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• 1 2016-12-05T19:50:50-08:00 The Tunnels During the War 17 An examination of the use of the Tunnels durring the Veitnam War image_header 2016-12-12T18:39:19-08:00

  The Cu Chi Tunnels are one of the most important historical sites of the modern world.  They are located 21 miles from what is now Ho Chi Minh City (Shell 1) During the war this city was called Saigon and was the capital of democratic South Vietnam. When the Communist North won the war, they renamed the city after their leader Ho Chi Minh. Built in 1940, the tunnels are between five-feet and 18-feet deep. They span an astonishing 250 km under mountains, meadows, and jungles, and were effectively an underground city, equipped with kitchens, weapons factories, and hospitals (Remarkable 1).  During the war, Viet Cong soldiers would wait in the dusty labyrinth for American soldiers (Martin 1). They would pop out and attack with devastating force only to then withdraw very quickly, back to the safety of the cold earth before the Americans could effectively form groups and fight back. This type of guerilla warfare was not only devastating physically to the soldiers but also mentally. The use of these tunnels in the war created mass panic throughout platoons of soldiers. The Viet Cong used these tunnels to spread fear and confusion on the battlefield but also in the minds of their enemy. Today many smaller forces use these tactics when fighting against lager forces. The tunnels of Cu Chi have changed how warfare can be fought and how it can be won.

  However, the tunnels were not only used for the battles, but in preparation for battles. Located deep in this elaborate maze of tunnels are command posts that Viet Cong generals would use to plan their next attacks. In fact, much of the planning for the Tet offensive occurred inside these tunnels (Harrison E). This strategic attack on American forces by the Viet Cong in 1968 was not only devastating on the battlefield but also back home in the United States. It damaged the perception of the war, which led to people demanding that troops be brought home. In attempts to drive the Viet Cong from this elaborate maze, the US army sent in trained dogs and troops called “tunnel rats” (Schell1).  Their job was to crawl into the maze and engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat and recover any intel that they could find. In the Cu Chi tunnels the dogs and troops were unsuccessful (Shell 1). The tunnels were designed with booby traps and v-twists to disorient and confuse enemy troops that tried to enter (Harrison E 1). These traps and winding tunnels prevented American troops from exterminating their enemy. The persistence the Viet Cong had in these tunnels led to the American public demanding the war to end. Through these tunnels the Vietnam soldiers could withstand the enormous power of the American army and win the war. With the war long over, the tunnels have now become a memorial to soldiers who fought and lived in these tunnels. However, for many people the tunnels can represent something much more.
  
  ​For more information about the historical significance of the Tunnels please click here.