U.S. sailors get glimpse of Vietnam War in tour of nation's for

CU CHI, Vietnam -- As the sound of gunfire exploded around them, the American sailors made their way through the jungles of Vietnam on Friday -- this time as tourists.

As they fired off AK-47s, crawled through dirt tunnels, and walked through a booby-trapped forest, the Americans touring the Cu Chi tunnels found echoes of the Vietnam War coming back to life.

"I've read a lot of this stuff in the past, but seeing it for real puts things in a whole new perspective," said Don Shrader, 31, of San Diego.

Shrader was part of the 200-strong crew from the USS Vandegrift, the first U.S. Navy ship to make a port call in postwar Vietnam. The frigate's journey up the Saigon River on Wednesday was a sign of how far U.S.-Vietnam relations have come in three decades.

Many of the sailors weren't even born when the Vietnam War ended in 1975 with the collapse of Saigon, capital of the U.S.-backed South Vietnam. The city was renamed for communist leader Ho Chi Minh.

On Friday, 18 sailors spent part of their last day of shore leave to see a bit of the history.

"This is the one tour I had to come on. I'd always heard about the tunnels, but you never realize how small it is," said Wayne Sherman, 31, of Bristol, Conn.

The Cu Chi tunnels, 40 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, were an underground labyrinth used by communist forces during the Vietnam War.

Built by hand, the tunnels stretched for more than 156 miles and included three levels, the lowest about 25 to 35 feet below the surface. During the war, as many as 6,000 guerrillas lived in the underground complex.

Dressed in a green camouflage uniform and sandals, guide Lai Van Bong pointed out the small trapdoor entrance. His audience laughed in dismay. But a few volunteered to try it out.

War tourism has become big business for Vietnam. At Cu Chi, some 500-600 visitors pass through daily, said guide Bong.

"Disneyland doesn't have nothing on this," said Chris Burns, 35, of Baltimore, as he emerged from a 100-yard-long tunnel, completely drenched in sweat.

"It's amazing that people stayed down there so long and adapted to this environment."