The tunnels also hosted armament workshops, training depots, headquarters, and a variety of other facilities. Sometimes while on the mission, a tunnel rat would meet a viet cong soldier, and would then have to engage in exceedingly close combat. Sandy macgregor, the troop commander of 3 field troop the original tunnel. Towards the end of the year, the army began to train off leash dogs, at fort benning. During the vietnam war, if a us tunnel rat got injured or. The tunnel rats encounter on reddit, a terminallyill vietnam veteran recounted a story of his time in vietnam that he was going to take to his grave but opted to put it on rnosleep instead. The tunnel rats used a host of specialized weapons that helped them to be effective at their job. Simple history merchandise get the simple history vietnam war book on amazon. The tunnel rats of the 1 st infantry division, the only one with any kind of formal training, was especially successful. In 1965, soon after the first us combat troops had arrived in. Payne, a tunnel rat, bravely searches a tunnel s entrance during vietnam war. Ultimately, shooting underground was a last resort. Originally created during the first indochina war which had pitted the viet minh against the french, this extensive network of tunnels grew from a fairly basic system to a highly complex underground labyrinth in the 1960s. Special us soldiers called tunnel rats would crawl through the systems to find the enemy.
Tunnel rats one specialized weapon they used was the snw quiet special purpose qsp 1 revolver, a modified. He was working on a new book titled avenger and wanted the main character to be somewhat based on my experiences in vietnam. Those were the guys who wriggled their way through the ridiculously narrow tunnels the viet cong used to transport personnel and weapons, set boobytraps, and all that. Tunnel rats in vietnam us army training film 1969 youtube. Several of these tunnels had sharp ubends which could be easily flooded to trap and drown intruders. He interviewed me while i was living in new jersey one sunday afternoon and a year later he sent me the book and to my great surprise he had dedicated avenger to the tunnel rats. The tunnel rats were not spies or saboteur sent to north vietnam or neutral cambodia. This network connected villages, cities, and districts.
By the time of operation crimp, these tunnel complexes included hospitals. Named after the tunnel rats in the vietnam war, the mixedgender, multiracial collective consists of some seventeen individual members and incorporates four affiliated groups, lpg, future shock, foundation, and new breed, which have recorded both within tunnel rats and independently. Tunnel rats trainer tunnel rats is a dark and intense singleplayer shooter for pc that depicts the horrific realities of the vietnam war as seen through the eyes of a young us soldier. Tunnel rats vietnam war attention us veterans help celebrate your past service with our personalized veterans rings. The pistols that were carried by the tunnel rats were varied, the.
The tunnels have become a major nuisance for the u. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was. Most of us who served as tunnel rats during the vietnam war quickly realized that crawling through underground enemy bunkers would be the least of our worries. In a documentary for the film, boll revealed the film did not have a. The training of tunnel rats is also covered from basic training boot camp, advance individual training as infantrymen or engineers, followed by tunnel warfare selection and training in demolitions, boobytrap awareness, chemical employment, countermine warfare and tunnel exploitation. Auburn author recounts life in vietnams harrowing tunnels. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was not realized just how extensive they were in some areas, how important they were to the viet cong, and how difficult it was to detect and neutralize. These american, australian and new zealander soldiers infiltrated and sabotaged the intenselyclaustrophobic labyrinth of underground tunnels used by the vietcong to launch surprise attacks and set up ambushes. Chops and i were some of the original tunnel rats and all our training was ojt. Tunnel rats is a west coast underground hip hop collective founded in 1993 in whittier, california. American officers in vietnam viewed the short, wiry combat engineers as swat teams to be summoned whenever a suspicious hole was found in the ground.
The viet cong sometimes sent a spear through the throat of the tunnel rat, impaling him in the tunnel opening. As member of a otunnel ratso squad, the player is trained to clearing out the huge tunnel systems underneath the jungle of vietnam. Dedicated to the men of 3 fld troop and 1troop, 2troop and 3troop 1 fld sqn rae, the aussie tunnel rats. Grunts digital books firefights grunts infantry jungle warfare military tunnel rats vietnam conflict vietnam heroes vietnam war vietnam war blog war books war story.
Would recommend this book over the movie tunnel rats. The tunnel rats gently prodded for potentially armed mines in order to disarm them and prayed that they survived with both their legs. Wikipedia commons in 1946, the viet minh were the viet cong resistance fighters who began digging the tunnels and bunkers to combat the french, whom they would eventually defeat. Pete rejoruiz, a cubanborn tunnel rat, is shown popping out of a north vietnamese tunnel. Even with these difficulties, the majority of tunnel rats were very successful. Feb 19, 2014 it seems crazy that men actually volunteered to go into these tunnels, but the tunnel rats were motivated by many different things. A harrowing account of americas tunnel rats in the underground battlefields of vietnam by tom mangold nov 29, 2005 4. They helped conduct military operations on behalf of communist forces. Rottman, served in vietnam with the 1st cavalry division in the late1960s, and witnessed some of what tunnel rats did personally. They came to be known simply as tunnel rats with the unofficial motto non gratum anus rodentum not worth a rats ass.
It is a story about the first allied tunnel rats in the vietnam war jan 1966. The story of a marine grunt in the first battle of khe sanh april 1967 duration. A harrowing account of americas tunnel rats in the underground battlefields of vietnam by tom mangold due to covid19, orders may be delayed. The tunnel rats were american, south vietnamese, new zealand and australian soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam war. The job was time consuming, difficult the tunnels were a tight squeeze for a typical vietname. Some of the basic combat training bct soldiers undertook helped though. They helped conduct military operations on behalf of. If you want a complete story of the original tunnel rats the buy the ebook or book called no need for heroes at a documentary ca. This patch would be a great gift idea and a wonderful addition to your patch collection. Opinion my life as a tunnel rat the new york times. As member of a tunnel rats squad, the player is trained to clearing out the huge tunnel systems underneath the jungle of vietnam. As the tunnel rat emerged through the connecting trap door, a viet cong might be waiting with a knife to slit his throat. Jan 01, 2012 another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation.
I share the full movie for those willing to watch it. There were numerous underground guerilla bases in south vietnam that had been built and supplied by forced labor from the surrounding villages. Tunnel rats none kindle edition by macgregor, sandy, thomson, jimmy. Our tunnel rat vietnam patch is a full color, embroidered military patch. Though americans, australians, and new zealanders claim to know these hideouts existed. 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. Feb 20, 2012 buy tunnel rat in vietnam warrior by gordon l rottman isbn. The army deployed ten tracker teams to nam and added a final one late in 1969. Sorry to say i havent read it, but its author did serve in vietnam. Tunnel rats as a unit is indeed exist for australian force in vietnam, they are the men of 3 troop, 1st field sqn, royal australian engineer. He liked it as it was lighter, but ammunition was hard to get since we only had. Consisting of a number of men formally trained to enter the tunnels, radio operators to communicate with them, a medic and a pair of former viet. Their unofficial moto was non gratum anus rodentum in latin. One of these was master sgt flo rivera who acquired and used a 9mm german luger.
This is the same patch that is supplied to the military and sold in military base exchanges. During the vietnam war, tunnel rat became an unofficial specialty. This tongueincheek expression was the motto of the tunnel rats, an informal name given to a group of infantry soldiers and combat engineers in the vietnam war with a very hazardous specialty. Other tunnel rats procured their own personal firearms to suit their own needs.
Sapper jim marett outside the ruins of a rubber plantation mansion in vietnam in 1970. I seem to remember a book my friend read in high school about 20 years ago that was about or had a section on the tunnel rats, i can picture the cover but i cant see the name in my minds eye. For them, thats what they do and only they will do it, normal infantry within australian rank would not go into tunnel system, and they are the only unit tagged with tunnel rat acronym. What specialized weapons were used by the, tunnel rats. Read online tunnel rat in vietnam pdf book by on juggernaut books. Tunnel rats in vietnam cherrieswriter vietnam war website. By the 1960s, the tunnel complexes included hospitals, training areas.
Tunnel rats were us, australian and newzelander soldiers who went inside viet cong vc. This video starts with a couple of minutes from the documentary page 1 chris masters and then some questions put to the political commissar, tran. Tunnel rat in vietnam warrior book 161 kindle edition by rottman. See more ideas about vietnam war, vietnam and vietnam war photos. The author gives a qualified description of his units 12 months in vietnam carrying out duties in a field previously unknown to most people of australias part in the vietnam war. Nov 16, 2017 they would gain the nickname tunnel rats please do not reupload our content. He was spotted by a former trainer and found himself with the label. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Did the tunnel rats make much of an impact in the war. Later, similar teams were used by the soviet army during the sovietafghan war and by the israel defense forces in campaigns in the middle east. These weapons were used in against some of the most lowtech forces the us military had faced in a long time. Tunnel rats tunnel rats in vietnam us army training.
The tunnel rats were american, australian and new zealander soldiers who performed underground search and special missions in vietnam. There is little mention of tunnel rats in unit histories. The description of that final descent into a viet cong tunnel is the climax of the book rat six, written by flowers, that documents his service in vietnam and the littleknown story about. These were the terrifying dangers of being a tunnel rat. What was the mortality rate of the vietnam era tunnel rats. Army brass decides to create a special unit called the tunnel rats. In a documentary for the film, boll revealed the film did not have a script, and instead the actors improvised their lines. For the bulk of the war there were three troops, each of around 40 men, a total of 120 tunnel rats in vietnam per year, for around five years, making 600, plus the first year when 3 field troop alone was there, with about 70 men. He served in the 5th special forces group in vietnam in 196970 and subsequently in airborne infantry, longrange patrol and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. Their main mission is to cleanup the vietcong network of tunnels found in the cuchi district outside the south vietnamese capital of saigon.
The vietcong had been using tunnel systems for many years against the chinese, japanese and french invaders. Most useful for tunnel rats, however, was the experience gained in. His small stature, tough nature, and not being claustrophobic fit the situation well. Obviously researched, gleaning background info from more than one source. What was it like to be an american tunnel rat in vietnam. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sep 03, 2018 the description of that final descent into a viet cong tunnel is the climax of the book rat six, written by flowers, that documents his service in vietnam and the littleknown story about. Unfortunately this book is almost entirely a recitation of the equipment used by tunnel rats, or how many tunnel rats you might find in a battalion, or how tunnel rats might have used gas or explosives or flashlights in a tunnel.
First of all, those ops were certainly not off the book. A second murder in bangkok links the deaths to a group of vietnam veterans who worked as tunnel rats, one of whom is about to become vicepresident of the usa and cannot have their secret revealed, so he sends a mercenary to take care of any revelations. Another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation. Small villages dot this land, worked by peasants, who have lived there for centuries. A sappers war, published in 2012 and reprinted in pocket format in 2014, tells the story of the entire sapper involvement in vietnam, from before the tunnel rats arrival until the very last convoy out of. By kevin dockery during the vietnam war, the united states fought the viet cong and north vietnamese army forces with some of the most hightech weapons the us could produce. The tunnel rats in the vietnam war the military history blog. Tunnel rat, ferret patch vietnam war original post. Gordon l rottman entered the us army in 1967, volunteered for special forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading tunnel rats none. Many of the tunnel rats from austraila, new zealand, south vietnam, and america volunteered for the dangerous position. A few silenced pistols made their way to vietnam and some of them were used by the tunnel rats.
Tunnel rats, also known as 1968 tunnel rats, is a 2008 germancanadian war suspense film written and directed by uwe boll. Carl kenneth cory, a tunnel rat of the us 25th infantry division, actually liked the mystique that came with being a tunnel rat including other troops thinking he was mad. In 1965, soon after the first us combat troops had arrived in vietnam, it was realized that in some areas the viet cong had developed vast tunnel complexes in which to hide from the enemy. Aug 06, 2017 vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it. From jockey to tunnel rat viet nam vet tells his story.
Au official newsletter of the vietnam tunnel rats association inc it was viet cong soldier duong van manh who first discovered how to lift m16 mines fitted with antilift devices from the 11km long barrier minefield laid by 1 field squadron in 1967. The tunnel rats by stephen leather goodreads share book. Bct included lessons on handtohand combat, chemicalwarfare defence, map reading, first aid, bayonet fighting, guard duty, and the use of hand grenades. Some civilian handguns worked their way into the mix, but for most of the tunnel rats the big. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was not realized just how extensive they were in some. This title will be based on the personal accounts of those who served in this unique role and will describe the specialist training and equipment, not to mention the tactics and combat experiences, of those who fought an. The vietnam tunnel rats are the men who served in the engineer field troops in vietnam 3 field troop and 1, 2 and 3 troop of 1 field squadron, royal australian engineers. Since there were no tunnel rat units as such, they being ad hoc. Dec 06, 2014 tunnel rats were all volunteers as they soon realized that if a person really didnt want to do the job, he would just report the tunnel as a dead end.
Start reading tunnel rat in vietnam warrior book 161 on your kindle in. The viet cong amassed around 250 kilometres of underground tunnels. To a man, volunteers only volunteers were permitted to join tunnel rat units they would enter the tunnels network systems of the viet cong armed with nothing more than a. Eightyfive percent rural, the few large cities and towns. Viet minh forces initially developed a complex system of underground tunnels to combat the french colonial invasion of vietnam known as the cu chi tunnels. However, the brave troops that were picked for the job were commonly the shortest grunts in the platoon for obvious reasons. Most of us who served as tunnel rats during the vietnam war quickly realized that crawling through underground enemy bunkers would be the least of our. Tunnel rats is a dark and intense singleplayer shooter for pc that depicts the horrific realities of the vietnam war as seen through the eyes of a young us soldier. We believe our total number is somewhere around 700. The film is based on the factual duties of tunnel rats during the vietnam war.