I spent the whole day at the Cu Chi Tunnels, and it was unlike anything else I’ve experienced on this trip. Before we went underground, we saw tanks, artillery, and a large plane left behind after the American withdrawal. The old, weathered equipment sitting out in the open immediately set the mood for the day. Next, we watched a documentary made by the North Vietnamese during the war. It explained their reasons for fighting and described their grievances against American forces. Some of the things listed included the destruction of the countryside, civilian casualties, and the lasting impact the conflict had on village families. The film, even though it was supposed to be propaganda, only listed what the American armed forces were doing without adding anything that was not true. This to me had an impact on how I would view the rest of tour and shape my final thoughts for the day

We then entered the tunnels themselves. We went through three, each one tighter and more claustrophobic than the last. The first tunnel was manageable. In the second, I did not think that I would fit through the entrance, and I only went in after seeing a few classmates squeeze through ahead of me. The third tunnel was the most memorable. We navigated a long exit tunnel in the dark, not realizing there were two different exits until Hiamanti told me that if we kept going around another 30 meters we could find another exit. We almost made it out as a group, but someone spotted a large spider near the exit and everyone quickly backed out. Besides crawling, we also saw the different types of booby traps the Viet Cong used during the war. Some of these included  door traps, window traps, and bamboo spike pits hidden under false floors that would collapse if you stepped on them. 

Even though I’ve studied the Vietnam War, I learned two things today that really surprised me. Locals would weave small branches and stems through leaves to mark where landmines were, creating a system that outsiders couldn’t see but locals could easily read. Vietnamese fighters also wore sandals with soles shaped to leave tracks pointing in the opposite direction, so it looked like they were walking away from where they were actually going. After lunch, we visited the on-site firing range, where I got to shoot a carbine rifle that was used from World War Two through the Vietnam War. It felt like a fitting way to end such an eye-opening day.

It’s hard to put today’s trip into words. The tunnels are cramped, airless, and still brutally hot, even though they’ve been widened for tourists. Knowing that fighters sometimes spent days inside them made my few minutes underground feel like a real glimpse into what the war demanded from those who fought. I kept imagining what it must have been like for American soldiers. Arriving in a strange jungle, on land the Vietnamese knew so well, facing an enemy who could disappear underground at any moment. No book or movie has ever made me feel that way. Still, despite everything this country has gone through, the kindness and warmth we’ve experienced everywhere keep standing out to me. With thousands of years of history, Vietnam has chosen to look forward instead of back, which is a choice that feels truly remarkable to me.