
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.
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTb2TBZt4xh
BHQ: Battalion Headquarters.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtNKtZ7bWU
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyuGgQPMQB
Bird: girl/woman987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEY7XBHzMV
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrotgpMqLIw
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsX5GrARGt
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkybmXRu72
Chalk: The group of passengers for a single aircraft.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMXKbxa70V
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbzRL5mHVv
Charlie: The enemy, from VC = Viet Cong = Victor Charlie in radio phonetics.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtegnuzT9O
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GNVSmAjlk
CO: Commanding Officer.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyceCP2j6dY
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTipGdleMM
CP: Command Post987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaeIdNRvAQ
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CsqwEWjHf
CSM: Company Sergeant Major.
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKF3fIx9fX
Corps: The British army is composed of various corps e.g. infantry, artillery, transport, dental, etc. Everyone belongs to one of them.
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOt4jxM2v54
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxgSFgWcqc
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGWXY0xPY8
DMZ: The so-called Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkz1hDJK2is
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwA4gUu9pB
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmihUxYoQTQ
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6DFxDr8XW
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.
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMAvJiv7tz
FN: Fabrique Nationale, the Belgian firm of arms makers.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9164igWmJQ
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWYayi1kQ4
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."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnpXLTu5hs
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB39F0dX7g
GVN: Government of Vietnam, the Saigon regime.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPUk6drCU6
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSumtMhZ0Xj
Hutchi: Japanese (possibly Korean) word for house or shelter, corrupted to mean the soldier's tent in the field. American "hooch" or "hoochi."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9oC3g5UaF
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuz11xs5cJw
Huey: UH-1 Helicopter, became Huey.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGdjPVHQZCp
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7FtIO12Dj
IO: Intelligence Officer.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrU9jLDEQH
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh8UPF7OFP
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkBSog8q1m
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldOkkokpWO
J: Jungle.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumgINWWB7Q
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5mCLjF0hV8
KIA: Killed In Action.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SaYv2ATD7
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAKdlPdkVy
Locstat: Location statement, present location.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPRfoA5vk5
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oI2DN2o4o
LO: Liaison Officer987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUwvoVv4fS
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcuu0zpDdv
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCWjIC2VUp
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIx19j4BeL
LZ: Landing Zone987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpaMTiIPyx
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFbG6NkpeI
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVSAPvG7Hq
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf6dDJbZ5i
MASH: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hNDPSSXWU
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrumE1ZuFKN
Military Region: The National Liberation Front had divided Vietnam into these areas for their own administrative and operational purposes.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66AKpGQEZY
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2vWRC2S4C
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC3LkhZQor
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwfwbsJZxq
MP: Military Police.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN53VBlnROs
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsdJEKZVkg5
NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer, i.e., below the rank of 2nd lieutenant.
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4b0cBENB6i
NLF: National Liberation Front. No Communist Revolution is complete without this title.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaISP3SkUDq
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5Re0PRsem
NVA: North Vietnamese Army. Never admitted by Hanoi to be in South Vietnam, an assertion believed only by the very naive.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYgVunyKrz
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgQHvn8Pd3
OC: Officer Commanding. A company has an OC, a battalion a CO, a division a COC---General Officer Commanding.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wZUBheGbh
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81WnrAHoue
Orders Group: A gathering for the purpose of passing on orders to subordinates.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYetlWwk7F
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrPUetMTYT
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaWYUlg0A7
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6s4H2rcZ9f
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOS9pZ34BS
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNPzTSMEuM
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9R2ZiK4za
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkb6uV6Cbz
PPS: Russian submachine gun of World War II vintage, firing a 7.62mm round.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1g9qjXiWH
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4WZf1EnQG
PX: Post Exchange = US Canteen.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs3kPgZE18
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3W70bh1uP
RATTV: Royal Army Training Team, Vietnam.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEXy2jRYYd
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDFAw2ztcq
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."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCCOwW4noC
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpnanOUdvF
RPD: Russian light machine gun for section or squad use. The initials stand for the Russian words, the D being for Degtyarev, the designer.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSBjgfXfEP
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrU5yn9Ta3o
RMO: Regional Medical Officer, the battalion doctor.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXSlkGN8sY
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaBPlRnA1S
RSM: Regimental Sergeant Major, the senior noncommissioned officer in the unit, responsible to the CO for discipline.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSrLSoUQZU
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOz9pFqloBG
RV: Rendezvous987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ749jowdOhU
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJrZJpH5TZl
Slicks: Troop-carrying helicopters, as opposed to armed versions, the "gunships," called "pigs"987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBQkJiu4n5
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsEO4BQJuF
Slope: U.S. term for Asian, similar to the British "wog."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZiz3rJG2c
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIrFxQVcWw
SLR: Self Loading Rifle; the British-modified Belgian FN, produced at Birmingham, firing the standard NATO 7.62mm round, pronounced "slur."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycOzo5zQ4x
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuMzYfYJTn
Smoke: To shoot, kill987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVesScaqMS
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkQMYTXhGW
Tommy: A British soldier.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXCVmCfxdp
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqoT2bDMzB
Twenty mike mike: 20-millimeter cannon, from 20mm.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKU6O75axh
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPO807sgMPQ
VC: Viet Cong, the Vietnamese for Vietnamese Communist.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HRB41asqP
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8echC3Rt9
VNAF: Vietnamese Air Force.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXtBULp4p1
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK8YOgmicM
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADP6H4d5Oz
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6IHZ2tTP4
Wog: British slang for an Asian: more fully "Westernized Oriental Gentleman." Plural is "wogs" and the land is sometimes referred to as "Woggeria."987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU9drWtc1h
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiNgB1BVLw
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.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuboPdtGEqW
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRee4rqnmPY
WIA: Wounded in Action. 987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAJzRt3Fxd
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPSdQmZDMa
Yank(s): citizen(s) of the United States of America.987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsHUDnfWCc
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LdxT4ckLa
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKHZGzbocK
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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Hn71VVYnO
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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpLLloEx2y
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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jq1mlMo6Q
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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHRSFe50TD
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSn66gqO0x
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987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy0LjSaMpA
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5G0obv0OJk
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxFNQvB24p
987Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnGxhOy49v
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