Tunnels of Cu Chi

What were the tunnels of Cu Chi and how did it play a part in the Vietnam war? These tunnels were intricate underground passage ways that the Viet Cong used to hide their supplies and live underground to avoid the daily bombardment from the American planes. In addition, these tunnels were also used to transport supplies to Ho Chi Minh City (formely Saigon) to resupply the Viet Cong in their fight against the United States military forces.

The tunnels of Củ Chi still exist and are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. In addition, these tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems should not be underestimated in its importance to the Viet Cong in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the United States military into withdrawal.

What was life like in these tunnels for some American GI's who were called "tunnel rats"? American soldiers used the term "Black echo" to describe the conditions within the tunnels. For the Viet Cong, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels; especially malaria, which accounted for the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured Viet Cong report suggests that at any given time half of a PLAF unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance.” In spite of these hardships, the Viet Cong managed to wage campaigns against a partially conscripted army that was technologically far superior, eventually wearing down their the United States.

Every time that a "tunnel rat", term used to describe a U.S. soldier, went underground, his life was always at stake. His basic job was to locate the enemy and report back to his command. It was a dangerous mission to undertake as many of these tunnels were sabotaged with explosives if the "tunnel rat" took the wrong route and these tunnels were also laced with poisonous snakes. It was no doubt a dangerous mission to undertake, but someone had to do it and locate Sir Charles as the Viet Cong were affectionately called. "Tunnel rats' stood approximately 5'0 to 5' 5" inches. This height was necessary as one can see to penetrate these underground mazes. These rats were armed with a forty-five weapon, a small light over his head, and maybe a knife that he held between his teeth. Imagine the difficulty one would experience trying to manuever underground in such a small enclosed space.

The sad part about this expedition that the United States used to flush out the enemy was basically unsuccessful. These tunnels were rigged with explosives or "punji stake" pits

The two main purposes in dealing with these tunnel openings by our military were to flush the entrance with gas or water to force the guerillas into the open, or to toss a few grenades down the hole and closed off the opening. However the unique design of these tunnels along with the strategic use of trap doors and air filtration systems by the enemy basically made our efforts ineffective in dealing with this clever adversary.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu

What really happened at Dien Bien Phu? First of all, the French government underestimated the will of the Vietnamese people. Basically, they wanted France out of their country as France had been there over two hundred years and had made a colony out of Vietnam. Vietnam soveriegnty was at stake and the people also were fed up with the French government robbing them of their natural resources such as rubber and shipping this resource back to France. Enough was enough. France was no longer welcomed in Vietnam. General Vo Nguyen Giap and his military basically crippled the French military at this important outpost in northwestern North Vietnam and by the time the fighting was over in about two months the beleagured French forces had to surrender. Giap had cut off any means of supplies entering that embattled piece of real estate. In addition, over that two month period, the North had created tunnels that were used to penetrate the firebases surrounding Dien Bien Phu and the French military had no where to go. They were completely encircled. Old Giap had used some of the same war tactics that the Chinese had used in their early history to defeat enemies of the Chin Dynasty and guess what it worked. He also realized that by keeping the French military from being resupplied by military airlift drops, he would be able to force them into submission and this is exactly what he did.

This was a great military victory for the Vietnamese people and this defeat of the French really shocked the world. And the ironic thing of this entire conflict is that General Giap still lives today somewhere in North Vietnam and is well over ninety years old. He is truly a military here to the Vietnamese people. A strong western power had been finally forced out through primitive but effective techniques of fighting the enemy. Colonialism would no longer be able to exist in Vietnam !!

My VietNam Experience

I was only twenty-two years old, naive, and still green behind the ears. I had just graduated from college and was scheduled to work for this chemical laboratory in Cincinatti, Ohio. In fact the recruiter, had come down and flew me back with him and showed me around the place, I was kind of excited, young and still undecided what I wanted to do with my life. Little did I know that my life was about to change in less than six months. The day that I graduated from college, I was already on a hit list so to speak. It was 1969 and the war was still going hot and heavy in the Nam. I graduated in June 1969 and by August I was in the military. You see, in fact I was drafted as that is the way things were during that era of our nation's history.
I was playing basketball the month of June 1969 when one of my neighborhood friends was also drafted and within a month, he was sent to Fort Benning Georgia and a month later, he was in the "Nam." Sadly to say, he was killed withing a week after arriving in VietNam. Believe me, this really got my attention. It seemed during that time, everyone in my neighborhood my age or younger was being sent overseas to VietNam.
As for me, I was able to cross service or should I say I went to my local recruiter and asked, how could I swap over to the Air Force. He stated that since I had received my draft notice with a classification of "IA", this would be almost impossible to change. Anyway, he said that he would see what he could do for me. While in college, I received a "2S" deferment but the moment that I graduated, this classification reverted to a "1A." meaning that I was highly eligible for service in the Nam. About a week later, the recruiter called me back and asked me to come down to his office. I took a series of tests and the next thing that I knew, I was now in the Air Force. At that point, I believed that I had escaped VietNam. Little did I know that within six months I would be there. After finishing my basic training and advanced schooling in the Air Force, I was sent to a base in Northern Michigan called Kincheloe Air Force Base. I was not even there for a month when I received a set of orders for VietNam. So, it really made no difference which service that I enlisted in, I was destined for VietNam.
I left Michigan and was scheduled to leave out of Washington State from a military base called McChord Air Force Base. When I arrived there, I was in the presence of other Army and Air Force soldiers and airman. In fact, on the flight over to the Nam, I was seated between two Hispanic cousins who were in the army and we chatted the entire time over. We flew on a military contract flight called the "Flying Tiger" and it seemed like that plane could easily accommodate over 400-500 GI's. It was unbelievable to me that so many people could fly on any airplane.
It was an eighteen hour flight and if the GI's were not eating, talking, reading watching movies on the plane, we were sleeping. It seemed like we would never land at Cam Ranh Bay, VietNam as that was our final destination. We flew through Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, mainland Japan, and finally to VietNam. Believe me I was exhausted by the time I arrived in VietNam.
As we disembarked from the plane, the friendly stewardesses wished all of us a farewell and would see all of us in a year's time as during that time VietNam was either a twelve or thirteen month tour.
After I had settled in VietNam, I really could feel a change coming over me. I begin to realize and feel why I was there. My entire attitude about the war changed and I begin to look at the entire situation with a more serious outlook. The sad thing about any war is that you really meet some good people in these type of conflicts. One of my best friends was French-VietNamese who could speak Vietnamese, French, and English, and may I add fluently. It is really funny because even today in 2009, I wonder if he is still alive and does he remember me. Yes, we were in a combat zone and everyday to be alive was a blessing from God. I often think of some of the close calls in VietNam that I personally experienced. One night at Cam Ranh Air Base, the sappers or viet cong had infiltrated through the wire which was called concertina wire, and had disrupted all the power on base. Imagine, at two or three a.m. in the morning hours, the base is completely pitched blacked, horns and sirens blasting throughout the night, and many of us were in our hootches or bunkers unable to see no more than a few feet from us. Believe me, that is an erie feeling. Luckily, we survived that night.
As stated earlier, I really begin to look at VietNam through a different perspective. In fact, when our commander asked us if anyone wanted to serve another tour, I was one of the first ones to volunteer. Some may called me crazy but I truly felt a sense of patriotism for my country and I would do it again, even today. In fact, I did extend another tour of duty for nine more months during the closing days of the war in 1972. And the funny thing is, each time that I returned to the United States on a 30 day leave, each "Flying Tiger" which was the name of the airlines that we flew on, seem to have another 300 or 400 new faces on board. Again, I often wonder if those two first Hispanic cousins are still alive.
There were many more "GI's" that I had befriended and likewise, I think of the same thing. Where are they? Did they make it? Are they in one piece like me or suffered some truamatic injury? I really consider myself lucky to be able to write this brief biography about my time in VietNam.