Pour all our efforts into achieving complete victory at Dien Bien Phu.

Dien Bien Phu – where 70 years ago the resounding gunfire of the Vietnamese army and people rained down on the invading French forces, crushing the strongest fortified complex in Indochina and achieving a victory that "shook the world and resonated across continents." In this glorious milestone etched in the nation's history, Thanh Hoa province proudly contributed significantly in terms of manpower and resources to the victorious campaign.

Pour all our efforts into achieving complete victory at Dien Bien Phu. The wheelbarrow used by Mr. Trinh Dinh Bam, a civilian worker from Thanh Hoa province, to transport food supplies for the campaign, is on display at the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum.

Dien Bien Phu is located in the vast Northwest mountains, so General Navarre decided to choose it as the strategic battleground for the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring campaign. Navarre believed that Dien Bien Phu was a rugged mountainous province, far from the rear, making food transportation extremely difficult. He also calculated that each Vietnamese civilian worker—whom he often contemptuously called a "Viet Minh coolie"—could transport an average of 10 to 20 kg of food to the front lines, and that the entire journey would consume it, leaving only 0.8 to 2 kg remaining, insufficient for the campaign. In contrast, the French army, with its modern airlift, could deliver 5 tons of supplies to Muong Thanh Airfield in just 90 minutes.

As the French colonialists had calculated, the army and people of the entire country entered the war facing countless difficulties and challenges. Among these difficulties, the most prominent and pressing was the issue of logistics. How to adequately supply food, weapons, and ammunition to a large military force located 500-600km away from the rear for an extended period, under extremely difficult transportation conditions—having to build and repair roads simultaneously, with scarce and rudimentary means of transport, and with the enemy constantly conducting reconnaissance and bombardment—not to mention the harsh weather conditions of the northern mountainous region in late spring and early summer, often with torrential rains whose destructive power could be even greater than bombs and bullets. At the historic conference on January 26, 1954, the head of logistics for the campaign determined: "No matter how we fight, we must consider the ability to ensure supplies. Often, rice is the commander, the decisive factor." General Võ Nguyên Giáp also had to delegate command of operations to his chief of staff at one point, spending several days directly supervising logistics and discussing measures to quickly deliver rice to the battlefield.

With the spirit of "all for the front lines, all for victory," along with the rest of the country, the army and people of Thanh Hoa wholeheartedly focused on Dien Bien Phu. After receiving the plan from the Central Committee, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee held a meeting and issued a resolution emphasizing: "Concentrate all efforts on implementing the strategic policies and plans set forth by the Central Committee." The provincial Frontline Support Council was also quickly established to mobilize food and supplies, and at the same time, urgently built a system of warehouses and depots along the entire transport route, mobilized volunteer youth forces to open up Route 41 to Dien Bien Phu, repair roads, and build bridges for soldiers and civilian workers to reach the front lines.

Overcoming countless hardships in a region far from the front lines, facing a food shortage, and constantly harassed by the enemy, the cadres and people of Thanh Hoa, from the lowlands to the highlands, entered the Dien Bien Phu supply line with fervent enthusiasm. Along with the thorough struggle to reduce rent and interest rates, and the implementation of land reform, after the harvest, the people eagerly stored good quality, dry rice in warehouses. Day and night, mothers, sisters, and children milled rice and pounded it. Elderly people split bamboo, whittled strips, and wove baskets for supplies. People in coastal areas busily fished, made salt, and packaged food. People in mountainous areas cut wood and bamboo to build shelters, warehouses, and bridges. Workers in military factories worked tirelessly, determined not to let our soldiers on the front lines lack ammunition or weapons. Match, textile, paper, pharmaceutical, and printing factories worked overtime. Civilian workers prepared their carrying poles and eagerly set off.

On the logistical front, transportation was considered a crucial but challenging and complex task. The province assigned planning targets to each district and stipulated that districts north of the Chu River would deliver goods to the Cam Thuy warehouse cluster; districts south of the Chu River would deliver goods to the Luoc warehouse cluster (Tho Xuan). From these two warehouse clusters, the province established Transport Route 80, known as the forward transport route. Over 300 officials from various levels and sectors were assigned to manage numerous stations. A productivity-boosting emulation campaign was launched across all transport routes. A large rear area poured personnel and resources into the front lines to support the troops in defeating the enemy. Transport Route 80 in Thanh Hoa completed its tasks ahead of schedule and exceeded its targets, bringing the transport productivity of the entire route to 150% of the target, successfully completing its mission in the first phase.

On March 13, 1954, our troops unleashed a barrage of fire, destroying the Him Lam stronghold and Doc Lap Hill. The Party Committee supplying the front issued a call to arms: “Our guns have fired, our ammunition is indispensable. Our troops have fought, food is indispensable. Our army has advanced, we cannot stop.” Cadres, soldiers, and civilian workers from Thanh Hoa province poured all their strength into close coordination, working urgently, undeterred by hardship and fatigue, resolutely completing their mission. Entering the second phase of the campaign, despite having to focus on combating drought, thousands of civilian workers from Thanh Hoa still traveled through Hoa Binh and Son La to transport 1,000 tons of rice and 165 tons of food to the front, completing the plan by April 17, 1954, three days ahead of schedule.

Pour all our efforts into achieving complete victory at Dien Bien Phu. The convoy of cart drivers from Thanh Hoa transporting food and supplies to the front lines is recreated at the Dien Bien Phu Historical Victory Museum.

Phase 3 was the most intense stage of the war. The Central Committee assigned Thanh Hoa province to mobilize 2,000 tons of rice and 292 tons of other food supplies. This was a time of scarcity, with no remaining rice reserves and the rice not yet ready for harvest. The people of Thanh Hoa emptied their granaries to stockpile more rice to feed the troops. Everyone went to the fields to carefully select the ripest, golden rice stalks at the tips of the ears to ensure sufficient food for the battlefield. In Phase 3 alone, Thanh Hoa's civilian laborers transported 10,000 tons of food and supplies, along with tens of tons of weapons and ammunition, ensuring our soldiers were well-fed and victorious.

In summary, during the Dien Bien Phu campaign, Thanh Hoa province mobilized 34,927 tons of food supplies, exceeding the central government's target by nearly 7,000 tons. This included 1,300 cows, 2,000 pigs, 250,000 eggs, 150 tons of various beans, 450 tons of dried fish, 20,000 jars of fish sauce, and hundreds of tons of vegetables. The number of bicycles used for transport reached 16,000, along with 1,126 boats and 31 automobiles. History acknowledges the victory at Dien Bien Phu, acknowledging the significant contribution of these legendary "carrying women and men" (referring to the porters). Many Thanh Hoa laborers became renowned transport champions, such as Mr. Ma Van Khang, Mr. Cao Van Ty, and Mr. Trinh Ngoc, who are admired nationwide.

Not only was Thanh Hoa a major rear base providing food and supplies, but it also provided manpower to the front lines. In those days, the people of Thanh Hoa were everywhere filled with the fervent spirit of "all for Dien Bien Phu." As the campaign progressed, the demands of the battlefield increased, and more and more civilian laborers, volunteer youth, and new recruits joined the army. In all three phases of the campaign, Thanh Hoa mobilized 178,924 long-term and short-term civilian laborers, nearly 70% of the total for the entire campaign. The number of young men and women who enlisted was 18,890, equal to the total of the previous seven years. These sons and daughters of Thanh Hoa, with their feet climbing and shoulders carrying loads, were present in many main divisions directly advancing into Dien Bien Phu and participating in many battles against important enemy strongholds. Strong men and women followed closely behind the soldiers fighting in the trenches of Dien Bien Phu. Thousands of Thanh Hoa civilian laborers, after completing their duties on the front lines, volunteered to supply the troops right up to the battlefield. The heroic example of To Vinh Dien, who used his body to block a cannon, strongly encouraged his comrades to compete in killing the enemy and achieving merit. Many heroic martyrs, along with thousands of civilian workers from Thanh Hoa province, fell on the front lines. The blood of these men and women stained the roads, dyed the flag atop General De Castries' bunker on May 7, 1954, contributing to the immortal epic of heroism for all time.

"Now, wherever the Vietnamese language is spoken, the name Dien Bien Phu is also known. And wherever the name Dien Bien Phu is known, the people of Thanh Hoa also share in that honor." This is a well-deserved recognition by President Ho Chi Minh of the immense contributions of the army and people of Thanh Hoa, which have helped to embellish the glorious golden history of the Vietnamese nation.

Text and photos: Thu Vui

(This article uses some materials from the book "Thanh Hoa and the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu" (Thanh Hoa Publishing House - 2014) and "Collection of specialized press information and documents" (Thanh Hoa Provincial Library).

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