The memoir “From Ben Hai River to Independence Palace” by Major General Hoang Dan has just been republished and introduced to readers in the historic month of April, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.
Major General Hoang Dan (1928-2003), former Commander of Division 304, directly commanded major campaigns such as Khe Sanh in 1968, Route 9 in Southern Laos in 1971, Quang Tri in 1972, Thuong Duc in 1974 and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975. During the days of marching and commanding the campaign in the midst of bombs and bullets, the line between life and death was just a hair's breadth, he took the opportunity to write down every page of his diary about memorable moments in each battle.
In 2023, after Major General Hoang Dan passed away, his son - Mr. Hoang Nam Tien, former Chairman of FPT Telecom, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, FPT University spent many years collecting and compiling his father's remains to publish the memoir "From Ben Hai River to Independence Palace".
Not only recording fierce battles, the book is also a sincere confession of a general who devoted his whole life to the Fatherland, giving readers an insight into history, military art, and the indomitable patriotism of the Vietnamese people.
“From Ben Hai River to Independence Palace” is written in diary form, recording the time Major General Hoang Dan spent on the front lines, through the key stages of the resistance war against the US, from the early 1960s to the day the country was completely reunified in 1975.
The book was first published by the People's Army Publishing House in 2010, and in 2025, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), the book was republished by Alpha Book Joint Stock Company and Thong Tan Publishing House.
Throughout nearly 400 pages of the book, both in Vietnamese and English, Major General Hoang Dan recounts in detail each battle and campaign he participated in. Readers can feel the pulse of the battlefield - where Major General Hoang Dan, as Commander of the 304th Division, led his comrades with life-and-death decisions, from surprise attack tactics to mobilizing all resources to achieve victory.
Each diary page is a historical story, a profound lesson about the art of leadership, about vision and perseverance in the face of challenges.
With his simple storytelling style, each of his stories is a profound source of inspiration about the skillful, bold and decisive command art of a leader of the Vietnam People's Army.
Mr. Hoang Nam Tien shared: “My father always kept in mind one thing, to win, we must do it in a way that causes the least loss of blood and bones to the soldiers. In all battles, he was always ready to wear camouflage clothes, crawl close to the enemy's fence to choose the most suitable direction of attack. In situations where he could not replace the soldier holding the AK to fight, he knew how to set an example. He was ready to sit on a tank with the soldiers to charge. Wherever the soldiers were, there was the commander.”
In the military, Major General Hoang Dan also showed his frankness and open-mindedness. He also did not hesitate to admit his mistakes on the battlefield. In some battles in Quang Tri, he had to face hasty decisions, leading to heavy losses. However, he did not hide but always learned from those mistakes to improve himself.
In addition to historical events, the memoir also contains the emotional love story of Major General Hoang Dan and his wife - Mrs. Nguyen Thi An Vinh, a female National Assembly delegate. Amidst the fierce bombardment, he always thought about his family, sent letters to encourage his wife and children, and optimistically waited for the day of independence. In a letter to his beloved wife, he wrote: "I think fighting the enemy well is taking care of the country and also taking care of the family. That way, our children will not have to go to war anymore..."
In the last part of the book, the pages written and the sincere confidences of his comrades and teammates - those who worked with him - have portrayed the image of a talented commander and an excellent military theorist. What he left for the next generation is very precious and valuable.
Sharing about the value of the book, Mr. Hoang Nam Tien emphasized: "The spirit that the book conveys are lessons not only for the battlefield but also for the business world: Be bold, be bolder; be fast, be faster; mobilize all resources - from the enemy's weapons, the people's strength, to the creativity of each commander to seize opportunities. These are the core values that Major General Hoang Dan has applied in major campaigns, and now become the guiding principle for those who aspire to success, from leaders, businessmen, to the young generation passionate about starting a business."
In this reprint, the book is supplemented with many valuable documentary images of historical events and characters to help readers visualize more clearly the fierce context of the war. The bilingual Vietnamese-English version will also help international readers understand more about the just resistance of the Vietnamese people through the lens of a battlefield general.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/hoi-ky-chien-truong-song-dong-cua-thieu-tuong-hoang-dan-post874329.html
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