10 Strangest Vietnam War Unsolved Mysteries

The jungles of Vietnam were a dangerous place during the war. If the poisonous creatures or malaria didn’t get you, the traps laid by the Viet Cong would. However, when troops came back from patrols, they would tell their buddies of another danger.

The Nguoi Rung or rock apes as the GIs called them, were a race of bipedal ape-like creatures. Even before the arrival of American troops, there were legends of these creatures in the jungles. Standing at around six feet and covered in brown and black hair, these creatures were a fact of life to the local inhabitants. War tends to impact more than just humans, though.

With the arrival of the war, many areas considered remote were now regularly patrolled. Areas the locals stayed away from were now targets in this ongoing conflict. Reports from different American units stated that these apes usually moved in groups at dusk and dawn. They were also said to be not afraid of humans, watching patrols as they went by.

Unfortunately, these creatures were often mistaken for the enemy and fired upon. When angered, they would hurl rocks at their enemies, hence their name. Often these types of events are witnessed by one individual or group, but not these. Many people from both sides of the conflict reported the same sightings, with the behaviors and descriptions often matching up. While many people blame misidentification or the use of drugs, it is an unusual event.