That day we went to battle.

For every Vietnamese person, April 30, 1975, is a momentous day. It was the day North and South were reunited, the country becoming one. Nearly 50 years have passed, but every April, the echoes of history evoke countless emotions in the hearts of soldiers who fought in the war, and in the hearts of the people of the whole country, in general.

Veteran Nguyen Van Tai carefully preserves mementos associated with the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

Having had the honor of being part of the army that participated in capturing important positions during the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, veteran Nguyen Van Tai, from Binh Tay village, Hoang Thinh commune (Hoang Hoa district), still vividly remembers those days of bravery. Recalling the past, veteran Nguyen Van Tai said: “I enlisted in June 1974, and after five months of training, we marched into the southeastern region. As a special forces soldier, I participated in many battles, big and small, but the one I remember most is the battle on April 17, 1975. After receiving orders from superiors, my unit attacked an enemy outpost in Tan Chau hamlet, Ben Luc district, Long An province. The battle required us to completely destroy the enemy outpost, so the fighting lasted from 5 am to 10 am. Although our forces were outnumbered, with courage, resourcefulness, and high determination, we still managed to control the battle. In this battle, my unit lost three comrades, including one who was my uncle and another who was my cousin and was lost for three days before being found and brought back to the unit.”

From Company 3, Regiment 117, 2nd Special Forces Division of the Southeastern Region, after a period of fighting, veteran Nguyen Van Tai transferred to Company 18, Regiment 117. On April 24, 1975, his unit was assigned the task of directly attacking the Phu Lam Radar Station in District 6, Saigon – a major enemy target. “From Ben Luc district, we marched out and fought simultaneously. Through arduous battles, we won every single one. At noon on April 30, we arrived at the Phu Lam Radar Station. At that time, the enemy's resistance was weak, and they had fled from many directions. Immediately afterwards, we received news of victory from the battlefield, and the whole unit was overjoyed. The soldiers cheered and hugged each other, crying with overwhelming happiness,” veteran Nguyen Van Tai recounted.

Having braved the battlefields, faced life and death situations, and been fortunate enough to witness the moment of national reunification, the soldiers who participated in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign always feel honored and proud. Over the years, the stories of these soldiers have always revolved around their heroic deeds from various battlefields. Sharing his experiences with us, the fervent atmosphere of that time of war was recreated through the memories of veteran Le Hong Tao, from But Son town (Hoang Hoa district). Veteran Le Hong Tao recounted: “On the night of April 7th and the early morning of April 8th, 1975, my unit, Company 1, Battalion 40, Regiment 116, Division 27 of the Southeastern region, received orders to attack the Armored Officer Training School at Nuoc Trong base – a relatively large enemy base in Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province. This base was heavily fortified by the enemy with a system of barbed wire fences and numerous minefields. This was a very fierce battle because just before our troops were about to open fire, the enemy discovered us and called for reinforcements from many places, forcing our troops to withdraw. In this battle, our troops suffered many casualties and injuries.” At this point, veteran Le Hong Tao choked up, remembering that many of his comrades had perished.

Although a special forces unit, Mr. Tao and his comrades launched attacks and blocked enemy positions, preventing any counterattacks. On April 27, 1975, his unit received orders to participate in capturing areas surrounding the Long Binh General Depot – the largest bomb and ammunition storage facility of the US military. From the evening of April 28 to April 29, his unit successfully completed this crucial mission. Veteran Le Hong Tao continued: “After capturing the Long Binh General Depot, on the morning of April 30th, the Southeastern Command assigned a number of comrades with outstanding combat achievements to coordinate with the tank units of the 2nd Army Corps to advance directly into Saigon to liberate it. I was honored to be selected by my unit. Around 11:00 AM on April 30th, my tank, along with other tanks of the 2nd Army Corps, simultaneously advanced towards the Independence Palace. Because the task of planting the flag had been assigned to another unit, even though we arrived earlier, we were not allowed to plant the flag. Instead, we turned to capture the Ministry of Civil Affairs and Repatriation, and then continued to capture the Saigon Radio Station. But when we arrived, the Saigon Radio Station had already been occupied by another unit. At 11:30 AM on April 30th, 1975, the victory flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam flew atop the Independence Palace – the last stronghold of the Saigon puppet regime, marking a historic moment.” "The war of resistance against the US for national salvation ended in victory."

During the 21-year protracted resistance war against the American imperialist invasion, Thanh Hoa served as a major rear base, providing manpower and resources to the battlefields. With the spirit of "Crossing the Truong Son Mountains to save the country," the entire province had 250,000 outstanding young people and tens of thousands of cadres and Party members who joined the army and youth volunteer corps on the southern fronts and battlefields.

In particular, from mid-1974 onwards, the revolutionary situation in the South changed rapidly. The resounding news of successive victories on the battlefield sparked a vibrant "Join the Army to Support" movement for the liberation of the South throughout the districts and towns of Thanh Hoa province. Recruitment day became a festival for everyone, with some families even mobilizing their eighth child to go to the front. In February 1975 alone, Thanh Hoa province delivered 17,959 new recruits in the first recruitment wave, exceeding the annual target by 20%. Slogans like "All for the front lines," and "All for the liberation of the South" were displayed everywhere.

The great victory of Spring 1975 is not only a glorious milestone in the history of the Vietnamese nation but also an immortal epic of humanity. For more than two decades, a small nation bravely and resolutely resisted a powerful, aggressive, and militarily rich invading enemy, achieving a glorious victory and ushering in a new era: the era of national independence and socialism. This was something that humanity could not have imagined in those years.

Text and photos: To Phuong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ngay-ay-chung-toi-ra-tran-212923.htm