Vietcong

A derogatory contraction of the term Viet Nam Cong San (”Vietnamese Communists”) used to refer to the Communist-led insurgents operating in the Republic of (South) Vietnam from the mid-1950s to 1975. The term was never used by Vietnamese Communists who preferred to identify themselves as the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.