The Vietcong press their advantage by leaning into their guerrilla tactics: they hide themselves in undergrowth so dense that the soldier can barely move through it. And they wait, with patience and discipline, until the American forces have come within killing distance to open fire. Then, like ghosts, they retreat into the night, leaving few clues about their whereabouts or indications of their next steps. Their terrifying, ghostlike ability to appear out of and disappear into thin air contributes to the difficulties the Americans face in meeting their military objectives in the country. And it serves to ratchet the soldiers’ terror to an even higher pitch.