Slang terms/Acronyms
GROUP 6 4A Ryan G., Bobby, SanMartin, Ramon, Bobby,
Mark
Cherry/FNG (B.P.)
• New guy that enters the war• Fucking New Guy
LZ (B.P.)
• A place where an aircraft can land• Landing Zone
Hot Zone (B.P.)
• When a landing zone is under fire
Grunt (B.P.)
• Infantrymen, before was used for Marines, now is for all soldiers
Wasted (R.G.)
• Killed
Don’t Mean Nothin’ (R.G.)
• When someone died in action and it didn’t mean anything when they averaged the deaths, it was just a number
A click (R.G.)
• A distance of 100 meters/1 kilometer
In Country (R.G.)
• Vietnam
Getting Short (S.G.)
• An expression that means your tour of duty is almost over
Digit Midget (S.G.)
• Someone who has had an extended deployment and has 10 days left
Zippo Raid (S.G.)
• Ops which Vietnamese villages are burned, often with Zippo cigarette lighters
AWOL (S.G.)
• Absent WithOut Leave• Deserting your men
Court Martial (R.Q.)
• Judicial court for trying members of the armed services accused of offenses against military law
Cluster Fuck (R.Q.)
• Chaotic situation where everything seems to go wrong, fuck something up
DEROS/DERUS (R.Q.)
• Date Eligible From OverSeas• Based on which type of overseas they
will complete and the location of the tour
Fragging (R.Q.)
• Killing someone using a fragmentation grenade as a weapon
FUBAR (S.G.)
• Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition
Hump the Boonies (S.G.)
• To march with a heavy pack through jungle or countryside or the “boonies”
John Wayne (B.P.)
• Movie star in the 60s• Whenever a soldier gets into a
dangerous situation, he was called John Wayne• Can opener (P-38)• Toughness & Durability
Mama San/Papa San (B.P.)
• Mama San- Older Vietnamese Woman• Papa San- Older Vietnamese Man
Million Dollar Wound (R.Q)
• Wound serious enough to sent a soldier away from the fight, but not fatal
Didi/Didi Mau (R.Q.)
• “Go Quickly” Vietnamese slang
Bro/Bloods/Boonierats (M.A.)
• Bro was slang for a Black soldier• Bloods were Black veterans• Boonierats were combat infantrymen