We visited a fascinating area north of Saigon called the Cu Chi region which houses an extensive network of underground tunnels used by Vietnamese guerilla fighters since the 1940s. These tunnels were an integral part of the Viet Cong strategy to strike and evade the American forces during the Vietnam War.
Tunnel entrances were nearly impossible to detect and were extensively booby trapped with hidden pits, bamboo spikes, and tripwired grenades. The multilevel tunnel networks went up to 40 feet underground and included weapons storage, sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, and cooking facilities.
Many of the access ports were too small for a normal sized American to fit through and within the tunnels there were dead-ends, water filled u-traps, and hidden access to lower levels. We traversed a 20 meter length underground. There was no way to turn around and of course, it was perfectly dark. The network of tunnels extends over 250 km. I was claustrophobic and eager to get out after 10 meters - and no one was shooting at me !
Tunnel entrances were nearly impossible to detect and were extensively booby trapped with hidden pits, bamboo spikes, and tripwired grenades. The multilevel tunnel networks went up to 40 feet underground and included weapons storage, sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, and cooking facilities.
Many of the access ports were too small for a normal sized American to fit through and within the tunnels there were dead-ends, water filled u-traps, and hidden access to lower levels. We traversed a 20 meter length underground. There was no way to turn around and of course, it was perfectly dark. The network of tunnels extends over 250 km. I was claustrophobic and eager to get out after 10 meters - and no one was shooting at me !
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