vietnam war

17th parallel

temporary border dividing north and south vietnam.

1969 (woodstock)

counterculture music festival promoting peace and freedom.

26th amendment (voting age)

lowered the u.s. voting age from 21 to 18.

agent orange

toxic chemical spray used to destroy jungle hideouts.

air america

secret airline owned by the cia to fly hidden missions.

annam

the central region of vietnam during french colonial rule.

ao dai

traditional vietnamese long tunic dress worn over pants.

a.r.v.n.

army of the republic of vietnam (south vietnamese army).

bao dai

the last emperor of vietnam, replaced by ngo dinh diem.

binh xuyen

powerful vietnamese criminal and military group in saigon.

bob hope

famous comedian who entertained american troops overseas.

cambodia

neighbor country bombed by the u.s. to destroy communist bases.

can lao

secret political party used to control south vietnam.

capital of north vietnam

hanoi.

capital of south vietnam

saigon (now ho chi minh city).

chao

traditional vietnamese rice porridge.

charlie (v.c.)

u.s. military slang name for the viet cong.

dien bien phu

1954 battle site where vietnamese rebels defeated the french.

d.m.z.

demilitarized zone dividing north and south vietnam.

domino theory

belief that if one country fell to communism, others would follow.

f-4 phantom / b-52

primary u.s. fighter jet and heavy long-range bomber.

fall of south vietnam (1975)

capture of saigon by communists, ending the war.

fragging

soldiers intentionally killing their own unpopular officers.

french indo-china

group of french colonies including vietnam, laos, and cambodia.

general william westmoreland

overall commander of u.s. military forces during the escalation.

geneva conference

1954 conference ending french rule and splitting vietnam at the 17th parallel.

gulf of tonkin incident

1964 event where a u.s. ship was allegedly attacked, starting the war.

hanoi hilton

notorious north vietnamese prison camp where u.s. pows were tortured.

henry kissinger

u.s. official who negotiated the end of direct u.s. involvement.

ho chi minh

north vietnamese leader who fought the japanese, french, and americans.

ho chi minh trail

secret jungle supply path from north to south vietnam.

hue

historic vietnamese city that saw brutal fighting during the tet offensive.

hueys (l.z.)

iconic u.s. military helicopters used for landing zones and evacuations.

kent state university

anti-war protest where national guardsmen shot and killed students.

l.b.j.

president lyndon b. johnson, who heavily expanded u.s. troops.

laos

neighbor country bombed to cut off communist supply paths.

l.z. (landing zone)

helicopter landing area, called hot if under enemy fire.

le duan

top north vietnamese leader who pushed for total victory.

m-16 / m-60 / ak-47

standard weapons and machine guns used by both sides.

my lai massacre

horrific mass murder of unarmed vietnamese civilians by u.s. troops.

napalm

highly flammable jellied gasoline used in airstrikes to clear forests.

ngo dinh diem

first president of anti-communist south vietnam, assassinated in 1963.

ngo dinh nhu

powerful brother and chief advisor to president diem.

charlie

nickname of vietcong used by american soldiers

nixon doctrine

foreign policy stating allies must fight their own wars.

n.l.f.

national liberation front (political arm of the viet cong).

non la

traditional vietnamese cone-shaped straw hat.

n.s.c.-68

national security council report 68. u.s. policy document urging global containment of communism.

n.v.a.

north vietnamese army.

operation rolling thunder

sustained, heavy u.s. bombing campaign over north vietnam.

richard nixon

president who began withdrawing u.s. troops from vietnam.

robert mcnamara

u.s. secretary of defense who oversaw early war escalation.

s.a.m.s

surface-to-air missiles used by north vietnam to shoot down u.s. planes.

s.d.s. (anti-war)

students for a democratic society, a major protest group.

search and destroy

combat strategy to find enemies, kill them, and leave.

silent majority

nixon's term for americans who quietly supported the war.

symbols of the vietnam war

peace signs, green helmets, and helicopters.

tet

the vietnamese lunar new year holiday.

tet offensive

massive surprise communist attack that ruined u.s. public support.

tunnel rats

specialized soldiers who cleared underground communist bunkers.

vietminh

league that fought for vietnamese independence from france.

vietnamization

nixon's plan to train south vietnam to fight alone while slowly withdrawing american troops.

vietnam peace accords (april 30, 1973)

treaty signed to end direct u.s. combat.

walter cronkite

trusted news anchor who famously called the war a stalemate.

whiskey tango foxtrot

military phonetic slang for wtf.