Vietnam War

french indo-china

SEA colony (viet, laos, cambodia) held by france until 1954; primary root of conflict

viet minh

commie-led nationalist coalition founded by ho chi minh; fought for inde from french & japanese rule

bao dai

final emperor of viet; served as leader of french-backed state of vietnam

N.L.F. (national liberation front)

commie insurgent group in south viet (aka viet cong); aimed to overthrow southern gov & unify north

gulf of tonkin (1964)

alleged north viet attacks on u.s. destroyers; prompted gulf of tonkin resolution, giving LBJ broad powers to escalate the war without formal declaration

D.M.Z. (demilitarized zone)

the buffer zone along 17th parallel separating north & south viet

charlie (v.c.)

military slang for viet cong; derived from victor charlie in phonetic alphabet

17th parallel

provisional military demarcation line established by 1954 geneva accords dividing north & south

ngo dinh nhu

younger brother and chief political advisor to south viet president ngo dinh diem; leader of secret police

huey’s (l.z.)

bell uh-1 iroquois helicopters; used for troop transport and medical evacuation to “landing zones” (lz)

N.V.A. (north viet army)

regular professional army of north viet (officially the people’s army of vietnam)

M-16/M-60/AK-47

primary infantry weapons;

m-16 (standard us rifle)

m-60 (us machine gun)

ak-47 (soviet-designed rifle used by commies)

f-4 phantom/b-52

key u.s. aircraft;

f-4 (supersonic fighter-bomber)

b-52 (heavy long-range bomber used for “carpet bombing”)

symbols of vietnam war

peace sign (anti war)

dove/hawk (anti war vs pro war)

huey helicopter

zippo lighter

S.A.M.’s (surface to air missiles)

soviet supplied weapons used by north to shoot down U.S. planes

general william westmoreland

commander of U.S. forces in viet (1964-1968); proponent of “war of attrition” and" “search and destroy” tactics

le duan

general secretary of the communist party of vietnam; the key architect of north viet military strategy after 1960

annam

central region of vietnam; historically a french protectorate within indo-china

N.S.C-68

1950 national security council paper; established the policy of “containment” and massive military buildup to fight global communism

A.R.V.N.

army of the republic of vietnam; the ground forces of the south viet gov

tunnel rats

specialized U.S. and allied soldiers who cleared the extensive underground tunnel networks used by viet cong

ho chi minh trail

logistical supply route through laos and cambodia used by the north to move troops and supplies into south viet

capital of north vietnam

hanoi

capitol of south vietnam

saigon (renamed ho chi minh city 1975)

agent orange

toxic herbicide used by u.s. to clear jungle foliage; later linked to severe health issues and birth defects

richard nixon

37th u.s. pres campaigned on “peace with honor,” initiated vietnamization, and oversaw the war’s conclusion for the U.S.

tet

the viet lunar new year; traditionally a time of truce during the war

tet offensive (1968)

massive surprise attack by NVA/VC on southern cities; militarily a VC defeat but a major political/physiological turning point that turned U.S. public opinion against the war

fragging

the deliberate killing unpopular superior officers by their own troops, usually with a fragmentation grenade

operation rolling thunder

sustained U.S. aerial bombardment campaign against north viet (1965-1968) to weaken their will to fight

my lai massacre (1968)

mass murder of hundreds or unarmed viet civilians by U.S. soldiers; its cover-up and later exposure shocked the world

search and destroy

military strat of inserting ground forces into hostile territory to find, kill, and then withdraw

S.D.S. (anti-war)

students for a democratic society; leading new left student organization that organized major anti-war protests

silent majority

term used by nixon to describe americans who supported his policies but were not vocal like the anti-war protestors

binh xuyen

powerful criminal organization and private army in saigon, suppressed by diem in 1955

nixon doctrine

policy stating the U.S. would provide military and economic aid to allies but expected them to provide their own manpower for defense

kent state uni

site of 1970 protest where national guardsmen fired on students, killing 4; intensified national anti-war sentiment

1969 (woodstock)

iconic music festival representing the height of the 1960s counterculture and “flower power” movement

laos

nation bordering vietnam; location of the ho chi minh trail and subject of heavy “secret” U.S. bombing

cambodia

nation bordering viet; nixon’s 1970 invasion there sparked massive u.s. protests; later home to the khmer rouge genocide

26th amendment (votinga ge)

ratified in 1971; lowered voting age to 19 (logic: if you are old enough to be drafted, you are old enough to vote)

robert mcnamara

U.S. secretary of defense (1961-1968); major architect of U.S. involvement, later became a vocal critic of the war

henry kissinger

nixon’s national security advisor and secretary of state; lead negotiator of the paris peace accords

vietnamization

nixon’s policy of withdrawing U.S. troops while training and equipping south viet forces to take over the fighting

L.B.J. (lyndon b. johnson)

36th U.S. pres who significantly escalated the U.S. involvement after the gulf of tonkin incident

napalm

highly flammable jellied gasoline used in firebombs and flamethrowers; caused horrific burns and civilian casulaties

domino theory

cold war belief that if one nation fell to communism, neigboring nations would follow

dien bien phu (1954)

decisive french defeat by the viet minh; led to the end of the french colonial rule in viet

can lao

secret political party of the diem regime in south viet; used to control the military and gov

walter cronkite

respected CBS news anchor; his 1968 broadcast declaring the war a “stalemate” was seen as a major blow to U.S. morale

vietnam peace accords

the 1973 paris peace accords; established a ceasefire and the withdrawal of all remaining U.S. troops

fall of south vietnam (1975)

the final north viet offensive resulting in the capture of saigon and the total collapse of the south

c(h)ao dai

a syncretic vietnamese religious movement with its own private army; targeted by the diem gov

air america

a passenger and cargo airline covertly owned and operated by the CIA during the war

hanoi hilton

sarcastic nickname fro hao lo prison, th enorth viet prison where U.S. POWS (like john mccain) were held and tortured

bob hope

famous comedian and actor known for his USO tours to entertain U.S. troops in viet