Ho Chi Minh Trail Facts
for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting information, history and
facts on Ho Chi Minh Trail for kids.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts for kids
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts -
1: The
Vietnam
War started
on November 1, 1955. Fighting began between the
anti-communist, pro-American
forces of
Ngo
Dinh Diem in South Vietnam against the communist
North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong guerrillas led by
Ho Chi Minh.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 2: The Ho Chi Minh
Trail grew out of a network of footpaths, trails and
small roads that had been employed by Viet Minh
guerrillas, led by
Ho Chi Minh,
during their 1946–1954 struggle against French colonial
rule.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 3: When the Vietnam War broke out
the communist military forces of North Vietnam began employing the
Truong Son Road to infiltrate men and supplies through Laos and into
the U.S. backed South Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 4: The first US combat troops
were sent to Vietnam in March 1965. The Americans nicknamed the
Truong Son Road the 'Ho Chi Minh Trail' after the communist leader
of the North Vietnamese.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 5: The Geneva Accords had aimed
at neutralizing Laos from the conflict as under the terms of that
agreement neither the United States nor North Vietnam were permitted
to conduct ground operations within Laos. The North Vietnamese
ignored the agreement violating Laos's neutrality.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 6: The Ho Chi Minh Trail became a
lifeline to the communists and was essential to its military
operations in South Vietnam when, in 1965, the South Vietnamese navy
succeeded in cutting off the sea route from Haiphong that had
supplied some 70% of the supplies to the communist forces operating
in South Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 7: The trail was
essential to the success of the North Vietnamese as the
route enabled the communist forces to escalate the war
below the 17th parallel dividing North and South
Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 8: The trail was used
as a sanctuary in Laos from which communist forces could
attack South Vietnamese targets. The trail was also used
for bases to store and shelter trucks, repair depots and
for the storage of food and distribution facilities.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 9: What was the
length of the Ho Chi Minh Trail? The trail stretched for
9,940 miles through the neighboring countries of Laos
and Cambodia and into Southern Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 10: The inhospitable
Vietnam terrain was extremely difficult to fight in. The
terrain consisted of jungles of trees with vines, bush,
mountains, sharp ridges, deep valleys, river deltas,
flooded paddies and plantations.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 11: The remote trail
and its off-shoots were almost impenetrable. The dense
canopies of trees made it almost impossible for the
pilots of high-speed, high-flying jets, and even the
low-flying helicopters, to see the trail.
Continued...
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts for kids
Facts
about the Ho Chi Minh Trail for kids
The following fact
sheet continues with facts about Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts for kids
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 12: The security and integrity of
the Ho Chi Minh Trail was of vital importance to the strategy of the
North Vietnamese and was protected by anti-aircraft guns, some which
were equipped with radar. Numerous scouts and troops were deployed
along the trails to protect against land based enemy incursions.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 13: The trail also had secret
intricate interconnecting tunnel systems with concealed entrances that
were used as underground medical and
rest centers that provided shelter for the communist troops. Radio
and telecommunications facilities were also available and the
tunnels provided excellent hiding places for food and weapon caches.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts -
14: The North
Vietnamese ensured that they kept the advantage of the
dense terrain and the vital trail by ensuring they were
kept well hidden. Thousands of Vietnamese constantly
worked on the maintenance, security and new trail
constructions.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 15: Various camouflage techniques
were employed to maintain coverage of the Ho Chi Minh Trail such as
weaving together treetops to hide what lay beneath. Trees and plants
that were cut down during operations were re-planted to maintain
coverage of the trails.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 16: The American response to this
problem was to employ chemical warfare and used defoliants, the most
famous being
Agent Orange,
to kill off the greenery that gave cover to those using the Ho Chi
Minh Trail.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 17: Between 1963-1973, B-52
bombers dropped over 388,000 tons of napalm on concentrated areas of
the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Napalm was a highly destructive, flammable,
sticky, gasoline-based gel. The napalm cleared out over 1 million
square yards of foliage.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 18: Hundreds of
classified, covert missions were made along the Ho Chi
Minh Trail in Laos in order to identify targets and
calling in air strikes.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 19: The United States
introduced the Igloo White program 1966 - 1971 aimed at
installing a vast network of costly sensors and remote
sound surveillance systems along the trails to detect
communist troops and vehicles. The operation was
responsible for locating and destroying thousands of
vehicles along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 20: The sound sensors
used in the Igloo White program were equipped with
self-destruct mechanisms but the North Vietnamese were
often able to destroy the devices or deactivate them by
removing their batteries. The communists also used
tape-recorded truck noises to deceive their enemy.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts - 21: The Americans
fought a hi-tech war in Vietnam, using B52 bombers,
artillery, helicopters, napalm and defoliants but
despite this were unable to defeat the guerrilla tactics
employed by the communists. The impenetrable Ho Chi Minh
Trail played a major role in the US decision to withdraw
from the Vietnam War. The last non-combat US troops left
Vietnam on March 29, 1973.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
Facts for kids
Ho Chi Minh Trail - President Dwight Eisenhower Video
The article on the Ho Chi Minh Trail provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events
in the Vietnam War during his presidential term in office. The following
Dwight Eisenhower video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 34th American President whose presidency spanned from January 20, 1953 to January 20, 1961.
Ho Chi Minh Trail
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Facts about the Ho Chi Minh Trail for kids and schools
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Summary of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in US history
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The Ho Chi Minh Trail, a major
event in US history
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Ho Chi Minh Trail, Agent Orange and Napaln
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Fast, fun facts about the Ho Chi Minh Trail
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Ho Chi Minh Trail secret tunnels
● Ho Chi Minh Trail for schools,
homework, kids and children |