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The Ho Chi Minh Trail: Then and Now (Part 2)

Old Helmets

Dong Si Nguyen, the chief of staff for the 559 Engineering Corps in charge of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Dong Si Nguyen, commander of the 559 Engineering Corps, which managed the Ho Chi Minh Trail, meets with an anti aircraft gun crew.
old NVA helmets found on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A similar helmet was found in Ban Phanop Village.
Vietnamese AAA gun crews on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A NVA AAA gun crew defends the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
old helmets used to grow onions on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Old NVA helmets used to grow onions in Sengphan village.

Vital Interdiction Chokepoints

map of the Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Mu Gia Pass was one of three major entry points where Vietnamese trucks crossed over into Laos. Nicknamed the ‘Dog House', it was notorious with US pilots because almost 50 US planes were shot down there.
location of a pilot shot down over the Mu Gia pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
An F-4 Phantom jet, code-named Boxer 22, was shot down just south of the Mu Gia Pass, setting off one of the largest rescue operations of the entire war.
Ban Karai Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Ban Karai Pass was the other main route into Laos. Trucks had to negotiate the deadly Ban Laboy river ford and the Phu La Nik Pass.
cobblestones on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The original Trail cobblestones on the Laotian side of Ban Karai Pass remain to this day.
Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Mu Gia Pass.
original cobblestones of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
original cobblestones of the Ho Chi Minh Trail south of Ta Oi.
The Ban Laboy river ford was one of the most heavily bombed sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
The Ban Laboy river ford was one of the most heavily bombed sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
two US Vietnam veterans crossing Ban Laboy on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Two US pilots return with Explore Indochina to Ban Laboy.
The Dogs Head and Ban Laboy on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The area around the 'Dog's Head', which included Ban Laboy Ford and Ban Karai Pass, is reckoned to be one of the most heavily bombed places on earth.
bomb scarred rocks near Ban Laboy on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
This photo is from the perspective of the yellow arrow in the image to the left. The rocks still bear heavy scars from the bombing.
The 'Dog's Head' choke point on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Ban Laboy Ford, a set of two crossings visible in this photo, was a natural 'choke point' that US pilots targeted because the difficult river crossing was followed by the steep, exposed Pha La Nik Pass.
Explore Indochina riders looking out over Ban Laboy and the Dog's Head on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
This drone photo was taken from the perspective of the yellow arrow in the image to the left, looking down at the same set of shattered rocks. The small village is Ban Laboy.
the intersection at Lum Bum on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The intersection at Lum Bum, where Route 20, the road that crossed Ban Laboy Ford, met Route 128, the road that crossed over the Mu Gia Pass.
the Lum Bum intersection on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos today
The same intersection today.

UXO (Unexploded Ordnance)

cluster bombs attached to a bomber that will attack the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Cluster bombs are the most deadly type of UXO found in Laos.
an unexploded cluster bomb on the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Each canister contained up to 600 individual tennis-ball-sized cluster bombs.
a soldier transporting cluster bombs to be dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Over 270 million cluster bombs were dropped on Laos.
onions being grown in a cluster bomb shell on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Local people often use the cluster bomb casings to grow vegetables in.
an American bomber refueling over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Experts estimate that up to 80 million cluster bombs failed to explode in Laos and remain potentially lethal to this day.
a house supported by cluster bomb casings on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Cluster bomb canisters support a house in Senphan Village.
An A-1 fighter bomber ready to take off and attack the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Less than 1% of the remaining cluster bomb UXO in Laos has been destroyed. More than half of all the world's confirmed cluster UXO casualties have occurred in Laos.
a rice storage shed being supported with bomb casings on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Cluster bomb canisters prop up a rice storage shed near Muong Nong.
old cluster bomb in the jungle on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Between 1995 and 2013, the USA donated, on average, $3.2M per year towards UXO clearance in Laos. Compare that to the $13.3M (in 2013 dollars) spent every day for nine years while bombing Laos.
old cluster bomb on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The USA spent as much money in three days bombing Laos ($51M, in 2010 dollars) that it spent cleaning up Laos over 16 years ($51M).
standing by a piece of cluster bomb on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Tragically, unexploded cluster bombs are still a common sight in Laos.
a cluster bomb in a river on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Cluster bombs often end up in rivers and streams. The arrow points to a cluster bomb that is distorted by the camera's fisheye lens.
Explore Indochina riders with locals and their metal detectors on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
When the price of scrap metal gets high enough, local people use metal detectors to search for shrapnel and UXO.
children's book in Laos warning of the dangers of UXO
Local education campaigns inform children about the dangers of playing with UXO.
warning signs mark areas that are dangerous due to unexploded ordnance on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A common site in Laos are painted sticks warning people which areas are safe from UXO.
a sign warning of unexploded bombs on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Many UXO clearance teams operate all along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.

Flares

US airman holding a flare tube while flying over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Phosphorescence flares lit up the Ho Chi Minh Trail every night to assist bombing missions.
flare tubes in the dirt on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Local people cut the aluminum tubes in half and craft them into many useful objects.
US airman manually load flares while flying over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
AC-130 transport planes from the Blind Bat Squadron manually dropped the flares over the Ho Chi Minh Trail each night.
metal box in Laos made from flare tubes and UXO on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A suitcase made entirely from flare tubes and rivets from an old type of cluster bomb.
US airman handling flares over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Blind Bat missions were terminated in 1970 when the NVA started using radar-assisted AAA guns.
bucket made from flare tubes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bucket made from flare tubes found in Phanop Village.
plate made from a flare tube on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A food tray made from flare tubes.
tableware made from flare tubes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Eating bowls made from flare tubes.

Entertainment on the Ho Chi Minh Trail

graffiti in a cave south of the Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A Vietnamese soldier wrote this graffiti in a cave south of the Mu Gia Pass in 1970.
entertainment troupes on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Entertainment troupes traveled up and down the the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
graffiti in a cave south of the Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
This graffiti in a cave south of the Mu Gia Pass is a stanza from a popular song enjoyed by Vietnamese soldiers. It says, 'night and day I think of my loved ones from home'.
entertainment troupes performing for Ho Chi Minh Trail workers
Entertainment troupes performing for Ho Chi Minh Trail workers.

Big Guns

NVA soldier operating an AAA gun on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was protected by a formidable AAA network including the 100 mm KS-19 Russian anti-aircraft cannon.
shells found in the jungle west of La Hap on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Spent 100 mm rounds in an old bunker west of La Hap.
AAA guns on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Groups of five AAA guns would typically aim at a specific target box in the sky and only fire rounds when a US plane flew into it.
spent shells on the side of the road near Ban Laboy on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Spent 57 mm rounds on the side of the road near Ban Laboy Ford.
AAA guns transported on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
AAA guns transported by armored tractors
a destroyed, abandoned AAA gun near Muong Nong on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Like this one seen in Muong Nong.
Commander Dong Sy Nguyen inspects a 57 mm AAA gun team on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Commander Dong Sy Nguyen inspects a 57 mm AAA gun team.
The remains of an S-60 57 mm AAA gun in Dak Cheung on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The remains of an S-60 57 mm AAA gun in Dak Cheung.
A Russian DShK 12.8mm machine gun on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The DShK 12.8 mm machine gun proved an effective weapon against low flying planes.
An old 12.8 mm machine gun at the entrance of a motel in Muong Nong on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
An old 12.8 mm machine gun at the entrance of a motel in Muong Nong.
12.8 mm machine gun being operated by Vietnamese troops on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The DShK 12.8 mm gun could be used as a stand-alone unit or attached to armour.
spent shells in an old bunker north of Ban Bak on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Spent 12.8 mm shells found in an old gun bunker to the west of Ban Bak.
Picture of Digby Greenhalgh

By Digby Greenhalgh

Digby Greenhalgh is the founder of Explore Indochina, and a recognized expert on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All motorcycle tours are designed and guided by Digby.
Digby's Journal

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