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How Vietnamese Tunnels Outsmarted the U.S. Military — Transcript

by Atrium · 2,972 words · 468 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00[Music]
0:00Vietnam, January 1967.
0:03The US and its allies have dropped more
0:05bombs on this region than they did on
0:07Germany and Japan combined during World
0:09War II. But the Vietkong are safe.
0:13Hidden beneath the ground is a tunnel
0:14network that spans over 100 km. At the
0:17entrance is Tommy Rivera. His mission is
0:21to avoid the deadly traps in enemy
0:22soldiers, locate the control room, and
0:26gather intel to stop the Vietkong's next
0:28major attack. If he fails, hundreds of
0:32American soldiers will die.
0:35Tommy climbs into the tunnel, covers the
0:37trapoor with leaves, and closes himself
0:40inside. With a casualty rate of over
0:4230%, most tunnel rats don't survive
0:45their second mission. Tommy is equipped
0:48with the standard issue M1911.
0:51But in these tunnels, it's more of a
0:53liability than a weapon. A single shot
0:55could alert the enemy. Instead, he
0:58trusts his father's old World War II
1:00knife. Quiet, reliable, and deadly in
1:03close combat.
1:05Tommy doesn't know it yet, although he
1:08is getting very close to the first
1:09chamber. Based on Tommy's previous
1:12missions, he is expecting a similar
1:14layout. Connecting to the entrance,
1:16there are three levels of tunnels. Tommy
1:19is in the first level. The entrance is
1:21where the Vietkong can quickly hide away
1:23in case they are being attacked.
1:26The deeper he goes, the closer he gets
1:28to the main living and operations hub.
1:30This includes hospitals, sleeping
1:32chambers, and his target, the command
1:34center. At the very bottom is the
1:36Vietkong's safest area built for
1:38emergency situations, bomb shelters,
1:41evacuation tunnels, interrogation rooms,
1:43and water wells.
1:46Tommy creeps forward, taking short,
1:48shallow breaths to keep as silent as
1:50possible. His nose picks up a faint
1:52smell of rusty metal. The first room is
1:54near.
1:56Suddenly, he spots something ahead. A
1:58thin bamboo trigger. Above in the
2:01ceiling is a small camouflaged panel.
2:03Something's moving behind it. His heart
2:05races.
2:07Vietnam pit vipers.
2:09Each tunnel system can hold more than 50
2:11unique traps. Some explode, some impale,
2:15some release toxic gas. This one is
2:19designed to cause organ failure and
2:20internal bleeding from the venom. If
2:23Tommy touches the bamboo, it will send a
2:25signal by pulling out the toggle,
2:27causing the wooden panel above his head
2:29to swing open, and the snakes will be
2:31released.
2:33Most soldiers turn back when they see
2:34what lies ahead. But Tommy can't.
2:37Thousands of lives depend on him finding
2:39the Vietkong attack plans. He grips the
2:42dirt and starts to move. One elbow
2:44forward, then the next. He slides above
2:47the trigger. 3 2 1. He's clear. But
2:54these traps only get more deadly the
2:56deeper he goes. This is just the
2:59beginning. The more Tommy crawls, the
3:02stronger the smell becomes. The narrow
3:04dirt tunnel curves slightly to the left,
3:07then opens. He's reached the first
3:09chamber. Just 4 ft wide and 5 ft tall.
3:13This cramp design is not by accident.
3:15Vietkong soldiers averaged just 5' 3 in
3:19tall while American soldiers stood
3:21around 5'9. That height difference made
3:24it nearly impossible for most Americans
3:26to fit inside. But standing at 5'1,
3:29Tommy is perfect. Low wooden crates
3:33stacked against the wall holding
3:34ammunition, medical gear, and rice.
3:38Storage was frequently placed near the
3:40entrances, allowing the Vietkong to
3:42restock or retreat faster during battle.
3:45He listens for a moment to hear if
3:47anyone might be nearby.
3:49Silence.
3:51Tommy pushes forward. The soil down here
3:54contains high levels of clay and iron.
3:56When it dries, it develops concrete-like
3:59properties, stopping the tunnel from
4:01collapsing. However, while it's raining,
4:04there's still a risk. After several more
4:06minutes of crawling, he reaches the
4:08entrance. This chamber is larger. The
4:11far end is a shallow pit. It's a Hong
4:14Kong stove. This is where they cook.
4:18Unlike the Americans who had supply
4:20chains stretching from aircraft carriers
4:21to jungle outposts, the Vietkong had to
4:24scavenge, barter, or steal their food.
4:28To cook and breathe, they built
4:30ventilation shafts from the tunnel
4:31ceilings to the jungle floor, disguising
4:33them as termite mounds.
4:36But cooking releases smoke. If the
4:38Americans saw it rising from the ground,
4:40their location would be compromised,
4:42stay hidden. They only cooked meals
4:44during the morning or when it's raining,
4:47so the natural fog would hide it. Tommy
4:49squats down. A few pieces of rice still
4:52cling to a crusted pot. The embers are
4:54still warm. Someone was just here. His
4:57pulse quickens. Back home on the news,
5:01Tommy constantly heard about America's
5:02success. high body counts and tactical
5:05victories. But when he arrived in
5:07Vietnam, the reality felt completely
5:09different. Everything seemed stuck with
5:11no real progress. That's because he had
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6:11The enemy is nearby. There is no time to
6:14waste. Tommy hopes that this next room
6:17will be the command center so he can get
6:19back to base and sit by the warm fire.
6:23He keeps crawling. Then the ground
6:26begins to slope downward. He pauses. He
6:29knows exactly what that means. He's
6:31entering level two. The deepest levels
6:34are where the real secrets are hidden.
6:36Surgery bays, weapons, workshops, supply
6:39caches, and his target, the command
6:42center. The air becomes thicker but
6:45sterile in a way that's unnatural for a
6:48tunnel. Then he hears it. movement soft
6:51and muffled. Tommy freezes. The sound
6:54echoes faintly down a tunnel to his
6:56right, shuffling. A whisper of voices
6:59too quiet to make out. They don't know
7:01he's here.
7:03Tommy clutches his knife. He waits and
7:06listens intensely, but the sound starts
7:08to fade. False alarm. As he approaches
7:12the next room, he sees a glow of light.
7:15A bed is pressed against the wall. Next
7:18to it, a stack of blood stained bandages
7:20and scissors. Glass jars lined along a
7:23dugout shelf. In the corner is a bicycle
7:26powered generator. This is a quiet way
7:29to generate electricity to light this
7:30hospital room during surgery and charge
7:33their radio equipment, only found in the
7:36more developed systems. A faint tapping
7:39sound echoes through the chamber.
7:42Tommy goes still. He knows that sound.
7:45They're digging.
7:47At the start of the war, the Vietkong
7:49would dig during the day, making it
7:50easier for Americans to locate them.
7:53However, now they only do it while
7:55raining or at night when the jungle
7:57sounds overpower their own. Others will
8:00be nearby, hauling dirt and baskets up
8:02to the surface. Every handful is carried
8:05far from the tunnels, scattered across
8:07fields, buried in bomb craters, or
8:10dumped into rivers. The surface will be
8:13crawling with Vietkong. Tommy hopes the
8:15rain stops soon. Otherwise, his escape
8:18just got a lot harder. Still, not all
8:21news is bad. Medical rooms like this one
8:24are almost always placed on the second
8:26level, the same level as the command
8:28center. He's close. Very close.
8:33The tunnel tightens again. Tommy claws
8:36forward, the walls pressing in, his
8:38nails scratching in the dirt, until the
8:40path opens. He stops. This isn't a
8:44storage room. It's something else. He
8:47tries to see what's inside, but it's too
8:50dark. He knows using his flashlight
8:52could expose him, but staying blind
8:55could kill him. He has no choice. He
8:59flicks it on. What he sees makes his
9:02blood run cold.
9:04It's the trap room. Most designs weren't
9:07meant to kill. They were made for one
9:09purpose only. To make soldiers like
9:12Tommy hesitate,
9:14to make them afraid of the floor, the
9:16walls, everything. 11% of combat deaths
9:20are caused by the tens of thousands of
9:22booby traps deployed by the Vietkong
9:24soldiers.
9:26In the corner, a pile of bamboo, each
9:29stake sharpened to a deadly point. Tommy
9:32remembers the last time he saw one above
9:34ground. A fellow soldier stepped on a
9:36false floor.
9:38The scream was brief. The pit was full
9:41of spikes.
9:43Sometimes the tips are even smeared with
9:45feces. Not to kill instantly, but to
9:48infect, to rot from within.
9:52He turns. In another area, a stack of
9:54tin cans. But it's not harmless junk.
9:58Inside are grenades rigged with trip
10:00wires. Pull the wire, the pin yanks
10:03free. Boom.
10:06Through decades of fighting off foreign
10:08powers, the Vietnamese have learned to
10:11use the land to kill any invader.
10:13With a reminder of death, Tommy cuts his
10:16light and presses forward into the dark.
10:19He hears a faint sound and freezes. It's
10:22coming from ahead where the tunnel
10:23forks. On his left is a subtle echo of
10:26voices. Vietkong. At least two, maybe
10:29more. To his right, silence.
10:33But Tommy knows what silence can mean
10:35down here. A dead end or worse, a trap.
10:41His heart thuds. The left tunnel could
10:44put him face to face with the enemy. The
10:46right could be a trap, ending his life
10:49and the mission.
10:52He waits, motionless, counting his
10:55breaths. The voices grow clearer. Calm,
10:59casual, too calm. That's what scares
11:03him. He shifts his body toward the right
11:05tunnel, elbows dragging through the
11:07dirt, hips twisting. Each breath he
11:10takes could be his last.
11:13No wire, no pressure plate. Not yet. 5
11:17ft in. Still nothing. Then the tunnel
11:21opens slightly, just enough for him to
11:24kneel. He is safe for now.
11:29It's the second time luck is on Tommy's
11:31side. Deep down, he knows it won't last
11:34forever. And that's when he sees it.
11:37Ahead, lit by only the faintest glow
11:39from the lantern, is a large room
11:42reinforced with timber, large maps
11:44pinned to the wall, chalk markings,
11:46folded documents. This isn't another
11:48survival chamber. This is his target,
11:52the command center.
11:54Tommy scans the area. There's no one
11:56inside. He moves in silent and low. A
12:00crude table at the center holds an
12:02unfolded map. A red line stretches west
12:05towards Saigon. Circles, notes, arrows,
12:08targets, highly classified materials.
12:12Somehow, the Vietkong have secured info
12:15about an upcoming offensive. This was
12:17more than just the attack plans he came
12:19for. When Tommy left the camp, they were
12:22preparing for this very operation,
12:24including some of his closest friends.
12:27They spoke with quiet hope. final push
12:29that could end the war in weeks. But now
12:32he realizes none of them knew the truth.
12:35It wasn't a breakthrough at all. It was
12:38an ambush.
12:41If command sees this, they can call off
12:43the advance and change course. This
12:45isn't just another mission. It's
12:47personal. Failing to get back to the
12:49base doesn't just mean helping to defend
12:51their base. It means saving his entire
12:54platoon from certain death.
12:57Tommy hears noises again,
13:00>> closer now. The longer he spends in
13:02here, the more likely he is to be
13:04caught. He needs to find the military
13:07base attack document. He looks over to
13:09see some rolled up papers. Without
13:11enough time to look inside, he straps
13:13them under his belt. Now he has another
13:16problem to worry about. How does he get
13:19out of here?
13:21As Tommy turns to crawl back the way he
13:23came, he hears shuffling close.
13:26Tommy grabs his knife, back pressed
13:28against the wall. He won't use the gun
13:31as it will alert the entire tunnel
13:32system, making his escape so much
13:35harder. The shuffling grows louder. As
13:38the Vietkong soldier's head enters the
13:40room, Tommy strikes. The man collapses.
13:43Tommy doesn't move. He listens in case
13:47anyone has been alerted. It's a young
13:49Vietkong soldier. He flips the body
13:52over, quickly, patting down his vest. a
13:55knife, loose ammo, some rice wrapped in
13:58a banana leaf, a picture of the soldier
14:01and his family. He can't be much older
14:04than 16, although that was a couple of
14:07years ago now. So much has changed since
14:10then. Many of the Vietkong soldiers
14:12started young, raised in the dark,
14:15trained underground, hardened by a war
14:18that offers no childhood.
14:20At this point, nearly 400,000 dead. Many
14:24of them are civilians. Nobody down here
14:27really wants to fight. They just don't
14:29have a choice. Tommy finds something
14:32else. A folded piece of paper wrapped in
14:34plastic to keep it dry. A hand-drawn map
14:38showing a rough outline of the tunnel
14:39system. He identifies his location. Then
14:43another symbol near the way out closer
14:44to the surface.
14:46With limited Vietnamese, he makes out
14:48the word prisoner. If someone's still
14:51alive down here, you can't leave them to
14:53die.
14:54Out here, the Americans have a code. No
14:57man gets left behind. Still, it could
15:00easily be a trap. The Vietkong often
15:03turn this against them, turning
15:04prisoners into bait. Tommy tucks the map
15:07into his chest pocket, grabs the
15:09Vietkong's body, and hides it in the
15:11corner of the room. The mission just got
15:14much more complicated. In less than 10
15:16minutes, someone will find the body. And
15:19when they do, Tommy will still be in the
15:20tunnels. If he's going to free this
15:23prisoner, Tommy's going to need to
15:25fight. Guided by the map, he takes a
15:27hard turn down the new passage. The air
15:30grows colder. The floor angles sharply
15:32downward. His knees scrape and boots
15:35slip. The tunnel continues to twist
15:37deeper into the earth than anything he's
15:39ever encountered. Whoever this prisoner
15:42is, they must be important. No one gets
15:44buried this deep without a reason. As
15:47Tommy rounds the last band, he hears
15:49something. Not voices, not footsteps,
15:52but breathing.
15:55That's when he feels his elbow hit a
15:57string. This pulls a cord directly
16:00attached to a pin. He closes his eyes.
16:04This could be the end. A piece of string
16:07with metal scraps is attached, which is
16:09propelled toward a metal bell, making a
16:11loud clang. It's a noise trap. His heart
16:14pounds. They know.
16:17Tommy exits the tunnel into the room. A
16:19figure hangs from a bamboo pole lashed
16:21into the wall. An American. The
16:24soldier's uniform is shredded. Blood on
16:26his face. He lifts his head weakly when
16:28he sees Tommy, but doesn't react. He's
16:31too dehydrated and malnourished, but
16:34alive. Tommy moves in and quickly pulls
16:36the gag loose. "Don't speak," he
16:39whispers. You're going to be okay, but
16:41we need to leave now. He draws his knife
16:44and slices the rope and lowers him down.
16:46The soldier winces, but doesn't cry out.
16:48He's light. Tommy stops. Tommy checks
16:52the map again. There's an exit nearby up
16:55above.
16:56Vicong soldiers will know they will be
16:58looking for the fastest way out and will
17:00be planning to intercept them. They know
17:02too much to be allowed to escape alive.
17:05Tommy tells the soldier to stay close.
17:08He puts the map away, tightens his grip
17:10on his knife, and starts to climb toward
17:12the surface. The rescued soldier
17:15stumbles behind him, barely able to keep
17:17pace. Tommy keeps an ear on the tunnel
17:19behind them. No sound yet, but it's
17:23coming. Every corner they turn, every
17:26shaft they crawl through, Tommy expects
17:28movement, a voice, a shot. Turns around
17:31and helps pull the soldier up a steep
17:33incline. Light leaks faintly from above.
17:36an exit.
17:38Behind them is a voice shouting,
17:40"They've been spotted." Tommy doesn't
17:42wait. He pulls the soldier harder and
17:44pushes forward up the slope toward a
17:46narrow beam of light. Then, gunfire.
17:49Bullets ricochet against the walls. Dirt
17:51sprays behind his head. Another shot. He
17:54reaches the top.
17:56A bamboo hatch. He reaches out to open
17:58it. It's locked. He slams his shoulder
18:01into it. Once, twice. It cracks.
18:05Sunlight floods in. They're not safe
18:07yet. He grabs the soldier under the arm.
18:10They start running. No clear direction,
18:13no cover, just raw instinct and the will
18:16to survive. Behind them, Vietkong
18:19soldiers spill out from the bamboo
18:20hatch, weapons raised. Bullets crackle
18:23through the trees. Tommy doesn't look
18:26back. Branches slice their faces. Every
18:29step is a gamble, but every step is
18:32further from danger. He glances up.
18:35Smoke trails in the far distance. A
18:38campfire. A signal.
18:41Hope.
18:42It might just be okay.
18:46The Vietnam War stands as one of the
18:49most brutal and arguably most pointless
18:52conflicts in modern history, lasting
18:54over 19 years. The suffering it
18:57unleashed was huge, killing an estimated
19:005 million human lives from America,
19:02Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
19:06Within war stories, we find heroes like
19:08Tommy Rivera. But a deeper question must
19:11be asked. What exactly is the hero
19:14fighting for? Throughout history,
19:17information has convinced us that heroes
19:19fight for their country and their
19:21people. But too often, they're fighting
19:23for something else entirely. a political
19:26machine where corporations profit by
19:28selling weapons to governments under the
19:31disguise of patriotism.
19:33By 1968, 54% of Americans believe the
19:36Vietnam War was a mistake. Yet dragged
19:39on for another 7 years.
19:42It's not just history, it's a pattern.
19:46The next time you see a war taking
19:47place, take a moment to think. Is this
19:51war everything it's claimed to be?
19:54[Music]

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