1
00:00:21,679 --> 00:00:25,879
Speaker 1: The jungle of Vietnam has a heartbeat. It pulses through

2
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,760
the roots, the vines, the humidity that hangs like wet

3
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:35,359
blankets from the canopy. It hums like insects, cicadas, and

4
00:00:35,399 --> 00:00:40,000
the faint rumble of distant artillery. At night, it becomes

5
00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:46,560
something entirely different, a living organism that stalks, whispers, and

6
00:00:46,719 --> 00:00:52,359
hides things that daylight refuses to admit. Hill eight sixty

7
00:00:52,359 --> 00:00:56,159
eight rises like a broken knuckle above the quang Nam Province,

8
00:00:57,399 --> 00:01:01,240
a steep, fog drenched ridge claimed by both the Marines

9
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:08,000
and the jungle. Up there, the air changes colder, heavier,

10
00:01:08,519 --> 00:01:14,640
and the silence grows thick enough to choke on. Locals

11
00:01:14,799 --> 00:01:20,480
refused to climb at after dusk. They called it Nui

12
00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:29,480
Kuwah Nawi Zung translation Hill of the forest People. Most

13
00:01:29,519 --> 00:01:33,400
American soldiers didn't know the name, but they learned its

14
00:01:33,519 --> 00:01:39,480
meaning soon enough. June nineteen sixty eight, the rainy season,

15
00:01:40,439 --> 00:01:45,000
mud leeches, and a monsoon sky that never seemed to clear.

16
00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:50,359
A squad from third Battalion, fifth Marines made their slow

17
00:01:50,439 --> 00:01:56,280
push upward, boots sinking into wet clay, rifles slung but ready,

18
00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,319
radio chatter fizzled with static as the platoon crept along

19
00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:04,560
the ridge. The fog was so thick it seemed to

20
00:02:04,599 --> 00:02:10,199
swallow each man whole. Corporal Michael mac mc allister marched

21
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,599
at point, a solid kid from Ohio, built like a

22
00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,280
full back, with the eyes of someone who had slept

23
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:22,520
a full night in months. Behind him, Private Danny Ruiz,

24
00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,919
barely nineteen rosary beads hanging from his M sixteen stock,

25
00:02:28,759 --> 00:02:34,479
scanned the tree line with jittery precision. Feels wrong up here,

26
00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:39,840
mac Ruis muttered, Everything in this damned country feels wrong.

27
00:02:40,159 --> 00:02:45,120
Mack replied. The squad set up near a cluster of

28
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:51,400
moss covered boulders, forming a natural defensive position. Hill eight

29
00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,759
sixty eight gave them elevation, visibility and the sense, however false,

30
00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,199
of safety. But the jungle didn't like intruders, not here,

31
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,639
and the Marines weren't alone. Nights slapped down like a curtain,

32
00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:16,199
No stars, no moon, just the dark. The men sat

33
00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:23,080
in a semicircle of dim red lights, cleaning rifles, whispering jokes,

34
00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,319
and trying to ignore the heavy breathing of the jungle.

35
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:33,199
The radio hissed as Corporate Ellis adjusted the dial Then somewhere,

36
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:38,960
just beyond their perimeter, a branch snapped. The men froze.

37
00:03:39,639 --> 00:03:47,520
No one breathed. Another crack, heavy, deliberate halt. Mac whispered,

38
00:03:47,759 --> 00:03:52,400
raising his arm. The squad lifted their rifles in silent unison.

39
00:03:53,319 --> 00:04:00,599
Rus' breath hitched. Something large moved beyond the fog. Sound

40
00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,879
not a gunshot, not a grenade, A rock, a big one.

41
00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:12,400
It bounced across the ground, skidding to a stop near

42
00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:20,000
their fire pit. Ruis swallowed the hell you hear that, VC,

43
00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:27,279
don't throw rocks, Alice murmured. But something did. A low, chest,

44
00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:33,360
deep hoo ha echoed from the trees. It was no

45
00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:38,439
animal that they could recognize, not a tiger, not a boar,

46
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:46,839
not a gibbon. The sound felt almost human. Then another

47
00:04:46,959 --> 00:04:51,439
rock sailed overhead, slamming into a tree trunk with a

48
00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:57,480
deep thump. Bark exploded into the air. The marines scrambled

49
00:04:57,519 --> 00:05:04,759
behind cover shapes dark upright, silhouettes appeared at the edge

50
00:05:04,759 --> 00:05:11,959
of the fog. One, then two, then six. Their glowing

51
00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:18,040
eyes shine flickered like embers in the mist. Jesus, they're standing.

52
00:05:18,879 --> 00:05:23,600
Someone whispered, like like men. The fog thinned for just

53
00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,560
a moment long enough for the Marines to see what

54
00:05:27,759 --> 00:05:34,199
was stalking them. Tall shapes five to six feet, broad shouldered,

55
00:05:34,439 --> 00:05:39,279
covered in shaggy, reddish brown hair. Their arms hung long,

56
00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,720
almost to the knees. Their chests rose and fell with slow,

57
00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:51,319
angry breaths. The creatures stepped closer, bare feet, crackling twigs

58
00:05:51,319 --> 00:05:57,639
beneath them. Ruis's rosary beads shook in his fingers. Mac whispered,

59
00:05:58,439 --> 00:06:03,240
what what are the The creature in front, the largest,

60
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,040
let out a deep grunt and hurled a stone the

61
00:06:07,079 --> 00:06:11,240
size of a cantalope. It smashed against a boulder inches

62
00:06:11,399 --> 00:06:17,079
from Ellis's head. The Marines opened fire, not at the creatures,

63
00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:23,680
but overhead, trying to scare them off. The creatures didn't retreat.

64
00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:30,560
They roared, screamed deep resonant bellows that vibrated the men's

65
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,439
rib cages. Then they began to throw rocks, rained down

66
00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:42,639
like primitive artillery, sharp heavy projectiles that slammed into trees, helmets,

67
00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:48,680
and gear packs. One rock clipped Private Iverson's shoulder, knocking

68
00:06:48,759 --> 00:06:53,759
him onto his back. Whole fire, Mac shouted, knowing that

69
00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:57,639
bullets ringing through fog could ricochet or hit their own

70
00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:04,560
men just keep their distance, but the creatures circled them,

71
00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:11,439
moving in coordinated arcs. Something primal and intelligent pulsed in

72
00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:19,560
their actions. Not random violence, but tactics, territory warnings. What

73
00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:26,839
doll we do? Mac whois whispered, voice crackling, Hold the line.

74
00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:32,360
The jungle erupted. One creature rushed forward, roaring so loud

75
00:07:32,519 --> 00:07:36,560
it drowned out the sound of gunfire. It slammed both

76
00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:41,600
fists into a tree trunk, splintering it. Leaves and dust

77
00:07:41,759 --> 00:07:46,759
rained down. A second creature leaped onto a boulder, chest,

78
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,040
heaving as if calling the others to advance. The marines

79
00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:56,920
unloaded rounds into the air. Tracer fire illuminated the fog,

80
00:07:57,879 --> 00:08:03,120
red white, and gold streaks slicing through the night. Through

81
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:08,519
that flickering light, the creatures became monstrous silhouettes, their hair

82
00:08:08,639 --> 00:08:13,160
whipping with their movements, their arms raised as they hurled

83
00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:18,680
more rocks from the shadows. Another left flank, Ella shouted

84
00:08:20,279 --> 00:08:24,279
mac spun, firing a three round burst into the dark

85
00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:30,480
to force the creature's back. Mac Ruiz cried. He pointed upward,

86
00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,039
directly above their position. A creature perched on a rock

87
00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:40,960
ledge crouched like a gargoyle. Its eyes glowed amber, its

88
00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:47,200
lips peeled back, revealing square, humanlike teeth. Ruis fired a

89
00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,919
warning round at its feet. The creature didn't flinch. It

90
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,360
lifted a massive stone and threw it with terrifying accuracy,

91
00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,639
striking Ruiz's helmet with a metallic clang that sent him

92
00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,039
spinning into the mud. Danny Mack scrambled a shield him,

93
00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:12,919
dragging him behind a fallen log. Ruis groaned, dazed but alive.

94
00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:17,639
The ridge shook with the thunder of the creature's roars,

95
00:09:18,159 --> 00:09:22,279
not just one, but a chorus. It sounded like ten,

96
00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:28,279
maybe fifteen of them, maybe more. This wasn't harassment. This

97
00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:33,200
was a territorial charge, and the Marines were deep inside

98
00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:38,799
their domain. Mac we gotta pull out, Ellis shouted, reloading,

99
00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:44,600
we stay, we die. He wasn't wrong. The creatures moved

100
00:09:44,639 --> 00:09:50,360
with unnerving coordination, flanking both sides of the ridge. Rocks

101
00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:54,600
smashed into the bowlders around them like mortar fire. The

102
00:09:54,679 --> 00:10:01,080
Marines were pinned down by completely unconventional warfare. Primitive, yes,

103
00:10:01,639 --> 00:10:07,120
but overwhelming. Fall back point. Charlie mac ordered the men

104
00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,639
fired suppressing shots into the trees, not aiming to kill,

105
00:10:11,919 --> 00:10:15,919
but to create distance. The creatures backed off for the

106
00:10:15,919 --> 00:10:22,320
first time. Startled by the concentrated fire, Move, Move Move,

107
00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,600
the squad fled down slope, boots sliding in the mud,

108
00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:34,120
helmets rattling. The creatures followed at the distance, howling through

109
00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:42,600
the fog. Ruiz limped beside Mac, still dazed. Are they

110
00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:48,480
Are they chasing us? No, Mac said, breathless. There escorting.

111
00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,120
The creatures trailed them only so far until the Marines

112
00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,440
passed a line of ancient moss covered stones that formed

113
00:10:58,519 --> 00:11:03,679
a strange natural boundary in the terrain. As soon as

114
00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:08,480
they crossed it, the jungle fell silent. The roarers stopped,

115
00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:14,039
the rocks stopped flying. The creatures vanished back into the mist,

116
00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:20,399
like ghosts. It was their territory, their hill always had been.

117
00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:27,679
At dawn, the Marines returned to base camp bruised, scraped

118
00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:34,000
and shaken. Ruiz had a concussion. Iverson's arm was in

119
00:11:34,039 --> 00:11:39,440
a sling helmet dense and smashed gear told the story

120
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:46,159
better than any words. They fled into the commandant, exhausted

121
00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:51,720
and covered in jungle debris. Colonel Harrington, a hard nosed

122
00:11:51,759 --> 00:11:56,360
officer who hated superstition, listened to their report with a

123
00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:01,399
neutral expression. You are telling me, the colonel said, slowly,

124
00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:08,080
that a group of what apes attacked you on a

125
00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:14,879
ridge with no documented primate species larger than a macaque.

126
00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:21,759
Mac stared back, jaw tight, Yes, sir, and they walked upright,

127
00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:29,440
Harrington added, and threw rocks. Yes, sir. The colonel folded

128
00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:35,360
his arms. Marines, you engaged in a firefight with shadows,

129
00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:43,360
stress animals. Nothing more, but the dented helmets on the

130
00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:49,559
table said otherwise. Ruis reached into his pocket and tossed

131
00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:55,000
a strange object onto the desk, a stone, polished smooth

132
00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,600
as river glass, but with deep, finer grooves set into

133
00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:06,120
its side, too deep, too wide. Harrison picked it up, frowning,

134
00:13:07,039 --> 00:13:11,080
where did you get this? Ruis whispered. One of them

135
00:13:11,159 --> 00:13:17,879
dropped it, silence soaked the tent. Finally, Harrington placed the

136
00:13:17,919 --> 00:13:23,759
stone down, as if it were radioactive. This incident, he said, quietly,

137
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:30,120
did not happen. Understood. The Marines nodded, but none of

138
00:13:30,159 --> 00:13:36,080
them believed it. Because they had seen the eyes, heard

139
00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:41,639
the roars, felt the rocks smash around them. They knew

140
00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,279
exactly what they encountered on the hill. Eight sixty eight.

141
00:13:48,399 --> 00:13:53,759
Years after the war, veterans gathered in bars, VFW halls

142
00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:59,799
and reunions. The topic always came up. Eventually, someone would

143
00:13:59,799 --> 00:14:03,399
goli glants over their shoulder, lower their voice, and say,

144
00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,759
you remember those damn rock apes, and every man who'd

145
00:14:08,799 --> 00:14:14,360
been there, truly been there, would nod slowly, eyes distant.

146
00:14:15,759 --> 00:14:20,679
Some swore the creatures were relic commends. Others believed they

147
00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:26,200
were undiscovered primates. Some thought they were something in between.

148
00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:31,360
Most simply said they were real. I don't care what

149
00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:37,039
anyone says. In Vietnam, the jungle hides things. Even today,

150
00:14:37,879 --> 00:14:46,679
the locals still whisper about Nui Kua Nui Zung, the

151
00:14:46,799 --> 00:14:51,399
Hill of the forest People. But on one fog drenched

152
00:14:51,519 --> 00:14:56,480
ridge in nineteen sixty eight, that hill, with those forest people,

153
00:14:56,879 --> 00:15:02,200
they didn't hide. They fought. The Marines who survived that

154
00:15:02,399 --> 00:15:07,080
night carried the memory forever. The night the creatures stepped

155
00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:12,039
from myth into reality, roaring from the shadows and hurling

156
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,320
stones with the strength of ten men. The night the

157
00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:20,639
Marines of three five fought a battle they were never

158
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,559
allowed to report. The rock Ape Boar of sixty eight,

159
00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:32,639
Hill Ate sixty eight never gave up its secrets, not

160
00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:37,000
to the scientists, not to the brass, and certainly not

161
00:15:37,159 --> 00:15:41,000
to the men who tried to leave it behind. Long

162
00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:46,399
after the war ended, the jungle reclaimed the ridge, vines

163
00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:52,200
swallowed the foxholes, moss blanketed the boulders, and the fog

164
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,200
rolled in just as thick as it did in sixty eight.

165
00:15:57,519 --> 00:16:01,679
Locals still avoid that place, and those who live near

166
00:16:01,759 --> 00:16:06,159
it say the nights are never truly quiet. Every so

167
00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:12,399
often a hiker reports strange echoes, heavy footsteps where no

168
00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:18,039
trail exists, or the crack of a rock hitting stone

169
00:16:18,159 --> 00:16:23,279
in the dark. Some say it's just the jungle playing tricks.

170
00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:29,159
Others believe the forest people still guard that hill, just

171
00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:34,399
as they did the night those marines crossed the wrong boundary.

172
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,600
Whatever the truth is, the men who survived carried one

173
00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:47,519
certainty home with them. Something was there, something powerful, something alive,

174
00:16:48,559 --> 00:17:00,440
and the jungle has never been quick to forget. Here

175
00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,960
we are again, at the end of another journey through

176
00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:07,640
the strange and the unexplained. To Day's dive into the

177
00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,680
rock apes of Hill eight sixty eight reminds us that

178
00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:14,559
some mysteries don't fade with time. They just wait for

179
00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:18,880
the right story teller, Thanks so much for spending part

180
00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,839
of your day or night here at Bigfoot's wilderness. If

181
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,759
you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out my

182
00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:31,680
friend Dave over at We're Bigfoot Roams. He's got some

183
00:17:31,759 --> 00:17:36,640
great stories worth your time. Until next time, keep your

184
00:17:36,640 --> 00:18:11,119
eyes open, your mind curious, and wanders safely. He