Hard A-Z of the Vietnam War Quiz / Test | War History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A - Agent Orange was the herbicide used to defoliate areas within Vietnam to reduce the ability of guerrilla units to conduct ambushes and hide in base camps. How did Agent Orange get its name?

Answer: It was the colour of the band around the shipping drums

The defoliation program lasted from 1962 to 1969 in Vietnam and over 46 percent of the forests were sprayed with Agent Orange. There have been links to Agent Orange and illnesses suffered by Vietnam Veterans and their children

2. B - What was a "beehive"?

Answer: A type of ammunition round

The beehive was a type of ammunition used in tank shells, aerial rockets and artillery shells. The shells contained literally thousands of small tiny steel pointed projectiles. Helicopter gunship pilots called them "Nails".

3. C - President Johnson said, "If I've lost ____________ , I've lost Mr Average Citizen. To whom was he referring?

Answer: Walter Cronkite

Walter Leland Cronkite was a CBS News Anchor and was dubbed the "Most Trusted Man in America". After the Tet Offensive he made a claim that the Vietnam War would end in a stalemate. Johnson made the above statement after hearing what Cronkite had to say.

Lieutenant Calley was court martialed for the premeditated murder of civilians in the village of My Lai in 1968.

Conscientious Objectors were persons seeking to avoid combat based on moral or religious reasons.

General Leonard Chapman was the overall commander of the US Marines from 1968-1970.

4. D - The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) was a buffer zone between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. It was also referred to as what corresponding circle of latitude?

Answer: The 17th Parallel

The 17th parallel (DMZ) was established by the Geneva Accords of 1954. This buffer zone was a de facto border between both countries. In 1976 it was made redundant.
The 17th parallel is a circle of latitude, 17 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane.

5. E - Operation End Sweep was conducted in 1973, what was its purpose?

Answer: To remove mines laid by US Forces in the North Vietnamese harbours

Thousands of mines had been laid in the harbours and rivers of North Vietnam preventing 85% of North Vietnamese imports. Operation End Sweep removed the mines as part of the Paris Peace Agreement and was conducted by the US Navy.

The Cambodian incursions occurred in 1970. Ground Forces entered Cambodia to search and destroy NVA and VC bases. As a result an enormous amount of supplies were captured by US Forces.

Operation Frequent Wind was conducted on 29-30 April 1975 and involved the evacuation of the last Americans in Saigon.

The Cu Chi tunnels were located 25 miles north of Saigon. The Americans tried various ways of clearing them out but never succeeded. The tunnels created the birth of the "Tunnel Rats" - US Soldiers that went into the tunnels with a hand gun and torch. Parts of the tunnels still exist today as a tourist attraction.

6. F - These installations were bases for US and ARVN (South Vietnamese Army). What were they called?

Answer: Fire Support Bases

Fire Support Bases (FSB) were used as a forward operational base camp for allied forces/combat units. Typical bases had artillery to provide support to operational patrols & infantry for security of the base itself. The size of the base and those defending it depended on operational necessity.

7. G - Gunships played a big part in the Vietnam War. They consisted of Helicopter Gunships and Fixed Wing Gunships. Which of these was NOT a gunship?

Answer: The Bell UH60 Blackhawk

The AC-47 was a fixed wing aircraft that was dubbed "Spooky" or "Puff the magic Dragon". It had mini guns that could fire a huge amount of rounds (bullets) into an enemy area.

The Cobra was armed with rockets, mini guns and grenade launchers. It was an icon of the Vietnam War. The Blackhawk did not participate in the Vietnam War. The first flight was in 1974. The Spectre was a variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane.

8. H - The Helicopter was extensively used in the Vietnam Conflict. Which of these "choppers" were considered the workhorse of the Vietnam War?

Answer: Bell UH-1 Iroquois

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois was also known as the "Huey". It was used in various roles including medical evacuations of the wounded (Dust Off's), helicopter gunships, resupplying troops in the field and the transportation of soldiers to and from the battlefield. The Huey is probably the most recognised helicopter in the world and will be remembered by Veterans as having the distinctive "whomp whomp" sound it makes in flight.

The Cobra was only used for the gunship role. The Kiowa was mainly used for the observation role. The Chinook was huge and could carry 44 combat ready soldiers.

9. I - The Battle of The Ia Drang Valley commenced on 14th November 1965. This was the first major battle involving American forces and the NVA. What movie was a dramatized version of these events?

Answer: We Were Soldiers

Mel Gibson starred in "We Were Soldiers".

Hamburger Hill was fought in May 1969 for "Hill 937". US Forces captured the Hill and within a week left the mountain and moved on. The pattern of engaging in heavy combat and then vacating territory gained was the cause of a great deal of controversy.

10. J - Operation Junction City was conducted between February 22 and May 14, 1967. Which of the following statements about this battle is INCORRECT?

Answer: Only 100 enemy soldiers were killed or captured making it the biggest failure in US Military History

The casualty list was 282 US troops killed & 1,576 wounded, the NVA suffered 2,728 casualties. Junction City went for 83 days and involved 22 US battalions and 4 South Vietnamese battalions.

11. K - What major US Combat Base was under siege in 1968 and was referred to as America's "Dien Bien Phu"?

Answer: Khe Sanh

Dien Bien Phu was a French Combat base that came under siege in 1954. The French were defeated, the base was captured and the French were driven out of Vietnam.

The battle of Khe Sanh lasted from October 1967 to March 1968. The Americans managed to hold out and the base was not captured. Kong Le was a Laotian paratrooper captain. The Khmer Rouge were Cambodian Communists.

12. L - What was Operation Linebacker 1 and 2?

Answer: A strategic bombing campaign in North Vietnam

Linebacker 1 was conducted in 1972. President Nixon apparently said, "The bastards have never been bombed like they're going to be bombed this time".
Linebacker 2 commenced on Dec 18, 1972 with the sole purpose of forcing the North Vietnamese back to the negotiating table.

13. M - Which of the following, was NOT a designated infantry weapon used during the Vietnam War?

Answer: The M113 APC

The M1919 was an air-cooled machine gun designed by John M. Browning. It was used by allied troops.
Developed by Colt, the M16 was the standard US infantry weapon of the Vietnam War. The M16 entered Army service in 1964. It was lightweight and fired a 5.56mm round.
Used by the allies, the M60 was a General Purpose Machine Gun that fired 7.62mm rounds. It was belt fed and could fire 550 rounds/min. It was called "The Pig" because of the weight (10.5kg)
The M113 was a fully tracked US armoured personnel carrier (APC). It could carry 11 soldiers to the battle field.

14. N - Napalm. Its use was heavily criticized by the anti war movement, especially after a famous photograph was published. What did that photo depict?

Answer: A young naked girl running down the road from her village after a napalm strike

If you answered "The Yorktown", it was a trick Answer. The Yorktown was sunk during the Battle of Midway during WW2. Sorry!. :(

The girl in the photo was called Kim Phuc and at the time she was 9 years old. In 1997 she became a Canadian citizen. The photo earned Nick �t (The photographer) a Pulitzer Prize. The bomb was dropped by the South Vietnamese Airforce, not the US Airforce.

15. O - The OV-10 "Bronco" was used for FAC duties. What was a FAC?

Answer: Forward Air Controller

The forward air controllers (FAC's) were pilots that flew planes like the Bronco and the O-1 Cessna "Bird Dog". Their planes would fly slow, identify targets and then they would direct air strikes on enemy locations.

16. P - P is for the participants. What country did NOT participate in the Vietnam War by supplying men?

Answer: Britain

The Vietnam War (Also referred to as Second Indochina War: 1954-75) consisted of the Anti-Communist forces. The main fighting was conducted by The Army of South Vietnam (ARVN) and the United States. Seven other countries supplied men: Australia (46,852), New Zealand (552), South Korea (320,000), The Philippines (2,000), Thailand (11,568), Taiwan (31 men) and Spain (A 13 man medical team).

They were pitted against The Communist Forces consisting of the Viet Cong or VC (Southern Vietnamese guerrillas) and regular North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units. The USSR and China also offered support to the Communists.

17. Q - The Queen's Cobra Regiment was the first combat unit deployed in Vietnam from what country?

Answer: Thailand

It arrived in September, 1967 and was withdrawn in August, 1968. The regiment fought in the Mekong Delta with US troops (The 9th Infantry Division).

18. R - What rifle was the preferred weapon of the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army?

Answer: AK-47

The AK-47 was designed by the Soviets (Mikhail Kalashnikov). It is referred to as the "Peasant's Weapon" and was supplied to Communist Forces around the world. It fired 7.62mm bullets and very robust and very reliable. This weapon has a very distinctive metallic "clack" sound when the safety catch is being taken off.

The M1911A1 was the Colt Semi Automatic handgun used by US Forces.
The L1A1 SLR was referred to as the SLR and was used by Australian Troops. SLR means Self Loading Rifle.
The M1 Garand was used by US forces. It was first used in WW2. When all of the bullets had been fired the rifle ejected the empty clip creating a very distinctive "pinging" sound that alerted the enemy that you had to reload!

19. S - The US Navy SEALs operated during the Vietnam War. What does SEAL stand for?

Answer: Sea Air and Land

The SEALs are the elite Special Operations forces of the US Navy. It was formed in 1962. In 1965 they operated in The Rung Sat Area of South Vietnam (A swamp area just south of Saigon). Working in hunter-killer teams of 3-7 men they virtually wiped out the Viet Cong Operating in the area.

S is also for Saigon. It was the Capital of South Vietnam until it was captured by the VC/NVA ending the Vietnam War. It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

20. T - Tet is the most important holiday of the Vietnamese when they celebrate the New Year. In 1968 the NVA and VC launched a major offensive called the Tet Offensive. What date did the Tet Offensive happen?

Answer: 30-31 January 1968

The Tet Offensive was a decisive battle of the war. 84,000 enemy soldiers attacked allied forces across South Vietnam striking more than 100 cities and towns including the capital, Saigon and the ancient imperial capital of Hu�.
From a military point of view the Tet Offensive was a disaster for the Communists. However, it was a strategic victory. The Tet Offensive turned the opinion of the American people. It was the beginning of the end of the Vietnam War.

21. U - On March 8, 1965 1,400 combat ready U.S Marines stormed off the landing craft onto the beaches of Da Nang in a full scale assault. What happened when they hit the beaches?

Answer: Vietnamese girls with leis and signs welcoming them were waiting on the beach

Not only were there Vietnamese girls with leis and flowers waiting for them, the Mayor of Da Nang was standing on the beach with his Polaroid camera! Banners were flying saying, "Vietnam welcomes the U.S. Marine Corps". This was a shock to the Marines as they had been taught at Boot Camp that there was no such thing as a friendly beach.

22. V - To which side did Vo Nguyen Giap belong?

Answer: The Communists

Vo Nguyen Giap led the Vietnamese to victories AGAINST both the French in the 1950s and the Americans in the Vietnam War. He fought on the side of the Communists. His leader" was Ho Chi Minh.

23. W - Who was the overall commander of the allied forces in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968?

Answer: General William Westmoreland

Westmoreland assumed command of MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) in June 1964. He was replaced in July 1968 by General Creighton Abrams after asking President Johnson for 200,000 more troops.

24. X - What was significant about the Battle of Xuan Loc ?

Answer: It was the last stand of the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) before the end of the war

The Battle of Xuan Loc took place in April 1975. The ARVN 18th Infantry Division took on the NVA 6th, 7th and 341st Divisions and held out for almost two weeks. The ARVN managed to destroy 37 NVA tanks and killed 5,000 soldiers before being overrun. Xuan Loc fell on April 22, 1975. The fall of Saigon followed on April 30, 1975 ending the war.

25. Y and Z - As 25 questions is the maximum for these quizzes - Y just got terminated! So we continue to Z. What was a "zippo" referring to?

Answer: Both of these

A Zippo was in fact a brand name for a popular windproof cigarette lighter, however the name was also referred to in regards to the following weapons:

A back pack style flame throwers used by the Marines.
The M67A1 tank mounted flamethrower used by the Marines.
The M132 mechanized flame thrower that was mounted on the M-113 APC.
The LCM Monitors (boats of the Navy river patrols) had two flame throwers on board that they called "zippos".

Source: Author Lssah

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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A-Z of the Vietnam War Trivia Quiz

This quiz is not designed for those that are familiar with the Vietnam War. Those that are will find this a breeze ... This is aimed more at those that want to learn more about the Vietnam War.

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