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The US Military USES the "Phonetic Alphabet" on an everyday routine basis. Alpha, Bravo, Charley, Delta, Echo, Golf, Hotel, etc. This is used because over the radio, a letter "C" could sound like the letters "D", "E", "B", etc. The Viet Cong (VC) were referred to as "Victor Charley", or "Charley" for short. It was also used for "Commies" short for "Communists." The NVA were (over the radio), "November Victor Alpha." US killed in Action or Wounded in Action, would come over the radio thusly: "Uniform Sierra Kilo India Alpha", and "Whiskey India Alpha." Two NVA killed, would be reported over the radio as, "2 November Victor Alpha's Kilo India Alpha, this date over..."
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∙ 15y ago
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∙ 14y agoIn the US Army (during the Viet War), letters pronounced over the radio had to be pronounced as names, such as: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, etc. This prevented confusion: such as confusing a letter C with the letter D, or B...they all can sound alike when transmitted over the radio...especially with gunfire and explosions and men screaming in the background. Thus, to spell a man's name such as Jim for example, it would be: "Juliet, India, Mike." Viet Cong or VC was "Victor Charlie." NVA was "November Victor Charlie." A US GI was "Uniform Sierra." Killed in action was "Kilo India Alpha." Wounded in action was "Whisky India Alpha." Prisoner of war was "Papa Oscar Whisky." The term "Charlie" was simply leaving off the word Victor.
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∙ 11y agoWhen I was 10 or so, circa 1958, my father and I were watching a movie where a POW was testifying about war crimes. He referred to the North Koreans as "Charlie." I asked my father what he meant. Dad, who had served in WWII on Guadacanal and Bouganville and other places, explained that it started there because "Charlie" was considered the ultimate sentry password, as it contained all of the things that were hard for Asians to pronounce: "CH," "R," "L." He said that they often called the "Japs" "Charlie" and the name just carried over in Korea, for similar reasons and because many of the leaders, i.e., the NCOs, were veterans of WWII. As well, many of the earliest Vietnam "advisors" officers and NCOs were Korean and and even WWII vets.
By 1960 I had personally heard several other veterans refer to the Koreans and Japanese as "Charlie."
Besides, if "Victor Charlie" were the true origin, I'd think "Victor" would be a more logical and catchy name.
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∙ 12y agoThe US Military USES the "Phonetic Alphabet" on an everyday routine basis. Alpha, Bravo, Charley, Delta, Echo, Golf, Hotel, etc. This is used because over the radio, a letter "C" could sound like the letters "D", "E", "B", etc. The Viet Cong (VC) were referred to as "Victor Charley", or "Charley" for short.
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∙ 12y agoSimply the letter "C" in the military alphabet. Example: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, etc. (for A, B, C, D, E, F, G, etc.). GIs in Vietnam used to say (for example), "...hey steve toss me a Charlie Rat would ya..." "Charlie Rat" being short for C rations.
During radio transmissions higher would want (need) to know what type of unit you were in contact with, consequently the radio transmissions would be like, "...Xray 6 this is Bravo 6 we've got Victor Charlie (just Charlie would be short for Victor Charlie) 100 mikes to our front (mikes=M & M stood for meters) and 5 November Victor Alpha Kilo India Alpha (NVA Kia) 100 mikes to our rear over..." This signal meant that the unit in contact has 5 NVA dead to their rear and live VC to their front. Which tells the high command that the unit in contact is (or might be) fighting both NVA & VC units.
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∙ 13y ago"Charlie" was a slang term referring to any North Vietnamese military personnel.
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∙ 11y agocommon people
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They were South Vietnamese who supported the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War?
There were three names by which South Vietnamese supporters of the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War were known. One was Viet Cong. The phrase was a shortened form of the Vietnamese "Viet Nam Cong San," for Vietnamese Communist. It was first used by Ngo Dinh Diem [January 3, 1901-November 2, 1963], First President of the Republic of [South] Vietnam, to describe the opponents to his government and the supporters of the Democratic Republic of [North] Vietnam. President Diem held office from October 26, 1955, until the overthrow of his government and his assassination. But the South Vietnamese supporters didn't identify themselves as Viet Cong. Instead, they preferred recognition of their membership in, or support for, the pro-North guerrilla army and political group. For pro-Northerners joined, or supported, the People's Liberation Armed Forces aka PLAF. Or they joined, or supported, the National Front for the Liberation of Southern Vietnam aka National Liberation Front and NLF.
Sorry typo meant Vietnam?
If your question about the US Embassy...on when it was attacked...day & month, it was attacked during the TET offensive, which commenced the last day of January 1968; TET is the South Vietnamese "Lunar New Year's" holiday.
Who was Ho Chin Minh?
The leader of the Vietnamese communists who were militarily victorious over the French and the American imperialists. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of the league "Viet Minh" (which is the league of independence.) He was the one that declared INDEPENDENCE for Vietnam.
Who was President of the USA during the Vietnam War?
The president of the USA for a major time of the Vietnam War was Lyndon Johnson.
What was the nickname for the Vietnamese during the war?
The South Vietnamese Army was officially titled, the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam (A.R.V.N.). GI's, in a friendly way, usally referred to him as, "ARVIN the Marvin". Every GI had names for everybody; GI's stationed in the rear, were called, "REMF's", (Rear Echelon Mother------, which could be known to spark a fist fight), or "Base Camp Commando's", career miltary men, were referred to as, "lifers", GI's getting close to their end of tour in Vietnam, were, "Short Timers", and even this was shortened to, "Short!", tank crewmen were called, "Tread-heads", artillerymen were called, "Gun-bunnies" and "Red-Legs" (because artillery's flag/color is red), helicopters were called "birds", Cobra gunship helicopters were called "snakes", the United States was called, "THE WORLD", and the aircraft taking a man home was called the "FREEDOM BIRD", college students were nick-named, "Draft Dodgers". Victor Charley, Whiskey India Alpha, November Victor Alpha, Uniform Sierra, Tango Charlie...were ALL official call sign letters taken from the standard US military phonetic alphabet, but would be used as normal titles on a daily basis (VC, WIA, NVA, US, TC (Tank Commander/Track Commander), etc.)
Did Vietnamese have a place in the US?
Are you talking about a North Vietnamese or South Vietnamese EMBASSY? There would have been no such thing as a Vietnamese Embassy during the Vietnam War. There was no country called Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
LifeWhat was the style of vietnamese citizens during the Vietnam war?
They were called "Peasants" during the war.
Who were the rebels during the revolution war?
North Vietnamese soldiers were referred to as the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) by the GI's in Vietnam, during the war. Southern Communist soldiers living in South Vietnam and fighting in South Vietnam, were called the Viet Cong (VC).
North Vietnamese bombed by US during war?
It was called the "Air War" over North Vietnam.
Who lived in Vietnam during the Vietnam war?
Q who was the victor of the Vietnam war? A I have no idea who won the Vietnam war!!!!
What are the demand of north Vietnamese?
If by the North Vietnamese you mean during the Vietnam war their goal was to unite all of Vietnam under a communist regime. Which was successful.
Who was the vietnamese communist during the Vietnam war?
North Vietnam & VC living in South VN.
What is the nationalities of Vietnam?
Montagnard and Vietnamese; The Montagnards (French for Mountaineer/Mountain People) were considered (during the war) to be the original inhabitants of Vietnam. The Vietnamese were considered (during the war) to be immigrants from Ancient China.
How many casualties were upon south Vietnam have during the Vietnam war?
Historians estimate, that approximately 200,000 South Vietnamese servicemen of the Army Republic South Vietnam (ARVN), South Vietnamese Marines, Air Force & Navy were killed during the Vietnam War.
Who was the Vietnamese prime minister who was assassinated?
No Vietnamese prime minister was assasinated, but South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem was killed by Vietcong during a raid from north to south during the Vietnam War.
What is the correct name for the Vietnam army during the Vietnam War?
For North Vietnam or South Vietnam? The North Vietnamese were known simply as the 'North Vietnamese Army' (NVA) to US forces, but their actual title was Vietnam Peoples' Army, as it common practice in Communist states. The South Vietnamese Army was referred to as the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
What ho chi minh's forces known as?
During the French Vietnam War (1946-1954) Ho's forces where called the Viet Minh (Vietnamese Communists). In the US Vietnam War (1961-1975), "Uncle Ho's" (to the GI's "in-country") forces were called "the NVA" (North Vietnamese Army).
