Today we drove to see the tunnels. I’d heard about these tunnels from different people who’d gone to see them and couldn’t really understand why it was such a destination because I haven’t read enough Vietnam War history. Now I understand.
We’re here in the coolest part of the year and actually, if you’re sitting still in the shade, it’s not bad at all. And our poor soldiers coming here, wearing full gear, carrying loaded packs and then going into the jungle. The jungle we saw was new since 1986-90 – they cleared out all the damaged jungle from the agent orange, replanted and started working with the existing tunnels to show the cleverness of the VC and the north Vietnamese as they fought in the jungle.
This was a totally party line place. Our guide told us not to ask too many questions here. And in fact, unbeknownst to me, I asked a bad question – were there women in the tunnels? This was a bad question because the VC forced many civilians into fighting with them, women, children, and men. So, yes, there were many women fighting alongside the men.
By the end, we had a great deal of respect for the tenaciousness of the north in fighting this fight and had just a small small glimpse of how completely awful it was for the Americans, Australians and others who fought here.
A couple of videos of Joe explaining the tunnels.
The actual tunnels were a large network that funneled supplies to Saigon and allowed the VC to fight a guerrilla war. We were shown many types of traps set with bamboo spikes both in the tunnels and on the paths. The current jungle was just a hint of what the original jungle was. Then there were so many poisonous snakes above and below, spiders, many ways to die and that’s without the soldiers, traps, heat, and disease. Awful.
The VC were incredibly resilient, strategic and nothing went to waste. Cars/trucks never stopped going up and down the Ho Chi Minh trail and tires wore out rapidly. We were shown how the tire and tube were combined into shoes for the soldiers. Evidently, they were able to move silently and knew when people were coming down the trails if it was the south Vietnamese/Americans because they all had boots supplied by the Americans.
The tunnels were very small. This entrance has been enlarged by 20% and the tunnels enlarged by 40% so that visitors can now experience them.
They had trap after trap if someone tried to enter the tunnel – poisonous snakes at the roof bc an enemy would enter head first with a partner holding their boots, then if they made it into the tunnels successfully, there were pits with a variety of sharpened bamboo spikes used in many ways to torture or kill the unsuspecting. The spikes were coated with oil to slide further and dung to set up infection.
This was one of the gathering places – would have been an earthen roof over the wood beams, there are 3 tunnels into this room
After the tunnels, I was reading my book and one of the author’s brothers was VC. He was offered yams in a family dinner and said he doesn’t tough them because that’s all he had during the time he was underground. Tourists got the peanut spice, rarely did they get anything more.
We were glad we went because it did give a small small glimpse of the war and how incredibly bewildering and awful it was when the allies arrived and went into battle. We also had a glimpse how determined the north was as they created this new type of warfare.
And then our guys came home and were booed and rejected by the general population.
I can’t imagine the level of internal chaos the whole experience created in so many young men.
We then flew to Cambodia. Kellie was intent on getting a shower at the airport if there was any way – and there was in the lounge. I went right after her and it was great – very clean, they had a whole shower kit. Much better for getting onto the plane.
We arrived in the evening at the Amansará in Siem Riep and it was incredible. The aura of serenity was amazing. When I walked in my room, there was chanting set on the iPad. I ended up using it to fall asleep for a few nights.
Reb's Walks! 