Cu Chi Tunnels

The American strategy in Viet Nam was frustrating to soldiers. We had bases that were mostly secure and from these bases our soldiers would patrol the villages, mountains and countryside around. American patrols that met an overwhelming resistance could be easily reinforced from the air by helicopters or supported by heavy weapons from ships a few miles off the coast or planes could strike the enemy from the air.

For a period of time, American leadership debated using strategic hamlets, putting the Vietnamese population in prison camps letting people out only during certain hours to perform their jobs. The rest of the time those loyal to the US would spend their time securely behind barbed wire. The people outside the hamlets would then be considered as unfriendly and open targets. This strategy served the US well in our subjugation of the Philippines in the early 20th century. I can’t remember but, if this strategy was used in Viet Nam, it was it was on a limited scale.

Around Saigon the US established three bases that formed the three points of a triangle, known as the "Iron Triangle". The area within the triangle was supposedly an area free from infiltration. In the heart of the Iron Triangle is the village of Cu Chi. Underneath the village are 250 kilometers of tunnels that, during the war, housed from 5000 to 10,000 Viet Cong soldiers. South Vietnamese and American soldiers frequently would comment that the Viet Cong would fight, but then disappear, or that they would jump up from behind our lines and attack from the rear. It was very difficult to form a front line. The tunnels of Cu Chi were one system of tunnels that frustrated us. Other tunnel networks are spread throughout the country.

The tunnels themselves are small. Openings are only big enough for a smaller person to crawl through. While I am “Happy Buddha” sized now, even 50 pounds lighter I would not be able to fit through the entry of the tunnels. When I tried to crawl in one of the openings, my hip bones held me above the ground.

Underground the Viet Cong housed hospitals, munitions factories and barracks. Everything needed to fight a war was underground. Mounds of dirt above ground and looking like termite mounds provided ventilation for those below. Often times their would be three levels to the tunnels. Around the openings to the tunnels were a multitude of boobie-traps built with simple materials discouraging Americans from looking for the openings. Furthermore, if a US soldier did find an opening it was large enough only for our smaller soldiers to lead a personal fight to those below. While we did find and fight in many of the tunnels, the depth and layers of the tunnels prevented bombers from destroying more than tiny sections and the size prevented any onslaught of US troops. The extent of the tunnels was a mystery to the Americans until long after the war.