AFVN (Armed Forces Vietnam Network)—A radio station set up by the military to provide AM radio to the troops who were serving in Vietnam.
ARVN—The Army of the Republic of Vietnam, our allies.
APC (armored personnel carrier)—The specific designation for the armored personnel carrier used in Vietnam was the M113 armored personnel carrier. It is a lightly armored tracked vehicle that had been designed to carry a squad of infantry.
CS Gas—Also known as tear gas or riot gas. It can be deployed in grenades, bombs, and projectiles for the M79 grenade launcher. The gas causes profuse tearing and profuse discharge from sinus and nasal cavities, acute respiratory distress, blindness, and vomiting.
Deuce and a Half (M35A2 cargo truck)—A rugged and powerful 6’ × 6’ cargo truck capable of hauling a payload of two and a half tons.
Dust-off—Emergency removal of a soldier by a medevac helicopter, reserved for cases where the soldier was seriously injured or ill.
Skycrane (Sikorsky S-64)—A powerful military helicopter used by the army in Vietnam that was designed for heavy lifting. It has a payload of twenty thousand pounds.
Frag (M26 fragmentation grenade)—n A sixteen-ounce steel-cased grenade designed for throwing. It was filled with granular or flaked TNT. v To toss a grenade toward an enemy position or into an enemy tunnel—or toward an unpopular officer.
HE (high explosive)—The abbreviation to designate the type of charge internal to various kinds of ordinance, grenades, artillery shells, and bombs.
KP (Kitchen Police)—Duty usually designated to low-ranking enlisted men that required them to help with the most menial tasks in the mess hall, such as washing pots and pans, or peeling potatoes.
OD (olive drab)—The standard color used to camouflage equipment used by the army. Also the abbreviation for overdose or officer of the day.
MEDCAP (Medical Civic Action Plan)—A program that allowed the US military to provide medical assistance to Vietnamese civilians. It was part of the attempt of the military to win “hearts and minds.”
Minibase—A small outpost created in remote areas of Vietnam, usually comprising a dozen or so bunkers arranged in a circle on a hilltop.
Minigun (M134)—A six-barreled Gatling gun that was usually mounted on aircraft, including helicopters used in Vietnam. It could fire 7.60 caliber rounds at the rate of four thousand per minute.
MP (Military Police)—A policing force specifically designated to enforce laws and regulations that relate to army personnel and property.
NCO (non-commissioned Officer)—An enlisted man who made the rank of sergeant or above.
PX (post exchange)—A store on a military base, of varying size, depending on the location, that sells civilian-type clothes, food, and goods.
ROK—Troops from the Republic of South Korea who were deployed along with the American troops in Vietnam.
Spec 4—The army equivalent of a corporal in the marines. The next rank up from private first class.