Hello.
According to PBS Online's "American Experience - Vietnam Online"
glossary:
"CHARLIE, CHARLES, CHUCK: Vietcong--short for the phonetic
representation Victor Charlie"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/refer/language.html
Similarly, according to the web page Vietnam American Soldier:
"the Viet-cong (VC or Victor Charlie in military phonetics) becomes
simply CHARLIE or OLD CHARLIE."
http://remembervietnam.homestead.com/thevietnamamericansoldier.html
The Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese government were
known as the "Viet Cong" or "VC." When communicating, especially by
radio, police and military personnel usually substitute words for
letters. In the military alphabet, "Victor" represents "V" while
"Charlie" represents "C."
See the web page, "Army Alphabet" from Infantrymen.net :
http://www.infantrymen.net/army_alphabet.html
Or see the web page "Spouse's Guide to the Air Force":
http://www.losangeles.af.mil/ABG/MSS/FSC/time.htm
search strategy: charlie, vietnam, slang
I hope this helps. |
