quote:

---

As the sound of gunfire exploded around them, the American sailors made their way through the jungles of Vietnam on Friday -- this time as tourists.

As they fired off AK-47s, crawled through dirt tunnels, and walked through a booby-trapped forest, the Americans touring the Cu Chi tunnels found echoes of the Vietnam War coming back to life.

"I've read a lot of this stuff in the past, but seeing it for real puts things in a whole new perspective," said Don Shrader, 31, of San Diego.

Shrader was part of the 200-strong crew from the USS Vandegrift, the first U.S. Navy ship to make a port call in postwar Vietnam. The frigate's journey up the Saigon River on Wednesday was a sign of how far U.S.-Vietnam relations have come in three decades.

Many of the sailors weren't even born when the Vietnam War ended in 1975 with the collapse of Saigon, capital of the U.S.-backed South Vietnam. The city was renamed for communist leader Ho Chi Minh.

On Friday, 18 sailors spent part of their last day of shore leave to see a bit of the history.

"This is the one tour I had to come on. I'd always heard about the tunnels, but you never realize how small it is," said Wayne Sherman, 31, of Bristol, Conn.

The Cu Chi tunnels, 40 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, were an underground labyrinth used by communist forces during the Vietnam War.

Built by hand, the tunnels stretched for more than 156 miles and included three levels, the lowest about 25 to 35 feet below the surface. During the war, as many as 6,000 guerrillas lived in the underground complex.

Dressed in a green camouflage uniform and sandals, guide Lai Van Bong pointed out the small trapdoor entrance. His audience laughed in dismay. But a few volunteered to try it out.

Squeezing his body into the opening, 22-year-old Larry Batiste of Houston, slid down and disappeared from sight. When he re-emerged, he needed a helping hand.

"Whew. That's really small. It would be hard for anybody to get around, especially Americans," he said.

The sailors were then led through a jungle laden with trip wires as the sharp crack of gunfire from a nearby range exploded around them. For $1 a bullet, some of them fired rounds from an AK-47 or an M-16.

"When you think about the history of the place, you can picture it better now," said Kent McDougall, 23, of Rolla, N.D., as he clambered on a top of a war-era tank for a photo.

"It was a little emotional, said Brent Geesaman, 26, of Detroit. "It's helped me picture what the war was like."

War tourism has become big business for Vietnam. At Cu Chi, some 500-600 visitors pass through daily, said guide Bong.

"We get a lot of U.S. veterans who come," said Bong. "This is normal."

But for this group of Americans, it was a history lesson they won't forget anytime soon.

Crawling on their hands and knees through the dirt passages, which have been broadened for Western visitors, the sailors said they had new respect for the Vietnamese fighters.

"Disneyland doesn't have nothing on this," said Chris Burns, 35, of Baltimore, as he emerged from a 100-yard-long tunnel, completely drenched in sweat. "It's amazing that people stayed down there so long and adapted to this environment."

---

MIKE LANSAW        

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alejake
...the sailors said they had new respect for the Vietnamese fighters.

---

1. Look Before You Turn
2. Turn Right to Avoid Collisions
3. Lower Jumper has the Right of Way