10 Strangest Vietnam War Unsolved Mysteries

10. Ghouls Of The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War posed a new challenge for the US military. They were built and trained for the style of mechanised war that happened in Europe during WW2. This jungle warfare was not something they were originally prepared for. Add on the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong and you’ve got a problem.

One of the ways that the soldiers overcame this was by hiring local guides. However, there were dark corners of the jungles not even they would tread; what were they afraid of?

These locals would talk about “Ma” or phantoms in certain parts of the jungle. One tribe, the “Montagnard” spoke of reanimated corpses drinking blood and eating organs. The U.S. commanders were quick to dismiss them.

In 1965 reports started to come into U.S. command. Patrols were seeing ghostly figures in the jungles; they had fangs and black eyes. Some troops were even going missing. In one report, a soldier was saved from a creature that was impervious to bullets. Some conspiracy theorists even believe that this was the key reason behind the use of Agent Orange and flame throwers.

Most of these claims can be rationalised as men being killed by the Viet Cong and hallucinations in a high-stress environment. However, if you’re a soldier in a jungle, miles away from home, you may just start to believe these stories.