Crazy Brave Tunnel Rats of Vietnam War (Marine Reacts)
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
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My neighbor was a tunnel rat. When he told me stories of Vietnam I could detect a broken sense of pride. He was very proud of what he did but also very ashamed. When telling me stories he would sometimes tear up ... not always for his buddies. His worst memories were of killing enemy children. He would say he had no choice but it was very clear he still hadn't gotten over it and still had nightmares about it. He took care of an outdoor cat and made this cat full dinner plates. Turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffing, the whole deal. Cat's name was Tommy. He passed away about 10 years ago. He had a bit of an opioid addiction and Hep C which I think is what killed him. I found a home for his cat and his other pets. His kids were police officers, but didn't have any respect for him. He loved his kids and was very proud of them anyway. It was sad. I really liked the guy.
As always we sometime learn late what our soilders gave in their quest for righteousness for all to see.
Killing children? What kind of bs is that?
My father was an amphibious/Higgins boat driver and gunner on the Franklin in WW II. He was the same when talking about his experiences.
@@michaelmoore8630 I heard that the Vietcong would send kids with grenades to kill American soldiers.
Poor man. That would be hard to forget.
My dad was in Vietnam in 1965/66 when I was born, he was in the 1st Calvary, he died in 2009 from agent orange related cancer. I wish I had talked to him more.
knew and worked with many Vietnam guys who were great mentors. I wish I always spent more time talking to them. Never figured they would go as quick since they were pillars of men.
Mine, 67-68, same here, except he passed in 2001. Not cancer but complications caused by type 2 diabetes. High five from another son of Vietnam.
I lost my dad when I was 15 due to agent orange sorry for your loss
*calvery* no. it is cavalry.
@@TiocfaidhArLa34 Go away.
I use to work with a guy that was a tunnel rat in nam. Later became a sniper during the war. He served his country well. Never really spoke of the war to much. It stayed with him but he was a great guy. R.I.P Ross
I knew a tunnel rat... what a crazy guy with severe ptsd who occasionally would jump behind his couch and yell “Charlie 12 o’clock!” Then use his blowgun and start shouting at imaginary people. I learned a lot from him about Vietnam. I’m sure he has passed by now. To Bad Uncle Tommy RIP BUT 🙏🏼
This shit is no joke, I've been trained for confined space rescue and you can easily panic when you start to get hung up or stuck now throw combat into that and other hidden intentional traps this is hardcore those men are elite in my books.
12 years rope rescue/confined space/rope access tech. Tight spaces don't bother me, it's Seeing the panic on victims when I get close and hearing their voice in confined spaces... any they always say ur going to save me right? That's a though one to swallow, I normally try to change the topic but they rnt having it... held a few men's hands I couldn't save and recorded their last wishes, and gave them a double triple dose of morphine or ketamine... I just buried the shots on my way out somewhere and acted like my kit got caught and opened up...ive had to lie threw a fuck load of investigations... but I always keep 2 hidden sd cards for that situation so I can get them to the family and give them some type of ending... prolly why I drink every night...FUCK
@@davidmoore8741 thats hardcore buddy , just remember its not your fault were there to help and didn't cause these situations, these things are going to happen whether we're there or not but its tougher when there's nothing you can do, sometimes it seems like we just show up to look . I just did a in house course for it and it pushed me to my limit for confined space.
@@engineco.1494 forsure shit happens my man, it's just shitty when there's nothing u can do...the only confines space I'd freak out about is if it was like a cave rescue and I had to squeeze threw some real tight shit without gear on. Then no way, and I'm a skinny tall dude. If I'm going to have a hard time fitting, well sorry person, ur fucked lol
@@davidmoore8741 ya I hear ya I took the course because we have alot of grain bins in my area, I have big shoulders but I can still get through 16x16 inch centered studs and 18inch tunnel pushing my air tank in front of me , good times be safe out there!
Yep, was engine mech many years we worked inside fuel cells on aircraft. Got snagged on a bolt once in a tight spot with a fuel spill from disconnecting a fuel line just prior. Took twenty minutes to get out. I was high by that time. It had been gas freed. It was inside the aft bag on an F-14. That cell was called "the coffin". Gas Free Engineer was serious business. You can't screw it up.
My Dad was supposed to be a Supply Clerk in Vietnam. When he got there. Where he ended up when he got there. They told him. "Supply Clerk? We don't have any supply Clerks here, go over to that tent. They are giving out job's". One of the Jobs that was offered was Tunnel Rat. He kind of hid when they called that out. Anyways he ended up being a Army Engineer (mine sweaper) among other things. The one thing my dad don't understand is how today in war you get running water, hot showers. He lived in an underground bunker like the ones you see in Platoon. He said Platoon was the most realistic movie, minus the Hollywood stuff. Full metal Jacket he said the boot camp part was very similar but the war part of the movie. He couldn't relate to the city scenes. He Also can't believe how strict the military is today on rules. My best friend is a core mam medic. Was in Iraq and Afghanistan. My dad couldn't believe that they do ammo counts now and stuff. My dad said they could fire their weapons for fun when they wanted. He said basically there were no rules as long as you did your job. The marijuana use was normal. That's what he did when in the rear. A lot of guys were doing Heroin. He found a couple guys dead in their bunks with the needle still in their arm. At 19 he was changed forever. He wishes no one else could see the stuff he has seen. My dad was drafted. He now has lymphoma from Agent Orange. Been through bladder cancer, colon cancer. Hepatitis C which he thinks he got over there from walking through dirty water. He's still kicking though. Just retired from a government gig after 36yrs.
That's some real shit right there
@@zaynevanday142 I'm not sure what the math is about, but my brother served 22 years in the Army from 1961-1973 and had a 25 year government gig following his military service. I think that's what Lorne was referring to..
@@zaynevanday142 you’re right, I guess I did, I just don’t understand the significance as it relates to the comment. Were you doubting the validity of the comment or did you just want us to know how to do the math?
@@zaynevanday142 I'm still confused, what doesn't add up? I was in Vietnam when I was 20, spent 8 + years on active duty got out and then I had a 35-year career in the private sector. 2020 minus 35 is 1985, so what? Does that mean I'm not 75 today?
@@andrewanderson7683 now it adds up thanks for making it clearer
One of the guys I worked for was a tunnel rat. He was a really short guy. He carried 2 Colt 45’s in the tunnels. Dominick was a cool dude. I never talked to him about his service. I figured if he wanted to bring it up, we’ll that was up to him. Thank you for your service sir! 😉👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I was drafted for Vietnam and went to Fort Ord for basic training. Our Drill Sergeant was a short guy and the scuttlebutt on this guy was he was a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He was sadistic. He loved running us to near death. It was also said he had both knees replaced. They used to run us up steep hill sides. If you didn’t run fast enough they would chuck gas canisters down on you to motivate you. It worked. Fun times.
My brother in-law, Jimmy, was a rat stationed out of phu by (sp), we didn’t know until years later when his ptsd kicked in... he never mentioned it. A incredibly brave man, awarded several bronze stars, silver star and two Purple Hearts. One hell of a Marine and the most humble person I’ve ever known. It’s a shame he and others who performed this task aren’t given more accolades, not that they want it, but because they deserve it....
My father was a tunnel rat and as it was said in the other comment his ptsd didn’t start until he was home for about 5 years. His still struggles today with what happened when he was in Vietnam.
I didn't know marines had tunnel rats I thought was just Army
thats the sad not talked about part of the military, it means nothing when you get back home
@Gunnar Williams i was referring too the fact that there are homeless veterns, and ones that haven't recovered but nobody cares
Thank you to your brother in law for his service and kicking communist ass thank him very much!!!!
I worked for a family in Texas when I was stationed at Fort Hood. The ranch was small, about 600 acres with the river running through it. Anyway, Cliff, the son of the owner was a large guy and a Vietnam veteran. He was an MP stationed at Fort Hood during Vietnam. We were building the hay barn and during lunch break I asked him what he did. He had never told him family what he did but we sat there and he told me he was a Tunnel Rat. I looked at him amazed. He stood up, "You see this" he said circling his rather large mid-section. I nodded. "They will never stuff me in a tunnel again", he said. One reason why he was voluntold to enter tunnels was he weighed 130lbs and they thought because he was from Texas he could handle deadly snakes. He passed away a few years ago so I finally told his sister what he did. She cried and finally realized why he needed to sleep with windows open all the time. He is a hero to me.
Gary Owen !
I feel so much for that man and what he suffered for the ret of his life. My beautiful wife is from SAIGON - the terror the people of that country went through - she escaped as a 14-year old on a boat steered by her 15-year old brother with 60 people on it - navigated only by the stars as their father had taught them before the kids escaped. They were out on the high seas for near two-months and ALL survived. Have a nice day all. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.
Small ranch at 600 acres????? In uk where im from thats massive.
@@nathangarland9453 everything’s bigger in Texas, supposedly
America is a war monger country and it’s a imperialist SATAN DEVIL EVIL DICTATORSHIP REGIME PERIOD 😃😃😃😃!!!
@ 8:30 you forgot to mention the eardrums will explode as well, that was the case at the beginning then the tunnel rats start asking for smaller size caliber pistols until finally most of them got silencer etc !! and yes he is from Puerto Rico, Ranger and was around 5ft. Back home we call him "rambito".
My grandpa was a helicopter pilot during Vietnam and he’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever met. He landed his helicopter under heavy fire to rescue a squad of men and saved everyone of them. Later his chopper was later shot down and lost his best friend in the crash, he survived stranded for over a week and had to use stealth to kill large groups of enemys, he was shot in the leg three times eventually but was rescued two days later. He died in 2016 after being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer before he was diagnosed he was building his own plane to get back in the sky it was his last dream. My dad is named after his best friend who died in the crash. R.I.P Raymond J. Huber
I smell a HUGE over-exaggeration, at best.
@@lintottish😂😂😂
You guys need to try harder with these lies. Lmao hes lost his best friend and had to go all Rambo and kill the enemy. Don't base your lies on action movies next time.
My aunts husband was a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He eventually told me some things about his experiences with it but he also suffered from what they now call PTSD. Back then it was generally referred to as shell shock or combat fatigue. I felt really bad for that guy. He killed a lot of Vietnamese soldiers and saw so many of his buddies die. He told me he felt so guilty that he made it home. War is truly hell.
So he's your Uncle?
Wow. What a guy.
My father was a tunnel rat. Air force SF. He was a dog handler stationed with (either 1st marine 3rd battalion, or 3rd marine 1st battalion. Not sure which is correct). His dog (Spartacus) was a huge aid.
In my opinion any tunnel rat should be awarded some kind of medal. That is balls of steel. Everyone of those men who volunteered knew there was a decent chance they would not be coming out. Definitely not given enough credit!
My uncle was a Rat. He was never the same after the war for sure. Every once in awhile he would speak of it when he was pissed face drunk and alcoholism eventually or agent orange as you speak of gave him cancer and he died. God bless our troops 🇺🇸
My dad was a 115 pound tunnel rat until his lung collapsed while digging fox holes while they wer recieving heavy fire. They wer in the open nothing to get behind. After he got out of hospital in korea he became a gunner out of helicopter. He watched many men jump from helicopter to their death while they wer supposed to be rappelling down . He still wakes up pouring in sweat from nightmares. 101 air calvary
My ol' man was a tunnel rat in nam. He's a Portagee 5'-4" from Oahu. He never talks about most things he encountered just only in passing during conversations about combat. I love that man to death and even at 75yrs old and I'm 44, he's still my hero.
Vietnam was HELL ON EARTH, my step father was there for two years,his name was KENNETH DYER,he past away in the 90s but he was STRONG AS AN OX,he killed 35 men, and he showed me how to kill, very quickly and quietly, fortunately I have never had to use it, but I loved him very much.
A close friend "ratted" as he called it. Very thin. Very short. Cherokee. He had an incredible sense of smell. He also had this ability to communicate with animals. He told me he felt safe in the tunnels. And yes, he got a whole bunch of leave time.
Are you sure he wasn’t an actual “rat”?
@@chrishandsome4267 now now Chris
Thanks for that comment as I cannot comprehend how a soldier or Marine could ever get into a tunnel regardless of how brave they were. I suppose some would just say; 'crawl in a tunnel, OK no big deal! When's lunch?' Just built that way and brave as hell!
i knew a man - his name was Rudy Ortega - he was a tunnel Rat - had stories and Pictures - WOW the shit you guy's went through - DAMN our countries leaders sent some of the Finest MEN [ and women ] to war - sometimes i think our leaders Know How Good these Men And Women are and for some crazy reason they send them off to there deaths !!! God Bless you and your fellow soldiers ...
@@egads2 oh the truth you speak - and the Cabal Swamp Creatures - how low can they go - they sold this country out - even the generals [puke politicians] are in on it - How much yen is there and how much are they shoving in there pockets ??? i so hate to say it but they sold us out!!!
My dad was a marine tunnel rat. He's only 4 foot 10. I dont ask him about it unless he brings it up. Still living with agent orange and other health issues. He's got 3 purple hearts and other metals dont remember what they are. Great video
My uncle was a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He only spoke about Vietnam once to me during a doritos commercial. He died R.I.P. before I joined so I never got to discuss his service.
One of his kills was published in a Guns and Ammo Magazine which my mother shared with me.
Thanks for sharing the video.
I once worked a job with an older guy who was very small and quiet. He was very friendly but would never start a conversation. I was always respectful to him because I believe in being respectful to everyone. But some of the young guys would make jokes behind his back. One day it went too far and one of them threw a ball at him on break. He dodged it like a teenager and gave them a look I will never forget. He just made these young guys cower like I've never seen. The guy who did it apologized, then the rest of his group did too. He reduced them to nothing with just that look. I loved every minute of it. I went from thinking I was gonna have to back his play to realizing he didn't need my help at all. Found out later that he was a Vietnam vet. I always wondered if he was a tunnel rate because that was a look of a man who had seen some 💩 and those kids were the least of it.
Thanks for the memories. I was with 3rd Recon when my CO sent me to Tunnel Rat evaluation/training. When I got to the training site it looked like a jockey convention. I’m not tall but towered over the other applicants.We got a quick briefing, issued a .38 Colt cobra snub-nose and off to the practice tunnels. Went thru one, got really claustrophobic and didn’t finish the second. The guys that finished and became Rats had nerves of steel and even bigger balls. I just finished fighting and beat the cancers I got from Agent Orange that killed so many. Such bittersweet memories. Thanks for your service-Semper Fi
Al, It’s an honor reading a post from a recon Marine. I served during Desert Storm and was an 0811 stationed at 29 palms. Thank you for your service and paving the way for me. Semper Fi
I hope you're still doing well. My great uncle passed from agent orange cancer a few years ago. I miss that man very much, and I'll always regret not getting to know him better.
The father of one of my best friends was a Marine in WWII and was a tunnel rat. He fought on Tarawa, Iwojima, Bougainvillea, and other campaigns and was awarded many medals. He enlisted at 16 yrs old to get away from the aunt and uncle who raised him very terribly after his parents died in a car accident.
He told me stories of some of the things he did and saw on a few occasions. One was being lowered into a hole head first by two marines holding his feet and all he had was a .45 auto pistol and his knife. He made his way through the tunnel a ways and heard someone walking towards him. He drew his pistol and the Japanese soldier came into view and Jack squeezed the trigger and the gun jammed. At that point he holstered his pistol and grabbed his knife as the Japanese soldier realized Jack was there, they fought and Jack killed the enemy solldier and at that moment he noticed that the Japanese soldier had been carrying a land mine. Jack told me that God must have wanted him around for some reason because God made his pistol jam. If the gun had fired it would have detonated the land mine because Jack was aiming at the soldier's body as the target. That would have killed him for sure.
Jack was a small man, about 5'6" tall and thin. Very soft spoken and extremely polite. He was an automobile mechanic by trade and raised eight children with his wife. One of his sons, the second oldest child, became a Marine and then a Green Beret in Vietnam. That family was like my second family. I was considered the 9th child. It was an honor to know Jack. He died only two years ago. He was in his early 90s I believe.
He is one of the rare people that the government has given permission to visit the battle fields of the Pacific Islands. He did that back in the 1980s or 1990s. He was writing a book about his life. I don't know what came of it. I'll ask one of the kids
Please ask the kids. Will love to read the books.
Thank you for sharing this message with us, I can’t even begin to imagine what going to war must feel like never mind being a tunnel rat. God bless him and his family of heroes.
I’ll read iy
5'6" TALL and thin? LOL....I'm 5'6" and don't consider myself tall....
@@edwardschmitt5710 ---- obviously you weren't in class the day that your 3rd grade class learned about commas in sentences and when you read and there is no comma or period, you don't pause and break the sentence starting the next word as the beginning of a new sentence. So you read it as written. "He was 5'6" tall and thin. Not "he was 5'6". Tall and thin" .
Do you understand the difference?
Just imagine how much more you missed out on when you didn't go to school faking a stomach ache? You could have done something special with your life and made your parents proud. But ... instead, look at yourself. LOL
My Dad was an infantryman in Vietnam during 71’-72’. He mentioned how tough the guys were in his company that did this work, unbelievable!!! Tons of respect for those guys!
Weren't most marines already pulled out vietnam by then.
Sorry, I should have clarified, he was Army Infantry, 23rd “Ameri-cal” Division.
My dad- 2nd battalion, 503rd Infantry 173rd airborne did some ratting- he was 6’1”, skinny- farm boy that spent his life learning to do and not ask questions. After getting two Purple Hearts, a commendation medal... he spent years as an arborist, cemetery sextant and plumber- hanging in trees, on his stomach in crawl spaces, in graves... never phased him
We had a guy at a men's shelter in Newark NJ in the late 90s low crawling around under the bunk beds in the dark with a combat knife between his teeth, while everyone was sleeping. He had serious PTSD. The cops were called. The lights were turned in and woke up out of his bad dream. He had VA outpatient card so we dropped him off at the VA hospital in East Orange. They recognized him right away and that's how I got the story of him being a tunnel rat in the Nam. He was really small in stature that is probably why they used him in that job. I felt really bad for that guy
That breaks my heart. How could a human being ever be okay after something like that Impossible.
@@1w598 well, if you're autistic, been through lots of crappy situations, been numbed down to death, you'll likely not think much of it.
@@b.a.k5367 you have no idea what you are talking about
America is a war monger country and it’s a imperialist SATAN DEVIL EVIL DICTATORSHIP REGIME PERIOD 😃😃😃😃!!!
@@dannytadashi4235 your a savage . I think your grandfather was Samurai
One job I couldn’t do hate enclosed spaces, jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft is so much easier.
i can't crawl in that even if it was empty. Then can't even have a good light in there
I'd much rather keep my boots on the ground and outa the tunnels and water
Check canopy and gain control there yous
No such thing as perfectly good aircraft!! 🤣🤣
I’m down for both
My dad was a tunnel rat in Vietnam from 1965-1966 with 2/1 Marines. He's shared some stories with me that are incredible. His humility when sharing these stories is amazing. Mad props to my dad. I can only hope to be half the man he is. Thank you for highlighting these heroic men.
I used to drive an Aussie Vietnam Vet, Army Sapper to and from hospital for dialysis, got to know him really well and he told me about his work as a Tunnel Rat with just a pistol and knife. One time he had a grenade roll down on him and he thought he was dead, it didn't go off as the pin hadn't been pulled. RIP Gary and Mary his wife, both passed away within 2 weeks of each other 10 years ago.
My boss used to work for a former tunnel rat at an exhaust company. Guy was pretty unhinged and definitely damaged from the past. He apparently had a lot of road rage and would regularly chase out customers with a big wrench in hand. This dude tried to bring a necklace of ears back home from Vietnam but it was confiscated at some point before he returned. Hard to imagine anyone being able to return to normal life after going through what they did.
I've been a nurse for a few years. I had the absolute freaking honour, of taking care of one of these guys. He had me rolling with his perspective of the job now. I asked him did he volunteer? He replied " would you volunteer for a job like that"! He had a great attitude. Also said there where guys there, that he didn't want to have do it. I applaud this man, and the others given that task!
HUGE bravery!
Met this short dude in Mexico back in the late70s great guy to hang with lotsa fun and attitude, one of his friends told me he was a tunnel rat, and at the time I didn't quite understand, until later,
I'm having a Corona Beer right now thinking of u, how lucky I was to have met u,
@Hoa Tattis These guys you refer to weren't in tunnels right?
@Hoa Tattis I appreciate the info. But most would not want to do this job? Would you volunteer to do it?
@Hoa Tattis It's brave to volunteer but don't downplay the fact that some didn't want to do it. It was a very dangerous job with many of those tasked with doing suffering from PTSD post war.
My best friend's Brother was a Tunnel Rat. A 5'7" tall Hispanic American. His Father was A Portuguese Courrier, His Mother Castilian Spanish with Flaming Red Hair. A family of Eight.
My Friend returned Home with mental Problems but suffered no other health problems.
He on several occasions went in his home and came out with his Knife only to be reminded by his Father:
"This Isn't Vietnam Hector, Stop" !! !
I just found out yesterday that an older gentleman, marine veteran, was a tunnel rat. He doesn’t talk much, but when he told me my eyes went wide. I couldn’t believe for several years that I’ve worked with him, that he never said anything about what he did specifically during Vietnam. He said their were about 100 guys in 1965 including himself, and no one wanted to volunteer. So he said he raised his hand, and was one of the first tunnel rats. Now I know why he doesn’t talk too much. These guys had some balls of steel. Much respect.
My Grandfather did this in the Battle of Okinawa, he had his war dog, 1911, combat knife, and flashlight. Doesn't matter the conflict, the one's that did this job have all of my respect. I know they were scared, but they did the job, regardless. I am genuinely and eternally grateful for these men, as well as all of our Military Personnel!!!
My dad was an alaskan native. Who crawled through those tunnels for 3 of the 4 years of his time in the vietcong. He didn't choose to be there but he damn sure made his co proud. Bronze star purple heart awarded. Sergeant wildfred hoelscher. Over 30 confirmed kills lost count after 30. They trained u to kill but not to deal with the soul inside you fighting the faces u remember grasping on to life. He spoke once about it. After he threw my ps4 across the room. While I was playing call of duty black ops during the tunnel part
I could see that. Imagine going through these tunnels for real, and seeing it made into a game. That could rouse up a little anger 😳
@@indy2867 that was the one an only time my dad ever spoke about it. That was 10 years ago. His alone an unafraid of being alone.
over 30 kills.damn and i bet some of them was with his bear hands cos of being in the tunnels.must of been a strong man in body and mind.i would love to talk to him about the time in the tunnels.
I have a friend, ex co-worker who was older than me. Both retired now. He was a tunnel rat in Vietnam. Very small, very intelligent, fluent in Vietnamese and fearless. He and I worked together in law enforcement. He was an intelligence officer and worked Asian gangs. He always smiled when talking about critical incidents and resolving them. I always had the utmost respect for him, still do. Funny story; one day the new chief of the department called him to his office to discuss a sensitive matter. When my friend entered the office, the chief asked if he was armed. My friend smiled and said no sir, if I need a gun, I will take yours. True story. The chief had a short term.
Allegedly “Bones,” a St. Paul man who literally lived outside year-round for nearly four decades, real first name of Mike, had been a Tunnel Rat. He was small, given to avoiding most other humans - including offered assistance - and disheveled.
Bones died in 2019 in the VA Hospital. He had as possessions a wheelbarrow, shovels, push brooms and rakes with which to very slowly clean the surrounding sidewalks in his area. Bones’ wheelbarrow has become a flower container as a living memorial on the courtyard of a local ice cream shop.
R.I.P. Bones. You had a tough life.
THE VIETNAM VETERANS WILL ALWAYS BE MY HEROES !!! I GREW UP WATCHING THEM EACH DAY ON THE NEWS AFTER SCHOOL, JOINED THE ARMY AT 17 BECAUSE OF THEM. GOD BLESS YOU, I LOVE YOU GUYS .
R.I.P. Msgt Richard “TOP” Mines. My recruiter and Vietnam tunnel rat. Semper Fi you are missed.
Respect
DEVIL!
He nerves of steel. I’m all for doing dangerous things, but being a tunnel rat is way more than I can mentally handle.
I had no idea there were marine tunnel rats I thought they was all army.
Rip man
Rip to my crazy uncle who volunteered in Vietnam and ended up as a tunnel rat because of his short stature and Mexican decent with a dark complexion. He never talked about it but he recently died of cancer likely attributed to agent orange and he decided not to chase governments financial compensation. I was told that when he came back from service, my aunt had to wake him up with a broom because he would react violently, he also was boozy but now we kinda understand why
i met a vietnam vet that was a tunnel rat. when i found out his age i was shocked. he looked at least 20 years older than he was. we were at the vfw post bar and he just sat there with vacant eyes. my heart broke. now watching this i understand what i was seeing in him. bless him.
It is absolutely incomprehensible that real humans lived through this.
It's coming here soon. There is a book entitled The Phoenix Program the use of Terror in Vietnam.
Dead ones too
Real humans??????
Not really, humans are some tough mfs,,do your history,,holocaust, slavery,the conquest,,
Incomprehensible to sheltered kids yes
I highly recommend watching Netflix documentary: Vietnam. It seems to have vanished since the riots started last year but it was very well done. One part about the Tunnel Rats had an interview and a first hand account of a soldier experiencing it. Often they wouldn't use their flashlight because it would give them away, likewise for the Viet Cong, the soldier described hearing, smelling, and feeling the breath of a Viet Cong soldier then getting in a hand-to-hand fight with him in a tunnel. Absolutely horrific, I couldn't begin to imagine.
“You, your skinny, short, now the question is, are you the intrepid sort with a fine attention to detail?”
“Hell, no sir! I’m a lazy slob with, oh look a butterfly... what were you saying?”
Do you want to talk/learn about God and Jesus? God and Jesus both love you and can help you with whatever you may be going through
Is it ok to laugh at that comment? Because that's funny as hell.
@@davestrange3718 If you laugh you’re going to hell
My buddy Marvy Melvin was one and he is still kicken and smiling. Nicest guy you could ever meet not a bad thing said for anyone. Can sleep standing up with his eyes open. Semper Fi Marvy.
These men have balls of steel
i dont know how they get them in the holes!
My Uncle was a "tunnel rat" he said all you needed was a 45 acp and a flashlight...lol...much love to the USMC...
@@darkdan3379 Your Uncle is a brave man.
@@KINGALWAYS-sb5jb yes sir he is he is my role model, for the things I know that he has seen and done at a young age he is fair but disciplined...
@@eatthisvr6 they gotta lube up before going in
Agent Orange: Had a bud in service who told me his dad past from agent orange in the mid 80s. His Dad had an inoperable cancer the size of a softball starting in his left jaw and nearly to his collar bone. Point of the post: His dad was Air Force and his job was to load the crap into the hoppers and GI the hoppers for the next load. He told my bud, it got everywhere! And he used to spit the crap out and not think about it. Not all agent orange victims were on the ground; a revelation I learned that day. Thank you for your commentary on the tunnel rats.
My pap was in Vietnam, he passed in 2013 but his physical, mental an emotional trauma from this war (for the rest of his life) was SO heart shattering! His PTSD was a battle he fought for life. I have the MOST respect for all of our men an women who fight for our freedom!♡
he taught me a lifetime of bravery within a couple of years, this man was fearless and loved it!!
My buddy's dad was a Marine tunnel rat in Vietnam also. He had some tough ass boys and he was one of the toughest Dads in the neighborhood. Sonny Anthony from Phillipsburg New Jersey. Great family, great friends growing up. He passed a few years back but a man I'll never forget and always speak highly of, as well as his sons. My friends
Had the honor of meeting a tunnel rat a few months ago at my place of business. He had a Vietnam Vet hat and I have read extensively about the subject and he was pleasantly surprised at the level of knowledge on the subject and he told me a few stories about what he encountered in the tunnels I was shocked at a few of the stories he told me. Brave fucking guys….respect
🇺🇸
One of my five uncles was a tunnel rat. He eluded past memories until the early 2000s when he met at that time his sergeant. Since then he has been having nightmares, recollections, memories he's stowed away. It's difficult for him now, meeting someone from his past. And that one moment he met him again later in life triggered memories long forgotten. It f****** sucks. His eyes now are like a window. Shattered
This job looks terrifying. Imagine being in the pitch black, poisonous snakes/scorpions, enemies wanting to kill you, mines, booby traps , flooding and miles of tunnels where you can get lost. These men have my upmost respect... Those men have balls of steel.
The bravest 19 year olds in history
I'm not American I'm English
But those men are super bloody brave so I showed my respect and support for them
@Ocasional Visitor can you come up with an example of braver kids in warfare? Don't know why you had to take a positive comment and just shit all over it
@Ocasional Visitor dude you’re a fuckin bowl of fruit salad, man has an opinion and he’s well within his right to have it.
@Ocasional Visitor are you saying we invaded Vietnam based on lies? And implying they didn't have backing from other countries
When i got back from Benning in 80 I met a guy at the gym and he was Hispanic small frame and said he was in nam. I asked what he did and he said tunnel rat. I knew about them already being trained in 80 by Vietnam vets but I'm almost certain he was truthful. He just had that look in the eyes when he talked. No boasting just a short conversation. I myself praised him. Without further talk we went in and did our work out.
My Dad was in Demolition and told me about the Tunnel Rats, much respected.
The man i call my grandfather was a tunnel rat. He doesnt talk about it much, but he is a good man.
Thanks for the 🇦🇺 recognition. The battle of Long-Tan is a good one to do a vlog on brother. Love your work brother!!!
Have you seen danger close yet? I shared a drink with 2 guys from the Veterans MC that were there and were consultants for the film. Very good film.
@@mickallen899 Nollamara VVMC are a great bunch of blokes!!!
@@timothyunderwood5235 so you know Stone and Paz?
Brave is an absolute understatement! That's insane and takes guts beyond guts! Much respect to those men. 🇺🇸🙏
As a desert storm errra and beyond vet when ibwas a young new pup i had to bring a tunnel rat home from a flash back moment in our park. Thank you Charlie for your service. Sorry the job weighed so much on you. Salute brother!! You and Lz Tripwire!! Was a pleasure to be there with you both. LZ IN THE REAL FIELD. NOT A FLASHBACK!!
my neighbor just passed, great friend and a great person, i was shocked to hear from him that he was in fact a tunnel rat in vietnam. amazing person with an amazing personality!!! R.I.P. Mr. Mead!!!
Was in Vietnam 2 years ago and had a tour of one of these tunnels, huge respect to the guys who lived and moved around in these things all day everyday in that humid climate.
Did you die?
An old coworker who was airborne in iraq told me his dad was a tunnel rat in viet nam. They are of german descent but of short stature. Brave,brave men,both of them. Thank you for your serivce all of you!
U and everyone in the comments
I had a supervisor in the 80's that was a Australian Tunnel Rat , the stories of his experiences and his wisdom still stay with me today , I never learnt about this aspect of the Vietnam war until I met Mick , was honoured to have him as a fair and reasonable boss .
Was always curious as to why France, our supposed ally, did not disclose knowledge of the tunnel systems to the U.S. before we went to war in Vietnam. That would have saved thousands of lives.
These men are just something else. Brave, heroic, all that just doesn’t do it justice. Can’t think of much more terrifying then this.
Hell of a human being, I met JC in Charleston SC, he is why I use this ID. He did his first tour as a rat came home got addicted to heroin, kicked it and went back in. The man had a look in his eyes that I'll never forget. Hell of a man.
I know a Tunnel Rat here in Oklahoma and he told me about it and I told him that he did his job to the best of his ability and survived and I was Proud of him !!!!!
I had a friend Walter Juarez, who was a tunnel rat in nam, he was about 140 lbs. Really nice kid, every one loved him, but when he got back to Long Beach, California, USA. He was NOT the same guy, he went from the guy everyone loved to the guy everyone was afraid of, he would snap in an instant, he ended up living on the streets, "WHAT A FUCKED UP ENDING !!!
The definition of volunteer is someone who misunderstood the question
&/or everybody else takes a step back!
@Marc Kunze they usually didn't tell you back then what you were doing. You found out what you were doing when you did it. You could have been a med soldier and they would throw a rifle at you and say shoot anything that moves which is pretty much what my job does.
I'm not 2nd guessing anybody's bravery.
Exactly, if you want to see if you have the stones for it go crawl under a house with a 12" crawlspace, but first go seal off all the vents and dont peek inside first. Once inside they close the door behind you. That's probably 10% as tense as what those guys did. Probably less than 10% actually. No walkie talkies, just a headlamp. That's where I found out I had a tad bit of claustrophobia ha ha, and no one was trying to kill me
Remind me to move my foxhole if yours is next to mine.
I’ve read about tunnel rats in a book. It almost sounded like a work of fiction. The amazing thing about these tunnel rats (friends and foes alike) is how do they manage to endure with that little air and baking heat besides the darkness and uncertainty that lies waiting into those crawl space, which is something beyond the reckoning of even the most seasoned warriors.
It was just a job. The whole country was dangerous. Tunnels were stuffy and hot but we had our trust flashlights made by the low bidder so plenty of light. Not knowing what was around the bend could be a little scary but you were on your knees or belly and couldn;t easily backup
@@ponkapoag1 go do it then puss
I worked at subway in Florida when I was 18, this was 12 years ago. Met a homeless guy that always came in and hung around the gas station the subway was connected too and he would tell us stories about him in Vietnam. He was a tunnel rat, had the tattoo and everything.
Said he used a 12 gauge, a dog and an M1911. Amazing things these guys went through.
Found out he passed away years ago.
My uncle married a Mexican lady, he lived in El Paso TX. He was in the Vietnam war. He had 6 Children, one joined the Army later dieing in the Iraq war. A short man and skinny at the time. When I was a kid he told me stories of being a tunnel rat. I remember asking him what he did in the war and he said he went down into holes. He survived the war and later met President Bush who honored his fallen son. He died shortly after, he was a black belt and a few years before his passing he became a pastor.
My father met and taught to former Vietnamese soldiers in the 70-80... the war had "ended since"... he said these guys were real killing machine...they had a classroom game were Viet saids to his classmate " try to choke me" ... no one could.. His neck was too strong. And he was always checking the walls,corners, and eyes on the door before siting
Ferrets or tunnel rats were absolute men of steel. Absolute huge respect to them. The Australians and Americans had an extensive campaign together in Vietnam. Well worth studying. Look into the battle of Long Tan. Where Australian ground troops overcame insurmountable odds to defeat thousands of NVA with the aid of exact precision New Zealand artillery. Also look up the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) who worked special ops with U.S. MIKE force. The AATTV was the first Australian contingent into Nam and the last out. They served with exemplary conduct and won 4 Victoria Cross', the most of any single Australian unit. It's fascinating and sobering stuff. Jameson, I'd be interested to see your take on this. Great work mate ;)
An old soldier used to come into the grocery store I worked at as a young man. His son worked there also. His son told me that his dad was a tunnel rat in 'nam. I had never heard of them. Then my mom got to know him well from her work. I had never heard of tunnel rats, but the more I did the more I was amazed at what they did. He passed on some years ago. Few knew of the deeds he performed for his country and his comrades. You couldn't get guys to do that now; soldiers nowadays are spoiled.
My uncle told me the boys from the south use to love being a tunnel rat. He said they use to live for it. You guys should look more into this RUclips has a interview with a bad ass tunnel rat that loved it so much in 2017 I think he said he missed it once he left. He later killed himself in one of his war dreams stabbed himself with a knife... MUCH RESPECT for the tunnel rats took a big sack to do it.
Sgt: "I need a volunteer to clear this tunnel."
Everyone: ......
Sgt: "I NEED A VOLUNTEER OR YOU'LL BE VOLUNTOLD!"
I knew an Army intel guy. Only saw him in uniform once on base. He was a Ranger, had Vietnam medal, ... Years later I knew somebody that was a boyhood friend & he told me the guy had been a tunnel rat. The guy was short, very slim, & had a squeaky voice - was amazed & missed opportunity to learn from him.
My grandpa served in Vietnam he recently passed away he was a great part in my life hell forever be missed thank you for your service
To anyone who has served in Vietnam welcome home and thank you for your service!
My Grandfather was also in the “Battle of the Bulge” Staff Sergeant Raleigh “Curly” Roberts. 3 Bronze Stars, A silver Star, Purple Heart and some other medals! Shot and stabbed. Growing up I always felt like my Grandfather was larger than life. He was cut from a different cloth. Now I have a son in the MARINES!
Went to Vietnam about 3 years ago and visited the tunnel systems. Our guide showed us what the soldiers would eat which was some flesh part of a tree that has no smell or taste really that you could dip in some type of salt or something. He said soldiers in the tunnels could only eat this because the K-9 units above the ground would be able to detect any other type of food.
Morgan i love read and-hearing things that you talk about. The way you explain and knowledge you have and your insight on things awesome your one of a kind 👍
Mr freeman is that you?
They also ate it because it had huge amounts of Vitamin D. Being a tunnel occupant meant next to no sunlight.
The adaptability of the Vietnamese is so fucking commendable.
@@CS-ir9mo that's not the real Morgan Freeman, dude
I used to work with a guy that was a tunnel rat in WW2 in the pacific theater, he was a crazy bad ass...
I worked with a guy who was a tunnel rat in the war.... he had me by 40 yrs, hardest worker on the job site hands down, good man also r.i.p MR Barry Hopkins..
Two of my great uncles were tunnel rats, who were Australian both served in ww2 and Vietnam. one died in Vietnam the other died the day the day he was honourably discharged and walking off the base as a civilian for the first time, hit by a buss dropping off a new patch of recruits. As a young man when ever I feel like I’m having a tough day I just ask myself wtf did my great uncles classify as a bad day.
lets say they were in their twenties in ww 2 fast forward to Vietnam lets say 1966 these men would have been closer to fifty years old im sorry but i think they were telling you porky pies mate the Tunnel Rats job is a young mans game
uhhh they didnt have 50-60 yr old men as tunnel rats dude...you were lied to
@@devind2915 😂
I was in Vietnam Nam and I salute the 'tunnel rats!" I was pretty skinny then, thank God I didn't get ordered to go in a tunnel.
My grandpa 3rd recon battalion, as well as 1st force recon 1965-1969 told me the scariest thing he did in Vietnam was enter those tunnels at the time he was about 5'7 and 130lbs soaking wet thank you for bringing this to light and talking about how brave these men were!
I'm claustrophobic to where If it's tight enough to where I can't turn around, I would freak out.
I couldn't do it lol
Hats off to these crazy rats!
My uncle primary role in the Corps was a Forward Observer (0861 I think). He also did B-52 bomb damage assessment and volunteered as a Tunnel Rat. You have to be of small stature. He was 5’4”, but very tenacious. He never came across booby traps, but he said he came across a lot of poisonous snakes in the tunnels.
Freudian slip, yup he said "invades." My Native American uncle was a tunnel rat, he came home with 13 medals I believe yet he was never the same. We never belonged there.
Sorry for you loss. Not worth it.
You should check out Fargo season 2, one of main characters is a Sioux Vietnam vet tunnel rat. Interesting character and well acted
Have fun under communism
@Gunnar Williams Don't mind him, he's trying to find a reason as to why so much other countries had to be involved in a war in Asia.
@@LLUrbanAchiever he was badass when he said he missed it and why
10 feet tall and bulletproof. Badass to the highest level
this is what my great-grandad did. He only would say a couple words and eat peppers with salt but no one would mess with him. he was maybe 5'4''
My wife and i went to Vietnam for out honeymoon, we visited some of the tunnel complexes that still exist. I can tell you from personal experience that the tunnels are extremely small and nothing pleased me more than to get out of them. I could not imagine being a tunnel rat or a Vietnamese solider crawling around like that.
At 11:21 when the men were holding the tunnel rat by his feet my grandfather had to do the same and lower men down there and one time my grandfather told me he and his friend was lowering this other soldier down the tunnel to inspect it and saldy the man was shot and killed while looking down the tunnel but my grandfather and his friend was able to clear the tunnel RIP to that soldier
Yep there's tunnel systems that run from Mexico into the United States bypassing the southern border fence, and this is modern day.
Source?
@@alexmcfly276 look it up the have been finding them for 20 plus years
My great uncle was a tunnel rat in the last number years of the Vietnam war. He REFUSED to talk about that stuff. It’s crazy