Under the bombs and bullets, 187 soldiers of Division 10 - Corps 3 and the coordinated combat units heroically sacrificed their lives, contributing to the feat of opening the door to the plains...
In the historic March days on the Central Highlands front, right after destroying the puppet 23rd Division in Phuoc An - Chu Cuc, the 10th Division marched along Highway 21 to liberate Khanh Duong district (today's M'Drak commune).
With the plot to turn the tide, the Thieu government immediately sent the 3rd Airborne Brigade to occupy Phuong Hoang Pass, blocking our army's advance. The enemy's battle plan was very methodical, dividing into 3 defensive clusters over about 30 km along Highway 21 with the starting point at M'Drắk Pass and the ending point at the foot of Phuong Hoang Pass.
The enemy quickly consolidated fortifications, trenches, and placed artillery positions in the mountain passes, camouflaged tanks and armored vehicles along the roads. Supporting the paratrooper battalions were firepower from the direction of Duc My and an air force formation ready to bomb any location they suspected of having our troops.
Facing an experienced enemy army with the advantage of artillery, air force and rugged terrain, our troops did not use a direct attack like against the puppet 23rd Division but organized a battle formation to divide the enemy. The 66th, 28th and 24th Regiments of the 10th Division were mobilized to the west of Chu To range, other forces also quickly opened the way, marched through the forest, brought artillery close to the enemy's positions, set up a siege and divided the puppet 5th and 6th Airborne Battalions.
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| Veteran Phan Van Chung talks about the sacrifices and losses of his comrades in the battle of M'Drắk - Phượng Hoàng pass in 1975. |
After nearly a week of preparation, on March 29, 1975, our troops simultaneously opened fire to attack two defensive clusters of the 5th and 6th Parachute Battalions and quickly gained the upper hand. The parachute troops fled east along Route 21 and fell into ambushes prepared by our troops. At 3:00 p.m. on March 30, 1975, our troops destroyed the 5th Parachute Battalion and captured M'Drắk Pass. At the Phoenix Pass, the 6th Parachute Battalion fought back fiercely. Our troops quickly deployed artillery formations to control the enemy's artillery positions and fought back, preventing low-flying aircraft from dropping bombs. Also on the afternoon of March 30, 1975, the 6th Parachute Battalion was basically wiped out by our troops.
On the morning of March 31, 1975, the enemy sent the 72nd Special Forces Battalion, the Armored Vehicle Squadron, the 2nd Airborne Battalion, along with aircraft and firepower from many directions to attack our positions. The battle was fierce but could not break the multi-layered siege of the 10th Division. At exactly 7:00 a.m. on April 1, 1975, our troops attacked the 3rd Airborne Brigade Command Post, completely destroying the enemy's most elite force, marching straight down to the plains to liberate Nha Trang and Cam Ranh military port.
50 years have passed but the memories of Mr. Phan Van Chung, a veteran of the 10th Division, still echo the days of marching and fighting on Route 21. Mr. Chung said that the soldiers of the 10th Division at that time were mostly young volunteers. Everyone was filled with the will to fight the enemy with the desire to see the day the country would be reunited. In the battle of M'Drắk - Phượng Hoàng Pass, although our army had completely defeated a powerful enemy army, 187 brave soldiers sacrificed their lives. Under the bombs and bullets, many martyrs had their blood and bones mixed with the sacred land, and their remains could not be collected.
After the war, Mr. Chung returned to his hometown, got married, and then volunteered to go to the Central Highlands with the new economic group. By chance, he was assigned to the mountainous area of M'Drắk, starting his journey to reclaim wasteland. Every time he walked along Highway 26 or saw traces of trenches and fortifications on the mountain near his home, the nostalgia for his comrades and the heroic days of fighting always followed him, making him feel uneasy...
In 2019, the 10th Division's Combat Liaison Committee coordinated with local authorities to build a Memorial House in the M'Drắk Pass area - where the battle began in the past. The project covers an area of nearly 5,000 m2 with items such as a memorial house, a stele to record the names of martyrs, a yard, an embankment, an internal road, etc. All costs and construction work were undertaken by generations of veterans and officers and soldiers of the 10th Division. On October 5, 2023, the project was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a provincial-level relic with the name "Historical relic of the Victory at M'Drắk Pass - Phuong Hoang in 1975".
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| “Historical Monument of Victory at M'Drắk Pass – Phượng Hoàng in 1975” viewed from the direction of National Highway 26. |
For veterans of the 10th Division like Mr. Chung, from the time the project was started until its completion and recognition as a provincial historical site was truly an emotional journey. Despite his old age and poor health, Mr. Chung was still enthusiastic, along with Lieutenant General Tran Quoc Phu, Head of the 10th Division’s Liaison Committee, and young soldiers, eating and sleeping right at the construction site. Mr. Chung also personally planted areca trees, wild apricot trees, bougainvillea, etc. around the Memorial House grounds, beautifying the landscape and comforting the souls of his comrades.
Since its completion, the “Historical Monument of Victory at M'Drắk Pass - Phượng Hoàng in 1975” has become a spiritual meeting place for veterans of the 10th Division returning from the war. This is also a destination on the journey of gratitude of the younger generation. Following each name of the martyrs who died in their twenties carved into the stone stele and then looking out towards the overlapping mountain ranges of the M'Drắk Pass - Phượng Hoàng, everyone cannot help but feel moved and emotional.
Brothers/ Comrades/ The memorial house is finished/ From now on, it is no longer deserted/ The common house/ The house of soldiers from a time of war/ Built on bomb craters, bullet holes, artillery plows… - those poetic words of veteran Nguyen Van Sau, after traveling thousands of kilometers to offer incense to his comrades, spoke for hundreds of veterans of the 10th Division. And on this green land today, generations of young people will forever remember the sacrifices and losses of their fathers and brothers - those who did not spare their youth, did not spare their blood and bones to sacrifice for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland…
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202507/gio-ngan-nhac-mai-ten-anh-8c11a62/
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