Tunnels were often booby trapped with hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, and punji sticks. The VC would even use venomous snakes (placed as living booby traps). … A tunnel rat might therefore choose to enter the tunnels wearing a gas mask (donning one within was frequently impossible in such a confined space).

Then, How often did Tunnel Rats die?

Our tunnel rat unit was small, with at most 120 men in the country at any time, and a total of around 700 who served from 1965 to 1972. During that period 36 of us were killed and around 200 were wounded, giving us a casualty rate of 33 percent, high even by Vietnam War standards.

How many US soldiers died of snake bites in Vietnam? The United States Archives and other sources suggest that between 25 and 50 American soldiers a year were bitten by snakes during the war in Vietnam. Some 10,786 American soldiers died of non-combat causes, including 9,107 by accidents and 938 due to illness. Snake bites were not specified.

Keeping this in consideration, Did they use trenches in Vietnam war?

The Cu Chi (pronounced Ku Chi) tunnels are an extensive 250-mile (around 400km) network of underground trenches dug manually by the Vietnamese people and Viet Cong guerillas to protect themselves from the merciless bombing unleashed by American forces who fought a war in Vietnam in 1964-73.

Did they use trenches in Vietnam War?

The Cu Chi (pronounced Ku Chi) tunnels are an extensive 250-mile (around 400km) network of underground trenches dug manually by the Vietnamese people and Viet Cong guerillas to protect themselves from the merciless bombing unleashed by American forces who fought a war in Vietnam in 1964-73.

Are there still POWS in Vietnam 2020?

Then as of December 21, 2018, the number of U.S. military and civilian personnel still unaccounted for is 1,592. By February 7, 2020, this number had been reduced a little further, to 1,587.

How many female US soldiers died in Vietnam?

Over 58,000 soldiers died in Vietnam; 350,000 were wounded. It is estimated that approximately 265,000 military women served their country during the Vietnam war all over the world in a variety of occupations.

What advantage did they give the Viet Cong?

For destroying armored vehicles or bunkers, the Vietcong had highly effective rocket propelled grenades and recoilless rifles. Mortars were also available in large numbers and had the advantage of being very easy to transport. Many weapons, including booby traps and mines, were homemade in villages.

Why was no man’s land so dangerous?

the narrow, muddy, treeless stretch of land, characterized by numerous shell holes, that separated German and Allied trenches during the First World War. Being in No Man’s Land was considered very dangerous since it offered little or no protection for soldiers.

Do ww1 trenches still exist?

A few of these places are private or public sites with original or reconstructed trenches preserved as a museum or memorial. Nevertheless, there are still remains of trenches to be found in remote parts of the battlefields such as the woods of the Argonne, Verdun and the mountains of the Vosges.

What did American soldiers eat in Vietnam?

These were known as Long Range Patrol Rations (LRP), which the troops immediately pronounced “lurps.” They featured eight main meals, in cluding “Chicken With Rice,” “Spaghetti With Meat Sauce,” “Pork With Scalloped Potatoes,” “Chili Con Carne” and “Beef Stew.” They also included a cereal or fruitcake bar, two foil- …

Do MIA soldiers still get paid?

“A Captive, Prisoner of War, Missing, Missing in Action, interned in a foreign country, captured, beleaguered… will continue to receive basic pay, special pay, incentive pay for hazardous duty, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), Family Separation Allowance (FSA), Family Separation …

Who was the youngest soldier to die in Vietnam War?

Dan Bullock (December 21, 1953 – June 7, 1969) was a United States Marine and the youngest U.S. serviceman killed in action during the Vietnam War, dying at the age of 15.

How many female nurses were killed in Vietnam?

90% of women who served were volunteer nurses. 8 American military women were killed the Vietnam War. 59 civilian women were killed the Vietnam War.

Is the movie We Were Soldiers historically accurate?

Then came the 2002 movie, We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson as Moore and Barry Pepper as Galloway. (Moore says the film is about 60 percent accurate; Galloway, 80 percent.) … They also apply the lessons of Vietnam to Iraq—where Galloway, now a columnist for McClatchy Newspapers, sees more fatal victories.

What were the most popular songs during the Vietnam War?

Songs Vietnam Veterans Remember Most

  • Green Green Grass of Home by Porter Wagoner. (1965; No. …
  • Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin. …
  • The Letter by The Box Tops. …
  • 7. ( …
  • Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) …
  • Purple Haze by Jim Hendrix Experience. …
  • Detroit City by Bobby Bare. …
  • Leaving on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary.

What were the Viet Minh fighting for?

The Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh (Vietnam Independence League), or Viet Minh as it would become known to the world, was a Communist front organization founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1941 to organize resistance against French colonial rule and occupying Japanese forces. …

Which side had the advantage in the Vietnam War?

The US had the most advanced war technology and was economically very powerful so they could invest heavily in the war. They also had South Vietnamese soldiers on their side. The US had a powerful air force and could use it to deploy troop support, bombing and raids.

How many died in No Man’s Land?

interesting facts about no man’s land

Tragically, the men of the 42 Division had received little training in how to deal with gas attacks and suffered 417 casualties. Sometimes as narrow as 15 yards or as wide as several hundred yards, No Man’s Land was heavily guarded by machine gun and sniper fire.

Is no man’s land still dangerous?

No Man’s Land Today

Although historically it is exceptionally interesting, having witnessed the fierce and bloody battles of World War I, it remains to this day horrific and deadly.

Why were the trenches built in zig zags?

The trench system had a main fire trench or front line. All the trenches were dug in a zig-zag pattern so the enemy couldn’t shoot straight down the line and kill many soldiers. If a mortar, grenade or artillery shell would land in the trench, it would only get the soldiers in that section, not further down the line.

Is 1917 based on a true story?

1917 is something of a true story, loosely based on a tale the director’s grandfather – Alfred H. Mendes, who served with the British Army during the First World War – told him as a child.

Why did they use trenches in ww1?

Long, narrow trenches dug into the ground at the front, usually by the infantry soldiers who would occupy them for weeks at a time, were designed to protect World War I troops from machine-gun fire and artillery attack from the air.

Are there any WWI veterans alive today?

The last living veteran of World War I was Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces, and who died 4 February 2012, aged 110. … The last Central Powers veteran, Franz KĂĽnstler of Austria-Hungary, died on 27 May 2008 at the age of 107.