Reading about the tunnels used by the Viet Cong is one thing, actually seeing them is quite another. A network that stretched over 200km from Saigon to the border of Cambodia, in places consisting of up to 3 levels, really illustrated the determination of the Viet Cong to fight a patient guerrilla war against the US.
One of Vietnam's regular soldiers manged to squeeze into the tunnel entrance above, we didn't even know it was there until he dusted off the leaves. I manged to almost get in but for fear of getting my arms stuck left them above ground. As we walked above the tunnel complex at Cu Chi, the sound of gun fire from the nearby range echoing through the jungle, we had no idea of the location of the tunnels or their entrances. Add dense forest, some rainfall and you can see why the use of tunnels by the Viet Cong proved such an issue for the Americans.
The tunnels were designed to withstand grenade and gas attack and flooding would have little affect, the water would simply drain away. To stop American GI's from infiltrating the tunnel complex, intricate and lethal traps were laid. Everything from trip wire mines to poisonous snakes. Lucky in the tunnel we crawled through (above) it was just the humidity we had to deal with. Anyone interested in a great set of both Vietnamese and American accounts from the tunnels should have a look at The Tunnels of Cu Chi.
Above is one of the fully automatic rifles at the range, all you had to do was purchase the bullets from the gift shop. Their were prizes for accuracy but when I had a go with an AK-47 I was at least 10m from the target. Shelley refused to go anywhere need the range so no photos of me wit the the communist weapon of choice.
If Viet Cong popping up from tunnels, sometimes within an American base, wasn't bad enough the jungle was full of traps such as the one above. Visiting the tunnels at Cu Chi, just North of Ho Chi Minh City was a real eye opener. From what I've seen I certainly would not have relished the thought of being sent to Vietnam to fight. After returning to Ho Chi Minh City we caught a flight North to Hanoi.
Highlights: Crawling round the Cu Chi Tunnels
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