Honor of the armored soldier
At the end of March, Hai Duong Newspaper reporters were fortunate to join the Hai Duong Provincial Delegation to visit and attend a number of activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). Accompanying the provincial leaders were 25 veteran delegates who directly participated in and contributed to the victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign. This is a gratitude activity of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and government on the occasion of the anniversary of this important event of the country.
There are veterans who have returned to Ho Chi Minh City several times, but there are also those who return for the first time to the places where they fought bravely to unify the country 50 years ago. Mr. Nguyen Van Toi, 72 years old, from Dan An commune (Tu Ky), searched on his phone for a photo of himself next to tank number 975 to show me.
When he was just 21 years old, Mr. Toi enlisted in the army and went to the battlefield in the South. In August 1974, when he arrived in the Southeast, because of his first-class health, Mr. Toi was selected to be a tank gunner in Battalion 20, Group 26, Armored Command. "Before the Ho Chi Minh Campaign opened on April 26, 1975, we were given 3 days of political training and carefully prepared our equipment with the spirit of determination to fight and win," Mr. Toi recalled.
Until now, Mr. Toi still remembers almost the entire schedule of his unit entering Saigon on April 30, 1975. Mr. Toi said that on the way to the Independence Palace, when reaching the Bay Hien intersection, one of our tanks was attacked by the enemy, but the enemy's weak resistance could not stop the heroic units.
At around 12:15 on April 30, 1975, Mr. Toi and his comrades on tank 975 along with infantry units approached the Independence Palace, aiming their cannons straight into the palace. "At around 4:00 p.m., after Duong Van Minh and the entire Saigon government cabinet announced their unconditional surrender, the situation stabilized, and people poured into the streets in large numbers, running to inquire, offer water, and give food to the soldiers. The army and people were also happy when they were sure that the South was completely liberated, the country was truly unified," Mr. Toi recounted.
In the war against America to save the country, Hai Duong province had 125,369 young men enlisting in the army, 6,113 young men volunteering to go to the front line. Of those, 26,876 people heroically sacrificed, 11,449 people left a part of their blood and bones on all battlefields.
Never forget
Walking in the Independence Palace during the historic days of the country, Mr. Cao Xuan Dong in Cam Doai commune (Cam Giang) emotionally recalled April 30, 1975. Pointing to a large tree on the right side of the Independence Palace, Mr. Dong said: "At noon on April 30, we set up a stove to cook rice right under this tree. We cooked it quickly and ate it quickly, but it was the best meal for a soldier when the country was unified and at peace."
At that time, Mr. Dong was the Captain of Company 12, Battalion 3, Regiment 141, Division 7, Corps 4. During the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, Division 7 was in charge of the main attack direction of Corps 4 to capture the eastern direction and smash the "steel door" of Xuan Loc. "At about 10:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975, we got on a car from Bien Hoa to cross Saigon Bridge to advance to the Independence Palace. At that time, the enemy stationed here had not yet surrendered and was still fighting back strongly. But thanks to the coordination and support of the attack forces, we advanced straight to the Independence Palace. When we arrived, I assigned my comrades to guard around the palace to ensure safety," Mr. Dong shared.
Telling us in detail about the important battles between us and the enemy during the General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1975, Mr. Dong said that many of his comrades who fought alongside him fell before the "threshold" of the country's reunification. "To be able to stand here and see Ho Chi Minh City develop, I feel very happy and very lucky. To have today, thousands of my comrades in Division 7 have never returned," Mr. Dong said emotionally.
Although not present at the Independence Palace, the mission of Nguyen Cong Thuan, 73 years old in An Phuong commune (Thanh Ha) was also particularly important. Mr. Thuan was then in Regiment 11, Division 571, on a mission to transport a reconnaissance platoon to attack and occupy the Saigon Radio Station. Mr. Thuan remembers when he drove the vehicle carrying troops to Saigon bridge, While still confused about which direction to go, a woman wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress led the way to capture the target. Thanks to that, our troops successfully captured one of the important targets of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. "At exactly 11:30, we captured the Saigon Radio Station. The whole platoon hugged each other, cried, and shouted together that we were alive, the country was unified," said Mr. Thuan.
Along with Mr. Toi, Mr. Dong, Mr. Thuan, we went with the Hai Duong veterans to visit Ho Chi Minh City. We also heard many touching, heroic and proud stories that contributed to the April 30 Victory. To reunite the North and the South, to unify Vietnam, tens of thousands of Hai Duong's children were ready to sacrifice for the Fatherland.
HOANG BIENSource: https://baohaiduong.vn/ky-uc-ngay-thong-nhat-cua-cuu-chien-binh-hai-duong-truc-tiep-tham-gia-lam-nen-dai-thang-nam-1975-410545.html
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