Bersano, Jazmen Rascyl
Exactly 4 years ago I have watched about the great tunnel of Vietnam that served as their shield for their military and citizens during the time where the Americans alleged to conquer their land. Just a few days ago, my mother flew to Vietnam just to see the wonders it held throughout the past years. She told me that what caught her attention the most was this great piece of art that was built only for the means of winning the war against the conquerers, and was greatly impressed by the effectiveness of it when it was put into battle. The Vietnamese were able to use this to defend themselves that also led to their profound victory. This served as shelter, army base and a retreat for those who were injured and for those who were preparing to engage for war.
It has been constructed for 20 consecutive years for it to be able to store as much men, armoury, medicines, food, etc. that were greatly needed by the citizens of Vietnam during the 1940's. Because of the built tunnel, the military were able to plan ahead of time for the attacks they had in mind that blew the conquerers chance of ever to hold their land. It was also stated that the soldiers were well camouflaged that made them even more invisible to the human eye, that also served them wonders in protecting their country from being snatched from them by foreign warmongers. The tunnel also consisted of being as deep as 30ft below the ground's surface and 120 miles long, providing them with a better chance in winning the war against their opponents.
It is also known that after every attack, the soldiers would vanish underground making their opponents dumbfounded by the sudden attack without knowing where their opponents were situated at. Though there were tragedies such as floods, diseases, poor ventilations and insects or wild life such as snakes were the downhill of the civilians living in these tunnels. Due to the mysterious disappearance of the Vietnamese military, the Americans learned that they have been using this tunnel as a strategy to come back at them that also led them to training the so called, "Tunnel Rats" (soldiers specialising in navigating tunnels where the Vietnamese used in order to defend and plot against their opponents, the Americans). These soldiers were known to be the ones to confront booby traps and single handedly engage with the Vietnamese underneath the tunnel, armed with just a flashlight to see inside the tunnels and a pistol to protect themselves.
Over 34,000 Vietnamese died protecting their territory, the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. And due to this, the Vietnamese government made sure that the tunnel was commemorated as one of their greatest wonders and was marked as one of their war memorial park that all Vietnamese look up to. As years pass by, even tourists can now visit some points of the tunnel giving them a vast experience of what it is like to be living inside that tunnel during the 1940's when the war between the conquerers (Americans) and Vietnamese was active.
This just goes to show that in every battle, it's not all about the military power but also about strategy. One must know how to get through a pit hole without getting noticed by the opponent to be lethal but unnoticeable at the same time. For once, I can say that it does pay off to be invisible at times, for no one is even aware of your presence, giving you more time to think of a better way in and out of the battle field. This does not just go for battles or wars, but for many other situations such as how to deal with someone that is being unreasonable. You must at the least know how to earn that person's trust and respect without looking too desperate in the process.
Sources:
1. HISTORY: Cu Chi Tunnels. Retrieved from:
2. Lonely Planet: History of Cu Chi Tunnels. Retrieved from: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/around-ho-chi-minh-city/cu-chi-tunnels/history
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