By Ahmed Tareen
People continue to wonder how the Viet Cong never fell into their own traps, as if they were just strolling in the jungle and getting lucky. That’s not what was happening. They weren’t guessing. They were reading.
The jungle was not chance to them. It was a language. A code. A map inscribed in broken branches, in twisted vines, in turned stones–stuff that told nothing to the uninitiated, but shouted warnings to the initiated. A broken tree was not storm damage. It was a stop sign. A rock was not a rock. It was a message. Three pinned leaves were not rubbish. They were a sentence.
That’s why they moved fast. Not because they were careless, but because they knew the ground. They already knew where the danger was. In the meantime, the American soldiers were sneaking along, second-guessing every move, languishing in a position that seemed quiet but was really screaming.
The jungle wasn’t neutral. It was already written on.
One side could read it. The other couldn’t.
And that difference? People were killed by that difference.
The local VC knew where their traps were and marked them in their own way. If VC or NVA came in from other areas, the locals would guide them through and show them the signs. Over time, a few fell victim to their own traps through negligence or disorientation, but not often.
In most cases, the V.C. left “tells” on trails in the form of rock patterns, twigs, or a mix of both. In certain AOs, they were universal. Also, out of habit, they often picked similar locations and obvious choke points. (A log over a small stream) or a branch that a soldier might use for balance over an obstacle. Any random curious object, like a canteen or a seemingly out-of-place pouch, was always suspect. Trip wires were far more effective than pressure-activated items that had to be stepped on. A simple hole with punji stakes was tragically common in some areas, and mine detectors didn’t pick them up because they lacked metal. One effective method for detecting trip wires that I seldom see mentioned was to cast nylon fishing line in front of you, then see how it hung up where it shouldn’t. An inexpensive, small plastic folding casting rod sold stateside worked great. The Army printed a manual on VC boobytrap warning signs.
Admin note: Our Kit Carson Scout pointed out warning signs several times. In fact, he once stopped me from walking into a booby-trapped grenade. On another occasion, he pointed out seven bricks next to a trail in the jungle – four on top and three on the bottom. The “V” portion of the marker pointed up the trail, marking it as booby-trapped.
This post was originally posted on Quora. Here’s the direct link: How did the Viet Cong avoid stepping on their own traps and mines in the thick jungle during the Vietnam War? – Quora
To read more about booby traps in the war, take a look at this earlier post: Booby traps in the Vietnam War – CherriesWriter – Vietnam War website
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