The last meeting in Xeo Quit

Updated date: 04/16/2025 05:25:35

DTO - In April 1975, the situation between us and the enemy in our province changed rapidly.

Implementing the March 1975 Resolution of the Sa Dec Provincial Party Committee (now Dong Thap Province), the army and people in all places in the province not only developed the political forces of the masses, armed forces, and military agitation, but also continuously attacked and rose up to break the enemy's grip, remove outposts, and mobilize to disintegrate the enemy ranks - here are some highlights:

Tourists visit Xeo Quit Relic Site (Photo: MX)

On the night of April 5, 1975, Cao Lanh town's armed forces fired shells at the enemy artillery position in Quan Khanh, damaging three 105mm cannons.

In Kien Van, we launched a surprise attack to take Ca Tac post, captured 8 AR-15 guns, 1 M.79, and forced the withdrawal of Xang Xeo post.

South of the river, on the night of April 7, 1975, we attacked two sub-regions, Tan Khanh Tay and Tan My, forcing the withdrawal of Muong Khai post.

On the night of April 9-10, 1975, our commandos destroyed Hoa Khanh bridge in the inner city of Sa Dec, cutting off the traffic route from Sa Dec to Vinh Long and cutting off sections of Highway 23 and 13.

On the night of April 19, 1975, we withdrew from Ca Duc post in Phong My. The guerrillas were stationed on Nguyen Van Tiep A canal and the Long Hiep guerrillas were stationed west of Highway 30.

South of the river, the 441st Security Battalion, after clearing the Lap Vo area, was disorganized and had to return to Tan Duong to consolidate. Meanwhile, the 417th Security Battalion in Cao Lanh was defeated and disbanded, and its name was erased.

The village and hamlet police were in great panic. Cu in My Xuong, Phat in My Hoi, and the Chief of Police escaped.

In the attack in early April 1975, our province killed 117 enemies, wounded 220, captured 41, seized 63 guns, and caused 234 enemy desertions. Notably, the local commune and hamlet forces were able to remove the enemy's outposts.

And in the spirit of victory, young people from all over the province, young people who had escaped the enemy and were drafted, and even civil defense deserters, volunteered to join the armed liberation forces. In Chau Thanh district alone, 200 young people joined the hamlet guerrillas, and 60 young people joined the district and provincial army. Each commune's Party cell urgently built up an attack force and uprising in its area.

On April 15, 1975, at Xeo Quit base, the Standing Committee of Sa Dec Provincial Party Committee held a conference to receive the order of General Offensive - General Uprising from the Central Bureau and the Regional Party Committee. Secretaries of the District Party Committees: My An Pham Van Thanh (Hai Hon), Cao Lanh Dinh Phuoc Hai (Tu Nam Son), Kien Van Vo Chi Cong, along with leaders of the Military Committee, Security Committee and provincial branches attended.

In the upper left corner of the hall hung two maps of the South and Sa Dec province. Vo Thai Hoa - Chief of the Provincial Party Committee Office sat there working with the radio always on listening to Voice of Vietnam, Liberation Radio and Saigon Radio. Whenever there was news of a province being liberated, Thai Hoa would use a red pencil to cross out that province. The delegates in attendance were talking and laughing heartily.

After reviewing the situation in the whole region and in the province in recent days, the conference assessed the revolutionary situation changing rapidly in our favor. The enemy was trying to recruit soldiers, mobilize troops, and plunder rice and money, but in a state of moral decay and organizational collapse, it was impossible to resist. Comrade Nguyen The Huu - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, with a cheerful face, commented that the Resolution of March 1975 of the Provincial Party Committee had not been a month yet, but many targets were no longer suitable and had to be adjusted. He pointed out the advantages and shortcomings of the past, criticized the place where there was still a mentality of waiting, relying, and coyness, not daring to mobilize the masses, and affirmed that although the enemy's forces were still large, they still occupied towns, cities, waterways and roads, and densely populated areas with many assets, their spirit was confused and collapsed, making it impossible to resist. Our situation was on the rise, we had to seize the opportunity to intensify the three attacks on the enemy to definitely gain the final victory. The conference discussed all aspects enthusiastically, reached consensus, and determined to build a three-pronged force of armed, political, and military attacks with the stance that 1 day equals 20 years, carrying out the task: The province liberates the province, the district liberates the district, the commune liberates the commune, because in reality, our province does not have a main force of the region or area, so we must be completely self-reliant. Going into details, the province will take charge of liberating the two towns of Cao Lanh and Sa Dec, My An district will liberate My An sub-region, Kien Van district will liberate Kien Van sub-region, and Cao Lanh district alone will liberate the Tran Quoc Toan Military Training Center and Doi Me quarter. Each commune will solve the goal of dividing sub-regions into its own commune...

At the end of April 15, 1975, the meeting continued on the night of April 15, discussing many more specific matters. The District Party Committee Secretaries returned to urgently deploy at their level and assigned District Party Committee members to deploy absent communes, helping the communes with plans and measures to liberate their localities. The meeting also discussed mobilizing private tractors to plow the land to help newly evacuated people return to their hometowns, clearing the land for the upcoming rice crop. The Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee assigned female comrade Nam Mai to openly travel south of the river, to inform the Southern River Front Command about the spirit of this meeting. Over there, there was comrade Tran Anh Dien (Tam Be) - Standing Committee member of the Regional Party Committee directly commanding the southern river battlefield.

The meeting lasted until dawn on April 16, 1975. The delegates took a break, washed their faces, cleaned up, had breakfast, and then returned to the meeting. A red banner was hung on the front wall of the hall, with white letters cut out and pasted: Ceremony to receive the XXX order (the symbol for General Offensive - General Uprising). Above was the Party flag and a portrait of Uncle Ho.

The delegates were very happy and moved, sitting cross-legged on two rows of wooden boards lining the hall. After reading the order of the General Offensive - General Uprising of the Central Bureau and the Central Southern Region Party Committee, all delegates raised their fists: "I swear". Comrade Nguyen The Huu loudly declared as if taking an oath: "This is the last meeting in this Xeo Quit hall. The next meeting must be in the liberated town of Cao Lanh".

Right at the meeting, Comrade Muoi Long - Standing member of the Propaganda Department was assigned to write an oath calling on behalf of the National Liberation Front Committee and the People's Revolutionary Committee to send to the people and soldiers in the province. The appeal was written and approved at the conference and immediately sent to the printing house on wax paper, printed immediately and sent to all places. The full text of the appeal is as follows:

CALL

OF THE NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT COMMITTEE AND THE PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE OF SA DEC PROVINCE

Dear Sa Dec compatriots and soldiers!

The whole South of us is living through the most intense and exciting moments of the revolution. The attack and uprising of our entire army and people to punish the Thieu puppet regime for sabotaging the Paris Agreement is achieving extremely great victories. In just one month, we have wiped out the enemy in 16 provinces and are continuing to encircle and destroy the enemy in the remaining areas. In our home province, the army and people of Sa Dec have also achieved great victories, destroying over 150 posts and liberating many large areas. The puppet army and government have been seriously destroyed and disintegrated, and are on the verge of total collapse, unable to resist.

The time has come to rise up and overthrow the reactionary Nguyen Van Thieu regime and take all power into the hands of our people!

The urgent sacred task of our entire army and people now is to rise up, attack, attack and rise up with a stormy momentum, continuously and relentlessly until we achieve complete victory.

Dear Sa Dec compatriots and soldiers!

Before this final battle to liberate the South and unify the country, the People's Revolutionary Committee of Sa Dec province urgently calls for:

All compatriots in the province, liberated areas as well as areas controlled by the enemy, religious areas, towns, regardless of men and women, young and old, religion as well as secular, unite and rise up in arms to seize power. Those who have guns will use guns, those who don't have guns will use knives, spears, sticks, eliminate the stubborn villains, break down the control, remove all the police stations, destroy and disintegrate the enemy's forces, and together liberate completely our hamlets, villages, wards, towns and cities. For a long time, the Hoa Hao religious compatriots have been controlled by the US-Thieu, who have exploited them harshly, and their religion has been trampled on painfully. This is the only opportunity for compatriots to rise up to save their religion and save their lives. Resolutely resist the enemy's conscription and mobilization of troops, urgently call on relatives still in the enemy's ranks to turn their guns and join the people in the uprising to seize sovereignty.

The people's armed forces of liberation should raise high the uprising flag of the historic Go Quan Cung, continuously attack the enemy's lair, strike hard and quickly finish, and coordinate with the uprising of our compatriots.

Soldiers, officers, and policemen still in the US-Thieu ranks must clearly recognize the situation, not die with Thieu, immediately end their dark lives, turn their guns and make achievements, and coordinate with the people to rise up. Hesitating and stalling at this time is self-harm and offending the Fatherland and the people.

One day is equal to 20 years! Time is power! Seize the opportunity, rush forward, we are determined to completely liberate our beloved Sa Dec province.

With the tradition of the indomitable Mekong Delta, the heroic Dong Thap, with the indomitable spirit of the Admiral Kieu and Thien Ho Duong, our entire army and people bravely advance!

Victory is certain!

April 15, 1975

That call was the sound of war drums, the sound of trumpets urging the entire army and people of the province to charge forward, respond to the Ho Chi Minh campaign, attack the enemy, and contribute with the army and people of the South to completely liberate the South and liberate the province.

Nguyen Dac Hien

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/chinh-tri/cuoc-hop-cuoi-cung-o-xeo-quit-130733.aspx