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Today we had to check out of our hotel - whose staff were some of the friendliest people we've had - and start one of the longest travel days we will have. We are doing are DMZ Tour and then being dropped off on the way so we can catch our bus to Hanoi. We chucked our stuff in the car and headed off, straight away our guide explained what his role was in the war and a bit about his life - he then got stuck into the basic information about the war itself. I've added my notes I took during the day at the bottom so you can read a few of the bits he told us (I'm not the best note taker ha). Our first stop was to a buddhist monument for the lives of the people killed on highway 1. We then made our way to the shell if an old Catholic Church which was the centre of a big battle during the war. Following this we headed down to Khe Sang Combat Base and on the way we stopped at 'The Rockpile' which was the centre of all communications across the DMZ. We then stopped at the location of the Con Thien Firebase, also known as 'The Meat Grinder'. Finally we headed to one of the three large cemeteries made for the Vietcong soldiers and the boarder between the north and south Vietnam (parallel 17). I wish I could write down everything I now know about it and all the little bits I oration and stories he told us but it would take too long to write and read! Let's hope the notes at the bottom jog our memoirs enough to tell you it all when we get back!
We finally or dropped off in Dong Ha where we would eventually get our bus. We grabbed some food and sat and had a few hands of euchre - the bus finally arrived and it was full - and we still got our seats but there was people along both isles. Finally sat down we settled in for another long journey, little did we know just how long!
DMZ Tour Notes
Ahn was 1st Lieutenant before and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant for his service in the DMZ, he was Recon Marine during the war and was in a unit of him and 8 Americans - 4 helicopters, 2 for transport and 2 for protection. He spent his two years in the frontline and was on the ground during the bombings. He said he would be 300m from Vietcong but wouldn't shoot as they would call it In so they didn't give away there position.
He was Paid $5k a month but knew others who were paid up to $10k a month.
Viet cong brought cocaine and opium from laos and sold it to American troops and locals around Vietnam.
The US used agent orange + other chems not only as anti-foliants but also as markers, so at check points the would us a special light and identify them as Vietcong.
Hamburger hill you need a permit and police escort to visit as can be dangerous as some of the local people still recognise tourists as Americans and still have a strong hate for them.
They would bomb for 2 hours - then send recons in to find new targets, once found they would be picked up by heli and then they would bomb the new target.
Horrible highway (labeled by BBC London) or highway 1 was where the cong killed over 1000 locals as they tried to flea to the south towards the end of the war. Also where the American army collected sand for there sand bags.
Our guide server 2 years in the DMZ as a recon scout with the US.
There is a Catholic Church which has been left in the same state it was left after the Americans attack a group of Vietcong who took cover inside it, this is a reminder of te lives lost during the war. There was 25 Vietcong inside and was bombed by heli rockets, machine gun fire and grenades.
At the church he showed us how he used plants to track and tell if vietcong were close by, one of the plants closes when touched and opens slowly, so would leave a trail of closed or half closed leaves.
Camp Carole was named after captain carol who was the comanding officer of the 241 Charlie artillery base - there is a hill near by which the US had to control else the Vietcong would have a perfect position to fire onto camp Carole and khe Sanh combat base.
Captain Carole died by coffee is what our guide kept telling us - not sure how though!
Highway 9 and highway 1 were the main route used by the American army to transport supplies to the DMZ.
The rock pile was a radio post used by American army as a connection point for radio signals. The was 46 US and 24 Vietnamese based there, at the bottom they laid a blanket of mines to protect the base, as the did around all military bases in the area!
At the rocklike there is the remnants of a Helicopter landing that was used to take supplies to the top of the rock pile.
The viet cong would run from helicopters in the DMZ as there was no cover, however the would Shoot at them in the village as they had the tunnels to protect them.
The Ho Chi Minh trail was acctually the name given to any route that the viet cong used to transport supplies from the north - into laos and then into the south. No body knows how many there really were but they created thousands across the war as to avoid detection. They used chinese bicycles to transport the supplies and they were small dusty tracks and not any sort of official route. They built long trenchant in which they would hide in during the day and continue to move during the night - there could be anywhere from 50-100 bicycles in one convoy and they could hold up to 50kg of supplies.
The US had Air power in the DMZ and to show this they would send fighter jets from the navy and B52 from Thailand to bomb the DMZ every day.
All the trees you see around the DMZ are young trees as the US used a mixture of agent orange and napalm to rid the area of trees to remove any
Cover the viet cong might use.
He said he was given a poison pill in his tooth as if he was caught he would know too much information and would have to die before he could tell anyone.
He also said his team had a pill that would mean they wouldn't feel hungry for up to 3 days.
Khe Sanh base, housed 1000 troops, for rest for 5-10 days before returning back to fight.
There wasn't enough water for all people in the site to shower but they had 2kg of ice cream a day.
At the base there was hairdresser, massage, tv and every Sunday they had a sex show!
Most of the fighting took place near the laos boarder as the Vietcong would fight and then re treat back over the mountains to Laos for cover
The US army took most of the hill tops and placed troops there to prevent the Vietcong having high ground to them fire down apon the bases.
Hill 881 was the location where the Vietcong over took two of the hill tops and placed artillery on there - 15000 Vietcong soldiers over run the camp overnight.
We asked about eating near khe San base and our guide told us that the food around that area is not good as could still be effected by agent orange!
Ahn used to pay Vietcong $500 out of his own money for information on the location of traps and Ho Chi Minh trails.
After the war An was imprisoned for 2.5 years and had everything taking away, all his money, house etc. When he was teaked he had to work on a cyclo for 19 years to earn money. Before he was out in prison he asked the Americans for help but they ignored his request and denied they knew him.
He has no contact and cannot receive news of any of the countries he fought alongside in the war as the government controls what people look at - you can only receive tv and radio from Hanoi.
He was a funny, genuine, crazy bloke who was happy to talk about everything, even if it meant he got a bit chocked up - I felt honoured to have him be our guide for the day and he gave us snippets of memories where ever possible! Definitely the most interesting day yet!
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