INDOCHINAEXPLORE
Whatsapp Facebook-messenger
Ride With Us

The Ho Chi Minh Trail: Then and Now (Part 4)

Devastation on the Ho Chi Minh Trail

the destroyed bridge at Sepon on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Multiple strikes destroyed the bridge at Sepon.
a crater north of Ban Bak on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bomb crater north of Ban Bak.
a heavily bombed river crossing on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A heavily bombed river crossing near Ban Laboy.
craters in the Ban Phanop choke point on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Bomb craters in the Ban Phanop Valley.
a devastated area north of Villabury on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Ho Chi Minh Trail north of Villabury. Notice the fresh crater in the middle of the photo.
a bomb crater south of Muong Nong on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bomb crater south of Muong Nong.
hundreds of bomb craters north of Bualapha on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Hundreds of bomb craters north of Bualapha.
a bomb crater at the base of the Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bomb crater at the base of the Mu Gia Pass.
the Falls choke point on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Falls choke point in far south Laos.
a bomb crater near the Mu Gia Pass on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bomb crater at the base of the Mu Gia Pass.
results of a series of B-52 strike on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The result of a series of B-52 strikes on the Foxtrot choke point north of Sepon.
a bomb crater in the Phanop valley on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bomb crater in the Phanop Valley.

Operation Igloo White

US seismic listening devices dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Thousand of seismic listening devices were dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail by the US as part of the elaborate 'Igloo White' program.
an Explore Indochina rider with a listening device near Sepon on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The idea was to listen into night time activity on the ho Chi Minh Trail to coordinate attacks in regions where the trucks were heard.
the sensors were dropped by hand over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Early in the war the sensors were dropped by hand over the Ho Chi Minh Trail
seismic listening device used on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Vietnamese counter measures included moving the sensors and starting up truck engines carried on bamboo poles to random locations each night.
seismic listening devices dropped by jet on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The sensors were dropped by jet later in the war as the Ho Chi Minh Trail became more dangerous.
Vietnamese soldier inspecting a seismic listening device on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
NVA soldiers became adept at finding and moving the sensors.
the base of the Igloo White Program in Nakhon Phanom in Thailand
The entire program was controlled by Task Force Alpha, located at an ultra secret base in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand.
the Igloo White computer
Technicians used the largest computer in the world at the time to analalys data received from the sesors to try and predict when and where the trucks were heading.

Logistics

an NVA officer leads an attack during Operation Lam Son 719 on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
An NVA officer, pistol in hand, leads a counter attack during Operation Lam Son 719.
the same pistol found in a scrap metal shop in Khe Sanh
A similar pistol found in a scrap metal shop in Khe Sanh.
a bandaged Vietnamese truck driver on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A bandaged Vietnamese truck driver on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.
an old steering wheel in a river near Ban Bak on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The same type of truck steering wheel can be seen in a river bed west of Ban Bak.
A NVA Vietnamese truck driver heads down the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
An iconic photo of a Vietnamese truck driver.
a truck steering wheel found in a scrap yard near Sepon on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A truck steering wheel found in a scrap yard near Sepon.
Vietnamese women carrying armaments on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Women accounted for a large percentage of the Ho Chi Minh Trail workers.
an artillery shell found by road workers while widening the Ho Chi Minh Trail north of Villabury
The same kind of munition was found by road workers while widening the Ho Chi Minh Trail north of Villabury.
a Russian BTR troop carrier
A Russian BTR troop carrier.
a BTR gun turret found in Muong Nong on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A discarded BTR gun turret found in Muong Nong.
Vietnamese soldiers digging with shovels on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Some 30,000 workers, many of them women, kept the Ho Chi Minh Trail open.
old tools found on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Simple tools, such as spades, picks and hammers, are commonly seen on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
a Vietnamese soldier with a pickaxe on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Many of the workers on the Ho Chi Minh Trail were 18 to 19 years old.
a pick head found near Ta Oi on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A pick head found near Ta Oi.
workers using mallets to install traffic signs on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Workers use mallets and hammers to install traffic signs on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
a hammer made from the clamp from a bomb
The small hammer to the right of this photo is made from a clamp taken from a US bomb.
Vietnamese soldiers in the Phanop Valley on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The Phanop Valley was a natural choke point because trucks where forced to drive through a small opening in the karst rock formations.
Explore Indochina riders ride through the Phanop Valley on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The karst in the Phanop Valley is visibly shattered by the relentless bombing that targeted it.
Vietnamese soldiers repair trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
At regular intervals along the Ho Chi Minh Trail were way stations which housed hospitals, repair stations and protective bunkers for the trucks.
a truck axle dragged out of the jungle south of Ta Oi on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
A truck axle dragged out of the jungle south of Ta Oi.
a way station on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
There were up to 70 such way stations, called 'Binh Trams', stretched out along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
truck parts found north of Kaleum on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Truck parts in the forest north of Ta Oi.
a bridge destroyed on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
Early on in the war all bridges in southern Laos were destroyed.
Explore Indochina riders next to a ruined bridge on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
The destroyed French bridge at Tad Hai.
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

More Galleries

Motorcycle Tours

Laos. Vietnam. The Himalayas.

Journal

History of the HCM Trail

Press

ADV Rider. MCN. Bike Magazine.

TV Appearances

Top Gear. Charley Boorman. The BBC.
Back to Journal >>

Ho Chi Minh Trail Laos

Conquer the Infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail

Ho Chi Minh Trail Laos Route Map - Explore Indochina
View Itinerary

Himalayan Adventure

Explore the Highest Roads in the Himalayas

Amended Himalayan High Motorcycle Tour Route Map - Explore Indochina
View Itinerary

Mongolia Adventure

Explore Mongolia's Open Steppes

Mongolia Motorcycle Tour
View Itinerary
BBC Logo
The Age Newspaper Logo
Channel 4 Text Logo
Bike Motorcycle Magazine Logo
Fox International Channels Logo
Motorcycle News Magazine Logo
Top Gear Logo
INDOCHINAEXPLORE

Tours

View All >>

Journal

View All >>

Locations

Legacy

Company

google-5-stars-rating
Home
View All >>
View All >>
INDOCHINAEXPLORE