How the U.S. Army Utilized Fake Poop During the Vietnam War
Have you heard about these three inventions from the Vietnam War?
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Dairy farming in Denmark.
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Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzHow do the waxy coating on some fruits helps them survive different climates?
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Johannes Gutenberg developed one of the first printing presses in the mid-1400s.Media Editor: Lauren Sims
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Under U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy, the number of U.S. advisers to the South Vietnamese military rose from 1,500 to 15,000. From Vietnam Perspective (1985), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.In August 1964, in response to an alleged attack by North Vietnamese patrol boats on U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, the U.S. Congress authorized Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson to take any action necessary to deal with threats against U.S. forces and allies in Southeast Asia. From Vietnam Perspective (1985), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The search-and-destroy tactics of U.S. ground troops proved ineffective in the fluid guerrilla war waged by the Viet Cong. From Vietnam Perspective (1985), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.In March 1965 U.S. Marines landed at Da Nang, South Vietnam, and regular troops of the North Vietnamese Army continued to infiltrate into the South. From Vietnam Perspective (1985), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
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Transcript
Let’s explore some of the inventions that came out of the Vietnam War...
starting with the most useful:
“The Huey”
Before the Vietnam War ended, it had already made the U.S. Army’s HU-1A, nicknamed “the Huey,” the most recognizable helicopter in the world.
Originally intended for use solely as a medical evacuation vehicle, the Huey’s frequently updated turbine engine eventually made it an aircraft of all trades, not only transporting the injured but also dropping soldiers into battle and firing machine guns and rockets.
The more than 5,000 Hueys active in Vietnam transported two million wounded soldiers over the course of the war...and brought fighters and firepower deep into enemy territory for air assault in the mountains.
Here’s where battlefield innovations get a little “out there.”
Excrement-shaped motion detectors
When the U.S. Army placed undisguised motion sensors in the jungle to track enemy movements, the sensors were inevitably found and destroyed.
To avoid detection, the Americans began disguising the sensors as animal excrement and dropping them from helicopters onto the jungle floor.
The Viet Cong and Northern Vietnamese Army wouldn’t stop to investigate animal waste, allowing the U.S. to track their movements by way of fake poop.
Finally...how did that happen?
“People sniffers”
In the U.S. Army’s efforts to detect enemy movements despite thick jungle cover, they began using General Electric’s XM2: a backpack cloud chamber that could detect ammonia, a key ingredient of human sweat.
Dubbed “people sniffers,” the XM2s didn’t just detect enemy sweat...they detected everyone’s, including the soldiers who used them.
And, when American soldiers did run into their opponents, the XM2s didn’t realize they could stop detecting sweat and continued to loudly alert their users that someone was nearby.
starting with the most useful:
“The Huey”
Before the Vietnam War ended, it had already made the U.S. Army’s HU-1A, nicknamed “the Huey,” the most recognizable helicopter in the world.
Originally intended for use solely as a medical evacuation vehicle, the Huey’s frequently updated turbine engine eventually made it an aircraft of all trades, not only transporting the injured but also dropping soldiers into battle and firing machine guns and rockets.
The more than 5,000 Hueys active in Vietnam transported two million wounded soldiers over the course of the war...and brought fighters and firepower deep into enemy territory for air assault in the mountains.
Here’s where battlefield innovations get a little “out there.”
Excrement-shaped motion detectors
When the U.S. Army placed undisguised motion sensors in the jungle to track enemy movements, the sensors were inevitably found and destroyed.
To avoid detection, the Americans began disguising the sensors as animal excrement and dropping them from helicopters onto the jungle floor.
The Viet Cong and Northern Vietnamese Army wouldn’t stop to investigate animal waste, allowing the U.S. to track their movements by way of fake poop.
Finally...how did that happen?
“People sniffers”
In the U.S. Army’s efforts to detect enemy movements despite thick jungle cover, they began using General Electric’s XM2: a backpack cloud chamber that could detect ammonia, a key ingredient of human sweat.
Dubbed “people sniffers,” the XM2s didn’t just detect enemy sweat...they detected everyone’s, including the soldiers who used them.
And, when American soldiers did run into their opponents, the XM2s didn’t realize they could stop detecting sweat and continued to loudly alert their users that someone was nearby.
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