Did the Marines have Tunnel Rats in Vietnam?
At 5-foot-6 and 134 pounds, Tom Wityak could get into places his fellow Marines couldn’t. This was a valued trait in Vietnam.
What did a tunnel rat do 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.
How many Tunnel Rats were killed in Vietnam?
36 killed
Imagine been alone down there, a million miles from home during those crazy 10,000 days in Vietnam. That both sets of men had to endure this life is appalling. There were never more than 100 Tunnel Rats in country at any one time and around 700 in total. There were 36 killed and 200 wounded.
How many Tunnel Rats served in Vietnam?
700
Our tunnel rat unit was small, with at most 120 men in the country at any time, and a total of around 700 who served from 1965 to 1972. During that period 36 of us were killed and around 200 were wounded, giving us a casualty rate of 33 percent, high even by Vietnam War standards.
Who were the Tunnel Rats in the Vietnam War?
Tunnel Rats: The Underground Search-And-Destroy Soldiers Of The Vietnam War 1 These fearless combat engineers descended into the complex Viet Cong tunnels to gather info and disarm bombs — often at the cost of their own lives. 2 A Network Of Enemy Tunnels. 3 The Profile Of A Tunnel Rat.
How were the tunnels used in the Vietnam War?
By the onset of the Vietnam War in the 60s, the tunnels included several hospitals, storage facilities, training camps, and barracks. Effective ventilation shafts were later installed which allowed Viet Cong soldiers to remain hidden underground for months at a time.
What happened to the rats in the Vietnam War?
During a call out to a series of hot tunnels, the rats cleared passages for several days. On day one, they flushed out and captured five Vietcong. On day two, three enemy were killed, four were captured and 15 more fled to the surface.
Do Tunnel Rats still exist?
Photo: KRaikkonenSF CC BY-SA 4.0 The Tunnel Rats, while few in number, were certainly some of the bravest – and some might say craziest – soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Today, some of the tunnels used in the war still exist, preserved and maintained by the Vietnamese government.