North Vietnamese Army E-tool Entrenching Tool Shovel Named To An

Every NVA regular carried one down the HCM Trail. The NVA and VC were deathly afraid of aerial bombardment, mortars and artillery. They dug in everywhere. The Tunnels of Chu Chi were undoubtedly dug with one of these. Without one, their life expectancy went spiraling down due to the overwhelming ability of the US to mass firepower on NVA and VC concentrations. These were lashed down to the bottom of the rucksack, carried with a rope or less commonly carried in a belt worn cover made of leather (early) or canvas (later). One side has “An,” the owner's name, carved into the handle in order to insure he had his etool. The handle is still firmly in place. The blades were attached with rivets or spot welding.