photo #7891614

An American tunnel rat about to enter a Việt Cộng tunnel with a suppressed revolver, Vietnam, 1960s.⁣ ⁣ During the Vietnam War, "tunnel rats" became the nickname for any engineers or grunts that either volunteered or were chosen to clear and destroy enemy tunnel complexes. Their motto was the Latin phrase, "Non Gratus Anus Rodentum" which translates to "Not Worth a Rat's Ass".⁣ ⁣ These tunnel rats held the most dangerous job during the war and many died while in the tunnels, either from a simple collapse or by booby traps, which involved punji sticks, venomous snakes, fire ants, scorpions, hand grenades and anti-personnel mines.⁣ Any experienced rat would have to be familiar with the architecture of the tunnel as it was full of twists, turns and dead-ends. If a trap didn't kill you, you could just as easily wind up being lost in pitch black darkness and slowly starve to death. The Việt Cộng would also build U-bends which could be flooded to trap and drown tunnel rats. U-bends were also used by the Việt Cộng to prevent gas and smoke from seeping into the entire tunnel network. Some tunnel rats went in with gas masks but most chose not to as it was harder to see, hear, and breath in the very dark and narrow tunnels.