The Final Day: Cu Chi Tunnels

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The final day has arrived and I think I speak for everyone when I say, “It is time to go home.” However, on the inside we all want to stay!

We couldn’t go home until we had another jam-packed day. Today we started with an early wakeup call and headed up to The Cu Chi Tunnels. This was a very famous village for many Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War. It was famous for all the hidden underground tunnels that were used to house the men and women living in the area. They were also used for hiding from American troops, and this whole complex system allowed them to communicate without being spotted. From personal experience I know these tunnels are small as small can get. Our tour guide allowed us to climb through the first hundred meters and my knees were already killing. But this was not the only thing we learned while we were there.

We explored many of the fighting tactics, homes, and weapons used by the Vietnamese. From exploring this vast area, we could see the difficulties of day to day life whether it be avoiding an attack helicopter, or learning to carve by candle-light in a dark cramped tunnel. It gave us a different perspective on the whole war. To me personally, it showed that the U.S. really had no fighting chance to win whatsoever. The Vietnamese recycled everything and would put themselves at such a discomfort but they survived and thrived in the area. Today was a great wrap up day to just squeeze a last bit of knowledge into our brains before we set sail on our torturously long ride home.  That is of course after we go bowling. See you all back in America!

~Dane DeRouin