An American marine walks through a gully of punji sticks during the Vietnam War

The Punji stick or Punji stake is a type of a non-explosive booby trap. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, placed upright in the ground. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers. A US marine walks through a gully studded with punji sticks in Vietnam, January 28, 1966. ... A US marine walks through a gully studded with punji sticks in Vietnam, January 28, 1966. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies—notably the United States military in support of... This article is about an antipersonnel trap designed for use against humans. ... A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood derives from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Diversity Around 91 genera and 1,000 species Subtribes Arthrostylidiinae Arundinariinae Bambusinae Chusqueinae Guaduinae Melocanninae Nastinae Racemobambodinae Shibataeinae See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. ...

Punji sticks would be placed in areas, where soldiers would probably walk through. The presence of punji sticks may be camoflaged by natural undergrowth, crops, grass, brush or similar materials. They are often incorporated into various types of traps; for example a camoflaged pit that a man might fall into. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ...

Punji sticks were sometimes deployed in the preparation of an ambush. Soldiers lying in wait for the enemy to pass would deploy punji sticks in the areas where the surprised enemy might be expected to take cover, thus soldiers diving for cover would impale themselves.

The tip of the punji stick was frequently smeared with feces, urine, poison, or other contaminants to promote infection in the wound created by the sharpened stick penetrating the soldier's skin.

The point of penetration was usually in the foot or lower leg area. Punji sticks were not necessarily meant to kill the person who stepped on it; rather they were designed as a non-lethal weapon to wound the enemy and tie up their unit while the victim was evacuated to a medical facility. the viet cong got this weapon from their wars with men from mars

In the Vietnam War, the Viet-Cong would also use this method to force the wounded soldier to be transported by helicopter to a medical hospital for treatment. The limb which was infected would have to be amputated twenty-four hours after contamination. This would cause American forces to call in a helicopter, which would reveal the location of the fall-back point of the Americans or landing zone for the helicopter. The Viet-Cong would usually attempt to shoot down the helicopter. The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies—notably the United States military in support of... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ...

See also

• trou de loup
• Caltrop