The VC (Viet Cong) would utilize these tunnels to spring surprise attacks on the unsuspecting United States military troops and to hide within them to evade aerial bombings from the US.
To keep the United States from infiltrating their underground bases, the tunnels were often booby trapped with explosives, poisonous reptiles and insects and other deadly traps.
Life in the Cu Chi Tunnels was similar to that above the ground; they built homes, factories, hospitals and bomb shelters. There were even some theaters and music halls to provide distractions for the soldiers. However, there were many dangers to living underground. Flooding, poor ventilation, cave ins and snakes often threatened the lives of the VC and North Vietnamese troops who resided down there.
Since the Vietnam War ended, the Cu Chi Tunnels has been kept and preserved as a memorial to the many fallen soldiers and a tourist attraction in Vietnam. The tunnels played a significant role in the war and are an essential part of Vietnam's history.
A schematic of what the tunnels looked like
What many entrances looked like
Information provided by:
http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/cu-chi-tunnels
Pictures provided by:
http://www.warchapter.com/Vietnam_war_Tunnels.html
http://www.foothand.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?action=0709003048
In O'Brien's novel, "The Things They Carried," the Cu Chi tunnels were a source of great fear for the American soldiers. It was interesting to see some history of the tunnels which was not provided in his novel.
ReplyDeleteIn my other post, "Tunnel Rats" I was able to explain the effects the Cu Chi Tunnels had on the soldiers. Since the Tunnels played such a significant role in during the war, I wanted to explain it in greater detail so we can understand just how much of an effect it could have on soldiers' minds.
ReplyDelete