The Ho Chi Minh trail was a network of roads built from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia to provide logistical support to the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War. It was a combination of truck routes and paths for foot and bicycle traffic.

The name, taken from North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh, is of American origin. Within Vietnam, it is called the Đường Trường Sơn, or Truong Son Road, after the mountain range in Central Vietnam.

The United States could not block the Ho Chi Minh trail with ground forces, because the countries it passed through were officially neutral. Extensive aerial bombing did not prevent the North Vietnamese from moving hundreds of tons per day of war supplies down the Ho Chi Minh trail to the south.

On November 11, 1968 Operation Commando Hunt was initiated. The goal of the operation was to interdict men and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, through Laos into South Vietnam. By the end of the operation, 3 million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos, which slowed but did not consistently disrupt trail operations.

See also

• Vietnam war
• guerrilla warfare