Sixty years have passed, but the heroic spirit of the Van Tuong victory still resonates in the hearts of the officers and soldiers of the 5th Military Region's armed forces and the Vietnamese people. The battle was not only a resounding military victory but also a testament to the intelligence, courage, and unwavering will of our army and people. From the heroic land of Mount An and the Tra River, that victory has become a symbol of revolutionary heroism, and an endless source of inspiration for the 5th Military Region's armed forces today to continue their work, steadfastly in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Looking back at history, after the resounding victory at Ba Gia, the 1st Regiment of the 5th Military Region marched to Van Tuong village (Binh Hai commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province; 17km southeast of Chu Lai base; now Van Tuong commune, Quang Ngai province) to consolidate forces, train, and prepare for the next operation. However, the American forces in Chu Lai discovered the presence of the Ba Gia Regiment there. They quickly organized Operation "Starlight" to sweep through and destroy our forces.

Major General Le Ngoc Hai, Commander of Military Region 5, encourages forces participating in training for the A80 mission. Photo: TUYEN HUAN

Major General Le Ngoc Hai, Commander of Military Region 5, inspected combat readiness work at Battalion 699, Da Nang City Military Command.

At dawn on August 18, 1965, following intense artillery bombardments from naval gunboats at sea combined with air strikes, the US military deployed a large force of four Marine battalions and one armored battalion to launch a massive attack on Van Tuong from four directions. This was the first time in history that a mobile main regiment of Military Region 5 directly confronted the US expeditionary forces—the most modern and battle-hardened army at the time—under extremely unfavorable conditions: the unit's weapons and equipment to counter tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft were very limited; its combat experience against the US was almost nonexistent; and the regiment was still consolidating after the Ba Gia Campaign.

In that critical situation, Regiment 1 closely coordinated with local armed forces and the people, making full use of the terrain of the villages and hamlets, the system of trenches, fortifications, and bamboo ramparts to hold its ground. The troops proactively engaged in close combat, hand-to-hand fighting, and independent unit operations, maintaining the secrecy of their formations. Wherever the enemy advanced, the troops resolutely intercepted them. The spirit of solidarity between the army and the people, and the will to fight and win, forged in the fires of battle, became an unparalleled strength.

After more than a day of fierce fighting, at dawn on August 19th, our forces secretly withdrew from Van Tuong in a position of advantage. As a result, we eliminated over 900 enemy soldiers, shot down 13 helicopters, and destroyed 22 tanks and armored vehicles. Meanwhile, the US forces, despite proactively choosing the battlefield, time, and tactics, and possessing overwhelming superiority in numbers, weapons, and equipment, were unable to achieve their objective of "searching and destroying" our main forces and suffered heavy losses.

The center of Van Tuong commune, Quang Ngai province. Photo: TUYEN HUAN

Changes in Van Tuong, Quang Ngai province. Photo: Tuyen Huan

The victory at Van Tuong affirmed that our army and people were fully capable of defeating the modern, elite American army, even when they had superior numbers, firepower, and mobility. This was a significant milestone in the maturity of the armed forces of Military Region 5, leaving behind valuable theoretical and practical lessons, especially the lesson of leveraging the combined strength of people's war, building firm political resolve, unwavering determination, resourcefulness, creativity, courage, and overcoming difficulties to achieve victory.

Half a century after the war ended, on the heroic land of Van Tuong, the local Party Committee, military, and people have been upholding the tradition of unwavering resilience and solidarity, working together to build a prosperous, beautiful, and civilized homeland. Building on the heroic spirit of the past, and upholding the glorious tradition of "self-reliance, overcoming difficulties, enduring hardships, resourcefulness, creativity, tenacious fighting, and glorious victories," the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 5, along with Party committees and commanders at all levels, have focused on leading and directing the building of strong armed forces in the Military Region, ensuring political strength, absolute loyalty to the Party, and devotion to the people; steadfastly pursuing the goal of national independence linked with socialism; strictly adhering to the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws; and building strong, comprehensive, "exemplary and outstanding" agencies and units, successfully completing all assigned tasks.

The lessons of military art from Van Tuong continue to be creatively applied in the current force building, training, exercises, and combat readiness, namely: building a standing force at all levels that is "lean, efficient, and strong," a militia and self-defense force that is "strong and widespread," and a reserve force that is "powerful and high-quality"; always upholding the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, avoiding complacency and underestimating the enemy, and preventing passivity and surprise in all situations; combining traditional fighting methods with modern warfare; improving physical fitness, technical and tactical skills, linking management and discipline, and building a regular system; making breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, and effectively managing and exploiting weapons and technical equipment.

At the same time, the armed forces of Military Region 5 maintain close ties with the Party committees, authorities, and people of the localities; coordinate with other forces to contribute to maintaining political security, social order, and safety in the areas where they are stationed; build a national defense posture linked with a people's security posture; do a good job of mass mobilization, participate effectively in the construction and development of socio-economic affairs, poverty alleviation, improving the material and spiritual lives of the people, and building a solid "people's support" posture.

The 60th anniversary of the Van Tuong Victory is an opportunity for every officer and soldier of the Armed Forces of Military Region 5 to recall the glorious traditions, express gratitude to the heroic fighting and sacrifices; to awaken national pride, patriotism, self-reliance, and self-strength; and to continue steadfastly on the path of building and defending the Fatherland. The Van Tuong Victory is not only a milestone in the history of the resistance war against the US, but also a vivid testament to the strength of military-civilian solidarity, to Vietnamese military art, and to the unwavering resolve of the Armed Forces of Military Region 5. The battle thwarted the US's plot to "search and destroy" our main forces in the early days of direct US involvement, proving the invincible power of people's war. The echoes of this victory further inspire the Armed Forces of Military Region 5 today to always be ready to fight and firmly defend the Fatherland in all situations.

Major General LE NGOC HAI, Commander of Military Region 5

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/nghe-thuat-quan-su-vn/am-vang-chien-thang-van-tuong-841643