The mark of Thanh Hoa Police in the resistance war to liberate the South and unify the country

Photo source: Thanh Hoa Police

As a large province in the North Central region, Thanh Hoa holds a particularly important geographical and strategic position: it is both a direct rear base and a strategic transit point for the southern frontline. With a steadfast revolutionary tradition, the people and armed forces of Thanh Hoa in general, and the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police in particular, have deeply imbued the viewpoint that "The South is a great frontline, the North is a great rear base", always putting the task of serving the resistance first.

Since the early 1960s, Thanh Hoa Police have vigorously deployed internal security, anti-espionage, protection of technical facilities, vital traffic routes and important national defense projects. In particular, strategic transport routes through the province have always been the target of fierce attacks by the US Air Force. In that situation, the Provincial Police mobilized thousands of officers and soldiers to ensure the safety of these vital transport routes. From 1961 to 1975, Thanh Hoa Police selected, trained and sent more than 2,000 elite officers and soldiers to the South to perform special tasks. Among them, many were assigned to work at the Central Security Department of the Southern Department, the Southern Security Department, the police forces of Zone V, Zone VIII, the Southwest, Saigon - Gia Dinh, etc.

One of the typical examples is Comrade Tong Xuan Nhuan, former Chief of Thanh Hoa Police Department, who was mobilized to the Tri-Thien- Hue battlefield in 1967. In the fierce conditions of the battlefield, he directly built a network of secret bases, organized intelligence gathering, and coordinated with local armed forces to attack many important enemy targets. In recognition of his great contributions, the Party and State posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces - a shining symbol of the spirit, intelligence and bravery of Thanh Hoa police officers.

Many other Thanh Hoa police officers were mobilized to perform special operations and commando missions in key cities. Since 1972, many comrades operated secretly in Saigon, organizing many attacks on targets such as Cat Lai ammunition depot, Saigon Metropolitan Police headquarters..., contributing to disrupting the Saigon government apparatus before the G hour of the 1975 Spring General Offensive.

During the resistance war, Thanh Hoa was the site of many underground sabotage activities of the enemy. The provincial police force organized dozens of campaigns to fight against spies and reactionaries, firmly protecting domestic security. Typical examples include: suppressing riots in Ba Lang, Tinh Gia (now Nghi Son town); destroying the plot to establish a "kingdom" in Pu Nhi (Quan Hoa); suppressing the reactionary organization "Catholic Front" in Nga Son; destroying the organization "Vietnam National Revolutionary Party"; chasing and capturing a group of spies and commandos who parachuted into Cong Binh commune (Nong Cong)...

The provincial police also performed well the task of protecting state secrets, protecting strategic targets such as Ham Rong Bridge, Do Len, Ghep Ferry, Lam Son Mechanical Factory, Le Mon Port, Bai Tranh area - important logistics hubs supporting the South. In particular, the police force of coastal districts such as Quang Xuong, Hau Loc, Tinh Gia (now Nghi Son town) organized forces to prevent landing commandos, protecting the safety of coastal areas - where enemy planes often dropped commandos and spies. Not only contributing to decisive military campaigns, Thanh Hoa Police was also the core force in ensuring security and order in the large rear area of ​​the North. In the context of fierce war, maintaining political stability, protecting production, and protecting people's hearts were among the prerequisites for creating resources to support the front line. Many district and town police units have built mass movements to protect security, mobilizing the participation of the majority of the people in detecting and denouncing spies, reactionaries and acts of sabotage. From there, a solid people's security posture was formed, linking specialized forces with grassroots forces, creating an effective control network right in each village and hamlet. In March 1975, when the Central Highlands campaign opened the way for the strategic general offensive, many Thanh Hoa police officers marched with armed units to the South at lightning speed, participating in the main offensives. During the Hue - Da Nang liberation campaign, dozens of security officers from Thanh Hoa participated in taking over the government, protecting infrastructure, and maintaining security and order in the newly liberated areas.

In particular, during the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign, more than 200 Thanh Hoa police officers and soldiers, along with the main units, entered Saigon, participated in controlling strategic targets such as the Independence Palace, the Radio Station, the puppet government's General Staff, etc., directly took over public facilities, and organized the mobilization of the people to stabilize their lives. In the midst of the war, many Thanh Hoa police officers heroically sacrificed their lives. During the period of 1954-1975, the entire force had 54 officers and soldiers who left and never returned. After the complete liberation of the South, hundreds of Thanh Hoa police officers continued to stay, participating in building the police force in new localities such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Ben Tre, etc., becoming core cadres in the period of building and protecting political security in peacetime.

Those great contributions and sacrifices have been recognized by the Party, the State and the Ministry of Public Security with many noble awards: the Medal of Military Exploit, the Medal of Resistance, the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces for many groups and individuals. But above all, it is a sacred pride, a source of motivation for the generations of Thanh Hoa police today to continue to inherit and promote the glorious tradition of the heroic unit.

The anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30) is a sacred occasion to remember and pay tribute to the Thanh Hoa people who wrote the immortal epic in the journey of national liberation. In particular, the Thanh Hoa police force is forever a shining symbol of loyalty, bravery and the spirit of tireless dedication to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

Lieutenant General, Associate Professor, Dr. Dong Dai Loc

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dau-an-cong-an-thanh-hoa-trong-cuoc-khang-chien-nbsp-giai-phong-mien-nam-thong-nhat-dat-nuoc-247089.htm