Under heavy bombardment, 187 soldiers of the 10th Division – 3rd Corps and cooperating units bravely sacrificed their lives, contributing to the victory that opened the gateway to the delta…
During those historic March days on the Central Highlands front, immediately after dismantling the puppet 23rd Division in Phuoc An - Chu Cuc, the 10th Division marched along Highway 21 to liberate Khanh Duong district (now M'Drak commune).
With the intention of reversing the tide of the battle, the Thieu regime immediately deployed the 3rd Parachute Brigade to occupy Phuong Hoang Pass, blocking our troops' advance. The enemy's battle plan was very well-organized, divided into three defensive clusters along approximately 30 km of Route 21, with the starting point at M'Drắk Pass and the end point at the foot of Phuong Hoang Pass.
The enemy quickly reinforced their fortifications and trenches, positioned artillery in mountain passes, and camouflaged tanks and armored vehicles along the roads. Supporting the paratrooper battalions were firepower from the Duc My direction and an air force formation ready to bomb any location they suspected our troops of being present.
Facing a seasoned enemy force with superior artillery, air power, and rugged terrain, our troops did not employ a direct attack as they did against the puppet 23rd Division, but instead organized a strategy to divide and cut off the enemy. The 66th, 28th, and 24th Regiments of the 10th Division were moved west of the Chu To mountain range, while other forces swiftly cleared paths, traversed through the jungle, and brought artillery close to enemy positions, encircling and cutting off the puppet 5th and 6th Parachute Battalions.
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| Veteran Phan Van Chung recounts the sacrifices and losses of his comrades in the M'Drắk - Phượng Hoàng pass battle in 1975. |
After nearly a week of preparation, on March 29, 1975, our troops simultaneously launched an attack on the two defensive positions of the 5th and 6th Parachute Battalions, quickly gaining the upper hand. The paratroopers fled eastward along Route 21 and fell into ambushes set up by our forces. At 3 PM on March 30, 1975, our troops annihilated the 5th Parachute Battalion and captured the M'Drắk Pass. On the Phượng Hoàng Pass side, the 6th Parachute Battalion put up fierce resistance, but our troops quickly deployed artillery to neutralize the enemy's positions and prevent their aircraft from descending to drop bombs. Also on the afternoon of March 30, 1975, the 6th Parachute Battalion was essentially wiped out by our forces.
On the morning of March 31, 1975, the enemy deployed the 72nd Special Forces Battalion, an armored vehicle detachment, the 2nd Parachute Battalion, along with aircraft and firepower from multiple directions to attack our positions. The battle was fiercely contested, but we could not break through the multi-layered encirclement of the 10th Division. At exactly 7:00 AM on April 1, 1975, our troops attacked the headquarters of the 3rd Parachute Brigade, completely destroying the enemy's most elite forces, and advanced straight down to the plains to liberate Nha Trang and the Cam Ranh naval base.
Fifty years have passed, but the memories of Phan Van Chung, a veteran of the 10th Division, still resonate with the days of marching and fighting on Route 21. Chung recounts that most of the soldiers in the 10th Division at that time were young volunteers. Everyone was brimming with the will to fight the enemy and yearning to see the country reunified. In the battle of M'Drắk Pass – Phượng Hoàng, although our troops completely crushed a powerful enemy force, 187 brave soldiers sacrificed their lives. Under the bombardment of bullets, many martyrs' blood and bones mingled with the sacred land, making it impossible to recover their remains.
After the war, Mr. Chung returned to his hometown, started a family, and then volunteered to go to the Central Highlands with the New Economic Zone development group. By chance, he was assigned to the mountainous M'Drắk region, beginning his journey of reclaiming barren land. Every time he traveled along National Highway 26 or saw the remnants of trenches and fortifications on the mountain near his home, the memories of his comrades and the heroic days of fighting haunted him, causing him great anguish…
In 2019, the Liaison Committee of the 10th Division's veterans collaborated with local authorities to construct a memorial monument at the M'Drắk Pass – the site of the battle that began years ago. The project covers an area of nearly 5,000 m² and includes a memorial house, a monument listing fallen soldiers, a courtyard, an embankment, and internal roads. All funding, including construction, was provided by generations of veterans and officers and soldiers of the 10th Division. On October 5, 2023, the project was recognized as a provincial-level historical site by the Provincial People's Committee under the name "Historical Site of the Victory at M'Drắk Pass – Phượng Hoàng in 1975".
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| "The Historical Site of the Victory at M'Drắk Pass – Phượng Hoàng in 1975" as seen from National Highway 26. |
For veterans of the 10th Division like Mr. Chung, the journey from the commencement of the project to its completion and recognition as a provincial-level historical site was truly an emotional one. Despite his advanced age and declining health, Mr. Chung enthusiastically worked alongside Lieutenant General Tran Quoc Phu, Head of the Liaison Committee of the 10th Division's comrades-in-arms, and young soldiers, sleeping and eating right on the construction site. Mr. Chung also personally planted betel nut trees, wild apricot trees, bougainvillea, etc., around the memorial monument grounds, beautifying the landscape and comforting the spirits of his fallen comrades.
Since its completion, the "Historical Site of the Victory at M'Drắk - Phượng Hoàng Pass in 1975" has become a spiritual meeting place for veterans of the 10th Division returning from the war of yesteryear. It is also a destination on the journey of gratitude for the younger generation. Following the names of fallen soldiers inscribed on the stone tablets, and gazing out at the majestic mountain ranges of the M'Drắk - Phượng Hoàng Pass, everyone is filled with emotion and reverence.
"Brothers/Comrades/ The memorial is finished/ From now on, it will no longer be desolate/ A common home/ The home of soldiers from a time of fire and glory/ Built on bomb craters, riddled with bullet holes and artillery shells…" - these verses by veteran Nguyen Van Sau, after traveling thousands of kilometers to offer incense to his comrades, speak for hundreds of veterans of the 10th Division. And on this verdant land today, generations of young people will forever remember the sacrifices and losses of their fathers and brothers - those who did not hesitate to dedicate their youth, their blood and bones, to 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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