The job was time consuming, difficult the tunnels were a tight squeeze for a typical vietname. Tunnel rats, also known as 1968 tunnel rats, is a 2008 germancanadian war suspense film written and directed by uwe boll. 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 tunnel rats were american and australian soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam 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 vietnam war. The freeper foxhole studies the tunnel rats of vietnam. Jan 01, 2012 another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation. The tunnel rats in the vietnam war the military history blog. 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. 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. The viet cong guerrillas had built a complex system of tunnels in which they hid themselves and their weapons when they were under attacks. Feb 20, 2012 buy tunnel rat in vietnam warrior by gordon l rottman isbn.
Buy a discounted paperback of tunnel rats online from australias leading online bookstore. Perhaps the most surprising development of the recent war between israel and gaza was the discovery of the sophisticated network of tunnels that hamas had quietly developed in the preceding years. Some tunnel rats used silencers with their pistols to reduce the bark when fired. 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. One particular favourite pistol of tunnel rats was the. Merchandise get the simple history vietnam war book on amazon. 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. 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. Have a look around this website and the books this is a great slice of genuine australian history featuring 67 forgotten heroes of the vietnam war. Buy tunnel rat in vietnam warrior by gordon l rottman isbn. Did the tunnel rats make much of an impact in the war. 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. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was. 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.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. They were the 1st to find the secret viet cong tunnels. Special us soldiers called tunnel rats would crawl through the systems to find the enemy. 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. As the tunnel rat emerged through the connecting trap door, a viet cong might be waiting with a knife to slit his throat. I believee alot of those guys are bothered by it today. The pistols that were carried by the tunnel rats were varied, the. 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.
He liked it as it was lighter, but ammunition was hard to get since we only had. That excellent website is predominantly by and for aussie vietnam. The tunnel rats were american and australian infantry soldiers whose task was to carry out underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam war. And realises that his past has come back to haunt him. The tunnel rats were american, south vietnamese, new zealand and australian. 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. American, australian, and new zealander soldiers who performed underground search missions. 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. Vietnam wars deadliest job remembered as tunnel rats reunite.
Their unofficial moto was non gratum anus rodentum in latin. The tunnel rats were american, south vietnamese, new zealand and australian soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam war. Eightyfive percent rural, the few large cities and towns. His hunt for a motive takes him to the vietnam, where the american tunnel rats fought the dirtiest battle of the war against the viet cong. Jimmy thomson is a journalist, author and screenwriter whose credits include the abctv series rain shadow.
A graduate of the royal military college, duntroon, as a young captain sandy macgregor commanded 3 field troop in vietnam, where he won the military cross. The tunnel rats were not spies or saboteur sent to north vietnam or neutral cambodia. Buy the tunnel rats coronet books new ed by stephen leather isbn. Sorry to say i havent read it, but its author did serve in vietnam. The vietnam tunnel rats association has reserved the australian war memorial last post ceremony for 18 february next year. Pete rejoruiz, a cubanborn tunnel rat, is shown popping out of a north vietnamese tunnel. Rottman, served in vietnam with the 1st cavalry division in the late1960s, and witnessed some of what tunnel rats did personally. 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. First of all, those ops were certainly not off the book. 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. Originally called tunnel runners by the 25th infantry division, and ferrets by the australian army, the term tunnel rat became the official accepted name during the vietnam war for men who would descend into a pitch black, claustrophobic, dank hell, to play a deadly game of hide and seek with the enemy. The vietcong used elaborate tunnel systems to store food and ammunition as well as housing medical and combat facilities.
These were the terrifying dangers of being a tunnel rat in. The tunnel rats faced trap doors which contained deadly spikes underneath, snakes were hung from the ceiling so they would hang down ready to attack anyone passing by and some also contained holes in the side of the tunnel wall, on the other side would be a viet cong soldier holding a spear ready to impale any intruders. The tunnel rats were american, south vietnamese, new zealand and australian soldiers who. While tracking down specific statistics on fatality rates among the tunnel rats is not easy, it is not a stretch to venture that. Due to the intense and dangerous nature of the job, many tunnel rats became so emotionally desensitized that entering a spider hole was just another day at the office no big deal. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read tunnel rat in vietnam. Jun, 2017 it was the duty of the brave tunnel rat to slide alone into the tunnels entrance then search for the enemy and other valuable intelligence. The life of the tunnel rat was not to be envied, unless you are the most committed of adrenaline junkies and have a death wish. Stephen leather is one of the uks most successful thriller writers. We believe our total number is somewhere around 700. Years ago i read a great book about the tunnel rats who served in vietnam.
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. This vietnam war book records the operations of sappers in the 3 field troop royal australian engineers 1rar. What was the mortality rate of the vietnam era tunnel rats. 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. Many of the people in this book trained me or i had the privilege of working beside in australia but did not realise at the time how much of a debt i owed them for what they did to make safe so many who served in vietnam. Sappers war aussie tunnel rats vietnam war books on war. Soldiers designated as tunnel rats were given the job to clear out vietcong tunnels. The film is based on the factual duties of tunnel rats during the vietnam war. Before becoming a novelist he was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as the times, the daily mail and the south china morning post in hong kong. The tunnel rats were american and australian soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam 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. It was a very stressful, nerve racking job, pushing the rat s mental state to its limits. These were the terrifying dangers of being a tunnel rat. The viet cong sometimes sent a spear through the throat of the tunnel rat, impaling him in the tunnel opening. Another short osprey book that i read quickly for a section of my dissertation.
Oct 02, 2015 american, australian, and new zealander soldiers who performed underground search missions. Other tunnel rats procured their own personal firearms to suit their own needs. 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. 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. Today, the vc honor the tunnel rats who fought them mantoman as. Vietnamese eat rats and are aggressive, stanford professor. They came to be known simply as tunnel rats with the unofficial motto non gratum anus rodentum not worth a rat s ass. They were infantrymen who volunteered to go down the tunnels of south vi. Vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it. During the vietnam war, if a us tunnel rat got injured. Nick wright is the detective trying to solve the mystery of the double killing.
The tunnel rats were american, australian and new zealand soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the vietnam war. During the vietnam war, if a us tunnel rat got injured or. They would gain the nickname tunnel rats please do not reupload. This book is about the tunnels that the vietnamese dug and used during the war in the 1960s. These weapons were used in against some of the most lowtech forces the us military had faced in a long time. Small villages dot this land, worked by peasants, who have lived there. They had an amusing latin motto which i am trying to remember. Crooked cops and kings cross crims by the man who saw it all. Tunnel rats ofvietnam vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it sgt. One of these was master sgt flo rivera who acquired and used a 9mm german luger. American officers in vietnam viewed the short, wiry combat engineers as.
In 1965, soon after the first us combat troops had arrived in. Tunnel rats would often carry soviet pistols which they found. Opinion my life as a tunnel rat the new york times. Is there anyone out there who knows the correct latin phrase. Selection of the best hotels with cheap rates in vietnam to book on hotellook. By the way this is not the official website of the vietnam tunnel rats association which is au. These unsung heroes of the vietnam war were american, australian, and new zealand soldiers specially trained as combat engineers, who carefully crawled through the cramped viet cong underground to perform perilous. Two of us were sent into the tunnel that day, myself and benoit. Tunnel rats, the larrikin aussie legends who discovered the. They were extremely dangerous, with numerous booby traps and enemies. Vietnamese eat rats and are aggressive, stanford professor says in article, triggering online uproar.
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. In a documentary for the film, boll revealed the film did not have a script, and instead the actors improvised their lines. This experimental sidearm from 1966 included a highintensity aiming light and came in a kit with a headlamp and a communications system. Now usually black guys managed to avoid becoming tunnel rats on account of them being so tall, but benoit was burdened with the double misfortune of being short and black during the vietnam war, a curse i wouldnt wish on my worst enemy. Most of us who served as tunnel rats during the vietnam war quickly realized that crawling through underground enemy bunkers would be the.
Small villages dot this land, worked by peasants, who have lived there for centuries. There were numerous underground guerilla bases in south vietnam that had been built and supplied by forced labor from the surrounding villages. Its the part of the job people want to hear about they want to know what it was like to descend into the vietcong s subterranean pathways, storehouses. The tunnel rats by stephen leather goodreads share book. This book was an eye opener for me about the daily life of an american soldier in vietnam. The author was a graduate of the royal military college, duntroon, as a young captain sandy macgregor commanded 3 field troop in vietnam, where he won the military cross.
Aug 06, 2017 vietnams littleknown underground war and the men and women who fought it. It was long known that such complexes existed, but it was not realized just how extensive they were in some. The tunnel rats were american, australian and new zealand soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the. Feb 20, 2012 tunnel rat in vietnam ebook written by gordon l. Vietnam wars deadliest job remembered as tunnel rats reunite sons battle to raise the blood and guts in honour of pow dad amiens, pozieres, fleurbaix and more why towns embraced western. It was the duty of the brave tunnel rat to slide alone into the tunnels entrance then search for the enemy and other valuable intelligence. For a soldier during the vietnam war, one of the most dangerous of obstacles was faced by a select few soldiers known as tunnel rats. Feb 19, 2014 the tunnel rats faced trap doors which contained deadly spikes underneath, snakes were hung from the ceiling so they would hang down ready to attack anyone passing by and some also contained holes in the side of the tunnel wall, on the other side would be a viet cong soldier holding a spear ready to impale any intruders. Each chapter was about a different aspect of tunnel. Loosely translated, it was supposed to mean not worth a rats ass. I would never have done it myself for all the tea in china. What was it like to be an american tunnel rat in vietnam. Armed with only a pistol and a knife, these soldiers would navigate the tiny tunnels and risking fighting close quarters combat alone.
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