The DMZ tour was good. One could join a group tour for about $25 or you could hire your own guide and driver for $110. I went with the second option. Worth the extra dollars to have control of things rather than being cattled along.
A number of stops along the way. But, the most interesting was Khe Sanh Combat Base. There is virtually nothing left as the land has been turned into coffee plantations.
However, they have a visitors’ center, some static displays of hardware likely trucked in from someplace else, some, what appears to be original perimeter wire and remnants of bunkers.
About 5,000 Marines were here for about 6 months or so and for much of that time were cutoff by 12,000 or so NVA. Supply and even eventual evacuation occurred by air. Both sides claimed victory. Although, at the end of the battle it was the communist forces that occupied the valley after the Americans had left.
1968:
Original perimeter wire and bunkers:
Some static displays:
At the little town by the road (Route 9) that leads to Khe Sanh, was this monument to the battle:
