"Red address" on the Serepok River

Báo Đắk Lắk•11/06/2023

08:36, 11/06/2023

Now 88 years old, Lê Xuân Bá, former Commander of the 470th Division (12th Army Corps), still feels a deep sense of pride and emotion whenever he recalls the Trường Sơn Road. Exactly 50 years ago, he and his comrades successfully built the ferry crossing the Sêrêpốk River, now a special national historical site and a significant landmark in Krông Na commune (Buôn Đôn district).

The Ho Chi Minh Trail, also known as the Trường Sơn Road, was a strategic military transportation network running from North to South Vietnam, passing through Central Vietnam, Lower Laos, and Cambodia. This transportation system played a crucial role in supplying troops, food, weapons, and equipment to support the South Vietnamese Liberation Army and the People's Army of Vietnam throughout the 16 years (1959-1975) of the war against the United States.

Mr. Le Xuan Ba recounted that, at the beginning of the 1973 dry season, the 4th Regiment, 470th Engineering Division (Truong Son Command), under his command as Division Commander, was ordered to participate in opening the Truong Son Road, the section from Highway 19 into the Southern Central Highlands, in order to ensure the crossroad leading to Buon Ma Thuot; repairing and opening more forks and ferry crossings on the Serepok River, in preparation for major campaigns.

Mr. Le Xuan Ba (third from the left) during a visit to the Serepok River Crossing - a special national historical site.

The road construction needed to be carried out with secrecy, adhering to the principle of "leaving no trace, cooking without smoke, and speaking without sound," all for the purpose of transporting food, medicine, weapons, and personnel to the South for combat. Therefore, from the dry season of 1973 to May 1975, he and his comrades directly participated in the construction and defense of approximately 80 km of the Truong Son Road, from Gia Lai to the Serepok River ferry crossing; in particular, on the section flowing through the Serepok River, in Krong Na commune, the unit simultaneously fought and constructed various items: ferry crossings, underground docks, and bridges to allow tanks, cars, artillery, and infantry to cross the river.

Mr. Bá shared that, back then, to cross the Serepok River, his unit built a floating bridge called LPP, about 80 meters long, using an innovative method of joining iron boats together to form a highly mobile bridge system; the bridge deck was made of wood attached to the iron boats to ensure safety. The completed structure was considered a crucial point, helping main army units, tanks, and motorized vehicles quickly cross the river, conduct military operations, and later participate in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975.

During the construction of the underground tunnel and bridge connecting the two banks of the Serepok River, the US and South Vietnamese air forces and artillery launched fierce attacks, resulting in the heroic sacrifice of 57 soldiers from the 4th Engineering Regiment and the 21st Infantry Battalion of the 470th Division.

For their outstanding achievements in combat, on June 3, 1976, the 470th Division and the 4th Engineering Regiment were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. Then, on December 9, 2013, the Prime Minister signed a Decision recognizing the Serepok River Ferry Crossing in Dak Lak province as a Special National Monument.

Mr. Le Xuan Ba and his comrades on a visit to the memorial monument for officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the Serepok River crossing.

Recalling the years of building the Truong Son Road, Mr. Le Xuan Ba shared that the soldiers of Truong Son always carried within them noble ideals, determined to open a path to the South to fight; the sweat and blood of the Truong Son soldiers soaked every inch of land along the Truong Son Road – the Ho Chi Minh Trail, along with the aspiration to complete the national liberation and reunification of the country.

Today, the Serepok River ferry terminal has been rebuilt and its landscape restored, making it one of the most valuable historical relics, a "red address" for educating about revolutionary traditions and promoting historical tourism for local people and visitors.

Nguyen Gia

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