Mr. Ngo Van Soan was born in 1947, a Nung ethnic group, and grew up in Na Lu village, Thien Long commune, old Binh Gia district. At the age of 19, he volunteered to join the army, becoming an infantryman of Regiment 6 - Division 250, Viet Bac Military Region. Thanks to his 7th grade education, outstanding height and good physical strength, he passed the rigorous selection round, becoming 1 of 100 excellent soldiers sent to pilot training in the Soviet Union.
In May 1967, Mr. Soan became a reserve flight student, wearing the uniform of the Air Defense - Air Force, and began his journey to the sky. In October 1968, he officially went with a group of students to the Soviet Union (formerly) to train at the Soviet Air Force School.
In the Soviet Union, he and his teammates spent a serious period of study, from Russian to basic aviation theory. In 1970, he officially entered the flight practice phase with the L-29 Delfin jet aircraft produced by Czechoslovakia, then the MiG-21 jet fighter, which had a speed exceeding twice the sound (about 2,175 km/h - 2,230 km/h), the most modern fighter aircraft at that time. Controlling this aircraft required centimeter-level precision, and even a delay of just one second in operation could lead to a serious and irreparable accident.
Talking about his years of studying in the snowy land, Mr. Soan was moved: That day was a morning in early September 1969, we were picking grapes to help people at the farm, when suddenly a Soviet cadre ran up, urgently saying: Friends, let's go home! Your Uncle Ho has passed away. The whole group of Vietnamese students burst into tears, we immediately returned to school, set up an altar, burned incense to bid farewell to Uncle Ho with infinite sorrow.
After a rigorous training process, from the 100 students initially selected, only 40 were qualified to graduate and Mr. Soan was the only Nung ethnic pilot among them.
In 1972, Mr. Soan returned to Vietnam with the rank of Second Lieutenant, assigned to the 921st Fighter Air Regiment, under the 371st Air Division, stationed at Da Phuc Airport, Vinh Phuc (old). As part of the combat-ready reserve force, his task was to practice, maintain flying techniques, and coordinate patrols to protect the border airspace (3-4 flights/week).
After 1975, he was transferred to the 935th Fighter Regiment, 370th Air Division ( Dong Nai province), stationed at Bien Hoa airport. His and his teammates' mission was to control captured aircraft from the Saigon army such as F-5, A-37, helicopters... and patrol, guard, and protect the southern airspace after the liberation day.
On February 4, 1976, while returning from a patrol at sea, in the Truong Sa island area, the F-5 piloted by Mr. Soan suddenly lost control, 2 engines failed, and the entire electrical system collapsed. With the courage of a pilot, he calmly controlled the plane to land at Bien Hoa airport, trying to swerve into the dense grass growing on the runway, but the impact was so strong that the plane broke in half, Mr. Soan was thrown out of the cockpit, both legs were crushed, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. After 8 days in a coma and more than 2 years of treatment at many hospitals, he was lucky to stay alive.
In 1978, after being demobilized, he returned to his hometown (former Binh Gia district), got married and had two daughters. As a 1/4, type A disabled veteran, he always promoted the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, together with his family overcame difficulties, and gradually stabilized life. Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, his two daughters were considered for recruitment into the pedagogical sector, and now they are both teachers, working stably in the locality.
Although he returned with serious injuries and could not work, the old soldier was not pessimistic. He confided: Until now, the thing I regret the most is not being able to serve the Fatherland longer, because to train a pilot like me, the state spent on average about 60kg of gold at that time.
Ms. Ngo Thi Xuan, Mr. Soan's eldest daughter, shared: He often gets confused about everyday things, but he still tells about each type of aircraft, each button in the cockpit, each patrol in the sky in great detail. I am proud that my father was a soldier, the only Nung ethnic pilot who flew the MiG-21 at that time.
A life dedicated to the sky of the Fatherland, Mr. Soan is a living witness to the strong will and steadfast loyalty to the Party and the People. His name is recorded in the book "Chronicle of Vietnamese Fighter Pilots in the Resistance War Against America, Saving the Country (1964 - 1973)".
Source: https://baolangson.vn/ky-uc-cuu-phi-cong-nguoi-nung-5053978.html
Comment (0)