Anyone who’s ever deployed can tell you there’s more to worry about in the field than just the enemy. While of course the North Vietnamese were the primary concern of American troops in the Vietnam War, just being in the jungle presented an entirely unexpected series of its own challenges… like giant centipedes.
Related: The story of US troops who think they saw Bigfoot in Vietnam
Rumors persisted about things like fragging, rampant drug use, and even the appearance of Bigfoot in Vietnam. But when U.S. troops weren’t earning the Medal of Honor while completely stoned, they were fighting off things that only previously appeared in their nightmares.
1. Giant Insects
As seen in the headline photo of this post, the creepy crawlers of the jungle have the space and the food necessary to grow to an insane level of terrifying. The guy in that photo is Scolopendra subspinipes, also known as the Vietnamese centipede, Chinese redhead, or Jungle Centipede.
It’s extremely aggressive, and its venomous bite hurts like hell, sources say. But the fun doesn’t stop with centipedes; giant scorpions were also known to bother American troops in bivouac.
2. Weaver Ants
Imagine you’re in some kind of tank or armored vehicle, busting down trees in the jungle, when suddenly, you bust down the wrong tree, one filled with a nest of red ants. In Vietnam, there’s a good chance those are Weaver Ants, who are highly territorial, swarm enemies, and spit acid. Now imagine you don’t have the protection of a tank.
These buggers were reportedly immune to the issued American bug spray. Given the choice between North Vietnamese or Viet Cong small arms fire and dealing with those red ants in the tank, tank crews would either bail on the tank or man the vehicle completely naked after getting rid of their ant-infested clothes. Weaver Ants were often referred to as “communist ants” because they were red in color and never seemed to attack the Vietnamese.
3. Debilitating Plants
American troops in Vietnam were sometimes lifted right up out of troop carriers and other vehicles by low-hanging vines that seemed innocent at first, but as soon as they were touched, constricted around an unsuspecting driver, grabbing them by the arms or neck. These became known as the “wait-a-minute” vines. But that’s just the beginning.
Vietnam’s most beautiful trees and flowers are also its deadliest. The appropriately-named Heartbreak Grass, Flame Lillies, and Bark Cloth Trees are all powerful enough to kill a human or cause blindness upon contact or accidental ingestion, which is more common than one might think. Twisted Cord Flowers, which are common in the jungles of Vietnam, were traditionally used for poison arrows.
4. Venomous Snakes
You know what kinds of animals love a hot, humid place with lots of shade? Reptiles and amphibians, both of which Vietnam has in droves. Vietnam has so many venomous snakes, American troops were advised to just assume they were all deadly—because most of them are.
The country is filled with Cobras, Kraits, Vipers, and more. The snakes that weren’t venomous were all giant constrictors, still very capable of murdering you in your jungle sleep.
5. Large Wildlife
Imagine being afraid of getting shot or blown up in Vietnam, only to be eaten by a tiger instead. It happened. Since we’re talking about giant jungle snakes, we should discuss the other giant creatures that inhabit the wilds of Vietnam. Southeast Asia is also home to aggressive tiger species, leopards, and bears. Yes, bears.
And those are just the traditional predators. There are also elephants, water buffaloes, and gaurs: giant cows who will go on a murder rampage that an M-16 isn’t likely to stop.
