The ''Ho Chi Minh Trail''

By Crusader1307

One of the most effective logistic endeavors of The Vietnam War, The North Vietnamese Army created a major supply movement point through The Annamite Mountain Range which extended from North Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia, and into South Vietnam. Covering elevations between 1,500 to 8,000 feet, coupled with dense, often “Triple Canopied” Jungles – The Truang Son Trail was used to move 250-tons of equipment and day. Often used at night (to dissuade American Bombing Missions, it was nicknamed The “Ho Chi Minh Trail” by Americans (after North Vietnamese President Minh).

Thousands of NVA and VC Forces used The Trail. Often, the well known Underground Tunnel Complexes were interconnected to the Trail (which further undermined American efforts to shut down Trail usage). Developed from primitive Tribal Footpaths, The Trail evolved into a complex series of well concealed Forts. As many as 1,000 Soldiers Garrisoned the well camouflaged holdouts.

First used in Military applications during The French-Indochina War, the first usage against American Forces was during The Battle of The Ia Drang Valley in 1965, when large amounts of material were moved for deployment with NVA Divisions -  involved in their assaults against  The 7th US Air Cavalry. So determined, that during night Operations, thousands of wax candles were placed along The Trail for visibility.

Bombed regularly from 1965 to 1968, America even applied the deadly defoliant Agent Orange, in an attempt to denude The Trail. In a act of amazing determination, NVA and VC Forces would regularly cream off the soapy like County under from leaves and trees as a way of further exasperating American efforts.

Due to the majority of The Trails going through Laos and Cambodia, were supposedly Neutral, American Bombing Operations did not attack these Countries, until after US President Richard Nixon authorized Raids after 1971. However, even these attacks failed to close The Trail.

The Trail served as the primary transportation route for the eventual victory of North Vietnamese Forces in The War, by using it in their capture of The South Vietnamese Government Capital of Saigon in 1975. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 12,000 infiltration Forces used The Trail during The War.