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Who were the tunnel rats in Vietnam?

Who were the tunnel rats in Vietnam?

The tunnel rats were American, Australian, New Zealander, and South Vietnamese soldiers who performed underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. Later, similar teams were used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet–Afghan War and by the Israel Defense Forces in campaigns in the Middle East.

What exactly were the tunnel rat soldiers trained to do?

”The Tunnel Rats were combat engineers,” Mangold says. ”They had to be small and thin, volunteers, and highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat. The job was to kill, capture or entomb Viet Cong with explosives.

Why did tunnel rats use revolvers?

Because they weren’t as loud, didn’t produce as much flash, and were more resistant to being dragged through the muddy tunnels cut into the Vietnam jungle than M1911s, . 38 revolvers were most prized among tunnel rats, who also used cut-down M1 Carbines, if possible.

What is a sapper in Vietnam?

The Naval Sapper was responsible for attacking shipping, bridges, and bases located near waterways. The Field Sapper conducted operations against deployed US and South Vietnamese troops, trained other communist troops as sappers, and gave the communist leadership an elite force for lightning raids.

Who was the most decorated soldier in Vietnam?

Jorge Otero Barreto
He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War….

Jorge Otero Barreto
Years of service 1959–1970
Rank Sergeant First Class
Unit 101st Airborne 25th Infantry 82nd Airborne 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
Battles/wars Vietnam War ( WIA )

Was Audie Murphy a war hero?

Audie Murphy, in full Audie Leon Murphy, (born June 20, 1925, near Kingston, Texas, U.S.—died May 28, 1971, near Roanoke, Virginia), American war hero and actor who was one of the most-decorated U.S. soldiers of World War II.

How did the Viet Cong dig tunnels?

“During the monsoon season, the Viet Cong were able to dig the tunnels by hand in the moist clayey soil,” Olson explains. “The alluvial terrace soils were degraded in a tropical climate for thousands of years.

Can a silencer work on a revolver?

Besides being a destructive force, those escaping gases and burning powder are also a large source of noise and flash. So even with the best suppressor in the world, the amount of sound coming from the cylinder gap is enough to make a revolver a poor choice in hosts. Most revolvers, that is.

Are there any Tunnel Rats still alive?

Today, some of the tunnels used in the war still exist, preserved and maintained by the Vietnamese government. Visitors can crawl through sections of the tunnels used by Vietcong troops and Tunnel Rats alike – but now, at least, there are no mines, booby traps or poisonous snakes to contend with!