Hello. This is my first time to post, so please bare with me. I have a good friend who knows very litle about his real father. He knows that his Dad was a tunnel rat in VietNam, but doesn't know much else. besides having to order his file from St Louis, does anyone know of any associations(American Military, not Aussie), websites, anything of help in tracking thius man down? Thank you for your help
Tunnel rats were not a unit, they were personnel from within a unit who were "volunteered" to go down into those things, usually because they were small. If you know what unit he was in google it or go to it's page here.
Originally posted by doodles66: Hello. This is my first time to post, so please bare with me. I have a good friend who knows very litle about his real father. He knows that his Dad was a tunnel rat in VietNam, but doesn't know much else. besides having to order his file from St Louis, does anyone know of any associations(American Military, not Aussie), websites, anything of help in tracking thius man down? Thank you for your help
i beleave most were either in 25th infantry or big red one .
The entire Iron Triangle was honeycombed with tunnels, that was 25th Divisions AO. 1/27th Inf and 1/5th Mech Infantry all have websites. 196th was originally at Tay Ninh just north of the Triangle and Big Red One was along the East side of the Saigon River.
Originally posted by Vampire3R: The entire Iron Triangle was honeycombed with tunnels, that was 25th Divisions AO. 1/27th Inf and 1/5th Mech Infantry all have websites. 196th was originally at Tay Ninh just north of the Triangle and Big Red One was along the East side of the Saigon River.
didn,t the 25th have one of there base camps right over one of the major tunnels .
Cu Chi, the VC had tunnels that went right under the compound. Safest place to be. The tunnel complexes went right up through the Boi Loi Forest into the Iron Triangle. They were not all contiguos but could hide whole regiments.
I had a good friend of mind just pass away who was with the 25th Inf Div LRRPS (Rangers),(Cu Chi) and a tunnel rat. He was never the same after that tour.
Going down a rat hole with a 45 and a flashlight is not my way of making a living, if you know what I mean.
The 196th Light Inf was the only divsion made up of mostly draftee's. (One reason you don't see to many combat patches)
Originally posted by dman1948: The 196th Light Inf was the only divsion made up of mostly draftee's. (One reason you don't see to many combat patches)
I wonder if he was? I never heard.
If so, I served under two 1SG's who were draftees. My favorite (1SG Frank Major) was also a draftee. He actually got out after his first tour and came back in. He was 101st in Vietnam...and a POW.
