An "Unofficial" Vietnam
Dictionary
Written by Paul Kasper
Edited by Bob Nelson
Dedicated to all Vietnam Veterans--"Especially those who didn't come home."
-- D --
D - Austrailian Destroyer
Dac Cong - (Dak-Kong) VC Special Forces Unit.
Dai-uy - (Die-wee) Vietnamese for Captain.
Dai-ta - (Day-tah) Vietnamese for Colonel.
Daily-Daily - Daily anti-malaria pill.
Daisy Chain - Detonation cord linking several claymores together.
Daisy Cutter - 15,000 lb bomb is incorrect. It was mis-named during Desert Storm. The correct definition is Commando Vault
or Blu-82 (sometimes referred to as ole blue) = 15,000 lb bomb. A Daisy Cutter was/is a 4 ft M1A1 Fuze
Extender which was/is used on MK-82's (500 lb) MK-84's (2,000 lb) etc., & other dumb bombs. It was used
to clear an area in the jungle to make an instant firebase.
Dak To - A major battle in November 1967 that was a lesson to US military forces.
Da Nang – The farthest north port of South Vietnam, I Corps, many US Navy and Marine units were stationed in the area.
Home of Monkey Mountain.
DAP – A stylized, ritualized manner of shaking hands, started by African American soldiers as a means of recognition.
DAPZONE – A small pill taken periodically by US soldiers, ostensibly to prevent malaria, but actually meant to prevent
Leprosy.
DC - Dental Corps
DD 214 - Formal record of military service – provided at discharge.
DD - Destroyer
DD Form 4 - Enlistment contract form for enlisted in one of the US armed services.
DDG - Guided Missle Destroyer
DDR - Radar `oclet Destrpuer
DE - Destroyer Escort
Decompression – Time away from a battle, relaxation. A vast number of nurses observed that decompression time was needed
(but not gotten). GIs were quickly returned (individually) to the States after a tour in S.E.A. and therefore
had minimal time to decompress prior to returning to their families.
Deer - In the jungles of Vietnam they are the size of a large dog.
Defoliant - A chemical that is sprayed or dusted on vegetation that cause the leaves to fall off, and vegetation to die.
See: Agent Orange.
Delaware - See: Operations.
Delta Dagger - F-102 jet fighter. Nicknamed the "Lead Sled" - usually based in Thailand or the Philippines.
Demilitarized Zone – (DMZ) The designated area between North and South Vietnam. In accordance with the original agreement
the area was supposed to be free of all military forces from both sides. This did not happen; there was
intense action continuously.
Democrat, 1968 Convention - Held in Chicago, Illinois - the site of a major anti-war protest.
DER - Radar Picket Escort Ship
DEROS - Date of Estimated Return from Overseas.
Desertion - There were only 24 proven cases of battlefield desertion during the Vietnam War.
Desoto - See: Operations.
Det cord - Explosive or detonation line for plastic explosives, or (daisy) claymores.
Deuce-and-a-half - A two and a half ton military truck.
Dew or Doo - Marijuana (short for doobie).
Dex tabs - A mild form of speed. Military personnel took them to stay awake.
DI - Drill Instructor.
Di di mau - Vietnamese, to send away. Go, or get out. (Short form – di di – Go!).
Diddy boppin' - Slang term when someone moved carelessly without caution.
Diem - President of South Vietnam. Diem refuse to allow general democratic elections (as required by the Geneva
Conference) because 80% of the people would have voted for Uncle Ho.
Dien Bien Phu - The site of a major battle that turned the war against the French in Vietnam in 1954. The Communist
Commanding General was Vo Nguyen Giap.
Dien Tin - “The Telegraph.” A Vietnamese newspaper known for its anti-war stance.
Dime - Number 10, or one ounce.
Dioxin - Toxic chemical substance was never specified to be a component of any defoliant used in Vietnam..
Dinky Dau - Vietnamese for crazy.
Disabled - Approximately 519,000 Vietnam Vets were disabled because of injuries.
Di Wee – Vietnamese for Captain (O-3).
DLG - Guided Missile Frigate
DMZ - Demilitarized Zone. Established between North and South Vietnam - July 22, 1954. US ground troops could not
cross the DMZ due to the Geneva Convention.
Don ganh - Shoulder pole on which Vietnamese women carried goods to market.
Dong - Currency of (North) Vietnam.
Dong Nai - The river just North of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
Dong Xoai – Located in III Corps north of Saigon, a major battle was fought there in June 1965. Two Medals of Honor were
awarded for that battle.
Dong Tam - The 9th Infantry Division/Navy base on the north bank of the Song My Tho River about 50 miles south of
Saigon.
Donut Dolly – (Sometimes Doughnut Dolly) American Red Cross Volunteers.
Doobie - Marijuana cigarette.
Doper - A person who used illicit drugs.
Double-entendre - Something whose intent can be taken a way other than what is simply stated.
Dove - A person who was opposed to war.
Draft - Draft dodging (failure to register or respond to a notice) was a Violation of US Laws. During the Vietnam War,
of the 250,000 charged with this crime, only 2,000 were sent to jail. Every U.S. male at 18 had to register.
Of the 27 million U.S. males eligible for the draft, only nine million served, and less than three million
went to Vietnam. A manual for US draft-age immigrantion was published by the Toronto Anti-Draft
Organization in the sixties. Canada and Sweden were the countries where those fleeing the draft went
to avoid prosecution. These countries did not return draftees. A draft lottery was implemented in 1969.
The U.S. military draft ended in 1972.
Draft Classifications (ca. 1964-1972):
1-A - Draft Classification for eligible to serve.
2-S - Draft Classification for students.
4-F - Draft Classification for medically unable to serve in the U.S. armed forces.
Drag bombs - (High Drag Bombs) Bombs dropped at low level that were perfect for the topography in Vietnam.
Dragonfly - A-37 jet fighter.
DROS - Date Return from Over Seas
DRV - Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)
Drugs - By 1969, it is estimated by some that over 50 percent of US military personnel took illicit drugs on a regular
basis.
Dung burning detail - The rather odoriferous task (for which most enlisted personnel took turns) of burning human waste
(excrement).
Dung Lai – Vietnamese for stop or halt.
Dust off - Nickname for a medical evacuation of wounded personnel by helicopter.
DX - Direct exchange, or to kill someone.
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