-W-

WAAC.

Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, predecessor to the WAC and without military status. See Woman Marine.

WAC.

Women's Army Corps. See Woman Marine.

WAF.

Woman (or Women) in the Air Force. See Woman Marine.

WAG.

Wild Assed Guess.

Warrant Officer.

An officer who ranks below a second lieutenant but above all enlisted personnel. See Chief Warrant Officer. Most warrant officers are former enlisted. They wear the rank insignia of a first or second lieutenant with various deep red stripes closined on the bars. Warrant Officers whose MOS are in the combat arms are officially called "Gunner" and wear a bursting bomb on the left collar in lieu of the rank insignia.  Warrant Officers who are respected by other Marines are informally called "Gunner" while those who have not earned the respect of their Marines are called "Lipstick Lieutentnts." 

Warrior Breakfast.

The meal served to recruits upon completion of the grueling 54 hour crucible. For many it is the first good meal in two days.

WASP.

Women's Air Force Service Pilots, while not a Marine unit is still worthy of comment. These were civilian female pilots during World War II who ferried planes from construction plants to free male pilots for combat. They were a courageous and patriotic group who have finally been granted veteran status. Originally they were the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron--WAFS---and the Women's Flying Training Detachment, dually created Sep 1942 within the Air Transport Command.

Wasted.

Extremely drunk or, in Vietnam, killed.

Water Buffalo.

A water tank on wheels.

Wave Cage.

(Not PC) Living quarters of female enlisted Navy personnel.

WAVES.

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. The component unit in which women served the Navy. See Woman Marine. (NOTE:  To be correct is must always be WAVES, not WAVE)

Web Gear

The battle gear worn over the utility uniform to hold canteens, magazine holders, etc. Normally unit owned and issued.

Webb, Jack.

Served in U. S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Hollywood producer and actor, best known as Sgt. Joe Friday from the television series "Dragnet" in the mid-20th Century. He was lead actor in a movie from the 1950s called "The DI" about a Marine Drill Instructor at Parris Island SC. His production company was Mark VII.

Well Deck.

A lower deck on some ships that can be flooded to embark and debark Marines on board amphibious tractors and boats.

Wetting Down.

A party held to celebrate a promotion (in the past it involved copious amounts of alcoholic beverage).

Whale Shit.

According to many Drill Instructors, the only thing lower on God's green earth than a recruit.

Wharton, Franklin.

Third Commandant of the Marine Corps. A Pennsylvania native born on July 23, 1767 he was named Lieutenant Colonel Commandant on March 7, 1804 and served until his death on Sept 1, 1818.

Whiskey 95.

A type of transfer from an overseas assignment in which the Marine is within 3-months of discharge. Rather than assign them to a unit for such a short time the Marine is assigned to a holding unit at Camp Pendleton, CA or Camp Lejeune, NC.

White Hat.

An enlisted sailor, from the headgear worn with the enlisted uniform. See Dixie Cup.

WIA.

Wounded in Action.

Widow Maker.

Unofficial and uncomplimentary name for the CH-53 helicopter.

Wigged Out.

Crazy, flipped out or, in Vietnamese, "Dinky Dau".

WILCO.

(Commtalk) Will Comply. Often used after Roger.

Willie Peter (WP).

White phosphorus, an incendiary material that burns hot and is not extinguished with water. Used in WP hand grenades and long range artillery rounds.

Willie Peter Bag.

A waterproofed canvas bag originally designed to keep a rolled up sleeping bag dry.

Wilson, Louis.

Medal of Honor recipient and twenty sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps. He served as Commandant from July 1, 1975 until June 30, 1979. He was born Feb. 11, 1920. At the 203rd Marine Corps Birthday Ball at Camp Lejeune, NC in 1978 he gave this memorable toast:

The wonderful love of a beautiful maid,
The love of a staunch true man,
The love of a baby, unafraid,
Have existed since time began.

But the greatest of loves, The quintessence of loves.
even greater than that of a mother,
Is the tender, passionate, infinite love,
of one drunken Marine for another.

"Semper Fidelis"

Wing Wiper.

A pejorative term for a Marine assigned to an aviation unit.

Wing.

Usually Air Wing, an aviation unit equivalent to an infantry division.

Winger.

A Marine assigned to an Air Wing. See Wing Wiper.

Wire, The.

(Vietnam) The perimeter of a position so named because most perimeters were marked with concertina or barbed wire.

WM.

Abbreviation for Woman Marine, acceptable for use from 1948 when women were first accepted into the regular Marine Corps until the late 1990s when it was decreed that they will be Marines (without prefix).

Woman Marine Battalion (WM Bn.)

The predecessor to 4th Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC.  In the mid-20th Century all female Marines assigned to Parris Island were assigned to this battalion even though many of them actually worked in other battalions.  WM Battalion was then also charged with basic training for all female Marines.

Woman Marine.

Former term for a female Marine. No longer in use because women are integrated into the Corps and are identified, like all, as Marines. Similar groups in the other services were WAC for Women’s Army Corps; WAAC for Women’s Army Air Corps; WAF for Women in the Air Force; WAVES for Women Available for Volunteer Emergency Services in the Navy and SPAR for Semper Paratus Always Ready for the Coast Guard.

Wookie Monster.

Woman Marine.

Word, The.

Information supposedly received from a reliable source. Also, scoop, poop, skinny.

World, The.

(Vietnam) The United States of America.

WR.

Abbreviation for Woman Reserve, used from the time women were first allowed to join the Marine Corps Reserve, Feb. 13, 1943, until 1947 when they were allowed to join the active Marine Corps.

WTFO.

What the fuck, over. A statement of disbelief or question using radio communication terminology.

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