Every unknown corner in the dark

Image above: Lily going down a tunnel at Cu Chi.

A journal extract from 2017 Premier's ANZAC Spirit School Prize student Lily Bright  about our visit to the Cu Chi Tunnells on 4 October 2017.


I soon realised how truly terrifying it would have been

During the trip to Vietnam I had the most amazing time and I will never forget all of the fond memories I have of those action filled two weeks.  I made so many lifelong friends and experienced so many incredible things during the trip, learning life skills and gaining so much knowledge. I found it extremely hard to choose just one photograph from the trip as there are so many I could have chosen from with all of the amazing activities we participated in.

Something I really enjoyed on the trip was visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels where the soldiers used to live, fight and hide. I loved walking through all the snaking tunnels and networks which were so cleverly constructed. It was amazing to see that as we walked through the tunnels there were other tunnels which went off in different directions and that the area the tunnels covered was so large in comparison to what we actually saw. It was good that we got to experience things the soldiers did, like crouching down and shuffling through the enclosed tunnels, mosquitoes and the tropical climate which proved to be hot and humid, making us sweat and soaking through our clothes. The soldiers would have also experienced this, while wearing long and heavy clothes, weaponry and essential supplies. After going through the tunnels I soon realised how truly terrifying it would have been to be forced to go down and live in the tunnels for days, weeks or even months at a time, as I thought only a few minutes was bad enough. Just imagining how the soldiers would have felt as we walked through the tunnels was eye opening. They would have stumbled around in the dark, not knowing who or what was around the corner because they did not have flashlights from phones like we did. Every corner the soldiers turned would have been terrifying, not knowing who was ready to fire at them or what trap was set to viciously kill. I believe soldiers that lived, fought and hid in these tunnels were so courageous and heroic.