A few UXO/UXB pics from Vietnam

[collector74]

Pretty darn brand new this big one in QUANG BINH (QB) out near where the US would hit the bridge outside DONG HOI along the coastal white desert strip or also where at night Navy batteries would open up! I bet one of you here even dropped it! These can be pretty hazardous- on one occasion there was an NGO that dealt with large UXB (i forget the size) in QB that was right underneath the main North-South direction power line that had a chemical long delay anti removal fuse in it (no screwing around there putting that fuse in it!).

 

I would go with them out into QB onto areas connected to or out on the Ho chi Minh trail (HCMT) close to Laos (always needed special permission) and the lines of craters would still be there. Sticks of bombs and some UXB in between. When there was flooding sometimes many UXB were and are uncovered. The sheer amount of ordnance dropped in any area we were was shocking. The Army told me there was basically a bombing raid every 8-10 minutes.

 

FYI: Often the Bombs were cut open to repair the road during the bombing as every individual unit of say some 20 km was responsible for repair its own section of road so it wasn't like a truck drove all the way from HANOI to the SAIGON, most of it was carried on bicycles even so they said. If trucks were hit they would be pushed over the side- and they are still there today and some suitable sections of the road were covered by netting totally. Ordnance was simply removed and put onto another truck. I will show more photos of that.

 

They told me that as the veterans told them they'd take cover and listen for bomb sticks from Fighters and count how many exploded- if one was "missing" they would find it and cut it open to create road repair materials- often with nothing more than hand tools and wheel barrows or animals. If you travelled into the northern parts of QB we always had to stop and ask the protectors (those killed) of the road for permission to travel the road. I cant post photos of the places i was as they are sensitive area photos and it was always a drama to even be allowed there.

 

I used to use the google tool for Vietnam bases and look for our visit locations and what happened there or what was found and i seemed a lot of work to create "traffic jams" and knock out the vehicles in the said traffic jam. It was as well an honor to look up the names of pilots who went missing in these areas or near by. One nurse working on the HCMT was killed on the day my parents were married as well- quite a "contrast of worlds".  The USA THOR bombing data was also very interesting as to looking up grids although it think how it was populated was rudimentary as per what is "pin point accurate" on a specific location in 2023.

 

Anyhow enjoy. I will look up some BINH DINH photos later. 

 

 

Best REgards,

Pete