Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. Hidden gardens, thorny fruit trees, cactus, weedy meadows of grain and so-called 3 Sisters (which were more like 27 plants, all grown in the same beds). When the Viet Cong were forced from their bases, they would rig their flags with explosives, which detonated when the US troops took them down. These booby traps were created based on the fact that US troops enjoyed capturing the flags of their enemies. Snares 10. Unless one had an ambush set up, my method outlined above would not be successful. Terrorists have been caught, most of the OTMs and M13, about 800 or so. [Low Tech But Very Effective] The Use Of Punji Traps During The Vietnam War With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. And, this has proved to work for untold centuries. The Vietnamese were used to poor quality water and werent put off by the presence of human and animal waste. How about building a moat with crocs in it, Ed: Nice idea but down here, they better be able to swim in dust niio, Another Great Article Mike. A more insidious trap featured spears pointed downwardso victims would be injured only when they tried to pull out of the trap. A group smuggling children over the river were caught and then so were several more. People did not forget and while he won the next election, he barely squeaked by. Like an old desert rat trold me many decades ago, If it aint got horns, thorns, or fangs, its poison Thats Arizona! Were a hundred miles north of the border, and probably better off than many in other, more northern states. Best of Luck to You and Yours. U.S. "tunnel rats" had to be specially trained to navigate and disarm these traps. I would NOT put out punji sticks unless it were truly a world without rule of law. . Garden beds are also an excellent option to consider partly because digging holes in them will not elicit any suspicion and will be the easiest to camouflage. Bamboo Pit Vipers were a common snake used by the Viet Cong. Required fields are marked *. Most nests have hundreds of ants. Cutting out a section of grass only to replace it over an open pit will result in that patch of grass drying out and turning brown. Bamboo whip: The whip was made of a length of bamboo under tension and covered with spikes (which were often poisoned). Personally I would also want a fall away floor at each doorway, and a 10 foot drop right onto those sticks. Harvester ants make nests outside the property, and can be controlled. A bamboo pole was attached to a tripwire and pulled back with a lot of tension. If you have desert sand, then the best one is Indian rice grass and Indian rush pea (a legume that gets tuber), timpsula (Indian turnip, a legume), and other things. Many German Americans and Italian Americans were also interned during WWII to prevent spying and sabotage which were real threats. The snakes were nicknamed "three-step snakes," because three steps was all you could make before the venom kills you. Punji Sticks 2. When even dem politicians are angry about something, it shows theyre frightened enough to act on behalf of honor and honesty. DONT BE A BOOBY The sticks were often jammed into camouflaged pits dug in areas likely to be passed through by American troops, which soldiers would then fall in to and become impaled. Now for a hand-count backed by repubs. Shamoo: Hitler said, I want to raise a generation of young people that will be void of a conscious, relentless, imperious, and cruel., We are socialists, we are enemies of todays capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are all determined to destroy this system under all conditions. Adolf Hitler, If there is no God, everything is permissible. Fyodor Dostoyevsky. niio. Terrifying Booby Traps Used In Vietnam War, That Scared US Soldiers The new Punji traps now conceal two victim steps on the trap the wire snaps and rows of iron spikes pierce his leg above the boot and enter his leg muscles from two sides. Occasionally the Viet Cong would dig pits beside each other, so when a soldier fell in and needed help, his colleague would then get trapped in the pit next door. Keep it natural. Swinging mace: The swinging mace was a spiked stump or heavy clay ball hidden in the trees above that was sprung by a tripwire. Producing a lot more food, as well. People in Kali-fornia are doing the same. One bite and a person is in agony. Plenty of cactus and jujube, citrus, wolfberries, and so on all covered with thorns. 12 Booby Traps For SHTF - ReadyToGoSurvival Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers. Good dogs, good trackers and guard dogs, as well. Like higher taxes to destroy the economy, they do love to feel our pain with munching on moldy cheese and bubbly vinegar water and probably the pickled anal glands of civet cats (Africas answer to the skunk Punji sticks were also used in Vietnam to complement various defenses, such as barbed wire. Punji stakes: made from sharpened wood or bamboo, these stakes became the staple of many VC traps. I said the dog needs to be put down. These devices are designed to inflict grave and serious harm and the deployment of these devices in any manner constitutes a criminal offense in most jurisdictions. A bamboo pole was attached to a tripwire and pulled back with a lot of tension. All of mine do which is why we call it our second religion! Tripwires would trigger the release of snakes hidden inside bamboo sticks. They were mostly made out of bamboo (though sometimes metal) in varying lengths and width, and had a simple sharpened spike on one end to impale its victim. Bamboo whips were another brutal booby trap employed by the Viet Cong. All of the species that inhabit our area are coping with a great deal of natural stress, severe anxiety, and ill tempers caused by the delirium of dehydration, extreme heat, natural selection laws, rap music, and their ingrained common sense, perfect knowledge, and surety that Epstein didnt kill himself. Even if fixed, hell always come home. Punji sticks were also used in conjunction with barbed wire, in tunnels and sometimes deployed in preparation for an ambush in areas where soldiers might be expected to take cover, thus impaling themselves in the process. The bow trap: A simple bamboo bow trap was a common VC tactic, particularly in the early days of the war. Cuomo is truly a man with out a soul. CC: Mom wrote to a senator who wrote that to her. A round of ammunition would be set with a nail underneath, to act as a mock firing pin, and a board placed overtop the hole to prevent enemy soldiers from detecting it in advance. an infection in the victim. Ordinary field pit latrines would rapidly contaminate the water sources and water table used by U.S. and nearby Allied forces. tripped by a hidden vine or wire to whip into and impale the victim. I like to plant rose bushes under my teenagers bedroom windows. Photo shows The Punji trap after being sprung. I agree to the Terms & Conditions Terms & Conditions. Or you can just scatter broken glass around to make a less than threatening scene that you might credibly think up an excuse for that still is a fairly effective barrier to invasion by foot. Oops, there's been an error. And, IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOURE IN RANGE. "Vietnamese 'Face Knocker' Punji Pressure Trap. The war against communist mines and traps was one of the most significant aspects of the Vietnam War. One could always set it up to re fill the hole once um used, ahem! It pays to have a little land around you to spread the intruders. According to the Australian Ministry of Defense, around 11% of all deaths and 15% of injuries in the Vietnam War were due to booby traps. The Punji sticks trap is another homemade booby trap that you can make with materials lying around your house. Mount razor blades to stakes that you can drive into the pits sides, which will cut a limb that falls through. Punji Stakes: Pointed End to a Foot Patrol - HistoryNet The FEMA Death Camps: Where Will They Take You? Peace. Editors Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and subscriber rewards. All rights reserved. What this brings us to is the border. Punji Sticks. They also booby trap foxholes and shell craters while withdrawing so a second tenant runs the risk of being a dead tenant. this border problem has gone on for almost a century, since Mexico slaughtered any and all Christians and other religious people in 1922, the Cristeros Wars. When a creature steps in the square, the trap catches and holds the leg. Punji sticks would be placed in areas likely to be passed through by enemy troops. A broken wine bottle that only has the neck and shoulders broken off can be buried partially in the ground to imitate a punji stick. I hope some read your posts and learn things they were not taught in school. This is always the reason for multiple casualties from a single booby trap. What we are discussing here is the situation where the police are totally non-effective and all goobermint activities have broken down commonly called in preppier parlance WORL (Without Rule of Law). During 1966 most American combat units created their own trap and mine warfare schools in-country. 1. The cartridge trap operated in a similar way to punji sticks, in that it was placed within a hole in the ground. After that, dig an appropriately sized pit. The disclaimer reads, in the absence of government and law enforcement., So once the government becomes a tyrannical entity it is no longer for the people, or citizens of the country and all other local and national agencies, bureaus or any organization that acts as an authority to uphold and protect its citizens will be fair game to this cool little contraption. We cannot stop the employment of these devices, but we can lower the casualty rate by knowing how to recognize, mark, and report mines and boobytraps. This Aint Over yet!! Then, cut several branches at least one inch in diameter and about a foot or so long. Mine warfare instructors of the 4thInfantry Division advised: Nothing that can be of value to the enemy should be left behind. Otherwise if you install punji pits and stakes, you are waving a red flag to be incarcerated for a considerable period of time even if no one is hurt. The Punji Stick trap has a long and bloody history with effectiveness matched by its simplicity. Punji Sticks are a classic example of a spike trap, which look a little more realistic vs the original spike trap. Icon of 1960s Britain: Who Was Mary Quant? Two cans were mounted on trees along either side of a path. niio, GW: Saw a few signs around here that were interesting. G.W. The tensioned bow, launching a poisoned arrow, was set off by a tripwire to strike the midsection of the victim. Even so, it is rarely discussed. Engineer reports and quickly discovered that American units in Vietnam were highly focused on water quality and sewage treatment. A female can eat food scraps but males should be let out at night, before dawn to hunt. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When Powell was in Vietnam, he fell victim to a punji stick booby trap. What this means is impeachment. Rediscovering Richard III with Matt Lewis, Rome and the Amalfi Coast with Tristan Hughes, How Rome Became the Sole Superpower in the Mediterranean, Charles Martel: A Heroic Leader of Medieval Europe. Sometimes the sticks were smeared with feces in order They have the advantage of always having a sharp point facing up. I think they even developed one that blooms all summer. LCC, Im right there with yaId rather not see the terrible things I firmly believe our country is about to experiencebut if Im still around Ill make the best of a bad situation. what can we do? Do not never ever mess with a grasshopper mouse. The weight of a soldier stepping on the trap would set off the cartridge and explode it into the bottom of the victims foot, causing painful and debilitating wounds. According to, The swinging mace operated in a very similar way to the bamboo whip, but rather than be attached to a stick, the spikes were on a heavy clay ball, which was triggered by another tripwire. Ive about decided dogs after my critters will be garden ferlizer. terrible wounds to a soldiers upper body. The simple trap is a . Punji Stake Trap (CR 1/2) - d20PFSRD Snakes were also hidden by the Viet Cong in soldiers packs, and sometimes tied into the branches of trees by their tails at face height. That is a psychological tool. . During my research into Viet Cong mine and boobytrap warfare techniques, one singularly bizarre element continued to show up in U.S. military reports: dung.