People have said why didn't the U.S. just destroy the Ho chi Minh trail and cut off supplies and troops coming into South Vietnam , the U.S. spent10 years trying to just that there were many problems with the trail , one, it was a series of trails not just the one trail , two , many of the trails went through Laos and Cambodia this was a political problem , three , the North Vietnamese could repair the damage almost as fast as it happen .:sorry:
The 'Ho trail
Remington 1858
Active member
The Vietnamese guarded the security of the trail very carefully. New replacements coming South on the trail would stay at camps in the jungle along the trail. When they left a camp a guide would take them half-way to the next camp where they would be met by a different guide who would take them to the next camp and later half-way to the next. In that way a guide only knew the location of his camp. He didn't know where the previous or next camp was.
MikeP
Active member
It was a much bigger deal than that.
It was almost a superhighway in places.
There were paved areas and caches of road machines and laborers stashed for repairs.
There was a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, increasing over time.
There is a link that comes up sometimes going to a comprehensive study including many present day pictures.
The idea of a few little guys furtively sneaking along is not accurate.
That was the case in many areas and branches, but the main complex was more open and ongoing.
It was almost a superhighway in places.
There were paved areas and caches of road machines and laborers stashed for repairs.
There was a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, increasing over time.
There is a link that comes up sometimes going to a comprehensive study including many present day pictures.
The idea of a few little guys furtively sneaking along is not accurate.
That was the case in many areas and branches, but the main complex was more open and ongoing.