Why were North Vietnamese referred to as wearing pajamas?

Answer 1

During the early 1960's the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) was NOT clearly involved. The South Vietnamese guerilla/insurgent, known as the Viet Cong (Southern communists living in South Vietnam) was the enemy. Like any guerilla/insurgent, they supplied themselves, with what ever they could obtain, including captured equipment from the enemy (us). These VC (Viet Cong) were normal citizens by day and enemy soldiers (guerilla/insurgents) by night. Black clothing, both shirt and trousers were commonly worn by MANY South Vietnamese people. It just so happen, that after some fire fights and the bodies of some of the VC were searched, etc. they were wearing those black shirts and trousers...which to the normal person, look just like pajamas (to the normal American male). So black "PJ's" became our acceptance of the VC's uniform. There was even a song about it during the 1960's, don't recall the singer or group, but we recall some of the words, "...and there stood some cat in black PJ's..." After the TET offensive of 1968, the VC were pretty much finished as an effective fighting force. The NVA now took over in a big way. The NVA, like the US wore an Olive Green colored uniform, with an OD colored pith helmet. And by 1970, nearly all of them were armed with the AK-47 assault rifle, instead the old SKS semi-automatic rifle.