NAM SPEAK

A

Ace of spades. A playing card that the Vietnamese interpreted as a symbol of death.

Agency. The Central Intelligence Agency - CIA

Agent Orange. One of a number of defoliants that were designated by a color-coded bar on the container.

Alpha Bravo . Phonetic alphabetization for ambush.

Alpha Hotel .Asshole.

Ap . Vietnamise word meanic hamlet.

Arc light . A B-52 bomber strike.

ASAP . As soon as possible.

B

Baby shit .Mustard.

BC . Body count.

Bird. An aircraft .

Bird dog . A light fixed-wing observation aircraft.

Black hats . Pathfinders.

Bluper . M 79.

Boat people . Refugees fleeing Vietnam by boat after the 1975.

Body bag. A zippered bag in which bodies or body parts are put for shipment.

Boom-boom . Sex.

Boom-boom girl . A prostitute.

Brown-Water Navy. The Navy along the rivers.

BS . Border surveillance.

Bullshit bomber . An airplane used to drop propaganda leaflets.

Bush. Term used for the jungle or any remote area away from a base camp or a city.

C

Cambodian red . Marijuana.

Charlie The Vietcong; short for "victor charlie".

Cheap Charlie. A skinflint.

Cherry . New replacement.

Chopper . A helicopter.

Click or klick . A kilometer.

Cramper . A "tiger cage," or a small cell used to break a prisoner's psychological defenses.

D

Debrief . To get an oral report about an event.

Di di . To run; from the Vietnamese mau ("get out of the way"; "hurry.").

Dinky dau . To be crazy; from the Vietnamese dien cai ("crazy"; "ridiculous").

Doughnut dollies . Red Cross girls.

F

Farang. A foreigner, from the Thai .

Fire in the hole . Explosives to be detonated deliberately in a suspected enemy Hiding-Hole.

F.N.G. Fucking new guy.

Free fire zone . Any area in which permission was not required prior to firing on targets.

G

Gook. The term was mainly applied to the indochinese people.

H

Hanoi Hilton . Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh sandals. Sandals fashioned from used automobile tires.

Hot . Hostile.

I

Incoming . Hostile artillery fire.

Indian country . Unsecured territory.

J

Jungle rule. Always be quit.

K

K.I.A. Killed in action.

Klick . Short for kilometer.

L

Lao green. Marijuana.

Lifer . Career soldier.

Lurps. Long Range Reconnaissance Platoon.

M

Mad minute. A brief period of intense automatic rifle or machine gun fire.

Medevac . Medical evacuation.

Motherfucker . An all-purpose oath.

Mr. Zippo . A soldier operating a flamethower.

N

Naked Fanny. Nakon Phanom air base, in Thailand.

Native sport . Hunting for viet cong.

Number 1. The best.

Number 10. The worst.

Nuoc-man . A pungent vietnamise concentrated fish souce used to flavour rice.

Nungs . Chinese tribal troops

O

On the line. On the front line.

P

Psywar . Psychological warfare.

Puff the magic dragon. A C-47, DC-3, AC-130, or other aircraft armed as a gunship.

Punjii stake . Razor sharp bamboo stake.

P.X. hero. A soldier who bought medals at a post exchange rather than earning them.

R

Ranch hand . Operations to conduct defoliant and anticrop activities.

R & R . Rest and Recreation.

Remf . Rear echelon motherfucher.

S

Sappers . Demolition assault pioneers.

SNAFU . Situation Normal All Fucked Up.

Spook . Civilian intelligence agent.

T

Tiger . Tiger stripe .

Tunnel rat . A soldier who search enemy tunnel systems.