| AAA | antiaircraft artillery |
| AIT | advanced individual training |
| ARCOM | Army Commendation Combat Medal (U.S. Army) |
| ARVN | Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) |
| BITS | Basic Infantry Training School (U.S. Marines) |
| CCP | Chinese Communist Party |
| CIA | Central Intelligence Agency (U.S. government) |
| CMC | Central Military Commission (Chinese Communist Party) |
| CPVEF | Chinese People's Volunteer Engineering Force (PLA) |
| CSF | Chinese Supporting Forces (PLA) |
| DEROS | rotation to the States (U.S. armed forces) |
| DIA | Defense Intelligence Agency (U.S.) |
| DMZ | Demilitarized Zone |
| DRV | Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) |
| ETS | estimated time of separation (U.S. Army) |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration (U.S. government) |
| FAC | forward air controller (U.S. Air Force) |
| FDC | Fire Direction Center (U.S. Army) |
| FO | forward observer |
| GRU | Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (Soviet Union) |
| H&S | headquarters and support (U.S. Marines) |
| IRT | infantry regiment training (U.S. Marines) |
| KGB | Security and Intelligence Service (Soviet Union) |
| KIA | killed in action |
| LARC | lighter, amphibious, resupply, cargo |
| LCU | large, military cargo water craft |
| LZ | landing zone |
| MACV | Military Assistance Command, South Vietnam (U.S.) |
| MAG | Marine Air Group (U.S. Marines) |
| MARS | Military Affiliate Radio System (U.S.) |
| MASH | Mobile Army Surgical Hospital |
| MAW | Marine Air Wing (U.S. Marine) |
| MCRD | Marine Corps Recruit Depot |
| Medcap | medical civic action program (U.S. armed forces) |
| NATTC | National Aviation Technology Training Center (Memphis, U.S.) |
| NLF | National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) |
| NCO | non-commissioned officer |
| NCOCS | Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army) |
| NVA | North Vietnamese Army (or PAVN) |
| PAC | Pacific Alaska Columbia (U.S. company) |
| PACEX | Pacific Exchange System (U.S.) |
| PAVN | People's Army of Vietnam (or NVA, North Vietnamese Army) |
| PLA | People's Liberation Army (China) |
| PLAF | People's Liberation Armed Forces (Viet Cong, South Vietnam) |
| POW | prisoner of war |
| PRC | People's Republic of China |
| PTSD | post-traumatic stress disorder |
| PX | post exchange (U.S. armed forces) |
| R&R | rest and recuperation |
| ROK | Republic of Korea (South Korea) |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (U.S. armed forces) |
| RVN | Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) |
| SAM | surface-to-air missile |
| SNIE | Special National Intelligence Estimate (U.S. government) |
| USMC | U.S. Marine Corps |
| USO | United Service Organization (U.S.) |
| VA | Veterans Administration (U.S. government) |
| VC | Viet Cong (Vietnamese Communist, South Vietnam) |
| VNA | Vietnamese National Army (Bao Dai Vietnamese government) |
| VVAW | Vietnam Veterans Against the War |
