The+Vietnam+Soldier


 * __THE VIETNAM SOLDIER__**


 * Charlie- Victor Charlie-Viet Cong, the phonetic alphabet
 * AO- area of operation
 * DMZ- demilitarized zone
 * S and D- search and destroy
 * Hot LZ- enemy fire
 * lots of booby traps planted by Charlie
 * zippoed the hooches- set the house on fire
 * Huey- helicopter
 * spider hole-sniper
 * million dollar wound- bad enough for David to leave Vietnam
 * hot and steamy weather
 * two step snake- you get bit, two steps later, you're dead
 * mines, tunnels, bombs, booby traps, punji stakes
 * Vietnam was not seen as the real world, home was called 'the world'
 * this was a very different war than the World Wars
 * grunts-infantrymen
 * ground pounders
 * average soldier=white from a small town
 * volunteers were 21-22 years old
 * 10-12% of the men were African American
 * new recruits trained in boot camps in the states
 * a commercial jet took the men to Vietnam after training
 * weather was similar to South Florida
 * human and animal fertilizers were used in the fields in Vietnam
 * the first impression of Vietnam was not a good one
 * 'in the bush'- base camp/firebase
 * platoons had 20-40 corporals or privates
 * there was some medical training for at least one person in each platoon
 * RTO- radiotelephone operator
 * killing the RTO was a goal for the opposite side, as the RTO was the one who could call for help
 * backpack-35 to 70 lbs, books, food, water, letters, photos, playing cards, extra socks, salt tablets
 * M-16 rifle was the primary weapon
 * explosive device- Claymore with 700 steels balls that could shred anything up to 55 yards
 * new kids- cherries, newbys
 * new soldiers and old soldiers didn't hang out with each other