While tracking down specific statistics on fatality rates among the tunnel rats. During the vietnam war our government never anticipated that tunnel warfare would be so prominent or important in waging ground combat. Another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation. 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. What was the mortality rate of the vietnam era tunnel rats. Buy the tunnel rats coronet books new ed by stephen leather isbn. One particular favourite pistol of tunnel rats was the. Tunnel rats were us and allied troops who went into tunnels seeking out the enemy during the vietnam war. The tunnel rats and millions of other books are available for instant access. Opinion my life as a tunnel rat the new york times. Here is another good book by osprey publishing, tunnel rat in vietnam. Im sure there were some soldiers chasing that adrenaline rush. 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.
Tunnel rat patch, 25th infantry vietnam war, x rare. It was a very stressful, nerve racking job, pushing the rat s mental state to its limits. In their 1985 book, the tunnels of cu chi, bbc reporters tom mangold and john penycate told the story of the american tunnel rats, a saga they learned about for the first time from the viet cong, who admired the tunnel rats as the best soldiers among the american forces. Tunnel rats motto discussion in general discussion started by hkruss, jul 22, 2008. You can read the book from cover to cover in an hour or so. First of all, those ops were certainly not off the book. During the vietnam war, tunnel rat became an unofficial specialty for volunteer combat engineers and infantrymen from australia and the united states who cleared and destroyed enemy tunnel complexes. Apr 09, 2009 the united states military formed a tunnel neutralization team, and put it to work at the dmz, but it took 12 years to find another tunnel.
Feb 09, 2018 geoff knew that one of our fellow tunnel rats, sapper robert earl, known as yogi, was the no. Geoff knew that one of our fellow tunnel rats, sapper robert earl, known as yogi, was the no. 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. Several of these tunnels had sharp ubends which could be easily flooded to trap and drown intruders. 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. Tunnel rats were american, australian and new zealand military soldiers who went inside viet cong vc tunnels to kill any vc inside. Is there anyone out there who knows the correct latin phrase. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The united states military formed a tunnel neutralization team, and put it to work at the dmz, but it took 12 years to find another tunnel.
Who are the tunnels rats of vietnami wanted to know more about these soldiers and came across this pretty cool site to read with stories and pics. Years ago i read a great book about the tunnel rats who served in vietnam. If there were vent holes that we had not seen from outside, the concussion from the grenades explosions wouldnt necessarily have. They did underground search and destroy missions to gather any intel, recover arms and finally demolish the tunnels by planting. The bravery of these five tunnel rats in vietnam was suitably recognised with the awarding of the prestigious military medal more through the photographs taken by the men who served there, take a walk back in time to see australian tunnel rats at war and play in vietnam in the 60s and early 70s. Instead half of the book was taken up by promulgating the image of the larrikin aussie soldier who drinks and squires women. Thirty minutes later we soon heard another explosion, from the. Jul 22, 2008 years ago i read a great book about the tunnel rats who served in vietnam. The colt m1911a1 was the standard issue pistol, and was frequently carried by the tunnel rats. This is the same patch that is supplied to the military and sold in military base exchanges. This isnt something that every soldier could do and i wanted to know more about the soldiers who volunteered to do this.
Small villages dot this land, worked by peasants, who have lived there for centuries. Vietnam war during the vietnam war tunnel rat became a more or less official specialty for volunteer. The tunnel rats paperback july 2, 1998 by stephen leather author. The tunnel systems could often be huge, and would be filled with all kinds of tricks and traps, not to mention people trying to kill you. No dead tunnel rats were left in a tunnel, dead or wounded they were all dragged out with commo wire, ropes, or by a comrade using a firemans crawl. Sometimes while on the mission, a tunnel rat would meet a viet cong soldier, and would then have to engage in exceedingly close combat. 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 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. Vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it.
Another great book from stephen leather not a book for folk who suffer from claustrophobia though such is the quality of the writing. We will use this occasion to honour our 36 comrades who lost their lives while serving as tunnel rats with 1 troop, 2 troop and 3 troop of 1. The film is based on the factual duties of tunnel rats during the vietnam war. I know there were soldiers who had to go through these tunnels. The largest tunnel systems in south vietnam some under us bases could be as vast as 200 kilometers 125 miles long and were built to withstand bombings, explosions, poison gas etc. The gameplay involves disarming booby traps, collecting ears from fallen enemies and collecting dog tags from fellow deceased soldiers. Some tunnel rats used silencers with their pistols to reduce the bark when fired. Tunnel rats by jimmy thomson, 9781742857749, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. 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.
It really didnt interview the tunnel rats nor the enemy that used the tunnels. What was it like to be an american tunnel rat in vietnam. Nov 16, 2017 to clear out the dangerous enemy tunnels, brave infantrymen from australia, new zealand, south vietnam and the united states volunteered for this unenviable job. When describing the action in the darkness of the tunnel systems, forsythe mentions that the cia had a quantity of. You might have to do the historian thing and find a book and flip to its bibliography first. 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. I would not have purchased this book if i had seen it in a book store.
This is an odd omission in a book that showcases the unique, extremely dangerous, tensionfilled job that tunnel rats did in the war. During the vietnam war, if a us tunnel rat got injured or. To clear out the dangerous enemy tunnels, brave infantrymen from australia, new zealand, south vietnam and the united states volunteered for this. See more ideas about vietnam war, vietnam and vietnam war photos. Rats tunnel in the war of vietnam learning history. Starting as an ad hoc force of infantrymen, combat engineers and chemical troops, it was not long before units were formalized as tunnel exploration personnel and 46man tunnel exploitation and denial teams were created. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Sapper jim marett outside the ruins of a rubber plantation mansion in vietnam in 1970. While these things may indeed be true, it takes far too much focus of the book.
Tunnel rats were us, australian and newzelander soldiers who went inside viet congvc tunnels to kill any vc inside, gather any intel, recover arms and finally demolish the tunnels by planting. It is a story about two friends who were tunnel rats during the viet nam war. By mangold and penycates account, the contributions of tunnel rats first garnered public attention in january 1966, after a combined u. Our tunnel rat vietnam patch is a full color, embroidered military patch. 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. The parts of the book that focussed on tunnel warfare and the role these tunnels played were very good. We will use this occasion to honour our 36 comrades who lost their lives while serving as tunnel rats with 1 troop, 2 troop and 3 troop of 1 field squadron 35 kia and with 3 field troop 1 kia. Their motto was the tongueincheek latin phrase non gratus anus rodentum not worth a rats arse in the early stages of the war against the french colonial forces, the viet minh created an. 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. Loosely translated, it was supposed to mean not worth a rats ass. Small villages dot this land, worked by peasants, who have lived there.
I am reading a book called avenger by frederick forsythe. In a documentary for the film, boll revealed the film did not have a script, and instead the actors improvised their lines. The tunnel rats were american, australian and new zealand soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam war. They came to be known simply as tunnel rats with the unofficial motto non gratum anus rodentum not worth a rat s ass. Tunnel rats would often carry soviet pistols which they found. Jan 01, 2012 another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation. If the tunnels were the secret weapon of the viet cong, the tunnel rats were the unsung heroes of the american forces. Rottman, served in vietnam with the 1st cavalry division in the late1960s, and witnessed some of what tunnel rats did personally. Tunnel rats motto the firearms forum the buying, selling. 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. They had an amusing latin motto which i am trying to remember. 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.
I would guess, if there are roughly 10 or 12 north korean divisions on the dmz, that there may be at least a tunnel per division, said capt. While the book has lots of photos of tunnel rats in vietnam and while rottman describes what the men went through, he never mentions the name of any individual who served as a tunnel rat. They were infantrymen who volunteered to go down the tunnels of south vi. In a documentary for the film, boll revealed the film did not have a. Armys 1st engineer battalion, whose exploits are featured in mangold and penycates book, later claimed a special place for. Decorated veteran billy heflin shares what it was like for him to be a tunnel rat in the vietnam war. The tunnel rats were not spies or saboteur sent to north vietnam or neutral cambodia.
This patch would be a great gift idea and a wonderful addition to your patch collection. While tracking down specific statistics on fatality rates among the tunnel rats is not easy, it is not a stretch to venture that. They came to be known simply as tunnel rats with the unofficial motto non gratum anus rodentum not worth a rats ass. Later, similar teams were used by the soviet army during the soviet war in afghanistan, and the israel defense forces.
Aug 06, 2017 vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it. During the vietnam war, if a us tunnel rat got injured. Eightyfive percent rural, the few large cities and towns. The book was more like a table book that you might have in your home. The vietcong used elaborate tunnel systems to store food and ammunition as well as housing medical and combat facilities. Malcolm young of firefly films, a film and television production company in singapore, is developing a documentary about the vietnam war that will look at the system of tunnels the viet cong had in south vietnam and the role of the american tunnel rats to that end, young is looking for former vietnam war tunnel rats who would be willing to be. The tunnel rats were typically equipped with just a pistol, knife and flashlight due to the confined spaces they had to enter. The vietnam tunnel rats association has reserved the australian war memorial last post ceremony for 18 february next year. Tunnel rats, also known as 1968 tunnel rats, is a 2008 germancanadian war suspense film written and directed by uwe boll.
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