Khe Sanh Base & the DMZ

Last night, I went to a local hangout called the DMZ Bar. The ceiling was the map of the Khe Sanh area (the Demilitarized Zone DMZ), and they had the coolest ceiling fan ever: the helicopter marking the location of the air strip. I met some Kiwi and Aussie expats and had a really nice time.

Today, I'm on an organized tour of the DMZ. We stopped for a picture of the Rockpile. There's only a flag pole on top now, but it was a US radio Outpost for several years. Next was the beginning of one of many Ho Chi Minh Trails, which is now a two-lane highway.

We just left the remains of Khe Sanh Base. There are a couple of Army helicopters, an Air Force C-130, some recreated bunkers, and a museum dedicated to the might of the North's Liberation Army (Viet Com) and the desperation of the South Vietnamese Army and the US. Most of the pictures of the US men were of them either running towards airlift in an attempt to escape or squatting in bunkers of trenches in fear of the mighty LA. There's one display of seismic intrusion detectors that are labeled US electronic spying devices. I guess the military museums in the US are the same way, but it's still weird.

Now we're on to lunch, then a 1.5-kilometer-long tunnel used as shelter from the US bombing raids and defoliation efforts.

Out for now. ✌️Read more