Glossary

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AFVN Armed Forces Vietnam Network AFRTS Armed Forces Radio and Television Service AG adjutant general AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle AO area of operation Arc Light code name for B-52 strike ARVN Army of the Republic of Vietnam AWOL absent without leave boonies the jungle B-52 U.S. Air Force Stratofortress Bomber CIDG Civilian Irregular Defense Group CORDS Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support COSVN Central Office for South Vietnam (Control HQs for the VC) CTZ Corps Tactical Zone DA Department of the Army DEPCORDS Deputy for CORDS DIOCC District Intelligence Operations Coordinating Center DoD Department of Defense DSA district senior advisor dust-off medical evacuation helicopter FNG fucking new guy grunts infantry soldiers or marines GVN Government of Vietnam H&I fire harassment and interdiction fire HES Hamlet Evaluation System HQ headquarters IN Infantry J-3, G-3, or S-3 staff officer for Plans, Operations, and Training J-4, G-4, or S-4 staff officer for Supply and Logistics M14 7.62mm rifle (replaced the M1) M16 5.56mm automatic rifle (replaced the M14) MACV Military Assistance Command Vietnam

MAT mobile advisory team MATA Military Assistance Training Advisors Course NCO noncommissioned officer NLF National Liberation Front NPFF National Police Field Force NVA North Vietnamese Army P piaster (Vietnamese currency) PRC-25 portable radio PRU Provincial Reconnaissance Unit PF Popular Forces PSA province senior advisor PSDF People’s Self-Defense Force PX post exchange R&R rest and recuperation leave REMF rear echelon motherfuckers RF Regional Forces RPG rocket-propelled grenade RTO radio telephone operator RVN Republic of Vietnam SFC sergeant first class SP4 specialist fourth class TA-50 standard-issue individual field gear UH-1 Bell helicopter (Huey) U-20 fixed-wing aircraft (Beaver) USAID United States Agency for International Development USIA United States Information Agency VC Viet Cong VCI Viet Cong Infrastructure VN Vietnam War Zone D free-fire zone northeast of Saigon

VIETNAMESE WORDS AND PHRASES

(Spelling is without diacritical marks.)

Ao Dai Traditional Vietnamese woman’s dress Ba married woman, Madame Bac-si medic, doctor Chao greeting Co unmarried woman, miss Co Van My American advisor Nuoc mam fermented fish sauce Ong mister or sir Phung Hoang Phoenix QL national highway Tet Lunar New Year Thieu-ta major Trung-uy first lieutenant