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