Vietnam Survival Challenge
Group 6: Vietnam Slang
Neepa, Alexandra, Mollie, Jacob, and Jared
LZ
LZ: Landing Zone
Anywhere a helicopter can land
Used by pilots to land safely in hostile areas
Alexandra Giampietro
Cherry/FNG
FNG: Fucking New Guy
New guy(s) to the platoon
Senior soldiers called the new comers
Alexandra Giampietro
Hot Zone
Location that is considered dangerous
If soldiers go into Hot Zones they can expect to be under fire;
and death
LZ in “We Were Soldier was a Hot Zone
Alexandra Giampietro
high risk of injury
Grunt
Infantryman
Originally slang for a Marine fighting in Vietnam, later applied to any soldier
fighting there
Alexandra Giampietro
Wasted
slang for any person killed during war
Alexandra Giampietro
Don’t Mean Nothin
Coined by G.I.’s in Vietnam
Means everything & I’m about to lose it
Usually used to dismiss witnessing or
experiencing something so horrific that it
can’t be comprehended by the psyche.
Used as an expression of relief that one has
avoiding being killed even if they are injured or
married.
Neepa
A Klick (measurement)
A "klick" means a distance of 1000 meters or
1 kilometer
ie: if a Soldier radios, "We're 10 klicks south
of your position," that means they are 10
kilometers away, or 6.2 miles away.
It was important because soldiers would
navigate by having compass direction and
measure distance by pacing
keep track of distance traveled
Assign the job of tracking paces two one or
two infantry soldiers
would keep track of each 100 meter mark and
when it reached 1000 meters they would Neepa
signal the section commander
In Country
It is where you are stationed
in this case it would be Vietnam
“a training school incountry…”
Important because that is the place that
many of these soldiers would be
stationed at for long periods of time
Many of the people that ended up being
deployed there did not even know
Vietnam existed or what its terrain
was like
Neepa
Getting Short
Term used by everyone in Vietnam to tell all who would listen that his tour was
almost over
Important because it was something for them to look forward too especially
because they have been there for so long
Morale booster and a motivation to keep fighting and this was essential especially because the war
was so aggressive and took a large toll on the soldiers
Neepa
Digit Midget
One-Digit Midget
a soldier with less than 10 days to serve before his date of expected return from overseas
Two-Digit Midget
a soldier with less than 100 days left on his assignment to Vietnam
Double-Digit Midget
a soldier with less than 100 days left in their tour of duty
Neepa
Zippo Raid
Zippo- brand of lighter most commonly carried
during the war
Derogatory term to describe the burning of
Vietnamese villages suspected of harboring
Vietcong soldiers
Tactic used by American military
Supported anti-war propaganda at home
Mollie
AWOL
AWOL = Absent Without Leave
Term used by the US Military to describe a
soldier who has left his post without
permission
Dangerous for both the AWOL soldier and his
platoon
Mollie
Court Martial
A military court that determines the guilt of
members of the military and decides on
their punishment
Most commonly convened for crimes
regarding violations of the Uniform Code
of Military Justice (UCMJ)
Can act as a deterrent for soldiers to commit
such violations
Mollie
Cluster Fuck
Military term for an operation in which multiple
things have gone wrong
Used by the US Military to describe a chaotic
situation
Can provide humour for soldiers when they’re in
a scary/dangerous situation
Mollie
DEROS
DEROS = Date Eligible Return from Overseas
Issued to a member of the US Army or Air Force
when they are deployed overseas
Based on type of overseas tour/destination of tour
Can act as motivation to complete your tour
Mollie
Fragging
-The assassination of a friendly soldier usually a
superior officer.
-More than 209 cases documented during the vietnam
war.
- Made it difficult to trust even your closest soldiers.
JW
FUBAR
JW
-A military acronym derived from the vietnam war. Stands for, “Fucked up beyond
any repair.¨
-Military officers would often use this term talking to their
superiors after a gruesome battle.
Hump the Boonies
JW
-Taking a long walk through a uninhabited wild area with a heavy pack. Often a
jungle.
-Boonies being derived from ¨boondocks.¨
John Wayne
-Marion Mitchell Morrison, known by his stage
name John Wayne, was an American film actor,
director, and producer. Most commonly known for
being a hero in many movies, and the manly man
everyone wanted to be.
- John Wayne was a huge inspiration for many
Americans to join the war and fight for their
county and because of that had a very helpful
impact and the outcome of the war.
JW
Mama San/Papa San
Mama San- pidgin used by American servicemen for any older
Vietnamese women
Papa San- pidgin used by American servicemen for any older Vietnamese
man
Million dollar Wound
A non-crippling wound that is serious enough to warrant a return to the
U.S.
Didi/Didi Mau
Slang Vietnamese for go quickly
Bro/Bloods/Boonierats
Bro- a combat Infantryman
Bloods- used by both black and white American soldiers to denote black
soldiers.
Boonierats- a combat soldier, spending weeks or more in the jungle