-- L --
 

Land Line -               Ground wire communication.
Lao Dung -               The party founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1951.  It had been called the "Viet Minh" previously.

LARC -                       Lighter, Amphibious Resupply Cargo
LAW -                        M-72 (66mm), Light Antitank Weapon – 66mm rocket, shoulder fired from a fiberglass disposable launcher.
La Vay –                    Vietnamese for beer.                                                                                                   
Lay Chilly –               Lie motionless.
LBJ -                           Long Binh Jail.  Initially called the Long Binh Stockade – the name was changed to reflex the initials of

                                              President Johnson.

LCA -                          Landing Craft Assault

LCCA -                        Amphibious Command Ship

LCDR -                        Lieutenant Commander (O-4)

LCM -                          Landing Craft Medium

LCPL -                         Landing Craft Personnel (Large)

LCS -                           Landing Craft Support

LCU -                          Landing Craft Utility

LCVP -                        Landing Craft Vehicles and Personnel

LDNN -                       South Vietnamese Naval Commandos (from the Vietnamese Lien Doi Nguoi Nhia)
Leary, Dr. Timothy -        Counter culture guru who said, "...turn-on, tune-in, and drop-out."  He advocated the use of LSD to expand

                                              the mind.                                                
Leatherneck –         A term for a US Marine that originated from the leather neckband worn with their dress uniform from 1798 to

                                              1880 for protection of their neck during sword combat.
Leech -                     Found on land and in the water.  They often dropped from trees, and only need to eat once a year.
Leg -                         Non-airborne military personnel.  Short for straight leg.  Parachute trained personnel land with their legs

                                              slightly bent, not “straight.”
Lifer -                        A derogatory term used to refer to career soldiers.                                                    
Light Up –                To open fire on the enemy.
Lima Charlie -         Loud and Clear; term used during radio communications.
Linebacker I -          See: Operations.
Linebacker II -         See: Operations.
Lister Bag -              Waterproof (plastic or canvas) drinking water container.
Literacy rate -         Among the Vietnamese is 65%.
Little People -         The enemy.
Lit-up -                     Fired upon. (“Light up” – to shoot at).

LKA -                         Amphibious Cargo Ship

LLDB -                      Luc Luong Dac Biet - Vietnamese Special Forces.
Loach -                     Light Observation Helicopter (OH-6A Cayuse).
Lock 'n' Load -         Place a weapon on safety, and prepare (ready) it for firing by placing a round in the chamber.  The correct

                                              sequence is to “lock” a magazine into the weapon – “load” a round into the chamber.
LOH -                        Light Observation Helicopter (OH-13).
Lon Nol -                  The man who ousted Prince Sihanouk (a Communist supporter).           
Long Binh -              A large US support center outside Saigon on the route to Bien Hoa Air Base on Highway One.  Also home to the

                                              LBJ – the Long Binh Jail, the stockade for US forces.
Long Bow -              A typical weapon on a PBR in the Mekong Delta.  Flaming arrows were shot with this.
Long Nose -             The Vietnamese slang name for the Americans.
Low Riders -             A sub-culture gang of the late sixties.                                                                             
LP –                           Listening post – a three-man position outside the base.  Placed far enough away from the perimeter to give

                                              soldiers in the base sufficient time to react to an attack.

LPD -                         Amphibious Transport Dock

LPH -                         Amphibious Assault Ship

LPS -                          Amphibious Transport Submarine
LRRP -                       (lurp) Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol.

LSD -                         Landing Ship, Dock
LSD -                         A synthetic compound ingested to supposedly expand consciousness.

LSIL -                        Landing Ship, Infantry, Large

LSM -                        Landing Ship, Medium

LSMR -                      Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket

LSSC -                       Light Seal Support Craft
LST -                         Landing Ship, Tank     

LTJG -                       Lieutenant, Junior Grade (O-2)

LT -                           Lieutenant  (Navy O-3, other services O-1 or O-2)                                                                                                
LURPS –                   Experimental dehydrated lightweight meal food packets.  Named for the soldiers – LRRP’s to whom they were

                                              issued.    

LVT -                         Landing Vehicle, Tracked                                                                 
LZ –                           Landing Zone.


An "Unofficial" Vietnam

Dictionary


Written by Paul Kasper

Edited by Bob Nelson

Dedicated to all Vietnam Veterans--"Especially those who didn't come home."

Alphabetical Index

(Click on a letter.)

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Numbers


Alphabetical Index

(Click on a letter.)

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Numbers