About 85km north of Hue, the so-called DMZ (or ‘demilitarized zone’), which separated North and South Vietnam from 1945 to 1975, was a 10km-wide no man’s land along the 17th Parallel at the Ben Hai River. Despite its name, the DMZ saw nonstop military action during the American War, as US dropped bombs and chemicals to impede progress of the North Vietnam’s ‘Ho Chi Minh Trail’ set up in the jungles to move troops south. In 1975, the area would have been bare – considering all the Agent Orange dropped to destroy the cover used by VC troops – but much vegetation has come back. But many landmines and unexploded bombs and plane wreckage lay in the grassy fields – some too dangerous to consider walking about, even 40 years later. Other than the Vinh Moc Tunnels, very few of the ‘sites’ here have a lot to see these days, but visiting the DMZ is an irresistible day-trip for those keen on learning more about the American War.
Places of interests: Hien Luong Bridge at the Ben Hai River, Doc Mieu Base (once part of US Secretary of State Robert McNamara’s elaborate ‘electronic wall’ south of the DMZ), the popular Vinh Moc Tunnels (one hour), Rock Pile (a former US marines’ look-out; drive-by), Dakrong Bridge, Bru minority village and Khe Sanh Combat Base & Museum (site of a bloody, napalm-bombing battle in 1968)
