Life and Death in the Central Highlands: An American Sergeant in the Vietnam War, 1968-1970

Glossary of Terms

283 Glossary of Terms Base Camp Commando—A derisive term used by infantrymen to describe men who lived in the safety of a base camp. Battalion—The basic maneuver unit in the army. In the infantry , about 400 fighting men and their support network. Bunker—A large foxhole with a log and dirt roof. B-40 Rocket—A single shot, shoulder-fired anti-tank and anti-bunker rocket. Claymore Mine—An electrically fired directional anti-personnel mine. Combat Assault—A helicopter assault on an unsecured landing site. CIB, Combat Infantry Badge—An award given in acknowledgement of skilled service as an infantry soldier. Company—In the infantry, a unit of one-hundred-forty fighting men, officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men. Dustoff —A Medical Evacuation helicopter or the process of medical evacuation. Fire Base or Fire Support Base—Usually a hilltop base in Vietnam where artillery support units and battalion commanders were stationed to support and direct the activities of the individual companies in a battalion. 284 Life and Death in the Central Highlands Fish Hook Region —The border area of Cambodia and southern flank of the Cambodian invasion of 1970. Gook—A racist term Americans used to describe the enemy inVietnam. Grunt—An American infantryman. High Speed Trail—A broad trail frequently used by large numbers of people. KIA—Killed in Action. LZ—Landing Zone. M-60—The standard light machinegun of the U.S. Army inVietnam. Medevac—A medical evacuation helicopter, or the process of evacuating wounded. MOS—Military Occupational Specialty.Your job in the Army. Mortar—A man-portable, crew-served short range artillery piece. NCO—A non-commissioned officer.A corporal or any one of the ranks of sergeant. Parrot’s Beak Region—The border area of Cambodia on the northern flank of the invasion of 1970. Platoon—In the infantry, a unit of 46 men: one junior officer, one senior NCO, four NCOs, and 40 enlisted men. Point—The scout at the front of an infantry patrol. REMF—A “Rear Echelon Motherfucker.”A man who lived in a safe area and took advantage of those who did not. Regiment—A military unit usually composed of four battalions and commanded by either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel. Slack—The man behind the point man on a patrol. Glossary of Terms 285 Slick—A troop carrier helicopter. InVietnam, the UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. Squad—In the infantry, a group of ten enlisted men, led by a sergeant. TOC—Tactical Operations Center.The nerve center of a battalion or regiment. Trip Flare—An early warning device that ignites a flare when one trips over a wire attached to it. WIA—Wounded in action. ...