In Vietnam, it took a while for Americans to figure out how the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese avoided contact so well. Part of it was their ability to hide in the jungle, but they also had an intricate tunnel system. The most famous were the tunnels of Cu-Chi. This intricate network of tunnels was located near Saigon and the passages went a total of around 200 kilometers. The tunnels included first aid stations, ammunition depots, kitchens, firing posts, and sleeping rooms. When tunnel entrances were discovered, some American soldiers would volunteer to go in to check them out. These men became known as “tunnel rats”. They went in armed with a pistol, a flashlight, and a lot of guts. The enemy took precautions in case a foe entered and wanted to snoop around. The tunnels had mines, punji stakes, and other booby traps. They also had poison snakes and scorpions. Tunnel rats also had to deal with rats, spiders, ants, and bats.
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