The Battle of Hue
A Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
A number of foreign terms as well as military acronyms will be used in this project, detailed here. Additions will be made as needed.
A note on US unit designations: Both US Marine Corps and US Army formations will be commonly referred to by their company designations. These are organized as company/battalion/regiment.
Ex. Alpha/1/1 is Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.
Acronyms
AFVN - American Forces Vietnam Network (US Military radio station)
AK - Avtomat Kalashnikov, a Soviet assault rifle and its variants
ARA - Aerial Rocket Artillery, commonly from gunship helicopters
ARVN - Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnamese Army)
B40 - Soviet RPG2 rocket launcher or variations thereof
CO - Commanding Officer
CORDS - Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (Program and strategy to win popular support from VC in rural areas of South Vietnam)
CP - Command Post
GVN - Government of Vietnam (See also RVN)
HQ - Headquarters
KIA - Killed In Action
LRRP - Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (US military scouts, considered elite)
LZ - Landing Zone
MACV - Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (US Command in country)
NCO - Non-Commissioned Officer ex. a Sergeant
NLF - National Liberation Front (See also VC)
NVA - North Vietnamese Army (see also PAVN)
PAVN - People’s Army of Vietnam (see also NVA)
PK17 - French, Post Kilometer 17, an ARVN camp located at kilometer marker 17 north of Hue
POW - Prisoner Of War
PRC25 - Portable Radio, Communications 25 (see also Prick-25)
PX - Post Exchange, essentially a small store on a base
RVN - Republic of Vietnam (See also GVN)
RVNAF - Republic of Vietnam Air Force
RVNMC - Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps
RVNN - Republic of Vietnam Air Force
RF/PF - Regional Force/Popular Front (An RVN militia organization, see also Ruff-Puff)
RPG - Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot, a Russian type anti tank rocket launcher. Also used as a generic term for Rocket Propelled Grenade (see also B-40)
RTO - Radio Telephone Operator, a man who carries a backpack radio
SIPEA - Societe Indochinoise Pour les Eaux et l’Electricite en Annam (French named electric utility company)
SOG - Studies and Observations Group (MACV special forces)
SVA - South Vietnamese Army (See also ARVN)
TFP - This Fucking Place (name of area near Thon La Chu given by 2/12 Cavalry)
USAF - United States Air Force
USMC - United States Marine Corps
USN - United States Navy
WIA - Wounded In Action
XO - Executive Officer
Abbreviations
Cav - Cavalry
Ranks
Pvt. - Private
Spc. - Specialist, sometimes followed by a number indicating grade
Cpl. - Corporal
LCpl. - Lance Corporal
Sgt. - Sergeant
Lt. - Lieutenant, sometimes seen with 1st or 2nd before it indicating grade
Capt. - Captain
Maj. - Major
LtCol. - Lieutenant Colonel
Gen. - General
Vietnamese Terms
Chieu Hoi - “Open Arms”, a program to encourage defections from Vietnamese communists
Hac Bao - Black Panthers, an elite reconnaissance force of the 1st ARVN Division
Nguy - Pejorative term for supporters of Saigon used by communists
Phu Bai - Airport and USMC Combat Base just south of Hue
Song Huong - “River of Perfume”, Vietnamese name for Perfume River
Thua Thien - The South Vietnamese province of which Hue serves as capitol
American Slang
Arty - Artillery
Bird - Aircraft
C-Rat - C-Rations, the basic combat meal issued to American personnel, canned
Chicom - “Chinese Communist”, most commonly used to refer to Chinese stick grenades
Chopper - Helicopter
Duster - M42 self propelled anti-aircraft gun
Gook - Pejorative term for Vietnamese or Asians in general
Hog - Term for UH-1 Huey helicopter fitted with external munitions (see also Slick)
Kit Carson Scout - Vietcong who have defected and aid US and ARVN forces
Klick - Kilometer
Point - Leader of a formation. Can be a single man or a unit, depending on context
Prick-25 - PRC-25 radio
Ruff Puff - South Vietnamese Regional Forces and Popular Front
Slick - Term for UH-1 Huey helicopter without external munitions (see also Hog)
Trooper - Common term used for US cavalry personnel