Vietnam - War Tunnels of Long Phuoc - April 2013

This was a very interesting site to visit.  I was not too sure what to expect by visiting the tunnels built by the Viet Cong in the war years to hide from the enemy.  The tunnels were originally built deliberately small and windy to make it difficult to penetrate if discovered.  They could only crawl through the tunnels and the kitchen and utility areas were very small and crouching height only.  It would have been very claustrophobic with the only air holes being very small ( see photo attached of hole under a log).  The tunnels have been increased for 50 metres to a height that we could walk through at my height.  The men had to crouch over to fit through.  I don't think I could have gone into the tunnels at their original height.  Today it is air conditioned.  In the old days it would have been only life or death that would have made them go into the tunnels and stay in there for the daylight hours in the heat.  At night they came out and fought their battles.  When building the tunnels the  soil was taken out and dropped into the nearby river so there was no evidence of digging.
This is a very historical site and I am pleased that I have seen it so I can have more of an appreciation of the war years and the horrors all of the soldiers had to endure.

  

Vietnam - Australian War Base Nui Dat - April 2013

It was very interesting to view these war sites - just to appreciate what our forces went through during the war years.  There is no jungle left to speak of due to the effects of the Agent Orange but we could see the area where the soldiers were based and the Helicopter pad at Kangaroo Hill.  Our Vietnamese Guide was excellent with her knowledge of the war years and information on Vietnam as it is today.

I was horrified to learn that it will be another 300 years before the full effects of the Agent Orange are finally eradicated.

It was good to get a copy of some older photos to compare with the war years which I have put on the following post.  

Vietnam - Older photos from the Vietnam War - Nui Dat

These are some older photos from the war years in Vietnam received from friends of Duncan & Rosalie to give us an idea of what the Nui Dat area looked like in the war years to compare to what it looked like when we saw it.  I really appreciated seeing the older photos as it brought a mark of reality into what we viewed.

Vietnam - Long Phuoc School - April 2013

We travelled from Nui Dat Australian War Base to view the area where the Australian Returned Forces have built a School and a Hospital for the local people as a mark of respect to them.  The Returned Soldiers re-visit regularly to help out and the local people also look after the Memorial by volunteering to go out once a month to keep the area in good condition.  It is wonderful to see the mutual respect between the Australian & Vietnamese people and the welcome from the local children who were very well mannered and polite.
We gave them some miniature Australian animal toys which they thought were great.