The vivid battlefield memoirs of Major General Hoang Dan

Major General Hoang Dan's memoir, "From the Ben Hai River to the Independence Palace," has been reprinted and released to readers in the historic month of April, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.

Major General Hoang Dan (1928-2003), former Commander of the 304th Division, directly commanded major campaigns such as Khe Sanh 1968, Route 9 Southern Laos 1971, Quang Tri 1972, Thuong Duc 1974, and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign 1975. During those days of marching and commanding campaigns amidst bombs and bullets, where the line between life and death was just a hair's breadth, he took the opportunity to meticulously record memorable moments in each battle in his diary.

In 2023, after the death of Major General Hoang Dan, his son, Hoang Nam Tien, former Chairmanof FPT Telecom and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of FPT University, spent many years collecting and compiling his father's posthumous works to publish the memoir "From Ben Hai River to Independence Palace".

Beyond simply documenting fierce battles, the book is also a sincere personal account from a general who dedicated his life to the nation, offering readers profound insights into the history, military art, and indomitable patriotism of the Vietnamese people.

"From the Ben Hai River to the Independence Palace" is written in diary form, recording the time Major General Hoang Dan spent fighting 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 unified in 1975.

The book was first published by the People's Army Publishing House in 2010, and in 2025, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), it was reprinted by Alpha Book Joint Stock Company and Vietnam News Agency Publishing House.

Throughout nearly 400 pages, in both 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 through life-or-death decisions, from surprise attack tactics to mobilizing all resources to achieve victory.

Each page of the diary tells a historical story, a profound lesson in leadership, foresight, and perseverance in the face of challenges.

With his unpretentious storytelling style, each of his stories is a profound source of inspiration about the brilliant, bold, and decisive leadership of a leader of the Vietnamese People's Army.

Hoang Nam Tien shared: “My father always believed in one thing: victory must come with the least amount of casualties among the soldiers. In all the battles, he was always ready to wear camouflage clothing, crawl close to the enemy's perimeter to choose the most suitable direction of attack. In circumstances where he couldn't replace the soldiers wielding AK rifles in combat, he knew how to set an example. He was ready to sit on a tank alongside the troops during the assault. Wherever the soldiers were, the commander was there.”

In the military, Major General Hoang Dan also demonstrated frankness and a willingness to learn. He did not hesitate to admit his mistakes on the battlefield. In some battles in Quang Tri, he faced hasty decisions that led to heavy losses. However, he did not shy away from them but always learned from those mistakes to improve himself.

Besides historical events, the memoir also contains the touching love story of Major General Hoang Dan and his wife, Nguyen Thi An Vinh, a female National Assembly representative. Amidst fierce bombing, he always remembered his family, sending letters to encourage his wife and children, optimistically awaiting independence. In one letter to his beloved wife, he wrote: "I think fighting the enemy well is caring for the country and also caring for our home. That way, our children won't have to go to war anymore..."

In the final section of the book, the writings and heartfelt confessions of his comrades and colleagues—those who worked with him—portray the image of a brilliant commanding general and an outstanding military theorist. What he left behind for future generations is invaluable and of great importance.

Sharing his thoughts on the book's value, Mr. Hoang Nam Tien emphasized: "The spirit that the book conveys consists of lessons not only for the battlefield but also for the business world: Be bold, even bolder; be swift, even swifter; mobilize all resources - from the enemy's weapons, the strength of the people, to the creativity of each commander to seize opportunities. These are the core values that Major General Hoang Dan applied in major campaigns, and now they serve as a guiding principle for those who aspire to success, from leaders and entrepreneurs to the younger generation passionate about starting businesses.”

In this revised edition, the book is supplemented with many valuable documentary images about historical events and figures, helping readers to visualize more clearly the brutal context of the war. The bilingual Vietnamese-English version will also help international readers better understand 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