gangrene Decay of tissue in a part of the body when the blood supply is obstructed by injury or disease.
Gary Cooper (1901–1961) film actor characterized by a rugged masculine quality well known for his roles in Westerns such as High Noon (1952). He also appeared in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) and Sergeant York (1941).
Gene Autry (1907–1998) Western movie star known as the "Singing Cowboy."
Gene McCarthy (b. 1916) Eugene McCarthy, a World War II veteran, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1948 to 1958 and the U.S. Senate from 1958 to 1968. In 1968, he ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, winning the New Hampshire primary, a factor in Lyndon Johnson's decision not to seek re-election. McCarthy supported the Vietnam War at first, voting in favor of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, but by 1968, he strongly opposed the war.
Geneva Accords Established in 1954, the Geneva Accords were rules which governed military action and treatment of captured soldiers.
GI Member of the U.S. armed forces; especially an enlisted soldier.
Going After Cacciato Novel by O'Brien in which a private deserts his post in Vietnam, intent on walking 8,000 miles to Paris for the peace talks. The remaining members of his squad are sent after him.
Good Conduct Medal A U.S. military decoration awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity.
gook Slang term for a person of East Asian descent, here meaning, specifically, a Vietnamese.
graduate school deferment Men in graduate school who maintained a high enough GPA (grade point average) could defer the draft and remain in school in the U.S.
Green Beret A member of the Special Forces of the U.S. Army, the "Green Berets" (from the green beret worn as part of the uniform).
grunt A U.S. infantryman.
Gulf of Tonkin Arm of the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the coasts of Southern China and Northern Vietnam. Location where North Vietnamese forces attacked and sunk two American ships in 1964. Afterwards, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing military action in Southeast Asia.
Harmon Killebrew (b. 1936) a baseball player known as a power hitter who slugged home runs. He had a 22-year career with Washington, Minnesota, and Kansas City.
HE High explosive.
heat tabs Fuel pellets used for heating C rations.
Highway 1 Major throughway for transportation through Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969; born Nguyen That Thanh) President of North Vietnam (1954–1969).
Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum Burial place of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese leader and first president of North Vietnam (1954–1969). His army was victorious in the French Indochina War (1946–1954), and he later led North Vietnam's struggle to defeat the U.S.-supported government in South Vietnam.
hootch Military slang for a place to live in, specifically a shack or thatched hut, as in Vietnam.
Huck Finn Protagonist from the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain marked by his plucky and rebellious spirit.
hump To travel on foot, especially when carrying and transporting necessary supplies for field combat.
If I Die in a Combat Zone Novel by O'Brien in which he recounts what it was like to be a foot soldier during the Vietnam War: from his induction in Minnesota, to the horrors of boot camp, to the daily terrors of the Vietnam jungles.
illumination rounds Flares dropped from above or fired from the ground used to light up an area during darkness.
in the pink In good physical condition; healthy; fit.
