Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone

[1] Beginning in the west at the tripoint with Laos, it ran east in a straight line until reaching the village of Bo Ho Su on the Ben Hai River.

A temporary boundary, running primarily along the Ben Hai River was established pending elections, with the area on either side of the border declared a demilitarized zone.

[2] After war between North and South Vietnam broke out in 1955 – one year after the division – the DMZ hardened into a de facto international boundary.

Despite the DMZ's supposed status, 3rd Marine Division intelligence estimated that the combat strength of North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong (a nominally independent militant group aligned with North Vietnam against the South Vietnamese government) in the DMZ area in January 1968 was 40,943 troops.

[3] The North was ultimately victorious in the war and the Republic of Vietnam's government collapsed on 30 April 1975.

1969 map of the Demilitarized Zone
Photo taken from the north side of the DMZ at the Route 1 crossing. The guard tower on the left is a re-creation and spires seen in the distance through the arch are a new monument.
The Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam, March 1968, looking west toward Laos .