In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Glossary of Military Terms and Acronyms airburst Shell that exploded in the air. Air Cavalry Helicopter-borne Army infantry. ammo Ammunition. ammo humper Gun crew member who carried rounds to the gun when ¤ring. base camp Home base for units operating in the ¤eld. battalion Military unit consisting of four or ¤ve companies or batteries. battery Military unit of artillery pieces or heavy mortars (usually four to six); would typically contain from 100 to 130 men. beehive Slang for a type of artillery shell that contained hundreds of ®echettes or little nails with ¤ns on the back to stabilize them in ®ight. The beehive was like the canister from the Civil War and created an effect similar to a shotgun when ¤red from an artillery piece. bird Slang for aircraft. bracketed In the adjustment of artillery ¤re, a target was considered bracketed when there had been adjusting rounds ¤red over and below the target. In theory, the next adjusting round should be near or on target. CH-46 chopper Large helicopter. Chicom Slang for hand grenades of the enemy. Word stemmed from the words “Chinese Communist.” chopper Helicopter. claymore Type of antipersonnel mine ¤red by hand from an electrical wire connected to a detonator at some distance. It could be placed at key points for directional ¤ring and had the effect of a shotgun blast. CO Commanding of¤cer. company Unit made up of three or four platoons and typically containing between 100 and 180 men. concussion grenades Grenades made without shrapnel so they would not injure the attackers when overrunning a position. CP Command post. C rations Prepackaged meals of boxed canned goods that could be prepared without a ¤eld kitchen. A heating tablet, instant coffee, and toilet paper were contained in each package. de¤lade A depression in the terrain that direct-¤re weapons could not hit because the missile would pass overhead. DEROS Date eligible to return from overseas. DMZ Technically, the no-man’s-land separating North and South Vietnam. Typically, the entire area bordering that no-man’s-land was referred to as the DMZ. Stands for demilitarized zone. FDC Fire direction center; where ¤ring data were prepared for the guns.¤ghting holes Proper term for foxholes. These holes were dug to prevent soldiers from getting hit by direct ri®e and machine-gun ¤re. They were also helpful in protecting the occupant from shrapnel. Firecracker Code name for COFRAM (controlled fragmentation munitions); artillery shells with bomblets that were expelled from the shell over a target and exploded like grenades when they hit the ground.¤re¤ght Combat skirmish where ri®e or machine-gun ¤re was involved.®are ship Cargo plane used to drop parachute ®ares that would light up the night. Often used in night combat. FO Forward observer. 264 GLOSSARY folding-stock machine gun Compact, handheld machine gun with a stock that could fold down to make it even more compact. friendlies Troops or civilian personnel who were not the enemy. friendly ¤re Weapons ¤re that came from our own troops, allies, or civilians who were on our side. gungy An attitude that showed one had experience. gun loop Communications system linked by wire to all the guns in a battery and the command center (“Exec Pit”) gun pad Area where the gun was placed or positioned, often within parapets. H&I Harassing and interdiction ¤re. heating tablets Tablets a little larger than an Alka-Seltzer that when lit would burn for approximately ¤ve minutes; used to heat canned meals in C rations; also called heat tabs. helicopter insertion The insertion of troops by helicopter into an area. hooch Living quarters; could be a shack, bunker, tent, house, or similar structure . humping Hard or heavy marching; used in such phrases as “humping the hills.” in country To be in Vietnam. Indian country Dangerous area or territory controlled or dominated by the enemy. JAG Judge Advocate General; the legal branch of the Marines. KIA Killed in action. LP Listening post; a man or team of two men set up in front of the lines in the dark for early detection of the enemy. LZ Landing zone M-60 machine gun The standard lightweight, belt-fed machine gun of all U.S. military forces in Vietnam. medevac Medical evacuation. meters One meter is equal to 39.37 inches, and one kilometer is equal to GLOSSARY 265 0.6214 of a mile. The military tends to use the metric system to describe distances much more than they...

Share