Memories of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu: A handwritten map of a Southern mother

50 years ago, Mr. Nguyen Huy Hieu was the Commander of Regiment 27, Division 320B, Corps 1 - Quyet Thang Corps. The regiment was conducting a mechanized march from Tam Diep ( Ninh Binh ) to prepare for the attack on Hue.

However, on March 26, 1975, Hue was liberated. Immediately afterwards, the unit was ordered to return to Dong Ha, cross Ang Bun Pass and begin the march along the Eastern Truong Son route, gathering at Dong Xoai to prepare for the historic campaign.

“It was the dry season, the basalt soil was covered in smoke, all the officers and soldiers sitting in the vehicle were covered in dust, only their eyes were visible. Marching day and night, we only ate dry rations, roasted rice and canned meat, stopping to cook rice wherever there was a stream,” Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu recounted.

When reaching Ang Bun Pass, Regiment 27 received a telegram from General Vo Nguyen Giap via radio 15W: “Fast, faster, bolder, bolder, seize every minute, every hour, rush to the South. Determined battle and total victory!”

He immediately communicated the order to the entire unit. “At that moment, the men forgot all their fatigue, got up, and continued marching,” he continued.

On the night of April 25 and early morning of April 26, 1975, Regiment 27 gathered at Bau Ca Tre, about 5 km from Tan Uyen ( Binh Duong ). The next morning, the unit attacked with mechanized infantry, passed through Tan Uyen, captured prisoners, and used tanks as the spearhead to advance through Binh Chuan.

On the night of April 29, Regiment 27 arrived at Bung, about 10 km from Lai Thieu. Road 13 was pitch dark, with only a simple thatched house with flickering lights.

“I thought this might be our base,” he said. He and the reconnaissance team crossed the cemetery and the edge of the forest, and had the reconnaissance team shout “Ho Chi Minh” three times. A moment later, a woman opened the door and replied, “Long live.” It was truly a revolutionary base. This was the house of Mrs. Huynh Thi Sau (commonly known as Sau Ngau).

Entering the house, Mr. Hieu said: “I am the commander of the Liberation Army of South Vietnam. Tomorrow our unit has the mission to capture Lai Thieu, capture Vinh Binh bridge and attack the armored headquarters of the puppet army. If you have any information, please help me.”

Mom looked at the command map and said, “I don’t need this map.” Then she went into the room and brought out a handwritten map. “I saw that Mom had written it very carefully, with beautiful handwriting. Later I found out that Mom was a French teacher in Saigon,” he said.

According to Mom’s map, about 5 km from the military base was Huynh Van Luong camp, with about 2,000 non-commissioned officers and a colonel in command. Mom told her: “Tomorrow, you attack, you don’t need to fight, they will call for surrender. But you must quickly capture Lai Thieu, capture Vinh Binh bridge. If you don’t capture the bridge, you won’t be able to enter Saigon by motor vehicle.”

Mr. Hieu asked: "Ma, is there any other way?"

Mom replied: “There is a railway to Lai Thieu, but your tanks cannot take it. Tomorrow morning, my two children and I will get on a tank to lead the way for you to attack Go Vap.”

He refused: “Mother, you are old, and we are still young. After we finish fighting, we will come back to thank you and our people.”

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu tells the story of Mother Sau Ngau's map, which contributed to the great victory in the spring of 1975.

PHOTO: NGUYEN ANH

At 4:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the 27th Regiment began its mechanized attack. A battalion had already entered Lai Thieu. When advancing here, the unit discovered enemy tanks, burned three of them, and captured an M107 self-propelled gun - the "king of the battlefield", currently on display at the Vietnam Military History Museum.

The unit continued to pursue, attacking Vinh Binh Bridge - the last line of defense before entering Saigon. The enemy resisted fiercely, the 27th Regiment had to use all its firepower to suppress them, opening the way for the mechanized forces to capture the bridge.

“This bridge, as Mom said, is covered with barbed wire and has sand barrels blocking the way. You have to attack quickly,” he recalled Sau Ngau’s mother’s instructions.

By 9am, Regiment 27 had captured Vinh Binh Bridge. Tank Company Commander Hoang Tho Mac had shot and burned 3 vehicles. After the vehicle was damaged, he went down to command the B40 and B41 teams, continuing to destroy 3 more vehicles. He was seriously injured and died. Lieutenant General Nguyen Huy Hieu decided to put him on the vehicle and continue to advance towards Saigon with his comrades.

At nearly 10 a.m., the 27th Regiment captured the puppet army's armored command post in Go Vap district, taking over 13 army bases and offices. When advancing to the Republic General Hospital (now Military Hospital 175), the general met Pham Ha Thanh, Director of the puppet army's Military Medical Department.

Mr. Thanh said: "Gentlemen, I work in the medical field, please forgive me."

The general replied: "The Liberation Army will be lenient, but you must obey the Liberation Army's orders."

After checking the situation, he allowed the relatives of the puppet soldiers to take the wounded out of the hospital, then sent the liberation army to take over the Republic General Hospital, contributing to the great victory in the spring of 1975.

“Keeping our promise, the next day, my teammates and I organized a trip to visit and thank Mrs. Sau Ngau and the people. Lai Thieu people stood along both sides of the road, waving flags and flowers, cheering and giving away lots of durian, mangosteen, rambutan…”, Mr. Hieu emotionally recalled.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ky-uc-thuong-tuong-nguyen-huy-hieu-tam-ban-do-viet-tay-cua-ba-ma-mien-nam-185250420132552447.htm