11/08/2023 13:17
Although we have heard a lot about the miracle of this tunnel, this time we got to see it with our own eyes and hear it when we visited and explored Vinh Moc Tunnels with the Provincial Journalists Association Delegation on a field trip to Quang Tri and some provinces in the Central region. Visiting Vinh Moc Tunnels, we felt the endurance of hardship, the endless creativity and the brave fighting spirit of the army and people of Quang Tri during the war years.
At 7am on a day in late July, the car took us from Dong Ha city, following National Highway 1A to the North, then turning onto a small road down to the sea to Vinh Moc Tunnels, located in Vinh Moc village, Vinh Thach commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province, 7km north of Cua Tung beach. On the road shaded by cool green bamboo, perhaps few people know that during the period from 1965 to 1972, in a plan to expand the destructive war, with the goal of destroying this land without life, the US army and its henchmen rained down hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs and ammunition on Vinh Linh. According to statistics, from 1964 to 1972, the US imperialists dropped more than half a million tons of various types of bombs on Vinh Linh. Among them, there were types with great destructive power and damage such as digging bombs, drilling bombs, cluster bombs, and napalm bombs. On a land area of less than 820 km2, more than half a million tons of bombs and shells had to be endured. On average, each person in this area had to endure 7 tons of bombs and 10 cannons.
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From tunnel number 1, we followed the tour guide deep into the tunnel. As we walked, the tour guide introduced and warned us to be careful not to get lost or fall into deep holes.
According to the introduction, Vinh Moc Tunnels has a dome-shaped tunnel system measuring 0.9m x 1.75m and 2,034m long. The tunnels have 13 entrances, including 6 leading to the hill, 7 leading to the sea and 3 ventilation shafts.
Vinh Moc Tunnels are divided into 3 floors: Floor 1, 8 - 10m above ground, 421.82m long. This floor is used for combat maneuvers and shelter. Floor 2, 12 - 15m above ground, 508.08m long, is where villagers live and floor 3, 20 - 23m below ground, 130.35m long, is used as a warehouse for food and weapons for Con Co Island as well as serving the combat of the army and people of Vinh Moc Tunnels.
Along both sides of the tunnel, 1.8m deep and 0.8m wide, there are small compartments, which are rooms for families of 3-4 people to live in. In addition, in the tunnel there is also a hall with a capacity of 50-60 people, used for meetings, watching movies, performing arts and some other works such as: bulletin board, maternity ward, 3 water wells, toilets, surgery station, infirmary, kitchen (Hoang Cam kitchen). During the fierce war years, 17 children were born here.
Vinh Moc tunnel also has a system of trenches connecting the tunnel villages and tunnels together, creating a continuous “tunnel village system” throughout the entire area. From 1965 to 1968, the entire Vinh Linh district dug 2,098 km of trenches.
Trenches not only help to avoid casualties from bombs and bullets with small destructive power and radius of damage, but also help people to move around in time to serve the fight more flexibly. Therefore, this trench system was dug throughout the villages and communes in Vinh Linh district at that time. The trench system connected from house to field, from one tunnel to another, from one village to another, from one commune to another. The trench system in Vinh Moc Tunnel at that time was not only used for pedestrians but also for bicycles, even animals such as buffaloes, cows, and pigs could move under the trenches to prevent and reduce the risk when bombs and bullets fell.
With such great historical values, since 1976, Vinh Moc Tunnels have been recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic; in 2014, it was recognized as a Special National Relic.
Manh Thang
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