The jungle experience came complete with oppressive heat, jungle noises as well as thunder in the background.  The mannequins in this area are as follow:
NVA waiting  at the exit of the VC tunnel.
SOG Recon team US radio operator "One Two", part of the Gia-Vuc tribute display.
Marine Recon dressed in ERDL camouflage.
US Marine soldier wearing flack jacket and armed with the M14 rifle.
AATTV Australian  army soldier kitted out with Aussie equipment.
US "Grunt" line infantry, heavily loaded with equipment and armed with M16 and M60.
173rd US Airborne trooper showing the early OG107 stateside utility uniform (soon to be replaced by the jungle uniform).

The main entrance was situated in a hooch next to the "Juicy Luicy" bar.  Once in the small hooch , the public had access to the VC tunnel where they would have to crawl through a dark tunnel (mind the rubber snake!) to access the main VC chamber where a Viet Cong is emerging from a sub tunnel. The trip is in semi darkness with flickering lights dotted around.  The actual tunnel as been constructed above ground and has been disguised by display boards.  On the left, you can also see the entrance to the Jungle Experience for those not daring enough to experience the VC tunnel.

The Village

Another peaceful afternoon in Vietnam.  A squad of US soldiers on a patrol arrive near a Vietnamese village where they link with a four man observation Recon team sent the previous day.  There is no sign of enemy activity, but the village will have to be searched.  The squad goes in first followed by the Recon team, which establishes a security perimeter on the outskirts of the village. Once again, the search proves fruitless - no sign of the VC.

A small convoy is sent to pick up the squad, but as they prepare to fall back on the trucks, they (and the trucks) are taken under mortar fire and small arm fire from the outer edge of the arena. The only safe route appears to be the peaceful village, but as they start to return, VC emerge from everywhere within the village. Damn tunnels!. As this is more than the trucks, squad and Recon team can deal with, they call in the "big boys". An artillery fire mission is called on the village. Within a few minutes everything quietens down, the remaining VC "vanished" to fight another day. The US superior fire power have won the day on this occasion.

Most of the arena display thanks to Stuart Gould

Our Rolling Thunder Recon Team Beltring was born out of necessity!

The arena scenario was written for two line infantry squads, but on Thursday night we were told by the Beltring armourer that we was going to be pretty short on US weapons.  It was then decided, in order to even the fire power, to use some of the VC weapons on the US side. To keep accuracy, we replaced the 2nd squad with a Recon team and rewrote the scenario slightly. To make things more interesting, we used ERDL camo and  full combat gear, which included lightweight rucksacks and face paint for the RT team.  It was also nice to note that members from Rolling Thunder, the AIPS and the Air Cav groups, were all thriving to obtained 100% accuracy.

Rolling Thunder was very proud to welcome on their display the best French Indochina Living History group in France - 
Les Soldats d'Indochine.

This year the group had two "Infirmiere", one of which was wearing the uniform and beret of her grandmother who served in Indochina.  This group, like Rolling Thunder, does not portray a single unit but a mixture of the various branches of the French army, ie Para, Coloniale, Infantry, Legion, GCMA, Medical corps.