The
Cu Chi tunnels, which were more than 250 km long and three levels deep,
were important for the Viet Cong victory over the Americans as they
allowed the Viet Cong to control a large rural area around Sai Gon.
Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving
the visitor a unique experience of what underground life in the American
war was like.
The district of Cu
Chi was the most bombed shelled, gassed, defoliated, and generally
devastated area in the history of warfare. It was declared a "free fire
zone" which meant that artillery fire fell on it at night, and that
bomber pilots were encouraged to drop unused explosives and napalm on
the area before returning to base. In essence, anything that moved was
considered a target and blown away.
While
U.S. forces relied on artillery support from fixed "Fire Bases,"
the Vietnamese used their tunnel system to move their artillery around,
making it difficult for the U.S. troops to locate them. In one tunnel
complex in Cu Chi the U.S. found two 105 field pieces in perfect working
condition. They would be stripped down outside, taken into the tunnels
and assembled during the day for maintenance, stripped again, and then
taken back through the tunnels to be reassembled in a new location outside
and used the next night.
These are only a few of the stories of the tunnels of Cu Chi. Today
the tunnels still stand, proof that the determination of the people
- and not technology - can determine who wins a war.
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