plane people n.pl.— «Currently, about 2,500 of these Vietnamese “plane people” are leaving each month under the program, refugee officials said. “This number is roughly equal to the total monthly arrivals in the region by boat people.”» —“Fewer...
tombstoning n.— «The eight-man teams spend 60 to 90 days…preventing such abuses as “tombstoning” on the payroll (the Vietnamese commanders’ practice of collecting pay for dead or departed soliders, rather than replacing them).» —“Changing the...
oil spot approach n.— «The South Vietnamese government’s primary task, before it can hope to move toward needed political, economic and social reforms, is to provide villages with maximum security from communist harassment. This is the key...
rice cooker n.— «In the vernacular, Vietnamese frequently refer to helmets as “noi com dien” or “rice cooker” because they are hot and uncomfortable.» —“High road toll pushes Vietnam towards helmet use” by Grant McCool in Hanoi, Vietnam Reuters Apr...
thunder run n.— «They were called Thunder Runs, high-speed gauntlet races by the mechanized infantry units of the army’s 1st Infantry Division along Highway 13, northwest of Saigon. The tactic was used to throw off the Viet Cong and North...
ghost soldier n.— «There were no regular South Vietnamese Army units station in Phuoctuy, and the province grew rich on “ghost soldiers,” phony names on the military roster.» —“Battle for Datdo Tests Local Vietnamese Leadership” by Fox...