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Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
-- T --
T - Prefix for USNS
T-Day - The day for termination of hostilities in Vietnam during July 1968;
TAC AIR - Tactical Air Command
Tadpole - Nickname for the OH-6 helicopter.
Tailboom – The back portion of the Huey (UH) helicopter. It connected the rear rotor with the main body of the aircraft.
Tango Boat - (ATC) LCM-6 landing craft with extra armor and firepower – used primarily in the Delta area of South Vietnam
with its many rivers and tributaries.
Tarmac - The hard surface of landing strips, helipads, etc.
Tay Nguyen - The Vietnamese name for the Central Highlands.
Tay Ninh - The first jump site of (NRVN) combat troops in Vietnam, 1963.
TC - Tactical Commander.
TCDD - Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (also 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin). A family of dioxins that contain four (4)
chlorine atoms each.
TDY - Temporary Duty.
Tea - The favorite beverage of the Vietnamese people.
Tee-tee - Very small, a slang term meaning little.
Tet - The traditional beginning of the Vietnamese New Year. January 31, 1968 marked the invasion of Saigon.
Considered by many as a turning point with US involvement in Vietnam. Approximately 60% of the North
Vietnamese Army and most of the Viet Cong infrastructure were destroyed during Tet 68. This offensive
left approximately 14,000 Vietnamese civilians dead – most of them scholars, city officials, teachers, etc,
considered to be enemies by the VC and NVA.
TF-115 - Market Time
TF-116 - Gamewardens
TF-117 - Mobile Reverine Force
The Rock – The island of Guam, the point of origin for many B-52 and escort fighter flights.
Thich Quang Duc - A Buddhist monk who burnt himself to death in June 1968 over policies imposed by the South
Vietnamese government.
Thumper - M-79 Grenade Launcher
Thunderchief - F-105 jet. More commonly known as the "Thud".
T.I. - Training Instructor
Tieu-uy - Vietnamese for 2nd Lieutenant
Tieu-ta - Vietnamese for Major
Tiger Balm – An oil/cream used by many Vietnamese as a local remedy for headaches, body pain, etc. The smell was very
distinct. Made in Hong Kong.
Tiger Suit - The camouflage field uniform worn by elite South Vietnamese military units and their US military advisors.
Also worn by US Special Forces soldiers.
T.L. - Team Leader.
Tobasco (Hot) Sauce - US product used by Vietnamese rather than Nouc Mam, or in addition to Nouc Mam. Also used by U.S.
military personnel to enhance the flavor of C-Rations.
TOC - Tactical Operations Center.
Toe popper - US antipersonnel (plastic explosive) mine designed to wound rather than kill.
Tonkin Gulf Incident - Two US Navy destroyers, the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy, were fired upon by North Vietnamese PT
boats on August 2, 1964. This began the buildup of US involvement in Vietnam. The USS Maddox was
later boarded by several anti-war women during the summer of 1966 while the ship was in dry dock in
California.
Top or Top Sergeant.- Normally, a First Sergeant or Sergeant Major.
TOT – Time on target – the time it takes for a projectile to reach its target after being fired.
Tracer - A bullet or shell with a special chemical (phosphorus) on its tip that “burns” when fired and leaves a trail of
smoke or fire; Communist forces use blue-green – allied units use red.
Triage - The medical term meaning sorting for priority of treatment of wounded often performed by nurses in Vietnam.
Troops - Soldiers. US troop strength at the peak of the Vietnam War was 542,000 in-country military personnel.
Tropical Monsoon - The climate of Vietnam.
Trung-ta - Vietnamese for Lieutenant Colonel.
Trung uy - Vietnamese for 1st Lieutenant.
Tu Dai – The VC would warn local residents of areas where they placed booby traps by putting small signs with the words
“tu dai” near the area. Pronounced “to die” – its meaning was not lost on allied soldiers and advisors.
Tu Do - (Two Doe) The most famous (infamous) street in Saigon. The street was filled with bars and bar girls. In
Vietnamese the term means, freedom.
Tunnel rat - A soldier/Marine who crawled into VC tunnels.
Turtles - Slang term used for replacements because the replacements took so long to arrive.
Two Step - Slang US soldier name for the small and deadly bamboo viper (snake). After being bitten you would take “two
steps” before you died..
Typhoon - Comes from the Chinese word for "great wind." They are similar to hurricanes in the Atlantic.
An "Unofficial" Vietnam
Dictionary
Written by Paul Kasper
Edited by Bob Nelson
Dedicated to all Vietnam Veterans--"Especially those who didn't come home."