Vietnam. The Enemy Below: Saigon’s Củ Chi Tunnels
During the Vietnam War (1954–75), a 240-kilometer network of tunnels linked dozens of Vietnamese villages, stretching from Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) to the Cambodia border. Work to create the tunnels was labor intensive with passageways carved from clay soil using hand tools. Along with serving as hiding places for Viet Cong soldiers, the well-concealed tunnels were created with multiple levels and with spaces for kitchens, ordinance plants, hospitals, meeting rooms, and theaters. Hidden doors on the surface enabled soldiers to make surprise attacks and then quickly disappear. The tunnels also facilitated communication and served as supply lines. After the war, about 121 kilometers of the tunnel system was preserved by the Vietnamese Government.
Located on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, the Ben Duoc section of the Củ Chi Tunnels is 64 kilometers northwest of Ho Chi Minh City and southeast of a sharp bend in the Saigon River. After arriving at Ben Duoc, my travel companion and I joined a group of tourists who were listening to a local guide describe tunnel construction and guerilla tactics.
Based on his detailed explanations, it seemed possible that our guide had been a tunnel soldier during the war. As we moved to the next tour stop, he paused to count our group. At the third stop his pleasant demeanor changed. With a scowl he loudly proclaimed that two persons had not paid the tour fee and called for the “interlopers” to identify themselves. After an awkward silence, my companion and I realized we had not paid a separate tour fee. Without looking back, we sheepishly hurried away.
In 1966 and again in 1969, U.S. B-52 aircraft dropped thousands of kilograms of explosives on suspected tunnel sites. Elsewhere, U.S. and Australian soldiers known at “tunnel rats” went underground in search of weapons caches and soldiers. Interpretive displays at Ben Duoc explained hidden hazards designed to stop tunnel rats including trap doors filled with sharp sticks or venomous snakes.
We were offered an opportunity to crawl through a ten-meter tunnel section. Bent over in a claustrophobic crouch, I descended some steps and slowly made my way down a dark corridor towards the tunnel’s exit. Along with oppressive humidity, tunnel soldiers had to deal with spiders, scorpions, rodents, and snakes.
Back on the surface we passed an area where visitors could pay to fire an American M-16 or Russian made AK-47 machinegun. Nearby was an intact American M-41 tank that had been damaged by a landmine. Before returning to Ho Chi Minh City, we passed shops selling war souvenirs ranging from old aircraft instruments to reproductions of Vietnam People’s Liberation Army (PLA) pith helmets.
