PAVN Local Forces Infantry Company

At the start of 1967, some 280,000 Viet Cong opposed 385,000 Americans, and in the previous year more than ten times as many Viet Cong had died. Almost always outgunned and without effective air or artillery support, the Viet Cong relied on their knowledge of local terrain and the element of surprise, with often deadly results.

The field commander of the Viet Cong forces Vo Minh Triet was born in South Vietnam to a family of farmers. When independence was declared by Ho Chi Minh in 1945 and then rejected by the French, Triet joined the resistance. The Viet Cong could almost never match American firepower, so Triet and his men relied on a combination of stealth and surprise, as well as their knowledge of the countryside. The Viet Cong dug elaborate tunnel complexes to use as safe bases, conducted hit-and-run attacks on Americans, and tried to avoid large-scale battles.