Grunt Slang in Vietnam

Words of the War

Gordon L. Rottman

• Publisher: Casemate
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781504061704
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Vietnam War
• Index: History

A look at how combat, culture, and military tradition influenced soldiers' language in Vietnam from the award-winning, USA Today –bestselling author. The slang, or unique vocabulary, of the soldiers and marines serving in Vietnam, was a mishmash of words and phrases whose origins reached back to the Korean War, World War II, and even earlier. Additionally, it was influenced by the United States' rapidly changing protest culture, ideological and poetical doctrine, ethical and cultural conflicts, racialism, and drug culture. This "slanguage" was rendered even more complex by the Pidgin Vietnamese-English spoken by Americans and Vietnamese alike. But perhaps most importantly, it reflected the soldiers' actual daily lives, played out in the jungles, swamps, and hills of Vietnam.

Words of the Vietnam War: Alpha To Zulu

A ALPHA

A-7A belt 12ft olive drab (OD) nylon web 1¾in cargo tie-down strap with slide buckle cut down to trousers belt length. It replaced the standard web belt and was considered a sign of a veteran. Aka “rigger belt.”

A-, B-, and C- Teams Special Forces Operational Detachments (SFOD) The 12–14-man Detachment A (commanded by a CPT) was the basic operational element; 30-plus-man B Detachments (commanded by a MAJ or LTC) typically controlled four A-teams and included a small officer and NCO staff plus the NCOs of a normal A-team. B-teams also controlled a MIKE Force (q.v.) and various special reconnaissance projects. C Detachments were SF company headquarters with over 70 personnel controlling all SF units (through several B-teams) in a corps tactical zone. An SF “company” was a misleading term as it consisted of a staff and support elements commanded by an LTC with a total of over 60 officers and three times that many NCOs. There were also special project B-teams directly under the 5th SF Group (Airborne), which controlled all SF in Vietnam.

Abe Little-used nickname for GEN Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. (1914–74), MACV Commanding General, June 1968–October 1972. Aka “Honest Abe.” (The M1 Abrams tank, which entered service in 1980, was named after him.)

Above my pay grade “It’s not my responsibility or problem.” “Isn’t that above your pay grade?” That means none of your business; you don’t need to concern yourself with this.

ACAV M113A1 armored personnel carrier (APC) (see “one-one-three”) mounting additional machine guns (MG) and retro-fitted gun shields. Used by Armored CAValry reconnaissance and some mechanized infantry units, making it more of a fighting vehicle than a “battle taxi.” Pronounced “A-Cav.”

accessory packet Dark brown foil pouch in each Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) (C-rats, q.v.) with a book of matches; small roll of toilet paper (TP); salt, sugar, instant coffee, and non-dairy creamer packets; two Chiclets (gum), and a pack of four cigarettes (removed 1972). The LRP ration (q.v.) accessory packet was similar but had two instant coffee packets, a soft wood toothpick, and lacked cigarettes. Individuals often kept a plastic bag of unused accessory packet items for when needed.

Ace of Spades Death Card A small number of units left an Ace of Spades playing card on enemy dead. It was claimed to be a bad luck symbol to the Vietnamese according to a supposed folktale, but it had no such superstitious meaning. The practice was an American morale-builder. The US Playing Card Company (Bicycle brand) produced 25-card decks consisting entirely of Ace of Spades cards for private purchase. The Ace of Spades was occasionally seen on aircraft and gun trucks.

across the fence MACV-SOG reconnaissance and strike missions across the RVN border into Laos and Cambodia to attack the Ho Chi Ming Trail.

Afro-American engineering To be blunt, what was called “nigger-rigging,” meaning temporarily, incompletely, or poorly rigged or repaired. A “baling wire and chewing gum” repair; “jury-rigged.” While racially spiteful, anyone regardless of race could be accused of performing poor “half-assed” workmanship.

AFRTS American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS—pronounced “A-farts”). It initially operated Armed Forces Radio Saigon (AFRS) and became the American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) operating radio and TV stations. The last station was closed in 1973. Most programs were black-and-white. Color TVs were virtually unheard of. In the US color TV sales did not exceed black-and-white until 1972. US primetime programs went to over 50 percent color in late 1965.

A/G or marker panel VS-17/GVX air/ground marker panel—17 x 72in reversible fluorescent orange and cerise (pink). Often cut into 12–17in squares for an individual marking panel. Reconnaissance team members sometimes lined a bonnie hat’s crown with panel material for signaling.

Agent Orange Mixture of two herbicides delivered as an aerial-sprayed defoliant from transports and helicopters during the 1962–71 Operation Ranch Hand. It caused serious environmental damage and traces of dioxin have caused major health issues for many exposed individuals, military and civilian. All veterans are eligible for an Agent Orange Registry health exam by the Veterans Administration. There were other defoliants employed—“Rainbow Herbicides” and the 55-gal drums marked by colored bands: Agents Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, and White plus the predominating Agents Orange I and II.

Air America This dummy corporation airline service was owned and operated by the US Government supporting CIA operations in China (pre-Vietnam), Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and Laos. It also supported US armed forces. Most of its missions were logistics delivery. It was operational from 1950 to 1976 with 80-plus aircraft at its height.

airborne-oriented AIT In 1967 Camp Crockett was established at Ft Gordon, Georgia, to house an airborne-oriented infantry advanced individual training brigade. Remote from the main cantonment area, accommodations were spartan and the trainees housed in Quonset huts (q.v.). The 3d Training Brigade was one of the first to replace M14 rifles with M16s as they were standard for all airborne units even before Vietnam. The brigade concentrated on group runs and passing the airborne physical fitness test. One company a week was graduated and sent to Ft Benning for Jump School (q.v.). It was of little benefit as most airborne volunteers still came from the other AIT brigades and from throughout the Army. The brigade folded in 1972. See “Ft Garbage.”

Aircat The Hurricane Aircat 17ft, 42–65-knot armed airboat used by Special Forces and ARVN in the Mekong Delta. Aka “water jeep.” (Swamp airboats as seen in Louisiana and Florida.)

air force gloves A soldier was said to be wearing air force gloves if his hands were in his trousers pockets. A recruit who could not break the habit might have to fill his pockets with sand. The Marines called the infraction “army gloves.”

AK-47 General term for the Soviet-made AK-47 and AKM (modernized) 7.62mm assault rifles or simply “AK.” The most widely seen version was the ChiCom Type 56. More scarce variations were produced by different Warsaw Pact countries. Widely issued to the NVA replacing the SKS (q.v.) in 1967. Seldom referred to as the “Kalashnikov” (the inventor) in Vietnam, a name used in Africa and other parts of the world. AK = Automat Kalashnikova (automatic Kalashnikov).

alibi Justifiable reason for not firing a shot during timed range firing for qualification, usually caused by a weapon’s mechanical failure. When a firing session was completed the safety NCO shouted, “Are there any alibis?” If there were, the shooter would be permitted to fire the remaining rounds after correcting the malfunction.

All hands. “All personnel, attention. Listen up. That means everyone!” “All hands on deck” means everyone assemble. “Every swinging dick”—a Marine term. The Army simply says “Fall in!” to assemble a unit.

All show and no go. Looks good superficially, but won’t cut it.

ALPHA boat 50ft assault support patrol boat (ASPB) was the problem-plagued “destroyer” of the riverine force. Hull numbers were prefixed by “A.”

ALPHA-BRAVO Radio code for an ambush. “Hawk” was used by some units.

ALPHA-CHARLIE Air cover. Gunships and scout helicopters escorting line haul (q.v.) truck convoys.

ALPHA-MIKE-FOXTROT “Adios Mother Fucker.” An informal radio signoff or casual farewell. Never spoken as “A-M-F.”

Ambush Alley Ambush-prone section of National Route 19 between Pleiku and An Khe leading up to Mang Giang Pass (pronounced “Mang Yang”) in II CTZ. There were other highway and road stretches called “Ambush Alley,” one being National Route 8 south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) running from Dong Ha west to Khe Sanh Combat Base and into Laos. National Route 1, running the entire length of RVN inland from the coast, was occasionally called “Ambush Alley.”

Amerasian American-Asian; principally refers to half-American, half-Vietnamese children irrespective of the American father’s race. Amerasian children (now adults) are particularly discriminated against, with Vietnamese dismissively calling them bu.i đò,i (bui doi—“dirt of life” or the less condescending “children of the dust”). It originally meant a “street-urchin.” After the fall of RVN it was difficult for Amerasians to obtain ration cards and schooling. They were called “children of the enemy” (America). The awkward US Department of State tag was “Vietnam AmerAsians.”

Americal Division The better known title of the 23d Infantry Division. When first raised in 1942, “Americal” or “AMERICAL” was a contraction for “Americans on New Caledonia” where it was organized from separate units just as the 23d would be in Vietnam from separate units. Aka “AMCAL” (official abbreviation pronounced “Am-Cal”) and “It’s a Miracle Division.”

ammo Ammunition. Anything fired by small arms and crew-served weapons: cartridges, projectiles, rockets, and propellant charges. A “round” of ammunition was a single cartridge or projectile with propellant change. “Round” originates from when muskets fired a round lead ball and cannons a round iron ball.

ammo cans There were several sizes of airtight steel ammunition cans that were airtight, waterproofed with rubber gaskets, and had a carrying handle on top. The hinged lid was removable. The M2A1 “big ammo can” held 5.56mm bandoleers and .50-cal belts while the M9A1 “small ammo can” held belted 7.62mm. Soldiers sometimes carried personal items in a can strapped to their rucksack.

ammo residue Expended cartridge cases, MG gun links, loading clips, bandoliers, expended pyrotechnics, crates, boxes, tubes, and packing materials used on firing ranges. In Vietnam it was important to recover such residue for salvage and evacuate to prevent the enemy from making use of it.

amtrac Amphibian tractors, the general term for Marine Landing Vehicles, Tracked (LVT). Pronounced “am-track.” LVTs used in Vietnam included:

LVTC-5 (command) landing vehicle, tracked

LVTE-1 (engineer) landing vehicle, tracked

LVTH-6 (howitzer) landing vehicle, tracked

LVTP-5 (personnel) landing vehicle, tracked

LVTR-1 (recovery) landing vehicle, tracked

Note: There is confusion on designations. The improved LVTP-7-series were not fielded until 1972, but are sometimes credited to being in Vietnam. In 1984 the LVT-7A1-series was redesignated the AAV-7A1-series (Amphibious Assault Vehicle-7A1).

And there it is. That’s the way it is (like it or not); it is what you got; so much for that. “Check it out.” I agree with you.

angel track M113A1 APC used as a medical evacuation ambulance—ten sitting or four litter patients.

Angry-one-oh-nine AN/GRC-109 radio used by Special Forces for portable long-range AM Morse code transmission. Used since the 1950s, it was impractical in Vietnam owing to its weight, the need for a heavy G-43 hand-cranked power generator, and lengthy set up time—it could not be operated while moving. They were used for backup communications in remote camps. GRC = Ground-Radio-Communications.

Annapolis US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. “Annapolis” is a four-year naval college from which graduates received Regular Navy ensign commissions to serve six years’ active duty. Graduates could be commissioned in other services. Midshipmen’s four years in Annapolis did not count toward their naval time in service. (Future Marine officers could attend Annapolis [q....

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Abbreviations
• Phonetic Alphabets
• Unit Designations
• Words of the Vietnam War: ALPHA to ZULU
• Appendices
• Selected Bibliography
• Copyright