After the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords provided for the temporary separation of Vietnam into two parts at the Ben Hai River, near the 17th parallel…
After the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, the Geneva Accords provided for the temporary separation of Vietnam into two parts at the Ben Hai River, near the 17th parallel. This separation was to last only 300 days until national elections would be called. As it happened, the elections were never held and with US military involvement, the temporary division soon became a no man’s land, 5 km from either side of the demarcation line, known as the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ. Along this stretch of land, running from the South China Sea (or Yellow Sea) to the Laos border, you will find some of the most widely publicized battle sites of the war: Khe Sanh, the Rockpile, Hamburger Hill, and Camp Carrol…
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DO take the organized tours from Hue to visit this area. They give good value and, because most of the sites have actually almost disappeared, you would have a hard time finding any of the locations for yourself. Most army bases are now tranquil rolling hills where, only after careful scrutiny, you will begin to discover the remaining bomb craters and scraps of leftover war paraphernalia. Agent Orange’s effect is quite visible, but again, one must be alerted to the fact that the bushy vegetation we see is actually a stunted vegetation growth where lush tropical forests once thrived.
DON’T expect to see much physical evidence of the American War. The campsites have practically disappeared with only a few trenches left or a barren plateau surrounded by bush-covered hills. However, not all UXOs have been picked up yet, so…DON’T ever pick up unexploded ordnance, mines, detonators or other war leftovers unless they have previously been disarmed by professionals. DON’T stray away from the beaten tracks to where guides indicate that the area is off-limits because of leftover unexploded ordnance.
