Who was fighting whom? Forces of the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (Viet Cong guerrillas) and the People's Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese) fought against the forces of the Republic of (South) Vietnam, the United States, and their allies. The Tet Offensive was named so because it began during the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, Tết Nguyên Đán, the first day of the year on a traditional lunar calendar and the most important Vietnamese holiday. Tet, year of the monkey.
I crept through one tunnel, alternatively crawling and crouching for about 15 minutes. They were not built for tall people.
"U.S. soldiers used the term 'Black Echo' to describe the conditions within the tunnels. For the Viet Cong, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, spiders and mosquitoes. Most of the time, guerrillas would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels; especially malaria, which accounted for the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds." (WIKI)
Me and some Viet Cong guerrillas -- the soldier on my left is drinking malaria medicine. It was hot and airless in the tunnel that I investigated with the temperature in the Cu Chi woods that day hovering at about 90 with high humidity. The whole place was eerie. At the end of tour, you could pay a small fee to shoot an AK-47 into the hillside...
Ultimately, despite several efforts at fighting the Viet Cong on its own terms, U.S. operations remained largely unsuccessful at eliminating the existence of the tunnels.
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