GLOSSARY

Definition of Common Terms

AC- aircraft, usually helicopters, primarily UH-I "Iroquois" B, C, D, H or M model "Huey" (Bell) helicopters. "Slicks" were originally B models that in about 1966 were replaced by D and later H models configured as troop lift ships with two M-60, 7.62mm, machine guns mounted one on each side. "Guns" were B, C or M models (but mostly C or "Charlie" models) armed with 2.75 inch rocket pods (normally 7 rockets per pod) and 7.62mm rapid fire mini-guns (3,000 rounds per minute) on each side. A major difference between B, C and M models was the power of their engine.

There were three basic gunship configurations in the 162nd AHC:
· Normal gunships, sometimes called "slaughter ships"-which were equipped with miniguns and 14 rockets.
· Frogs-which had larger rocket pods, generally 19 rockets per pod, and an M-5 belt-fed 40 mm grenade launcher mounted in a ball turret on the nose of the aircraft. The M-5 (as well as sometimes the ship itself) was called a Chunker or Thumper.
· Hogs-which were equipped with all rockets, normally 38 in total. This configuration was often temporarily mounted on a ship when other armament systems were down for maintenance.
In its original gun platoon, the 162nd had 7 Slaughter Ships and one Frog or Chunker.

AC- aircraft commander, the "command" authority in an aircraft, generally over any other authority regardless of rank, and generally the pilot with the most time in-county, and the most experience, combat flight hours and missions. AC can mean either aircraft commander or aircraft depending on how it is used.

AHC- Assault Helicopter Company. This was by far the most common helicopter unit. It included 31 UH-1's and the equipment and personnel to maintain and repair the aircraft. Each AHC had 2 lift platoons of 11 aircraft each, a gun platoon of 8 aircraft and a service or maintenance platoon with 1 aircraft. There were approximately 300 men in an AHC, including 50-60 pilots. Other types of helicopter units were:
· AWC- Aerial Weapons Company which had all gunships,
· ASHC- Assault Support Helicopter Company which had CH-47 Chinooks, a large cargo or troop carrying helicopters, and
· HHC- Heavy Helicopter Company which had CH-54 Sky Cranes for very heavy lifting.

AK, or AK-47- The standard Warsaw pact infantry weapon used by VC and NVA troops.

AO- Area of operations, terrain.

ARVN- Army of the Republic of Vietnam soldiers.

Ash & Trash- any type of non-combat aviation mission. Also called "milk runs".

"A Team"- a 12 man Special Forces (Green Beret) unit that organized and trained local troops manning many small isolated camps, associated with villages, throughout South Vietnam. The next higher level was the "B Team" which was the headquarters unit controlling a number of A Teams.

B-40- a common type of shoulder fired, rocket propelled explosive charge used by VC and NVA troops.

Base Camp- a semi-permanent field headquarters and center for a given unit. Base camps usually contain all or part of a unit's support elements.

Bird- any aircraft, usually a helicopter.

Bird Dog- Army O-1 two seat, fixed wing aircraft used for aerial observation and spotting for artillery or fighter bombers. Bird dog units were called Recon Airplane Companies (RAC).

Bladder-a heavy duty, rubberized collapsible petroleum drum ranging from 2,000-5,000 gallons in size. Used for aircraft field refueling stations, or POL (refueling) points.

Bunker- a protective shelter, often underground and made of concrete, or timber and sand bags.

CA- combat assault (troop insertion or extraction). A fully coordinated airmobile operation often involving artillery preparation of the landing zone.

CAB- combat aviation battalion, next higher command over a company.

CAV- nickname for Air Calvary, a recon and scout unit that has aerial scout ships, slicks and gunships as well as its own infantry troop unit. Also used to refer to armored cavalry which uses M113 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and other light armored vehicles.

C&C- command and control ship, usually a slick carrying the commander of the unit on the ground.

CE- crew engineer, or "crewchief"- the helicopter mechanic that kept it in the air and also manned one of the M-60 machine guns on the ship (usually on the left side).

Chalk- A term that refers to an aircraft's position in a formation. Chalk 5 is the fifth ship in the formation .

Chicken Plate- nickname for chest protector (body armor) worn by helicopter crewmen. Sometimes sat on by gunners and CE's to protect other vital parts.

Chinook- the CH-47, twin rotor, cargo helicopter. Also called "Shithook" or "Hook".

Claymore-A type of electrically-controlled mine used above ground that emits a blast in a single direction. Often used by US and ARVN units in defensive positions.

Cobra- a faster and more heavily armed type of gunship (with a 2 man crew instead of 4) introduced in 1968. Many Air Cav units and some AHCs replaced their C model gunships with Cobras.

CO- commanding officer, often called "the old man".

Conex- a large metal military container roughly 6'x6'x7' tall, used for shipping and storing supplies and equipment, and often for bunkers, showers, etc.

C-Rations- canned, single meal rations issued for field operations (not very tasty).

DEROS- Date of Expected Return from Overseas, the date you were allowed to go home.

DFC-Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal awarded for bravery in aerial flight.

FAC- usually US Air Force Forward Air Controller but sometimes Army fixed wing "bird dogs".

Firebase-a remote artillery position, usually quite isolated with airlift support being the primary means of resupply.

Fire Team-usually two gunships that flew together and coordinated their attack so that one ship covered the other as it finished a gun run and turned outbound (its most vulnerable period) from the target. A light fire team was 2 ships and a heavy fire team consisted of 3 ships.

First Brigade- In aviation context, this referred to the First Aviation Brigade, the parent organization of all army aviation units in Vietnam that were not organic to a Divison or other major command.

Flack Jacket- heavy, flexible, fiberglass-filled vest worn for protection from light shrapnel. Different from the Chicken Plate which was much heavier and made of rigid ceramics and metal.

Flare Ship- An on-call slick carrying a load of parachute flares that provided light to ground units at night.

FNG- f---ing new guy.

Free Fire Zone- an area where one could shoot at any target without securing prior permission, often used for "clearing weapons" on the AC to make sure they were working properly.

Grunt- affectionate name for infantry soldiers or "ground pounders"-stands for "ground replacement usually not trained".

Gunner- helicopter crewman acting as machine gunner. Could be almost anyone but often an aircraft mechanic still learning the job.

Hooch- house, native hut or GI living quarters.

HQ- any headquarters unit, also where ever the CO is located.

Huey- the Bell UH-1 "Iroquois", generally configured with a 1,400 shaft horsepower Avco Lycoming engine, with a cruising speed of about 100 knots and range of 300 miles, the workhorse of the Vietnam War.

I Corps- northernmost military region of South Vietnam, beginning south of Danang.
II Corps- region encompassing area from south of Danang to south of Cam Ranh Bay.
III Corps- military region from south of Cam Ranh Bay to north of Saigon.
IV Corps- military region from southern tip of Vietnam to north of Saigon.

IFR- instrument flight rules. When flying IFR you can't see the ground or the horizon and must depend solely on instruments.

IP- instructor pilot, authorized to certify other pilots as flight ready. An SIP is a Standards Instructor Pilot who ensures army flight standards and training are being adhered to.

Knots- nautical miles per hour used for stating aircraft airspeed. 100 knots is roughly 110 miles per hour.

KIA- killed in action

Loach- nickname for the small, low-flying observation helicopters used primarily by air cav units to locate enemy targets for gunships and infantry units.

LZ- landing zone. "Hot LZ" is one active with enemy fire or expected fire. "LZ Prep" is to prepare an LZ for landing troops by suppressing enemy fire with gunships, artillery or Air Force jets. PZ is a pick up zone and RP is a reporting point (used to coordinate precise movements of aircraft in large airmobile operations).

LRRP- long range reconnaissance patrols, normally consisting of 4-6 men who were dropped by helicopter in remote areas to observe enemy movements or locate targets. Normally each infantry division or brigade had its own LRRP platoon. The US Navy SEALS were similar to LRRPs in many ways. They performed similar functions but were also used to "snatch" high level enemy leaders identified by intelligence operations.

LRRPs- in jargon "lrrps" also referred to the freeze dried rations that LRRP patrols were issued. They were light-weight and when mixed with hot water were very tasty. Air crews much preferred LRRP rations to C rations, the standard army individual meals issued in the field.

M-16- standard US Army infantry rifle, firing a 5.56mm bullet.

M-60- most common US Army machine gun, firing a 7.62mm bullet, and used by both infantry units and air crews.

MACV- Military Assistance Command Vietnam. Most Vietnamese units, battalion size and above, had US MACV advisors assigned to them, one of their functions being to coordinate with US aviation and other US support units. In the Delta, MAVC was often referred to as DRAC for Delta Regional Assistance Command.

Mike Force-Special Forces Mobile Strike Force composed of US leaders and indigenous troops, and used as a reaction or reinforcing unit. Generally battalion size or larger.

Nails- 2.75" rocket warheads loaded with hundreds of small steel darts called "fleshettes".

Napalm- highly flammable explosive bomb(gelled gasoline) used by the Air Force to burn up an area and incinerate enemy troops.

NVA- regular North Vietnamese Army soldiers/units as opposed to the VC irregular troops.

PIC- pilot in command, different from AC in that PIC was whoever was senior between two pilots who had not yet received official unit designations as AC.

PP, "Peter Pilot"- affectionate name for co-pilot who was not yet experienced enough to be made an AC, or aircraft commander. It often took 4-5 months for a green pilot to make AC.

R&R- rest and recuperation, generally out of the country for most people. Grunts could get a little R&R by just NOT being in the field.

Radios- FM radios were used primarily by the infantry, UHF by Army, Navy and Air Force aircraft, and VHF for Army command & control activities, ship-to-ship and local airfield towers. Most helicopters had all three types of radios, sometimes several of each.

RECON- reconnaissance

Red X- an entry, made by a pilot or other crewmember, in an aircraft log book to indicate that it can not be flown until the particular deficiency noted is corrected.

Revetment- protected parking place for helicopters on an airfield, often an L shaped, two foot wide, dirt-filled wall about 5 foot high to shield the AC from mortar shrapnel.

RPG- rifle propelled grenade, Russian-manufactured antitank grenade launcher.

Short Final- the last minute or so of an aircraft's flight path as it approaches an airfield or LZ.

Sortie- one aircraft takeoff and landing to conduct a mission.

Tet- The Chinese lunar new year in late January or early February that is widely celebrated in Vietnam.

Tracer- a bullet that leaves a visible trail as it travels from phosphorus packed in a small cavity in its base. US tracers were red and Russian/Chinese tracers were usually green.

VC- Viet Cong, or local guerilla fighters.

WP, "Willie Pete"- a white phosphorous artillery round or grenade that explodes phosphorus, produces white smoke, and burns whatever it contacts. Usually the last artillery round fired into an LZ when the troop ships are short final is a WP round to signal the pilots that the artillery barrage is over. WP grenades were often used by gunships to mark targets.

XO- Executive Officer, or second in command to the Commanding Officer of a unit.