Fifty-three years ago, even though their homeland had been liberated, people in some areas of Quang Tri province embarked on a "red long march" called K15 to escape enemy bombs and bullets. During those arduous months, tens of thousands of people came to Quang Binh province, living under the protection and care of the local people. To this day, the memories of that time, filled with the warmth of homeland affection, still resonate in the hearts of historical witnesses and are always remembered through heartfelt connections.
Lesson 1: From the right policy to the historic evacuation
Mr. Nguyen Minh Ky recorded the history of K15 with the hope that future generations will never forget it - Photo: QH
Emergency evacuation to protect civilians.
The home of Mr. Nguyen Minh Ky, former Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri Province, is situated amidst lush greenery and tranquility, seemingly isolated from the hustle and bustle of city life. Despite his advanced age, Mr. Ky maintains the habit of reading the newspaper daily. In the recent flow of information, he has shown particular interest in the province's merger. "More than half a century ago, amidst difficulties, the people of Quang Binh embraced their fellow citizens of Quang Tri, leaving a glorious mark on history. Today, I believe that tradition continues, bringing many opportunities," Mr. Ky said.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Ky, former Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Tri Province, shared his story, opening a chapter in the history of K15, a place that preserves many beautiful stories of solidarity between Quang Binh and Quang Tri. Recalling those days, Mr. Ky recounted that on May 1, 1972, our army and people coordinated closely to attack and sweep away the most fortified defense system, shattering the brutal repressive apparatus of the US-puppet regime and completely liberating Quang Tri.
Following this event, the task facing the province was to simultaneously focus on fighting back and repelling enemy offensives to retake Quang Tri town, while also protecting the lives of the people. Faced with this urgent need, in June 1972, the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee decided to evacuate people from areas affected by enemy counterattacks. Mr. Ky recounted: “After receiving approval from the Central Party Secretariat, the province quickly established provincial and district-level steering committees. Plan 15, to quickly move people to safe areas, was developed, abbreviated as K15.”
On June 24, 1972, the Standing Committee of the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee issued a directive to evacuate people from key enemy-attacked areas. According to the plan, over 80,000 people from Hai Lang and Trieu Phong districts braved enemy bombardment to evacuate to Gio Linh, Cam Lo, Vinh Linh, and several communes in Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province. Later, due to the ferocity of counterattacks, many more people from Hai Lang, Cam Lo, Gio Linh, etc., also packed their bags and left for coastal communes in Le Thuy district.
As a Provincial Party Committee member and Secretary of the Cam Lo District Party Committee at the time, Mr. Ky still vividly remembers the atmosphere of urgency and determination, but also filled with many worries. The large-scale evacuation of tens of thousands of people was carried out under passive conditions amidst fierce warfare. On the evacuation route, people had to endure intense bombing raids by American planes. The carpet bombing and artillery fire from B52s caused many deaths and separated many families, some living in the North, others in the South.
Mr. Hoang Sau, Head of the K15 Liaison Committee of Ha Tay village (on the left), and Mr. Le Quang Hoc reminisce about stories from the K15 evacuation - Photo: LT
According to Mr. Ky, Plan K15 affirmed the correctness of the art of people's warfare, knowing how to rely on the people and taking the people as the foundation. During the nationwide resistance against the US, and specifically in Quang Tri province, due to the demands of the war, each side employed different methods of evacuating the population. The enemy concentrated the population in designated areas for easier control. On our side, due to the nature of the fighting and the characteristics of the battlefield, Quang Tri province advocated for the dispersal of the population with various evacuation plans such as K8, K10, K15... By implementing Plan K15, Quang Tri province correctly applied the revolutionary struggle principles and combat strategies that were appropriate and relevant to reality.
Recalling this crucial decision, Mr. Le Van Hoan, former Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Quang Tri province and Secretary of the Hai Lang District Party Committee from 1967 to 1973, seemed to brighten. At 95 years old, Mr. Hoan is no longer as sharp-minded as he once was. However, Plan K15 remains an unforgettable part of his memory. Mr. Hoan affirmed that without this wise decision, the enemy's counterattacks would have claimed many more lives. "Plan K15 is also one of the vivid proofs of the solidarity between Quang Binh and Quang Tri," Mr. Hoan said.
A challenging journey
In August 1972, approximately 200 households in Trieu An commune, Trieu Phong district, evacuated. Among them, residents of Ha Tay village were evacuated to the communes of Sen Thuy, Ngu Thuy, Hung Thuy, Cam Thuy, and Duong Thuy in Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province. Sen Thuong 2 hamlet was the furthest evacuation point for residents of Ha Tay, with about 25 households settling there.
According to Mr. Hoang Sau (born in 1955), Head of the K15 Liaison Committee of Ha Tay village, Trieu An commune (now Trieu Tan commune), Trieu Phong district, after the liberation of the commune in February 1972, the situation in Trieu An remained very tense. By August 1972, the fighting in the area was very fierce, so about 200 households in the commune were evacuated to the North. Of these, about 25 households from Ha Tay village moved to Lien Hiep village (now Sen Thuong 2), Sen Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, Quang Binh province. At this time, Mr. Sau was 17 years old and a local guerrilla fighter. He led his mother, Ms. Le Thi Biu, and his older sister, Hoang Thi Danh (26 years old), who was pregnant with her first child, to evacuate. Mr. Sau and his two children were accommodated in Mr. Tham's house.
The evacuation of people from Ha Tay to the North was mainly by road, but it required crossing the Hieu and Ben Hai rivers by ferry twice. “The situation was very dangerous and urgent. Everyone was ordered to evacuate immediately without any preparation. In the village's evacuation group, while crossing the river at Cua Viet, Mrs. Tran Thi Do went into labor. I remember the ferry was very crowded. There was so much pushing and shoving that the baby fell into the water. Luckily, someone on the ferry pulled him out in time, wrapped him in a blanket to keep him warm, and they continued crossing the river to the North. Thankfully, the baby survived and was named Hung. The people of Le Thuy took care of both mother and child.”
Residents of Sen Thuong 2 village, Sen Thuy commune, share memories of the days they sheltered people from Trieu Phong district during the evacuation under Plan K15 - Photo: LT
In the evacuation zone, several babies from Quang Tri were born into the loving care of the community. Mr. Sau's grandson was one of them. Mr. Sau said that about two months after arriving at the evacuation zone, his sister went into labor. "The most touching thing was the image of Mr. Tham - the homeowner - who, undeterred by the danger, went up to Hong Leo mountain day and night to cut trees, then dug up the earth to build a small shelter, just big enough for a bamboo bed, but it was a safe place for my sister to give birth," Mr. Sau recounted.
Mr. Le Quang Hoc, a resident of Ha Tay village, still vividly remembers his family's evacuation in 1972. “At that time, my father carried some dried sweet potatoes and a few sets of clothes for the whole family on his shoulder. My mother carried two children on a yoke, my two younger siblings: Huyen (3 years old) and Hoan (3 months old). I was about 6 years old then, running alongside my parents. When we reached Vinh Linh, a man gave us a bundle of green tea leaves. I carried the bundle on my back and toddled along with the group of evacuees. Above, planes and artillery from the 7th Fleet were firing, but everyone moved very quickly, clinging to the sand dunes as if running. When we reached the southern bank of the Ben Hai River, we rested in a bunker, waiting for boats from the soldiers and local people to take us across the river at night to avoid detection by enemy aircraft. After that, everyone continued to follow the guides along shortcuts towards the North to avoid being spotted by enemy planes.”
Whenever the group got too tired, they would ask if it was still a long way to go. The guide would say, "Just a few more rice stalks to go" (meaning there was only a short distance left to encourage the villagers). Hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted. Thanks to that, the long journey seemed shorter.
In the war zone, the people of Quang Tri seemed all too familiar with evacuations. It was a challenging journey, paid for with blood and tears. K15 was no exception. To reach Ngu Thuy commune in Le Thuy district, people from Trieu Van, Trieu Lang, Trieu Do... had to travel by sea. Other evacuees carried their children, food, and belongings on their backs along the land route to Quang Binh. Throughout the journey, everyone was anxiously pacing back and forth, their hearts pounding. This anxiety was justified, because in Sen Thuy commune, a group of seven evacuees perished after a B52 carpet bombing by the enemy. After enduring hardship and danger, the reunion of the people of Quang Binh and Quang Tri was steeped in tears.
Quang Hiep - Lam Thanh
Lesson 2: As time passes, the bonds of friendship remain.
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/k15-dau-son-nghia-tinh-194597.htm
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