During the war in Vietnamone of the most insidious dangers for American soldiers were the traps of Punji Sticks. It was about pointed sticks designed to inflict serious injuries to the lower limbs and force soldiers to stop, often with devastating consequences. The punji sticks were made up of poles of bamboo, wood or metal, which were planted vertically on a wooden base or directly into the ground. These sharpened poles came next hidden inside a holecovered by fake vegetation, leaves or dry branches, so that it was almost impossible to spot the trap.
When a soldier, unaware of the danger, stepped on the cover of the hole, his leg sank inside, being hit by one or more of the pointed poleswhich pierced flesh and bone, provoking very serious injuries and difficult to deal with in the field. These were often so severe that they made it impossible to continue the mission, forcing the soldier to be evacuated.
To make the attack even more deadlysome tips were covered with excrement animals or poisonous substances, whether of animal or vegetable origin. This enormously increased the risk of lethal infections And poisonings. Infections, exacerbated by the difficulty of accessing medical care in the jungles of Vietnam, could quickly lead to death.
In addition to these, the Viet Cong also had other traps at their disposal, such as bamboo whisks, improvised grenades with jars, pits full of snakes And spheres full of spikes swinging in the middle of the forest. As you may have understood, these defense systems were not only lethal, but they also destroyed the moral of those who survived, because the jungle is already a hostile environment, and what’s more the traps could kill you from one moment to the next.
