Why are they called the Viet Cong?

The name Viet Cong comes from the phrase "cong san Viet Nam," meaning "Vietnamese communist." The term is rather derogatory, however, so perhaps a better translation would be "Vietnamese commie."
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thoughtco.com


What does the term Viet Cong mean?

Viet Cong (VC), in full Viet Nam Cong San, English Vietnamese Communists, the guerrilla force that, with the support of the North Vietnamese Army, fought against South Vietnam (late 1950s–1975) and the United States (early 1960s–1973).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on britannica.com


What did they call the Viet Cong?

Collectively the United States often called them the Viet Cong. It was commonly shortened to VC, which in military alphabet code was spoken as Victor Charlie. It was further shortened to just Charlie. American soldiers called them Charlie, they called themselves liberators.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pritzkermilitary.org


What is the difference between Vietnam and Viet Cong?

The North Vietnamese Army was the official armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). Viet Cong is a slang term for the National Liberation Front in South Vietnam, an armed group supporting the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on quora.com


What does Viet Cong mean in the military?

The Vietcong

The Vietnamese Communists, or Vietcong, were the military branch of the National Liberation Front (NLF), and were commanded by the Central Office for South Vietnam, which was located near the Cambodian border. For arms, ammunition and special equipment, the Vietcong depended on the Ho Chi Minh trail.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pbs.org


Why were the Viet Cong called "Charlie"?



Why did Navy SEALs wear blue jeans in Vietnam?

Specifically during late 1970 and early 1971, SEALs donned Levi's jeans in combat. Denim could better withstand the rigors of the jungle climate, providing improved protection from leeches, mosquitos and other bugs, especially when combined with a layer of pantyhose underneath.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on heddels.com


What did the Vietcong do to civilians?

By 1969, nearly 250 civilians were being murdered or kidnapped each week. VC/PAVN terror squads committed over 36,000 murders and almost 58,000 kidnappings from 1967 to 1972 according to a U.S. Department of Defense estimate in 1973.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Do the Viet Cong still exist?

Viet Cong Downfall and Impact on Vietnam

In 1976, the Viet Cong was disbanded after Vietnam was formally reunited under communist rule.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thoughtco.com


What did the Vietnamese call American soldiers?

grunt Slang term used for an American infantry soldier.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thoughtco.com


Did the Viet Cong ever win a battle?

The Viet Cong won its first military victory against South Vietnamese forces at Ấp Bắc in January 1963.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


What did German soldiers call American soldiers?

During World War II, German soldiers called American soldiers ami. my | \ t-m \ plural Tommies.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on albertawater.com


What was the name of the Viet Cong offensive?

The Tet Offensive of 1968 was a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on history.com


What did Vietnam soldiers call the enemy?

the Viet Cong; the enemy. the Communist-led forces fighting the South Vietnamese government.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on www2.iath.virginia.edu


Who did the Viet Cong fear the most?

Yes...the Koreans. In the early 50s, in defence of their own country, the Koreans were undertrained, ill equipped, etc. You did not want to count on them at all. But in Vietnam, if it moved in the jungle, they killed it.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thehealthyjournal.com


Did the US invent the Viet Cong?

First de Marrais tells them that it was Americans who created the Viet Minh, a precursor to the Viet Cong, in 1945. That is nonsense. The OSS, later to become the CIA, only backed the Viet Minh in world war two because it was already an established guerrilla group, capable of spying on the Japanese.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on theguardian.com


Who were the Viet Cong fighting for?

They supported the communist ideas and politics of Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam. They were soldiers and activits who wanted to bring down the government of South Vietnam and unify the country under communist leadership from the north.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on kyrene.org


What does Boo Koo mean in Vietnam War?

Boo Koo (Boo Coo): Bastardized French from beaucoup, meaning “much” or “many” Boom-Boom: Slang for sex with a prostitute. Boonies: Any area outside a city or a base camp; colloquialism for “boondocks”; also called the “bush”
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on vietnamveteransplaza.com


What did the Vietnamese call the Navy SEALs?

SEAL platoons carried out day and night ambushes (but much preferred night operations), hit-and-run raids, reconnaissance patrols, and special intelligence collection operations. Calling them the “men with green faces” because of the face camouflage they used, the VC feared SEALs and often put bounties on their heads.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on navysealmuseum.org


Did the US call Vietnam a war?

Since 1941 Congress has declared war only six times, all during World War II. Congress authorized troop deployment in Vietnam, but, because it did not issue a declaration of war on North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the Vietnam War is, technically speaking, not considered a war in the United States.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on britannica.com


What was the worst battle of the Vietnam War?

In the 43-day Ia Drang campaign, 545 Americans were killed. Enemy deaths have been estimated at 3,561. It was the greatest loss of American life in the Vietnam War at that point, and a premonition of how determined the enemy was.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil


Why were the Vietcong so successful?

They were extremely successful because they had very good and vital knowledge of the forests and jungles and were able to protect their supplies from damage by using the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on oxnotes.com


What is the biggest problem in Vietnam?

Vietnam systematically suppresses basic civil and political rights. The government, under the one-party rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), severely restricts freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, movement, and religion.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on hrw.org


What were the worst war crimes in Vietnam?

The My Lai massacre was one of the most horrific incidents of violence committed during the Vietnam War. A company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people—women, children and old men—in the village of My Lai on March 16, 1968.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on history.com


Did the US commit war crimes in Vietnam?

During the war, 95 U.S. Army personnel and 27 U.S. Marine Corps personnel were convicted by court-martial of the murder or manslaughter of Vietnamese. U.S. forces also established numerous free-fire zones as a tactic to prevent Viet Cong fighters from sheltering in South Vietnamese villages.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Why did the Vietcong fight so hard?

The Vietcong had an intricate knowledge of the terrain. They won the hearts and minds of the South Vietnamese people by living in their villages and helping them with their everyday lives. Their tunnel systems, booby-traps and jungle cover meant they were difficult to defeat and hard to find.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on bbc.co.uk
Previous question
What will snakes not cross?