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The Mystery of the Vietnam Rock Apes During The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was known as an unwinnable battle for the Americans given the landscape of the Vietnam jungles and the unconventional warfare that guerillas used. But were the Viet Cong soldiers and the environment the only things that US troops were fighting off?
Many US soldiers say another enemy was out there attacking them that took a non-human form. While none of these mysterious animals have yet to be discovered, US soldiers returned and gave testimonials about strange and large apes attacking them. These humanoid things were given the name rock apes because they reportedly threw rocks at the soldiers. Additionally, Viet Cong soldiers are also reported to have seen these apes.
But did they truly exist? Were American troops really fighting a non-human enemy deep in the Vietnam forests and swamps? Or did accounts simply exaggerate what was seen, making the story sound bigger than it was?
What are Rock Apes?
Rock apes are what we refer to as “cryptids,” or in other words, mysterious figures that take on supernatural features, like Bigfoot, the Lochness Monster, the Mothman, and El Chupacabra. People have accounts of seeing such things, but no one has been brave enough to prove their existence, and science has disputed any claims that they were ever around. Many would put aliens in that same category.
They got the name “rock apes” because American soldiers returned home and told stories that they saw these humanoids throwing rocks at them. They were described to look like hairy, Sasquatch-like apes ranging from three-to-seven feet tall and very muscular with long fangs.
Some described their hair as red and orange, while others described it more as dark brown or black. It was also said they appeared to have deformed human feet that resembled those of the cryptid Yeti.
Rock apes are not fearful of humans, unlike most animals, and were only reported to be found in remote jungle regions in high elevations. Their fearless nature led them to throw things at troops, including grenades.
Still, despite troops coming home saying they spotted them, many believe these are either hoaxes, misidentified animals, or simply just apes living in the jungles with exaggerated features. Initially, they were described as misidentified orangutans, though there are no orangutans in Vietnam. However, there are white-cheeked gibbons, which are unique-looking monkeys that spend most of their time in the trees. These gibbons, though, are much smaller than what was reported and lighter in complexion.
Monkey Mountain and Hill 868
“Monkey Mountain” was where most all of the rock ape stories and reported sightings originated. Situated near the Son Tra Peninsula, it was located near a U.S. camp where many battles took place. Another destination was Hill 868, a location where U.S. Marines positioned themselves to scout out enemy positions.
During a battle in 1966, there’s a story of a battalion and the captain radioing each other back and forth. A marine on Hill 868 reported over the radio that they were surrounded by a large group of apes who all of a sudden began throwing rocks at them. Later, he reported to the captain that they found some dead apes after a firestorm and hurling of grenades.
Another account was generated from a 1968 battle near Monkey Mountain. The 3rd Battalion of the 5th Marines would relay reports of apes hurling rocks at them in the jungle. The apes would position themselves up high to gain an advantage.
Another story came out from 1969 from the 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne who said they saw eight apes walking along the trail. When they fired into the air to try to scare them, they didn’t budge.
It wasn’t just the Americans who saw these humanoids. Viet Cong and South Vietnamese soldiers also reported sightings of rock apes, many of them near Monkey Mountain.
The Unsolved Mystery
Shortly after the Vietnam War closed out, the North Vietnam Communist Party Secretariat actually ordered an investigation into these things. While no rock apes were detected, respected ornithologist Dr. Vo Quy found lots of footprints that could resemble what the soldiers saw.
In 1982, another investigation was conducted by North Vietnamese scientist Tran Hong Vie, but he, too, only found footprints. Like Big Foot and other cryptids, there was no actual sighting to corroborate what soldiers had seen during the Vietnam War.
Another story came out from Vietnam Veterans stationed at an observation post called The Rock Pile, which included a minefield. According to the story, one night, a soldier got into a throwing contest with rock apes, and every time the apes would throw a rock, it got bigger in size to the point where it was almost like a bowling ball. Finally, they heard an explosion when one of the apes stepped on a mine and killed itself. However, no photos were taken.
Other stories have come out from Vietnam veterans just like this, but again, they’ve been hailed as just that–stories. While these witnesses claim they’re not myths, there’s never been evidence produced outside of footprints to corroborate what they’ve detailed. No photographs were ever produced to verify any rock apes are out there.
Experts have tried to argue these soldiers suffered a hallucination, perhaps from war trauma or drug use over there. However, there are too many accounts from both sides who have reported similar findings to write it off as false. Perhaps something is out there or was out there during the Vietnam War. Until proof is actually provided, it will continue to be a mystery.The post The Mystery of the Vietnam Rock Apes During The Vietnam War first appeared on History Defined.
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