During the Vietnam War, the Viet Cong (VC), communist guerrilla troops, dug thousands of miles of tunnels to transport supplies, house soldiers, and surprise their enemy. Different design features in these tunnels included narrow angled walls, 50-foot drops to the tunnel, multiple levels, and camouflaged airshafts and entrances.

Despite their ingenuity the VC did not install electricity in the tunnels, instead creating light sources from a variety of materials. This tunnel lamp is an example. The lamp is created from a French perfume bottle, bits of paper, and an old grenade ring to hang it.