European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 1965, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Tum tray april 13. To unharmed by air strikes Viet Nam Battlefield network of tunnels by Horst Faas Trung Lap. South Viet Nam a the tunnels spread like highways under the Forest  they were just As  smoke into that one the battalion commander shouted As a camouflaged Tunnel Entrance was  smoke grenade plopped in and a few minutes later outcome a woman and two children spluttering and  in the Viet Cong Village Northwest of Saigon other families were dragging themselves from holes punched deep into the hard Clay ground. Heavy air strikes had blasted thatched houses and surrounding Trees but the tunnels were relatively unharmed. The men who lived in the were unharmed also. Snipers was a frequent Crays bullets whined in among two battalions of vietnamese  guerrillas had ducked out of right As the government and Vance on the fortified Village  column popped the government halted the snipe nout and fired. One strike come exercise set Washington secs some19,000 members of the army and air Force an scheduled to participate in a . Strike come exercise Silver hand May my at. It Hood Tex. A prune objective of the exer Cise u to further develop joint operation tactics and techniques to insure that army and air Force strike units can de derisively with All types a contingencies from a show of Force to general War. The exercise will include selected ground forces of the i corps at it Hood a three Jet tighter squadrons and composite reconnaissance Squadron of the tactical come. Al All armoured Man Euver activity will be within the confines o the it. Hood training Cente according to Gen Paul d. Adani commander in chief omd. Of strike for communications and command and control functions 1 Sites will be established six Texas counties. Over Deputy director for exercise Silver hand will be in corps co. It Gen Ralph e. Rain eur who will serve alternately with maj Gen Don o. Darrow the air Force commander a joint Uuk Force commander. Air Force elements will be com minded by Mai Gen John Meyer uth air Force com minder. Us Rrolla was seen to be  troops raced Over he and is two companions fled leaving weapons behind. This is about the most frustrated terrain there is a is. Adviser complained  what do you do about hese tunnels 1the la regt from the 5th in. And the lit army so with 4 steel shod troop carriers had moved in on the Village fro the Ranger Camp of Trung Lap. An Accident the . Nor of Erv Atlon officer was injured As j i truck crashed nearly ruined he whole operation. Because of the delay ther oops were 90 minutes later Han the air strikes. Snipers read the Viet Cong snipers were ready when troops advanced across the hot Paddy Fields to an old rubber Plantation Are which served As Headquarters or Viet Cong  Forest was laced with ranches and tunnels some 20eel deep. It was hard going. Thea Mored vehicles crunched Over the Tunnel entrances without caving them in. We Haven t got enough troops secure this area and really blow up All these tunnels . Adviser said. The snipers had a few tricks up their sleeves. One was to shoot at armed helicopters Over Lead. This would bring bursts of ire in return sometimes right into Friendly troops. Dived tale Tunnel son these occasions the in Fantry dived into the tunnels and trenches the Viet Cong had built. Women and children dived i with them. Viet Cong mines were hanging rom Trees making Progress hazardous for tanks. And there were Large numbers of traps containing sharpened Sticks forthe feet of the unwary. Many attempts have Bee made to clean out this Tunnel Region which stretches for mile Between Saigon and Tay Nonh Aerial Defolia Ting has been use leaving the vegetation dead and  the Viet Cong suited their camouflage to the new con gluons and became just As diff cult to spots the infantry began moving out the order was Given to Bur everything behind them. They departed followed by a Wall flame. They were also followed by sniper. As the troops relaxed on the main Road the crack of a couple of bullets rang out and the soldiers dived for cover. Ill be glad to get out Here a . Adviser o rented. Com flight briefing first u m Perry a a of rms German army corps were the first Acnam