-
V :
-
an aircraft prefix under the Joint Service Designation System
that represents 'executive'.
-
VACATION :
-
a civilian perquisite wherein an employee is temporarily released
from their dutiful work and onerous labors, being an indulgence
granted to persons without resources (except collective
bargaining and political pressure) by persons with sufficient
resources to counterbalance the loss of time and talent while an
irresponsible frolic is tolerated; MIL-PERS are granted LEAVE,
PASS, R&R, and STAND-DOWN because they are always subject to
recall in defense of the nation ... there is no entertainment and
travel for the fun of it! See OFF-DUTY, DAY OFF, BUSMAN'S
HOLIDAY, TOURIST DESTINATION. [v: sabbatical]
-
DARTH VADER :
-
a Jedi knight featured throughout the "Star Wars" saga, appearing
as an antagonist in the original trilogy and as a protagonist in
the prequel trilogy; this cyborg was born Anakin Skywalker, the
father of both Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, who fell
to the Dark Side of the Force where he served as a ruthless
henchman of Emperor Palpatine, whom he plots to overthrow. The
DARTH VADER character was created by George Lucas, and this
persona is featured in the film and television series, novels and
comics, as well as in video games. See JEDI KNIGHT, FICTIONAL
CHARACTER. [nb: Anak, the progenitor of the Anakim, who were a
race of giants before the Israelites (Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:20;
Numbers 13:33)]
-
VALEDICTION :
-
the act of leave-taking or departure, separation or send-off,
closure or conclusion, final appearance or last act. Also, an
utterance or oration made in bidding farewell or in taking leave,
especially a speech delivered by someone upon leaving an
assignment or posting; valedictory, apopemptic, farewell address,
swan song, baccalaureate sermon, commencement address, sayonara
speech, closing remarks, exit speech, SALUTE, PASS IN REVIEW.
Also, anything pertaining to an occasion of leave-taking. [v:
adieu, adios, aloha ("love"), arrivederci ("until we see each
other again"), auf wiedersehen ("until we meet again)", au revoir
("until we see each other again"), ave atque vale ("hail and
farewell"), bye, bye-bye, chao, cheerio, congee / congé,
farewell, good-bye, leave-taking, sayonara, shalom, so long,
ta-ta, toodle-oo / toodle-loo]
-
VALHALLA :
-
in Norse mythology, the hall of Odin (the principal god of pagan
Scandinavia) into which the souls of those fallen in battle
(chosen by Valkyries) are received by Bragi and Hermod; also
represented as "walhalla" and "walhall", being the Latinized form
of "Valholl", as derived from "hall of the slain". See WILD HUNT,
THE BIG PX IN THE SKY, HAPPY VALLEY, FIDDLER'S GREEN, SIN CITY,
TOAST, CANNON FODDER, ZAP, WASTED, CHECK OUT, BITE THE DUST, BUY
THE FARM, BITTER END, SNOWBALL, DIDDLY, SUICIDE SQUAD, SPEARHEAD,
RAT RACE, BASTARD, BELL THE CAT.
[nb: "No warrior is ever going to heaven because the saints would
make him feel unwelcome there, and no warrior is ever going to
hell because the devils are afraid that he would takeover there,
so when warriors die, they go to their own special place, where
they can be with others of their own kind." anonymous]
[v: enfants perdus, forlorn hope; cf: Tartarus, Erebus, Pluto,
Stygian, Orcus, Avernus, Tophet, Satan's kingdom, Devil's house,
underworld, lower world, netherworld, nether regions, the bad
place, hell, hades, inferno, infernal regions, perdition,
purgatory, limbo, oblivion, pit, bottomless pit, abyss, lake of
fire and brimstone, lake of fire, fiery furnace, abode of the
damned, home of lost souls, place of departed spirits, shades
below, hellhole]
Also, the Valhalla Training Center in Colorado, being a 16,000
square foot KILL HOUSE with sound and light effects that are
designed to simulate combat AT CLOSE QUARTERS for DOD personnel.
-
VALLEY OF DEATH :
-
any hazardous area or COMBAT ZONE, KILL ZONE or ZONE OF FIRE,
especially a place dominated by a tactically superior
high-ground, such as Monte Cassino or Dien Bien Phu.
Also, an allegorical reference to a moral or physical trial, such
as a combatant's "baptism by fire", being that place where he was
subjected to mortal jeopardy; by allusion to the passage in
either the Biblical Psalm 23:4 ("though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil") or Tennyson's "The
Charge of the Light Brigade" ("into the valley of Death rode the
six hundred") ... and in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,
Christian passes through it on his quest, a very solitary place,
with a dangerous quag on one side and a deep ditch on the other,
and the mouth of hell is close by one side of it, from which
issue flames and fiends. See VALHALLA, FOXHOLE CONVERSION, ARMY
CHRISTIAN.
-
VALOR :
-
bold determination in facing danger; as derived from "worth"; see
V-DEVICE, IMPACT AWARD, GUTS, MOXIE, ONIONS, DIEHARD, VETERAN,
WINTER SOLDIER, NOBLE SAVAGE, COUNT COUP, BRAGGING RIGHTS, QUIET
PROFESSIONAL, HERO, MACHO. [nb: "That which valor has joined
cannot be parted by death, and that which has been ennobled by
courage shall not be diminished by passing, even out of
remembrance."; "Uncommon valor was a common virtue."; "The
bravest are the tenderest, and the loving are the most daring.";
"It's good to be brave, but it's better to be smart."]
-
VAMPIRE LIBERTY :
-
in NavSpeak, a DAY OFF from work provided for anyone who donates
blood to the BLOOD BANK.
-
VAN :
-
truncation of VANGUARD (qv).
-
VANGUARD :
-
the front or forward part of an advancing army; literally
"fore-guard"; see POINT, PATHFINDER, SPEARHEAD, RANGER, SUICIDE
SQUAD. [v: avangarde, avaunt guard, avant-garde] [v: enfants
perdus, forlorn hope; cf: picket, vedette] [nb: "Whenever there
is fighting to be done, the keenest spirits should be appointed
to serve in the front ranks, both in order to strengthen the
resolution of our own men and to demoralize the enemy." by Chang
Yu]
-
VANITY FAIR :
-
any place where the society of privileged and fashionable
sophisticates can display their preoccupation with frivolity and
ostentation, with gross indulgence and idle pleasures; as derived
from the perpetual fair setup by Beelzebub and Apollyon at the
town of Vanity in Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
(1684). Compare HELL ON WHEELS, BOOM BOOM ROOM, PIGPEN, NHA THO,
SIN CITY, FLESHPOTS, PLEASURE DOME, PUTAINESQUE. [v: Vanity
Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1847-8)]
-
VANTAGE POINT :
-
a place or position that affords a good, clear, or wide
perspective, as one suitable for taking or directing action;
formally known as COIGN OF VANTAGE, and informally as "catbird
seat" or "inside track".
-
VAPES :
-
aviation slang for "vapor trails", being those streaks of
condensed ice droplets or water vapor left in the atmosphere as a
visible indication of the rapid passage of a high speed aircraft;
also called CONTRAIL. See CONIC VAPOR, CON LEVEL.
-
VAPOR TRAIL :
-
see CONTRAIL, CONIC VAPOR, VAPES, CON LEVEL.
-
VARIABLE TIME FUZE :
-
see VT, PROXIMITY FUZE.
-
VARICELLA :
-
see CHICKENPOX.
-
VARIOLA :
-
see SMALLPOX.
-
VAST GREEN HEAVEN :
-
see BIG GREEN PARADISE.
-
VAST GREEN PARADISE :
-
see BIG GREEN PARADISE.
-
VATLS :
-
Visual Airborne Target Locator System of the USAF; compare AWACS,
ABNCP, UMBRELLA, RACETRACK, ORBIT.
-
VATTING :
-
the stage of winemaking during which the expressed juice of
grapes has been placed in vats and left to ferment; see HOOCH,
BREW, GROG, JUICE, THE DRINK.
-
VB :
-
(forthcoming); AZON (azimuth only), RAZON, Felix, Bat; WWII-era
visually steerable 1000# bomb with gyro, then TV camera WAR NOSE,
adjust side-to-side, radio signal to servo motor moves fins,
affect glide but not alter range or trajectory
-
VBIED :
-
Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device, wherein a vehicle
containing EXPLOSIVEs may be detonated by a timing device or by
remote control, by a suicidal terrorist or by an ignorant dupe;
also called "suicide vehicle borne improvised explosive device"
(SVBIED), and commonly known as a "car bomb". See IED, HME,
BOOBY-TRAP, SYMPHONY.
-
VC :
-
abbreviation for Vietnamese Communist, being a contraction of
"Viet-nam Cong-san", the term invented by President Ngo Dinh Diem
for the Communist forces fighting the South Vietnamese government
(GVN, SVN); also called VIET CONG, "Cong", or "communist traitor
of vietnam", and nicknamed "Victor Charlie" (or "Victor Charley")
from the phonetic alphabet. Enemy weapons of the Vietnam-era
included: SKS, PPSh-41, PPS-43, MP-40, MAT-49, K-50M, AK-47, AKM,
Type 50 (unlicensed PRC copy w/30rd mag). See NLF, PRG, VIET
MINH, VIET QUOC, PAVN, BO DOI, CHARLIE, LONGHAIR, PLA, GOMER,
LUKE THE GOOK, BAD GUYS. [nb: "Anybody who runs is a VC. Anybody
who stands still is a well-disciplined VC." by Stanley Kubrick
Full Metal Jacket (1987), adapted from The Short
Timers by Gustav Hasford]
-
V-CAMPAIGN :
-
the WWII campaign designed to improve the morale and sustain the
resistance of occupied civilian populations by Allied PROPAGANDA
and partisan GUERRILLA forces, consisting of marking property
with the letter "V" for 'victory', wearing the letter "V" as a
symbol of solidarity, humming or whistling the Morse code (...-)
for the letter "V", and the like. This morale campaign also
encouraged chain-letter news reporting, singing of traditional
and patriotic songs, wearing of national COLORS in pieces of
clothing (eg: British roundel worn as a tam-o'-shanter, French
stripes as a scarf), and the aloof disregard of occupation
troops. All of these "passive resistance" acts of defiance became
putative "crimes" by the final year of the war, which only
increased their prevalence. The British Broadcasting Company
(BBC) opened their news coverage with the beginning of
Beethoven's fifth symphony, being a musical letter "V" for
'victory'!
[nb: southern belles who wore a Confederate rosette in military
districts during the American CIVIL WAR were officially denoted
as 'prostitutes', but the wearing of same was not a crime, nor
would a woman be arrested for 'advertising' herself]
-
VCI :
-
Vietnamese Communist Infrastructure; see VC, NLF, PRG, PLA.
-
VCP :
-
Vehicle Check Point, being a small PILLBOX setup as a traffic
control station situated at intersections and along roads in
Iraq; commonly called a "cop in a box".
-
VCS :
-
Vietnamese Communist Suspect, or VIET CONG Suspect; see METAL
TEST, compare DOUBTFULS, SQUIRTER, EPW, POW.
-
VD :
-
Virtual Display, a helmet-mounted luminous presentation of the
multifunction displays (MFD) arrayed for the PILOT and Weapon
Systems Officer (WSO) from the integrated flight, armaments, and
surveillance computers on the aircraft; input may be by voice,
touch, or cursor, while output may include text, images, maps,
icons, infrared (IR) or RADAR readings; this versatile display
supersedes the Head's Up Display (HUD), which was projected from
the instrument panel at eye-level; see PLASTIC BRAINS, BITCHIN'
BETTY, SHARON, COMBINATION GLASS, SIGHT PICTURE, PRIMROSE PATH,
HOTAS.
Also, abbreviation for Venereal Disease, a condition transmitted
by sexual relations; a genital infection exhibiting corruption
and discharge ("the drip" or "jelly") that's also known as a
social disease or sexually transmitted disease (STD); see CLAP,
ARC, ORIENTAL CRUD, TROPICAL BUBO, SHORT ARM, PECKER-CHECKER, PRO
KIT, ANTIBIOTIC. [aka: "scrud" (any venereal disease); "dirty
barrel" (an infected penis or vagina)] [v: chancre, chancroid]
[re: syphilis, gonorrhea, genital herpes, chlamydia,
lymphogranuloma venereum, trichomoniasis, nongonococcal
urethritis]
[nb: before blatant sexuality abrogated etiquette, a polite
inquiry into one's well-being could receive the jocular reply of
"Passing well.", which meant micturating without difficulty, or
being free from venereal infection, having the same amusing
effect among friends as the modern query "How they hanging?" ...
"passing well" could be interpreted as "fair to middling", and so
was socially inoffensive]
-
V-DEVICE :
-
representing "valor", and known as the "combat V" or "combat
distinguishing device" among Navy and Marine personnel, this
DEVICE is appended to any award for combat action which may also
be presented for merit, such as the Bronze Star Medal (BSMw/V) or
Air Medal (AMw/V) or Army Commendation Medal (ARCOMw/V); some
other medals are only awarded for valor, such as the Silver Star
(SS) or Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), while others are only
presented for merit, such as the Legion of Merit (LOM) or
Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), and others only for service,
such as the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) or Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal (AFEM). See DEVICE, OLC, BATTLE STAR, GONG,
IMPACT AWARD, TRASH, GUTS, MOXIE, ONIONS, DIEHARD, VETERAN,
WINTER SOLDIER, NOBLE SAVAGE, COUNT COUP, BRAGGING RIGHTS, QUIET
PROFESSIONAL, HERO, MACHO.
[nb: it's a federal crime for anyone to misappropriate or
misattribute the award of a valor decoration] [nb: an insignia
emblematic of the honors and lineage of a military organization,
unlike familial "coats of arms", may be individually enhanced but
not personally heritable; v: Heraldry] [nb: pagan
Norsemen awarded metallic bracelets in recognition of meritorious
or valorous deeds]
-
VECTOR :
-
the course of approach or advance adjusted by angles from
known REFERENCE POINTS; see VOR, VORTAC, BEAM, PIRAZ, MEACONING;
compare IMC, VFR. Also, any agent, carrier, transporter, or
transmitter of disease, information, or the like; see GERM
WARFARE, CBR, GNR, PSYOPS, PROPAGANDA, PARTY LINE. [v: bacteria,
parasitism, commensalism / commensal organism, symbiosis]
-
VEHICLE :
-
see TRUCK, DEUCE-AND-A-HALF, FIVE-TON, LMTV, MTV, JERRV, MRAP,
HEMTT, WAR PIG, COUGAR, BUFFALO, JEEP, HUMMER, HMMWV, HUMVEE,
TRACK, TANK, APC, GAVIN, BRADLEY, STRYKER, FISTV, LAV, FAV, ORV,
MULE, CHAPARRAL, HALF-TRACK, ARMORED CAR, JINGLE TRUCK, HACK,
RICE-BURNER, RICKSHA, CYCLO, PEDICAB, DUCK / DUKW, GAMMA GOAT,
AMTRACK, AAV, LANDING CRAFT, BAND-AID, CRACKER BOX, MEDEVAC,
CASEVAC, STRETCHER, LITTER, MOTOR POOL, JOHN WAYNE DRIVING
SCHOOL, POV; compare KEY, BOAT, CHOPPER, BIRD.
-
VELCRO :
-
the tradename of a nylon fabric closure that consists of two
complementary pieces of fastening tape, one with tiny hooks and
the other with a dense pile, that interlock when pressed
together, which is used as a substitute for buttons or snaps on
garments, luggage, and the like; invented in 1948, Velcro is also
called "hook 'n' loop fastener" and "hook 'n' pile fastener". See
ZIP / ZIPPER, FLY.
-
VELOTAXI / VÉLOTAXI :
-
[ety: Denmark bikecab] see PEDICAB.
-
VELVET DIVORCE :
-
see SOFT REVOLUTION.
-
VELVET GLOVE :
-
see IRON FIST IN A VELVET GLOVE, GAGE; compare GAUNTLET, GANTLET.
-
VELVET REVOLUTION :
-
see SOFT REVOLUTION.
-
VENDOR :
-
see CHEAP CHARLIE, HAJJI SHOP, POJANGMACHA, JINGLE TRUCK, CYCLO,
SLOP CHEST, SLICKY BOY, COWBOY, BANDIT, BELTWAY BANDIT, SAND
CRAB, PORK BARREL, GSA, GAO, UNCLE SAM, MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL
COMPLEX.
-
VENGEANCE :
-
the infliction of harm or humiliation upon a person by someone
who was previously injured by that person; the infliction of
terrible retaliation or violent revenge upon someone who caused
hurt or harm to another. Also, force or violence done with a
vengeance; done to an excessive or unexpected degree, as by an
unreasonable requital. See RETALIATION, REPRISAL, REVENGE,
RETRIBUTION, WAR CRIME, JUST WAR, DAY OF RECKONING, LAWS OF WAR.
-
VENTAIL :
-
the pivoted middle element of a face defense for a close helmet.
Also, a flap of flexible MAIL armor attached to a COIF, which is
then fastened across the lower part of the face as protection
during combat. Also, an AVENTAIL or TIPPET (qqv).
-
VENT ONE'S SPLEEN :
-
to expel annoyance or release vexation, as if spewed forth,
especially when being impatiently or stubbornly obstinate ...
most commonly encountered as a splenetic or peevish tantrum by a
willful MARTINET; the ductless spleen was formerly considered the
seat of melancholy, ill-humor, irritability, and spitefulness.
See SEE RED / SEEING RED, GO KINETIC, WILD-EYED, BLOOD IN THE
EYE, HAIRY EYEBALL, BACK CHANNEL, BAYONET SHEET, NASTY-GRAM,
FANG, BROWBEAT, BLISTER, HAWK, GIG, CALL ON THE CARPET,
BAD-MOUTH, VERBUM SAP.
-
VERACITY :
-
the habitual observance of truth; truthfulness. Also, conformity
to accuracy or correctness, as of fact. See TRUTH, PROBITY,
UNIVOCAL.
-
VERBAL BULLET POINTS :
-
see DIGITAL BULLET POINTS.
-
VERBAL DIARRHEA :
-
unrestrained speech or talking jag, as "He dug his own grave with
his mouth!"; not only to say too much but to say the wrong
things. See TALK TRASH, SHOOT THE SHIT, SNOW, GAS BAG, HOT AIR,
MOTOR MOUTH, BRAVO SIERRA, SCUTTLEBUTT, RUMOR, BLOW SMOKE,
CONFETTI, BAD-MOUTH, GODDAM, COUNT COUP, ATFU, SMOKE 'n' MIRRORS,
SKATE, TAP-DANCER, FRUIT FLY, WAR CORRESPONDENT, MILICRAT,
MIL-SPEAK.
-
VERBAL SHRAPNEL :
-
mordant or derisive speech, biting or cutting language; words
strewn like bursting fragments from an exploding bomb or shell,
often harmfully, to the detriment of morale; see BLISTER, FANG,
VERBUM SAP. Also, any widespread announcement or broadcast, as an
impersonal recitation of news or other information; see POOP,
HEADS-UP, FYI, DOPE, THE WORD, GOUGE, GREEN GREASE, HOT-SHIT,
GRIPEVINE, SCUTTLEBUTT, RUMOR.
-
VERBUM SAP / VERB SAP :
-
a contraction of "verbum sapienti sat est", which Latin dictum
means: a word to the wise is sufficient; such a reproof or
reproach, precaution or rebuke, admonition or censure, reprimand
or dressing-down is also expressed as "put a flea in one's ear".
See CONFAB, DEBRIEF, CALL ON THE CARPET, FANG, BLISTER, HAWK,
BROWBEAT, VENT ONE'S SPLEEN, KICK ASS, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. [v:
comeuppance]
-
VERMIN :
-
those noxious or objectionable animals and insects that appear
commonly, especially the small intrusive ones that are difficult
for people to control (eg: flies, mosquitoes, lice, spiders,
ants, cockroaches, mice, and rats), which often serve as disease
vectors; as literally derived from "racking pain" from being
infested with maggots. [nb: incontrovertible evidence of the
existence of unwelcome vermin in the barracks during an
inspection, such as mouse droppings or spider webs, will garner
demerits for everyone in the room for "keeping an unauthorized
pet", and if a dead specimen is found, such as poisoned roaches
or trapped flies, then the demerit will be extended to "improper
care of pet", and a burial ceremony may be ordered]
Also, an objectionable or obnoxious person, or such distasteful
persons collectively, often contaminating the body politic, as by
a lowlife plague; see UN-AMERICAN, ANTI-AMERICAN, AMERIKA,
BULLSHITVIK, PROTESTOR, SILVER-TAIL, SYMPATHIZER, FIFTH COLUMN,
NEW AGE HIPPIE, YIPPIE, COUNTERCULTURE, NIHILISM, REBELLION,
REVOLUTION, SOFT TYRANNY, WE SHALL OVERCOME, KUM BA YAH, FLOWER
POWER.
-
VERNACULAR :
-
expression or writing in the common or conventional language
INDIGenous to a population; being the plain language, native
patois, mother tongue, or regional dialect of ordinary people.
This holistic form of communication is "vulgar" in the sense of
being prosaic, colloquial, customary, or unsophisticated.
Also, any distinctive language that identifies a class,
profession, or other group, such as parlance, jargon, idiom,
argot, lingo, cant, slang, or the like; as contrasted with
multilingual diversity. [v: demotic, catachresis, haplograph,
mannerism, counterword, euphemism, ad diction, balderdash,
language, sociolinguistics, orality; cf: hieratic, calque,
proclitic, enclitic] See MIL-SPEAK, PERIPHRASIS, POLYGLOT, LINGUA
FRANCA, TALK THE TALK, HOBSON-JOBSON, GOOKANESE, DOUBLE DUTCH,
MONKEY VOICES, PIDGIN, BAMBOO ENGLISH, PIG LATIN, DOG LATIN,
CREOLE. [nb: Zipf's Law of Linguistics asserts that while a few
words in any natural language are used quite often, most words
are used infrequently, which statistical observation was first
made by George Kingsley Zipf]
-
VERY PISTOL :
-
a breech-loading, single-action, snub-nosed pistol used for
firing colored signal flares (called "Very lights"), most notably
from a lifeboat survival pack; eponymously named after an
American naval officer, Edward Wilson Very. See FLARE; compare
PEN FLARE, SLAP-FLARE. [nb: sometimes misspelled 'Verey']
-
VESICANT :
-
a BLISTER AGENT or "blistering agent"; see COCKTAIL, CBW, CW,
CBR, HAZMAT.
-
VEST :
-
see FLAK VEST, FLAK JACKET, HAPPY SUIT, CHICKEN PLATE, OTV, IOTV,
ESAPI, SAPI, SHRAPNEL. [cf: flexible 'mail'; v: doublet]
-
VESTIBULE :
-
an enclosed entrance, PASSAGEWAY, or antechamber situated between
the exterior door and the interior parts of a building (eg: HQ)
or shelter (eg: TOC, BUNKER, BLOCKHOUSE); typically secured
against unauthorized entry, it's used to restrict access (eg:
MAN-TRAP, PEEPHOLE) and to control the environment (eg:
BLACKOUT); this configuration resembles an "arctic entry", while
the term itself derives from "forecourt". Compare PNEUMONIA HOLE;
see GRILLE, BAFFLE. [v: anteroom, foyer, lobby]
-
VEST-POCKET ARTILLERY :
-
see STOVEPIPE, PISS TUBE, MORTAR.
-
VET :
-
short for 'VETeran', being an experienced person, especially
someone with wartime service; as derived from "mature"; compare
PEACETIMER. Also, to authenticate, as to appraise, scrutinize,
verify, or check for accuracy or validity; also expressed as
"vetted" or "vetting".
-
VETERAN :
-
a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation
or activity, especially someone who has served in a military
force; as derived from "mature". Also, a person who has served in
the armed forces during wartime; someone with experience of
warfare, or someone who has fought in a war. See WINTER SOLDIER,
compare PEACETIMER. [v: inveterate (harden, habitual, from
veteran); cf: infantry (infant= child too young to speak)] [v:
expert, master, virtuoso, bailiwick; cf: "wight" is a human
being, who is defined as such by his ability to fight, hence is
someone who's strong and brave in war] [nb: "No one going as a
soldier entangles himself with the affairs of life, that he may
please him who has enlisted him as a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:4
(Darby)]
-
VETERANIZE :
-
used after the 1863 DRAFT as an operational policy among Union /
Federal units to admix the new replacements and inexperienced
draftees with the more knowledgeable and tempered members of
existing units; a type of experiential partnership adopted under
various guises in subsequent wars; see CHERRY, FNG, NEWBEE,
DRAFTEE, STRIKER, BUDDY SYSTEM, WORK WIFE, DOUBLE FORCE, KATUSA,
OMLT, COMRADE, SHIPMATE, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN. [v: geminate]
-
VETERANS' ASSOCIATION :
-
a group or organization of persons who affiliate for common cause
based upon their shared military background, typically to
celebrate fellowship and history but sometimes to accomplish
social or political ends; a club or society, league or alliance,
brotherhood or fraternity of VETERANs. See BOY'S CLUB, LAST MAN
CLUB, GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD STICK, GOOD OLD BOY, PROFESSIONAL
VETERAN, RING-KNOCKER, KHAKI MAFIA, PAY DUES, UP OR OUT, STACK
ARMS, WHOLE MAN, HORS DE COMBAT, SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION,
ESPRIT DE CORPS, INITIATION, EARRING, MEAT MARKER, TATTOO,
CHALLENGE COIN, SOUVENIR, TROPHY; compare FRATERNIZATION.
[eg: Air Commando Association; Air Force Sergeants Association;
American Airborne Association; American Ex-Prisoners of War;
American GI Forum of the United States; American Gold Star
Mothers; American Legion; American War Mothers; AMVETS; American
Vet Alliance Service Center; Army and Navy Club; Army and Navy
Union, USA; Army Officer Candidate School Foundation; Blinded
Veterans Association; Blue Star Mothers of America; Brotherhood
of Army Registrars; Catholic War Veterans, USA; Coalition of
Retired Military Veterans; Combat Helicopter Pilots Association;
Combined Action Program Veterans Association; Congressional Medal
of Honor Society of the USA; Counterparts; Disabled American
Veterans; DustOff Association; 82nd Airborne Division
Association; Embassy Marines Association; Fleet Reserve
Association; FORTY AND EIGHT; Gold Star Wives of America; Iraq
and Afghanistan Veterans of America; Italian American War
Veterans of the United States; Jewish War Veterans of the USA;
Korean War Veterans Association; League of Disgruntled Majors;
Legion of Valor of the USA; Marine Corps Association; Marine
Corps League; U.S. Marine Raider Association; USMC Combat
Helicopter Association; USMC Force Recon Association; Mike Force
Association; Military Chaplains Association of the United States
of America; MILITARY ORDER OF THE COOTIES; MILITARY ORDER OF THE
DEVIL DOGS; Military Order of the Purple Heart; Military Order of
the World Wars; National Alliance of Families for the Return of
America's Missing Servicemen; National Association for Black
Veterans; National Military Family Association; NATIONAL ORDER OF
TRENCH RATS; National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition;
National Yeoman Association; Navy Club of the USA;
Non-Commissioned Officers' Association; The Office of Strategic
Services Society; Paralyzed Veterans of America; Para-Rescue
Association; Pearl Harbor Survivors Association; U.S. Army Ranger
Association; Reserve Officers Association; The Retired Enlisted
Association; The Retired Officer Association; Special Forces
Association; Special Operations Association; Swords to
Plowshares; UDT - SEAL Association; Uniformed Services Disabled
Retirees; United Spanish War Veterans; United States Submarine
Veterans of World War II; Veterans Assistance Foundation;
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the USA; Veterans of the Vietnam War;
Vietnam Dog Handler Association; Vietnam Helicopter Pilots
Association; Vietnam Veterans of America; Visually Impaired
Veterans of America; Women's Army Corps Veterans' Association]
-
VETERANS' BONUS ACT :
-
(aka: Soldiers' Bonus Act; v: World War Adjusted Compensation
Act) see BONUS ACT, GI BILL.
-
VETERANS' DAY :
-
the recurring annual observance of Armistice Day (11 November)
ending the Great War (WWI) was reoriented in 1938 to honor the
service and sacrifice of all military personnel in both peace and
war, and was formally redesignated in 1954 by an Act of Congress.
See TAPS, TROPHY, BUGLE CALL, TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS, POW-MIA DAY,
FLAG DAY; compare MEMORIAL DAY, PATRIOT DAY, PATRIOT'S DAY.
[nb: many civilians confuse the meaning of the principal national
holidays, combining each and commemorating all together at each
date; instead of according honors to military servicemembers on
Armed Forces Day, honors to veterans on Veterans' Day, and honors
to the war dead on Memorial Day]
-
VF :
-
U.S. Navy designation for a Fighter Squadron.
-
VFA :
-
U.S. Navy designation for a Fighter Attack Squadron.
-
V FORMATION / VIC FORMATION :
-
a chevron-shaped flight of three or more airplanes that provide
mutual support, autonomous action, and permit individual course
changes (including reversal) without affecting relative
orientation; a formation adopted in WWI to improve the
traditional column and row cavalry formations, each set thereof
was called an "element" (leader with wingmen) and the group of
associated elements were called a "combat box" formation. Compare
FINGER FOUR, WELDED WING, COMBAT BOX; see MISSING MAN FORMATION,
BIRD. [nb: 'vic' is the short form of the alphanumeric 'victor'
referent for the letter 'V']
-
V-44 MARINE RAIDER KNIFE :
-
the so-called "Carlson's Raiders knife" or "gung-ho bowie", which
was made famous by its association with the 2nd Marine Raider Bn
(1942), was actually the W.R. Case and Sons compact non-folding
machete for aircraft survival kits, which survival knife was
based upon the Collins #18 machete that had been supplied in U.S.
Navy and U.S. Army Air Corps bailout kits since 1934; this
clip-pointed machete (9.4"BL, 14.2"OAL) with a crossguard and
green horn (1942), black phenolic plastic (1943), or wooden
cocobolo (1944) haft was variously made by Collins Axe, Kinfolks,
Western, and other contract cutlers until 1966. See BOWIE,
MACHETE, SURVIVAL KNIFE, KNIFE.
-
V-42 STILETTO :
-
a variant of the Fairbairn-Sykes COMMANDO DAGGER, which was
issued to BLACK DEVIL members of the First Special Service Force
(FSSF), also called the "Devil's Brigade", which was a joint
Canadian-American special operations force during WWII. The V-42
"Force knife" was a slim, double-edged and double hollow-ground
dagger made by W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company to compensate
for the poor quality of the F-S dagger, which the FSSF commander
(Robert T. Frederick) had encountered in England. Its square
ricasso (similar to the type 1 F-S) included a "thumbprint" for
nighttime orientation, leather padding on the grip-side of the
crossguard, a leather (instead of metal) haft, and an elaborate
skull-crusher pommel (credited to Orval J. Baldwin, the FSSF
supply officer). Unlike many other wartime knives, the V-42 was
not intended to perform utilitarian functions, and many knives
broke when employed in opening ration cases or ammunition crates.
The V-42's brightly polished 7.5" tool steel blade could punch
through a steel helmet and liner with a single thrust, and like
the Randall fighters, was intended to be grasped with a finger or
thumb over the crossguard, so the blade would be horizontally
oriented ... not in either the fencing or ice-pick grips. Because
of the slender tip and skull-crusher pommel, the V-42 required an
elaborate sheath to protect the wearer from injuring himself
during combat maneuvers or a parachute jump ... furthermore, the
sheath was made long (cf: Gerber Mark II scabbard) to hang below
other equipment and remain accessible under the drape of winter
clothing. Although more than 3000 V-42 stilettos were ordered,
only 1750 knives were received for issue by November 1943. Case
Cutlery reproduced a commemorative "Force knife" during 1989-93.
-
VFR :
-
Visual Flight Rules; compare IFR, POPEYE, IMC, VOR, VECTOR.
-
VFR DIRECT :
-
Visual Flight Rules Direct, being an informal expression for
going straight to a particular person or office, such as the
chaplain (SKY PILOT) or Inspector General (IG), without the
necessity of passing through the CHAIN-OF-COMMAND. See OFF THE
RESERVATION, OUTSIDE THE WIRE, CHECKING THE DICTIONARY, UNODIR,
SCRIPTURES, LOYALTY UP - LOYALTY DOWN, WIGGLE ROOM.
-
V-GIRL :
-
Victory-girl, being an amateur "good-time girl"; see BUTTERFLY,
GRASSHOPPER, CAMPAIGN WIFE, HORIZONTAL COLLABORATOR, SLEEPING
DICTIONARY, CAMP FOLLOWER. [nb: many young women during WWII,
enthralled by the wartime drama and excitement, became "uniform
groupies" who were sufficiently "khaki wacky" to express their
ardor by casual favor or intimacy bestowed upon almost any
serviceman for simple companionship; such patriotic chippies or
amateur trollops were known as "V-girls" (probably by analogy to
B-girl), with the dual implication of "victory" and "venereal"]
-
VHF :
-
Very High Frequency; radio signal spectrum between 30 and 300
megahertz (MHz). See VOR, RADIO WAVE, RADIO.
-
VHF OMNIRANGE :
-
see VOR.
-
VICIOUS CIRCLE / VICIOUS CYCLE :
-
a sequence of occurrences or a chain of events wherein the
response to each situation creates a new difficulty that
aggravates the original problem or exacerbates the current
circumstance; a negative feedback loop, regardless of input or
reinforcement. Also, a proposition that begs the question; an
irresolvable argument or perpetual disagreement. [v: Hydra; cf:
virtuous circle / virtuous cycle]
-
VICTOR :
-
the winner in any struggle or contest, being the one who
prevails, one who has overcome or defeated an adversary; as
derived from "conqueror".
Also, the word assigned to represent the letter "V" in the
international phonetic alphabet; at various times in different
spelling schemes, it has also been acrophonetically represented
as Vice; it is sometimes spelled "viktor". See ALPHABET SOUP,
PHONETIC ALPHABET. [v: Alphabet Codes & Signal Flags]
-
VICTORY :
-
a success over an enemy in BATTLE or a triumph in WAR; the key to
success on the battlefield is offensive action ... it cannot be
attained by defense alone. See HOLOCAUST, APOCALYPSE, ARMAGEDDON,
PYRRHIC VICTORY, NEUTRALIZE, V-SIGN, DEFEAT, ARMISTICE, TRUCE,
EXIT STRATEGY, TREATY.
[nb: the countersign selected by George Washington for the Battle
of Trenton on 26 December 1776 was "Victory or die."; "Success
favors those who take pains." by Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca50BC:
Amat victoria curam.); "If fighting is sure to result in victory,
then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting
will not result in victory, then you must not fight, even at the
ruler's bidding." by Sun-Tzu (ca490BC); "Wars may be fought with
weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who
follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory." by
George S. Patton Jr (September 1933); "In war there is no
substitute for victory." by Douglas MacArthur (19 April 1951);
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we
shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support
any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and
the success of liberty." by John F. Kennedy (20 Jan 1961);
"Victory in combat is like sex with a prostitute -- for a moment
you forget everything in the sudden physical rush, but then you
have to pay your money to the woman showing you the door, and
that's when you see the dirt on the walls, the stains on the
sheets, and your sorry image in the dull mirror." paraphrase of
Karl Marlantes; cf: "It must be a peace without victory." by T.
Woodrow Wilson (22 Jan 1917); "My good friends this is the second
time in our history that there has come ... peace with honor. I
believe it is peace in our time." by Neville Chamberlain (30 Sept
1938); "No one won the last war, and no one will win the next."
by Eleanor Roosevelt (5 Nov 1948); "... we today have concluded
an agreement to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam
and in Southeast Asia." by Richard M. Nixon (23 Jan 1973)]
Also, any superior position or other achievement attained against
a difficulty or opposition; to best or prevail, a conquest or
triumph. [nb: "No pain, no gain; no guts, no glory."; "No
pruning, no grapes; no grinding mill, no flour; no battle, no
victory; no cross, no crown!"; "No laming, no naming, no
struggle, no Promised Land; no Cross, no Crown."; "No pain, no
palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no
crown." by William Penn]
Also, an AvnSpeak euphemism for downing an enemy plane in aerial
combat; an aviation kill.
-
VICTORY-GIRL :
-
(aka: V-girl) an amateur "good-time girl"; see BUTTERFLY,
GRASSHOPPER, CAMPAIGN WIFE, HORIZONTAL COLLABORATOR, SLEEPING
DICTIONARY, CAMP FOLLOWER. [nb: many young women during WWII,
enthralled by the wartime drama and excitement, became "uniform
groupies" who were sufficiently "khaki wacky" to express their
ardor by casual favor or intimacy bestowed upon almost any
serviceman for simple companionship; such patriotic chippies or
amateur trollops were known as "V-girls" (probably by analogy to
B-girl), with the dual implication of "victory" and "venereal"]
-
VICTORY ROLL :
-
a celebratory low-level pass over an airstrip or flight deck by a
successful aircraft returning to its base after a combat
operation. Although details have varied from war to war,
depending upon the type of airplane flown and the tactical
situation, the flight leader ordinarily directs one plane to
depart from the formation to fly ahead and perform the VICTORY
ROLL stunt as a demonstrable announcement of achievement to all
ground personnel. Alternatively, the entire formation will
perform the maneuver in trail sequence. Bombers typically limit
themselves to BUZZing the airfield, but fighters usually perform
a SNAP ROLL, often followed by a CHANDELLE. This controlled
aerial maneuver is now discouraged for reasons ranging from
"wasteful" and "stressful" to "inappropriate" and "dangerous"!
See AEROBATICS.
-
VICTORY SUIT :
-
an economical single-breasted dress suit that was designed for
civilian businessmen so as to save resources for the (WWII) war
effort; unlike the double-breasted or continental cut, which
included two pairs of pants with the jacket, these two-piece
suits featured a one- or two-button closure, a shorter skirt with
a single vent, narrower lapels, fewer pockets, no vest, no pleats
or loops or cuffs ... a very plain suit in limited fabric weights
and patterns or colors. [cf: zoot suit]
-
VICTORY TASK FORCE :
-
a 1942 road show that demonstrated military skills to the public
so as to promote higher morale and increase recruiting during
WWII; this performance was similar to the later GABRIEL
DEMONSTRATIONs in that it used professional actors in a public
theater. Like the MACV RECONDO School, where battlefield "lessons
learned" were immediately integrated into the training
curriculum, the equivalent WWII British proving ground was a
dynamic center for developing better equipment and methods for
improvements in combat action. [nb: Morse code letter "V" below
Roman letter on shoulder sleeve insignia]
-
VIERLING :
-
a COMBINATION GUN (qv) with four barrels.
-
VIET CONG :
-
being the contraction for 'Vietnamese communist' ("Viet-nam
Cong-san"); also spelled "Viet-Cong" or "VietCong", abbreviated
VC, and also represented as "communist traitor of vietnam". The
official post-war history identifies the group as the 'Liberation
Army of South Vietnam' or the 'South Viet Nam Liberation Army'
(SVNLA) from 1960, the 'National Liberation Front for South
Vietnam (NLF / NLFSVN) or the "National Front for the Liberation
of the South" (NFLSVN), and by 1969 the "Provisional
Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam" (PRG /
PRGRSVN) had been created as a surrogate of the NVA. See CHARLIE,
LONGHAIR, LUKE THE GOOK, GOOK, GOMER, VCI, PRG, NLF, PLA, VIET
MINH, VIET QUOC, PAVN, BAD GUYS. [nb: "When you see VC, be wary;
and when you don't see any VC, be twice as wary!" Vietnam-era
adaptation of old Frontier saying from 19th century ("When you
see an Indian, be afraid; and when you see no Indians, be twice
as afraid!")]
-
VIET MINH :
-
Viet Nam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi, or the Vietnamese
Independence League; also spelled "VietMinh". See VIET QUOC, BAD
GUYS.
-
VIETNAM :
-
see VN, RVN, SVN, GVN, INDOCHINA, THE NAM, MARVIN THE ARVN, ARVN,
VNN, VNMC, VNAF, AFVN, RF/PF, CIDG, STRIKER, YARD, BODE, HMONG,
NUNG, PASSAGE TO FREEDOM, FREQUENT WIND, DMZ, DRV, NVN, SRV, VC,
PRG, CHARLIE, NLF, BO DOI, GOMER, NVA, VIET MINH, VIET QUOC,
PAVN, LONGHAIR, LUKE THE GOOK, BAD GUYS.
-
VIET-NAM CONG-SAN :
-
see VIET CONG.
-
VIETNAMESE MARINES :
-
Viet Nam Marine Corps (VNMC / RVNMC).
-
VIETNAMESE RANGERS :
-
Biet Dong Quan (BDQ), being the elite infantry of the Vietnamese
Army (ARVN).
-
VIETNAM IS FOREVER :
-
an ironic catch-phrase or slogan, often used with "Vietnam, Love
it or Leave it!", to counter the anti-war protests, which were
perceived as also being anti-American. The WARMONGERING of
RING-KNOCKERs, TICKET-PUNCHERs, and other LIFERs was cynically
expressed as: "It ain't much, but it's the only war we got!". See
KILL 'EM ALL, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS, BATTLE CRY, WAR PARTY,
TRIGGER-HAPPY; compare HELL NO - WE WON'T GO!, THEY'LL GIVE A WAR
AN' NOBODY'LL COME. [nb: the superpatriot slogan of "America,
Love it or Leave it!" was the source for the adapted version used
in Vietnam; cf: "No glory like Old Glory!"]
-
VIETNAMIZATION :
-
the catch-phrase for the wholesale transfer of operations and
materiel from the Allies to the RVN Armed Forces, beginning in
March 1969 and concluding with conventional US departure in March
1973; formally known as "ACcelerated Turn-Over to the Vietnamese"
(ACTOV), and commonly referred to as STAND-DOWN. This shift of
responsibility for the continuation of the VIETNAM WAR was based
upon the post-colonial "Indianization" of the Asian subcontinent
by the British, but this precipitate changeover (nay,
abandonment) was actually just a "deAmericanization" process. See
PROVN, CRIMP, CSMO, KEYSTONE, VIETNAM SYNDROME.
-
VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL / VSM :
-
awarded to military personnel for service in Southeast Asia, its
contiguous waters or air space, during the period 15 March 1962
to 28 March 1973, and may be decorated by battle stars for
participation in each of 17 specific campaigns, and by an
arrowhead for any combat parachute assault. Military ADVISORs
serving between 1 July 1958 and 14 March 1962 are instead
eligible for the "Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal" (AFEM), as
are post-war ADVISORs until 30 April 1975. Compare CIVILIAN
SERVICE IN VIET NAM MEDAL, RVN CAMPAIGN MEDAL; see CAMPAIGN
MEDAL, GONG.
-
VIETNAM SYNDROME :
-
a predictable condition or pattern of behavior exhibited by pols
or pundits that's characteristic of, or is attributed to, the
conduct of the VIETNAM WAR, and tends to recur under certain
circumstances; an inconstant or negative foreign policy agenda
that opts-out of missions or alliances, even after American
troops have been committed to battle. The VIETNAM SYNDROME has
been represented, rightly or wrongly, as being responsible for
mitigating commitments, inconsistent relations, and/or military
defeatism. This rhetorical polemic, often expressed as "another
Vietnam" or "no more Vietnams", has been used by commentators
to detract or taint diplomatic options, exclusive of military
resolutions to international disputes, based upon a presumed
repetition of the combat casualties and social upheaval of the
Vietnam-era ... which allegation is either a logical fallacy or
an illogical postulate. See SHOW THE FLAG, PLAY THE GAME, RUN IT
UP THE FLAGPOLE, SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT, VIETNAMIZATION,
WIGGLE ROOM, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE), FLOWER WAR, LILY-LIVERED.
[nb: an "end to the Vietnam syndrome" was proclaimed by George
Herbert Walker Bush in 1991; Richard Holbrooke called the Clinton
Administration withdrawal of U.S. troops from Somalia "the
emergence of a new 'Vietmalia' syndrome", as later reflected in
America's actions in Bosnia] [nb: "I lived through the
humiliating defeat in Vietnam. I was a platoon leader and company
commander there, a paratrooper. So I was down at the fighting end
of that war, and like all wars, there's a lot of human suffering
that takes place. And we thought we did a very good job, frankly,
while we were there and felt good about it, and then the ending
was horrible in 1975 when we lost the war, and it sort of
invalidated everything that we had done. And the Army went on a
roller coaster as a result of it, psychologically and
emotionally, to adjust to a humiliating defeat like that. Some of
our good people left, others stayed. I was one of them that
stayed. And we kind of put the Army back together again over
time." by GEN Jack Keane]
-
VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL / VVM :
-
after watching the film "The Deer Hunter" in 1979, Vietnam
Veteran Jan C. Scruggs first conceived the idea for a Vietnam
Veteran's Memorial. Following a design contest, construction on
the Washington Mall, dedication ten years after the U.S. departed
SVN, and several design additions (eg: statues, flagpole), it has
become the most frequently visited public monument in the
nation's capital. Sometimes called "VIETNAM WAR Memorial" or "The
Wall"; see MEMORIAL DAY, KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL, MISSING
MAN FORMATION, TAPS.
-
VIETNAM WAR :
-
the service period for Vietnam-era war-related benefits covers 4
Aug 1964 - 7 May 1975, which excludes the advisory and support
period preceding the conventional conflict; some veterans and
historians date the war from the end of the French participation
(1954), while others date it from the beginning of American
involvement (1945) after the WWII Yalta conference. See RVN, SVN,
GVN, VN, SRV, NVN, THE NAM, INDOCHINA, VIETNAMIZATION, DOMINO
THEORY, ENCLAVE STRATEGY, LOST GENERATION, KIA, VSM, APOCALYPSE.
[nb: Vietnam War (1964-73): 8,744,000 served; 47,369-58,169
battle deaths] [v: Myths of the Vietnam War; Vietnam Chronology]
[nb: "The brave men who died in Vietnam, more than 100% of which
were black, were the ultimate sacrifice." by Marion Barry,
Washington D.C. mayor; "My film (Apocalypse Now) is not a
movie. My film is not about Vietnam. It is
Vietnam. The way we made it is the way Americans were in Vietnam.
We had too much money, access to too much equipment, and little
by little we went insane." by Francis Ford Coppola; "The machine
overheated. You got inflation and a falling market at one end and
college riots at the other and in the middle: forty thousand sons
of American mothers killed by shit-smeared bamboo. People don't
like having Sonny killed in the jungle any more. Maybe they never
liked it, but they used to think it was necessary." by John
Updike (1971); "Our country is challenged at home and abroad --
it is our will that is being tried, and not our strength." by
Lyndon B. Johnson (1968)]
-
VIET QUOC :
-
the VIET QUOC, or "Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang" was established on 25
December 1927. Its primary objectives were to gain democratic
independence and happiness for the Vietnamese people by an armed
uprising aimed at toppling the French colonialist regime
throughout their fatherland. On 10 February 1930, the VIET QUOC
were involved in a general uprising in Ha Noi / Hanoi. The
attacks were unsuccessful, and the French government sentenced
the leaders to death. Along with the communist party, the VIET
QUOC was a member of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Allied League
(Viet Nam Cach Menh Dong Minh Hoi, or VNCMDMH). The communists,
led by Ho Chi Minh, took control of the government, expelling
non-communist parties from the VNCKMDMH and executing members of
the political opposition. Taking refuge in South Vietnam, the
VIET QUOC joined the armed forces of South Vietnam from
1954-1975. The party is presently in exile. See VIET MINH, BAD
GUYS.
-
VIEW PORT / VIEWING PORT :
-
see PEEPHOLE.
-
VIFF :
-
Vector In Forward Flight, or Vectoring In Forward Flight, being
an air combat maneuver wherein the lead airplane in a tail-chase
situation manages to slow down dramatically enough that the
trailing airplane overtakes, performing a positional switch,
enabling a favorable attack upon the newly exposed and now
vulnerable enemy airplane; also called "VIFFing". See AEROBATICS.
-
VIGIL :
-
watchfulness, or a period of attentiveness, that's maintained at
night (during the normal hours for sleeping), or at other times;
see WATCH, WATCH BILL, DUTY, BILLET, POST, SENTRY. Also, a
nocturnal devotional service, especially on the eve of a
religious holiday or festival; see MEMORIAL DAY, CANDLELIGHT
VIGIL.
-
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE :
-
an unauthorized committee of citizens organized for the
maintenance of order and the summary punishment of crime in the
absence of regular courts or of efficient jurisprudence; see
BLANKET PARTY, AIRMAN ALIGNMENT TOOL, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, SWEAT,
SQUEEZE, THIRD DEGREE, ROPE MEDICINE, RIOT ACT, REGULATOR,
PROVOST COURT, PISO'S JUSTICE, MARTIAL LAW.
[nb: historically, citizen organizations using such extralegal
means have abused their power by intimidating dissenters or
suppressing civil rights; cf: nightrider, TERRORIST]
[cf: kangaroo court, honor court, grievance committee, miner's
court, vigilance committee, frontier justice, tribunal,
sanhedrim, Star Chamber] [nb: lynch law is the summary execution
of an accused or convicted person by extralegal process,
originally from the DRUMHEAD trial of royalists by patriots
during the Revolutionary War, eponymously after either Charles
Lynch or William Lynch of Pittsylvania, Virginia]
-
VIGILANTE :
-
North American RA-5 aircraft. Also, any member of a VIGILANCE
COMMITTEE or quasi-judicial agency that exists to establish or
preserve public order and safety in the absence of regular legal
authority; see REGULATOR, compare MARTIAL LAW.
-
VIGILANT SENTINEL :
-
operation in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Persian Gulf
from 1 Dec 1995 to 1 Sep 1997.
-
VIGILANT WARRIOR :
-
operation from 14 October through 21 December 1994.
-
VIKING :
-
designation given to Mukdahan Control and Reporting Post (CRP).
-
VILLA :
-
a country residence or estate, which has been interpreted in the
modern era as any imposing or pretentious residence, such as one
in the country or suburbs that's maintained as a retreat by a
wealthy person. The term 'villa' particularly refers to a type of
pleasure residence with extensive grounds as favored during the
Roman Empire, then richly developed in Renaissance Italy and
France. The dwelling quarters, consisting of several low
buildings, included recreation facilities and lodgings for the
servants. The farmhouse type (villa rustica) had barns, orchards,
and vineyards; and the type used as a pleasure retreat (villa
urbana) had formal gardens adorned with fountains and sculptures.
-
VILLE / VILL :
-
ostensibly a VILLage or hamlet of domestic dwellings, but widely
used to refer to any group of native HOOCHes, including the
"shantytowns" of shacks clustered outside every BASE CAMP and
around every bridge fortification. Compare SHEBANG; see XA, AP,
XOM, COMPOUND. [cf: pueblo]
-
VINEGAR JOE :
-
Joseph Warren Stilwell; see STILWELL ROAD, CBI, OSS, SHANKER
JACK, MOUSY DUNG.
-
VIOLENCE / VIOLENT :
-
strong action or rough treatment with an intense or severe
effect, especially those characterized as uncontrolled or
uncontrollable; forceful acts that cause injury or destruction.
Also, an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as
against rights or laws in a takeover. Also, damage through
distortion or unwarranted alteration of fact or meaning, as of
language or proceeding. Also, furiously ardent or immoderately
vehement; impetuously intense.
[nb: "It is our inherited violence, our bloody and ruthless
attacks with wood and stone against flesh and bone that has
created 'civilization' ... and nowadays we preserve our fine art
and great books with the threat of science." paraphrase of
Anthony Burgess (1989); "A society that presumes a norm of
violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the
football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help
making celebrities of the people who would destroy it." by Lewis
H. Lapham (1985); "Fervor is the weapon of choice of the
impotent." by Frantz Fanon (1952); "Women decry violence the
whole time they're titillated and fascinated by it ... and shrill
little men who are too appalled by violence to do more than echo
their sisters are merely compensating for their shrunken
genitals! The 'iron fist in a velvet glove' is just a
psychosexual fantasy of sadomasochism, but 'blood sports' are
cruelest of all for their disparate inequity. If it weren't for
transference to surrogates, these self-indulgent effetes, coddled
and cosseted in their impregnable sanctuaries, would be incapable
of promoting themselves beyond their evolutionary niche. The fact
is that violence is an atavism, an aberrant tropism that's
dysfunctional in the sedentary creature that has inherited the
combative ancestry of our forebears."; "There are situations in
life to which the only satisfactory response is a physically
violent one. If you don't make that response, you continually
relive the unresolved situation over and over in your life." by
Russell Hoban (1985); "When bloodlust becomes socially
unacceptable, we begin murdering one another's spirit with
psychic bullets, hanging the scalps of dead souls from our belts,
making lampshades from innocent hearts ... smiling at their
misfortune, reveling in our own triumphs."; "Violence can only be
concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by
violence. Any man who has once proclaimed violence as his method
is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle." by
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1973); "Violence is always the
shortest distance between two points; and the cost need never be
measured because it's already spent by the time anyone arrives."
paraphrase of Leon Trotsky (from a 1947 biography of Joseph
Stalin in manuscript); "Violence is its own reward ... it
restores our self-esteem and builds our confidence, it wins us
recognition and respect, it attracts admiration and promotion, it
incites competition and the opportunity for even greater success.
And like all other rewards, it's degenerating and self-defeating.
We are condemned by it, whether we engage in it or not, because
it is our milieu ... always and forever poised to strike."]
-
VIP :
-
Vietnamese Information Program; being a cooperative PROPAGANDA
program that provided incentives to the local population for
providing information on enemy activity or location, and for
turning in enemy WEAPONs or BOOBY-TRAPs, including hospitals and
CACHEs. Also, the conventional abbreviation for Very Important
Person or Very Important People, which expression dates from the
WWII-era, being the proverbial "800 pound gorilla" or
"silverback"; see RAINMAKER, GO TO GUY, ELEPHANT, TOP DOG, BRASS
HAT. Also, sardonic abbreviation for "Very Intoxicated Person" or
"Very Inebriated Person"; see STONED, WASTED, HOOCH, GROG, BREW,
JUICE, THE DRINK, PISS 'n' PUKE, HANGOVER.
-
VIPER :
-
introduced to field operations from commercial inventory in 2002,
this is a man-portable sighting device with observation and far
target location capabilities for day and night operations that
renders target range, azimuth, and vertical angle measurements to
the operator; system components include 7X42mm [Leica Vector IV]
binoculars, LASER range finder, digital magnetic compass,
inclinometer, Precision Global Positioning System Receiver
(PLGR), and Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD).
See FIELD GLASSES, PEEPERS, GLASS, NOD, NVD, NVG.
[nb: in an effort to control costs and reduce waste, the DoD has
instituted a policy of "non-duplication" in military procurement
(Military Adaptable Commercial Item {MACI}), such that a mil-spec
contract will NOT be let whenever a commercial "off the shelf"
(COTS) product is "close enough for government work" and does not
require special features; so some name brand items are now in
logistical inventory]
Also, any venomous snake that's characterized by a pair of hollow
fangs that can be erected for biting and injecting venom: such as
the banded KRAIT, hooded COBRA, BAMBOO VIPER, Russell's viper,
and others, including pit vipers (possessed of a heat-sensitive
pit on each side of its head between the eye and nostril).
-
VIS :
-
Vietnam Information Service, being responsible for the
development and dissemination of public information concerning
the government of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN); compare USIS.
-
VISA :
-
(carta visa) see PASSPORT. [cf: carnet] [v: Diplomatic Terms]
-
VISOBS :
-
(viz-obs) a contraction of VISual OBServation posts; compare OP,
CROW'S NEST, WATCHTOWER, OVERWATCH.
-
VISOR HAT :
-
slang for the SERVICE CAP, also called "brim cap", BILLED CAP,
"wheel hat", SAUCER CAP, "airline pilot cap", "mall security
hat", BARRACKS COVER, COMBINATION COVER, "pizza hat" (USMC), and
"Donald Duck cap" (USN), as worn by all branches and grades with
variations of color, style, and insignia; the so-called "fifty
mission crush" (CRUSHER) has had the stiffening GROMMET removed
so that headphones could be worn over the hat. See
SCRAMBLED-EGGS, SPAGHETTI, FARTS 'n' DARTS, SEA DIP, CONTRAFOIL,
GARRISON CAP, CAMPAIGN HAT, BERET, HEADGEAR.
-
VISTA :
-
acronym for Volunteers In Service To America; established in 1965
as a humanitarian service organization in Lyndon Baines Johnson's
"War on Poverty" program, and subsumed in 1993 by William
Jefferson Clinton's AmeriCorps network of public agencies and
non-profit organizations, a division of the Corporation for
National and Community Service. Volunteers work in education,
agriculture, forestry, construction, medicine, business, and
numerous other fields. Like IVS and PEACE CORPS, VISTA qualifies
as "alternative service" for conscientious objectors and anti-war
PROTESTORs. See ADV, CA, CAP, COUNTERPART, LITTLE BROWN BROTHER,
INDIG, SPARTAN, VOLUNTOLD, DRAFT LOTTERY.
-
VISUAL :
-
aviation call confirming the identification of a friendly
aircraft down range, being in the designated sector or area of
responsibility without subject to attack; compare BOGIE, BANDIT,
JUDY, TALLY-HO, SPLASH; see IFF, SQUAWK, PRIMROSE PATH, RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT (ROE).
-
VISUAL LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR :
-
a set of laminated cards picturing illustrative cartoons with a
word or phrase in the several languages of the region that were
spelled-out phonetically for non-linguists to use when attempting
to communicate with indigenous personnel in the SANDBOX. See
POINTIE TALKIE.
-
VISUAL SIGNAL :
-
a non-verbal method of signaling when noise, distance, or the
tactical situation prohibits interpersonal radio/telephonic or
direct voice communications; see HAND SIGN, A-OK, FINGERSPELLING,
LETTER SIGNAL, SIGNAL PANEL, SOUP CAN, POP SMOKE, SIGNAL MIRROR,
FLARE, SLAP-FLARE, VERY PISTOL, BLINKER, MARSHALING BATON,
PADDLES, ALDIS LAMP, WIGWAG.
-
VITAMIN A / VITAMIN A+ :
-
sardonic allusion to Advil®, or any ibuprofen
product, especially in its "extra strength" dosage, being a
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that's used for reducing
local pain and swelling, as of the joints; compare VITAMIN M,
RANGER CANDY, ASA, APC. [ety: ibuprofen: isobutylpheny propionic
acid (C13H18O2), by contraction,
rearrangement, and respelling of its chemical name]
-
VITAMIN M :
-
sardonic allusion to Motrin® tablet, or any
ibuprofen product, being an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic
analgesic that's used for reducing local pain and swelling, as of
the joints; compare VITAMIN A, RANGER CANDY, ASA, APC.
-
VLF :
-
Very Low Frequency, a slow pulse radio signal spectrum similar to
Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) that's also transmitted from a
permanently fixed base, but without the ability to pass through
solid objects (eg: ice, stone); see RADIO WAVE, RADIO.
-
VMA :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Attack Squadron.
-
V-MAIL :
-
the contracted form of Victory Mail, being a system of censored
personal correspondence that was dispatched on specially designed
fold-over forms that served as both stationery and envelopes for
American Armed Forces personnel during WWII; in order to save
space and expedite distribution after 1943, V-Mail letters were
sorted and photographed, then the film was sent so it could be
reprinted for delivery. See MAIL CALL, SUGAR REPORT, CIRCULAR
LETTER, LETTER BOX, ASH 'n' TRASH, COMM SHACK, MARS, TWX,
GRAYMAIL, NETRUSION, DEAD LETTER, FLAPS 'n' SEALS.
-
VMAQ :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine tactical electronic warfare
squadron.
-
VMB :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Bomber Squadron.
-
VMF :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Fighter Squadron.
-
VMFA :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron.
-
VMFN :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Night Fighter Squadron.
-
VMO :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Observation Squadron.
-
VMP :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Photo Reconnaissance Squadron.
-
VMR :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Airlift Squadron.
-
VMSB :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Scout Bomber Squadron.
-
VMTB :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron.
-
VMU :
-
U.S. Navy designation for Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
squadron, which operates Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV) over
operational areas for Regimental Combat Teams (RCT).
-
VN :
-
Vietnam or Viet Nam; the name of the country is traditionally two
words, but the war adopted the one word convention. Most ADVISOR
veterans, linguists, and scholars still observe the distinction.
See GVN, SVN, RVN, THE NAM, PASSAGE TO FREEDOM, FREQUENT WIND,
DMZ, DRV, NVN, SRV.
-
VNAF :
-
Viet Nam Air Force; represented by a red and black dragon with
wings symbolizing the RVN flag in yellow and red emblazoned on a
blue shield above a scroll with the motto "To-Quoc Khong Gian".
See AFVN; compare ARVN, VNMC, VNN. [v: Viet-Nam Military
Terms]
-
VNMC :
-
Viet Nam Marine Corps, consisting of five infantry battalions and
one artillery brigade; established as a brigade in 1960, then
became a separate service in 1965, equal to the Vietnamese Navy
(VNN), and increased to division size in 1969. Vietnamese form of
their name is Thuy Quan Luc Chien (TQLC), and their motto is
"Honor and Country" (Danh-Du To-Quoc). See USMC; compare ARVN,
VNAF, AFVN. [v: Viet-Nam Military Terms]
-
VNN :
-
Viet Nam Navy; see AFVN, compare ARVN, VNAF, VNMC. [v: Viet-Nam Military Terms]
-
VNSF :
-
Vietnamese Special Forces, or Luc Luong Dac Biet (LLDB). See
SES, STD, THUNDER TIGER, BORDER DEFENSE RANGER. [v: Viet-Nam Military Terms]
[nb: the "leaping tiger" motif of the LLDB/VNSF patch was
variously adapted during the VIETNAM WAR by the Vietnamese, many
of whom had attended specialized training in American military
centers, with the most ironic being their adoption of the "Tony
the Tiger" symbol used to advertise Kellogg breakfast cereals and
Esso gasoline since 1941 ... the Vietnamese enlistment of this
cartoon figure as a mascot for their most elite force led many
GIs to comment scathingly about their prowess]
-
VOCABULARY :
-
the words and phrases of a language, especially when arranged in
a list, glossary, or lexis. Also, the set of forms, glyphs,
techniques, or other means of expression serving as a method for
communication, such as an art form or writing system. Also, any
collection of signs or symbols constituting a means or system of
nonverbal communication, such as sign language. [v: Ancillary Lexicons]
-
VOCO :
-
(vee-oh-see-oh) Verbal Order of the Commanding Officer, used to
document verbal authorization after the fact; sometimes
represented as "Verbal Order of the Commanding General" (VOCG).
See COMMAND VOICE, ORDER.
-
VODKA :
-
see RUSSIAN ROCKET FUEL, BLACK RUSSIAN, SCREWDRIVER, BLOODY MARY,
BULLSHOT. [v: Russian rickey, vodka gimlet, vodka sour, vodka
collins, vodka martini]
-
VODKATINI :
-
see MARTINI.
-
VOICE OF AMERICA :
-
see AFR, AFRTN, AFRTS, USIS, VIS.
-
VOICE OF COMMAND :
-
see COMMAND VOICE.
-
VOICE OF THE GULF :
-
see AFR, AFRTN, AFRTS, USIS.
-
VOIP :
-
Voice Over Internet Protocol; being a method of using the
internet for voice communications, especially as a perquisite of
the subsidized Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program; see
MAIL, TELEPHONE, MWR LINE, E-MAIL, SKYPE.
-
VOLAR :
-
VOLunteer ARmy; see AVF, TOTAL FORCE.
[nb: the military has an involuntary "stop-loss" authority, which
allows each branch to compel MIL-PERS who reach the end of their
assignment or enlistment to remain attached or in uniform for
"the good of the service"]
-
VOLLEY :
-
the simultaneous discharge of a number of firearms or MISSILEs,
also called "volley fire"; compare SALVO, FUSILLADE, BROADSIDE,
ENFILADE, STORM, DRUMFIRE, IN THE AIR, AT CLOSE QUARTERS, SALUTE.
Also, the return or transfer of the object or subject of
PING-PONG, as to rally without resolution; as derived from
flight.
-
VOLLEY GUN :
-
in the era before machineguns, a multiple-barreled weapon that
discharged all of its loads at the same time; in the modern era,
a CREW-SERVED WEAPON (such as a clustered multi-tube rocket
launcher) that fired each component simultaneously in a SALVO
when actuated by a single impulse. [eg: 'battery gun' is an
arrangement of several muzzle-loaded pipes that are capable of
firing simultaneously or successively before being reloaded]
-
VOLPLANE :
-
to glide toward the earth in an airplane without motor power (or
with the engine power shut off); literally meaning "glided
flight". Compare AUTO-ROTATE; see LETDOWN, JOYSTICK, STICK.
-
VOLUNTEER :
-
a person who willingly performs a function or serves a DUTY,
sometimes with low or no pay, for the privilege of association or
the distinction of participation; a person who acts without legal
obligation or other compulsion. Also, to offer oneself or one's
service for some purpose or undertaking. Compare DRAFTEE,
VOLUNTOLD; see MUSTER, ENLIST, RA, CALL TO THE COLORS, TOTAL
FORCE, VOLAR, AVF.
[nb: Vietnamese term: Quan Tinh Nguyen] [cf: warison; v: clarion
call] [nb: the cardinal military maxim is "never volunteer", but
the best training and preferred jobs always required a voluntary
quid-pro-quo ... "A 'volunteer' is someone who did not understand
the question." WWII addage] [nb: Tennessee acquired its nickname,
"The Volunteer State", as a result of its overwhelming support of
the War of 1812 between America and Great Britain] [nb: the
military has an involuntary "stop-loss" authority, which allows
each branch to compel MIL-PERS who reach the end of their
assignment or enlistment to remain attached or in uniform for
"the good of the service"]
-
VOLUNTOLD :
-
someone whose participation has been volunteered for them, such
as a "mandatory volunteer" at an event or a job of work;
seemingly contracted from "told to volunteer", which derives from
'wish'. It typically refers to unpaid work or gratuitous labor
provided by an amateur or non-professional who can be recruited
by someone in authority ... such as enlisted members by their
officers, and dependents by their sponsors. Even though
participation in this arrangement is not required, it is strongly
recommended, and a lack of participation is frowned upon by the
powers that be. Compare MANDATORY FUN, DRAFTEE, CONSCRIPT; see
DRAFT DODGER, SPARTAN, IRC, AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE,
PEACE CORPS, IVS, VISTA. [v: good Samaritan, volunteerism]
-
VOMIT :
-
see PUKE.
-
VOMIT COMET :
-
rhyming slang for any aircraft used to fly the occupants in a
parabolic curve so as to test someone's physiological responses
to simulated weightlessness.
-
VOODOO :
-
the McDonnell F-101/RF-101 interceptor and photo-reconnaissance
aircraft, developed from the XF-88 interceptor; see BIRD. Also, a
group of exotic spells and ecstatic rites associated with the
corrupt cult worship that derives from animism and polytheism,
including "black magic" fetishism; hence any sacrosanct
incantation that imbues profound authority or evokes supernatural
intervention (eg: NATIONAL SECURITY, ACT OF CONGRESS); see SMOKE
'n' MIRRORS, FAIRY DUST, the magic words "open sesame" at ALI
BABA, PASSWORD, HOODOO, CHARMS, ABRACADABRA, MOJO, JOSS STICK,
WIZARD, RAINMAKER, TECHNOLOGY.
-
VOQ :
-
(vee-oh-que, not "vock") Visiting Officer's Quarters, also called
"Transient Officer's Quarters"; see QTRS.
[aka: "Vagrant Officer's Quickie", "Very Occasionally Quiet",
"hot sheet hotel", "no tell motel", "riding academy"; v: hotel,
inn, lodge, hostelry, gasthaus, guesthouse, resort,
boardinghouse, hospice, pension, public house, tavern, roadhouse,
motel, motor inn, motor lodge, caravansary/caravanserai]
-
VOR :
-
an acronym for Very-high-frequency Omnidirectional-radio Range,
or Vhf OmniRange; an air navigational radio aid which uses phase
comparison of a ground transmitted signal to determine bearing; a
ground-based navigation aid transmitting very high frequency
(VHF) navigation signals 360degrees in azimuth, on radials
oriented from magnetic north, periodically identifying itself by
MORSE CODE, which may include a voice identification feature that
can also broadcast information from air traffic control (ATC) or
flight service station (FSS). Also called "omnirange", as
developed after WWII to replace the Adcock Range system. If a
radio beam Instrument Landing System (ILS) or Tactical Air
Control And Navigation (TACAN) are colocated with a VOR, then
distance and GLIDE SLOPE guidance will be provided with the basic
location indicator. See VECTOR, BEAM, PIRAZ, VORTAC, MEACONING,
REFERENCE POINT (RP); compare IMC, VFR.
-
VORTAC / VOR-TAC :
-
the colocation of Very-high-frequency Omnidirectional-radio
Range (VOR) and Tactical Air Control And Navigation (TACAN)
providing bearing and range or distance to a station; a basic
guidance mode, providing combined radio navigation aids for
lateral guidance to a VOR station colocated with a TACAN
station.
-
VOTER :
-
any enfranchised CITIZEN, also known as an "elector" or
"constituent"; a local resident, ignorant of the facts and too
lazy to attend to himself, who abuses the privilege of suffrage
to extend his self-interest further and further, then accepting
no responsibility for the consequences of his indulgence.
[nb: the Military and Overseas Empowerment Act mandates that
voters in U.S. jurisdictions be able to receive and track their
ballots electronically]
[nb: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet." by Abraham
Lincoln; "It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the
counting." by Tom Stoppard; "Voters don't decide issues, they
decide who will decide issues." by George F. Will; "Elector: one
who enjoys the sacred privilege of voting for the man of another
man's choice." by Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce; "Voter: a selfish
denizen, begrudging of his paltry taxes, who demands public
service and government protection to an extent that he would not
willingly render a good neighbor."; "Voters are like children:
they're afraid of the dark and they expect parents to comfort and
protect them ... unfortunately, the dark is real and a parental
government is part of the problem."] [v: cattle show, Australian
ballot, rotten borough]
-
VOTING MACHINE :
-
sardonic reference to an ARVN TANK, which seemingly appeared only
during a COUP D'ETAT, being ordinarily preoccupied with
safeguarding political resorts, financial institutions, and other
similarly steadfast establishments; the VOTING MACHINE differs
from its armored antecedents in that it's highly polished, mostly
immobile, and almost never deployed as anything other than an
implied threat.
-
VOTIVE CANDLE / TEALIGHT :
-
a compact, unscented, long-burning candle, often screened from
extinguishment by being housed in a translucent container, as for
burning during prayer, but suitable for warming cookware or
lighting a tent. See CANDLE, SURVIVAL CANDLE, STERNO, HEAT TABS.
-
VP :
-
(veep) Vice President of the United States; also cited as VPOTUS,
and also spelled vice-president; being second in order of
succession, president of the Senate, presiding officer of the
electoral college, member of the National Security Council (NSC),
constitutionally acts as agent for POTUS, but is not restricted
by term limits. A vice presidential flag was first used at a
foreign exposition when the VP was representing the president,
but was not authorized until 1916, then it was revised with a
seal in 1945, being the reverse of the presidential colors. See
OLYMPUS, GREEN ACRES, MANDARIN, POLITICIAN. [nb: "My country has
in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that
ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination
conceived." by John Adams (19 Dec 1793 letter); "I do not propose
to be buried until I am really dead." attributed to Daniel
Webster (when declining the 1848 Whig vice-presidency); "(The
vice-presidency is) A spare tire on the automobile of
government." by John Nance Garner; "The office of vice president
is not worth a bucket of warm piss." (or "The vice presidency
isn't worth a warm bucket of piss.") by John Nance Garner; "Here
(the vice-presidency) is one instance in which it is the man who
makes the office, not the office the man." by Harry S. Truman]
-
VPA :
-
Vietnam People's Army, which designates the ground forces of the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV); see PAVN, PLA, NVA, BO DOI,
GOMER, VC, CHARLIE, LONGHAIR, LUKE THE GOOK, PASF, BAD GUYS.
-
VPOTUS :
-
see VP; compare FLOTUS, SCOTUS.
-
VR :
-
Visual Reconnaissance, to EYE-BALL the terrain or situation, as
by C&C, FAC, or COVER; sometimes used as an excuse to "joy
ride". See ARCHER; compare CA, ASH 'n' TRASH, HAIRY EYEBALL,
DOUBLE-O, CHECK IT OUT, EYE-CHECK.
-
V/R :
-
abbreviation for Very Respectfully; being the concise form of
polite closure used above the signature block on official e-mail
... sometimes used on stationery in official correspondence, but
this application generally represents a bureaucratic solecism in
these cases.
-
VSAT :
-
the abbreviation for Very Small Aperture Terminal, being an
earthbound station used in satellite communications of data,
voice and video signals, excluding broadcast television (v: DSS).
A VSAT consists of two parts, a transceiver that is placed
outdoors in direct line of sight to the satellite and a device
that is placed indoors to interface the transceiver with the end
user's communications device, such as a personal computer (PC).
The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite
transponder in the sky. The satellite sends and receives signals
from a ground station computer that acts as a hub for the system.
Each end user is interconnected with the hub station via the
satellite, forming a star topology. The hub controls the entire
operation of the network. For one end user to communicate with
another, each transmission has to first go to the hub station
that then retransmits it via the satellite to the other
end-user's terminal. VSAT can handle up to 56 Kbps.
-
V-SIGN :
-
an informal two-finger gesture representing 'V' for 'victory'
that became prominent during WWII, initially sponsored by the
Allies as a covert signal of solidarity, then as a prohibited
HAND SIGN that the enemy would punish by summary execution. Made
famous by Winston L.S. Churchill, this V-SIGN was used throughout
the war whenever people lacked a common language or lingua franca
to signify their support or friendship ... as Japanese pressure
became more intense, Americans began to interpret the V-SIGN from
Filipinos as "vanish" instead of 'victory'! Also, the same
informal two-finger gesture was used during the VIETNAM WAR to
represent 'peace' and friendship, being a HAND SIGN that
expressed a patriotic tolerance of "do your own thing" diversity;
also known as a "peace sign".
-
VSTOL :
-
Vertical / Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft; see STOL, compare
VTOL, STOVL, JATO.
-
VT / VT FUZE :
-
Variable Time, or Variable Time fuze, being an artillery fuze
that incorporated a small RADAR transceiver, which was used to
obtain a reliable airburst; see PROXIMITY FUZE.
-
VTC :
-
Video TeleConference, being a capability of the Specially
Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF); see FONECON, TWX,
TTY, CONTEL, TELECON.
-
VTOL :
-
Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft (eg: tilt-wing
V-22 OSPREY and AV-8B /-R HARRIER). See VSTOL, compare STOL,
JATO.
-
VTR :
-
tracked recovery vehicle, or in MIL-SPEAK: Vehicle Tracked
Recovery, being a "tow-truck" for APCs, TANKs, and SP HOWITZERs;
see ARV, LOW BOY.
-
VTSZ :
-
Vung Tau Special Zone; see RSSZ.
-
VUA :
-
Valorous Unit Award, effective 3 Aug 1963; sometimes called
"Valorous Unit Citation" (VUC) by association with PUC and MUC.
The Valorous Unit Award depicts the colored design of the Silver
Star (SS), being the third highest award for bravery, because it
is only presented to units that have performed in such a manner
on the battlefield that every member of that unit would have
earned an individual Silver Star. See UNIT CITATION, GONG.
-
VULCAN :
-
a Gatling-style six-barrel 20mm cannon (M-61A1), being a rotating
machinegun system (6000rpm) manufactured by General Electric,
forming an integral part of the armament of such modern-day
fighter aircraft as the F-15, F-16, and F-18; compare MINIGUN,
MOANING MINI; see MOAN 'n' GROAN, DOVER DOG, AVENGER, BOFORS,
HOSE.
-
VULCANIZE :
-
by analogy to the manufacturing process for hardening rubber,
figuratively to increase the strength, durability, elasticity, or
hardness of someone or something; to make impervious or
invulnerable by shielding or immunization, as made literally or
figuratively BULLETPROOF, or to acquire "shit repellent". See
CYA, WANGLE, DODGE THE BULLET, FAIRY DUST, THE GLASS CLIFF,
BOOJIE, PING-PONG, MILICRAT, TICKET-PUNCHER, RING-KNOCKER, CASTE,
BREVET, DEEP DIP; compare OLD BREED, SHEEP-DIPPED, CHOP, ACHILLES
HEEL, CHINK, MAGIC BULLET, GOLDEN BB, SILVER BULLET, KICKSTANDED.
[nb: vulcanization was invented in 1833, and the vulcanization
process was patented by Charles Goodyear in 1844, and has been
used metaphorically since the American CIVIL WAR]
-
VULGAR :
-
common or ordinary, undistinguished or unrefined, banal or
colloquial, as being in the everyday vernacular generally spoken
by the regular people; the facility to communicate understandably
with the local population in their own language; see POLYGLOT,
VERNACULAR, PERIPHRASIS, LINGUA FRANCA, TALK THE TALK, GOOKANESE,
PIDGIN, BAMBOO ENGLISH, PIG LATIN, DOG LATIN, CREOLE, MIL-SPEAK.
Also, the common views or popular beliefs shared by the ordinary
people in a society, which lack distinction or aesthetic value;
compare BEST AND BRIGHTEST, WISE MEN, BRAIN TRUST, MANDARIN, CLUB
FED. Also, characterized by an ignorance of good taste or a lack
of good breeding; lacking in refinement. Also, indecent or
obscene, lewd or prurient.
-
VULGARITY / VULGARISM :
-
boorish crudity, unrefined rudeness; see EXPLETIVE, BLUE STREAK,
OATH, GODDAM, SWEAR, VULGAR, FUCK, BAD-MOUTH, TALK TRASH.
-
VULTURE'S ROW :
-
the superstructural catwalks and galleries on ships, especially
along the ISLAND of an aircraft carrier, where OFF-DUTY
crewmembers (ie: "rail birds") often congregate to watch sea and
air operations, like a line of roosting birds; also known as
"goofing stations". Compare MANNING THE RAILS; see EYE-BALL,
OBSERVATION DECK, PEANUT GALLERY, GUNDECKING. [v: "nose-bleed
seats"; "among the gods", "up in the clouds", "in paradise" or
"nigger heaven", which was so-called for being situated in the
uppermost gallery of a theatre, just below the ceiling, which was
frequently embellished with a depiction of a mythological
afterworld]
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VUNG TAU SPECIAL ZONE :
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see VTSZ, RSSZ.
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V-UP :
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see JACKKNIFE, SIT-UP.
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VWT :
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Vertical Wind Tower, being a hollow building surmounted by a
propeller that can generate a 150mph airflow, with interior
catwalks and appropriate padding, that's used to train
parachutists in the appropriate body postures for skydiving;
comparable to a JUMP TOWER, this facility was designed by SGM
Santos Alfredo Matos Jr., and is also known as a "military
free-fall simulator". The British version is called a "vertical
wind tunnel". See MFF, FREE-FALL, HARP, HAHO, HALO, LALO, AMFFPC,
PARACHUTE.
[v: Parachuting Terms, and Parachuting
History]
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