The old soldier tells the story of the historic April

Mr. Phan Thanh Du and his wife recall memories of the days participating in the fight to liberate the South - Photo: BB

As a son of Quang Trach, Quang Binh , in 1971, Mr. Du decided to join the army, put aside two university admission notices, and temporarily put aside his dream of going to university to follow the sacred call of the Fatherland. He was the Deputy Squad Leader of Brigade 52, Military Region V. Mr. Du recalled that at the end of 1971, his unit marched along Line 559 to the Inter-Zone V battlefield.

This is the line starting from Khe Ho (Vinh Linh, Quang Tri ) developing to the Southwest, crossing Ben Hai River, crossing Highway 9, passing Da Ban to Ta Riep, the final station is Pa Lin, next to the receiving station of Lien khu V, is the earliest road to be born before a massive transportation system was formed.

He belonged to the information unit, mainly operating in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces for a long time from 1971 to early 1975. Undertaking the task of transporting letters, documents, and documents along the communication line from the battalion to the regiment and division, his work was not without danger when he was ambushed by the enemy many times, but with his quickness and intelligence, Mr. Du always completed his tasks. In Quang Nam, on February 3, 1973, Mr. Du was honored to be admitted to the Party when he was just 20 years old.

At the end of March 1975, his unit was ordered to march quickly from the forest to participate in the liberation of Quang Ngai town. On the evening of March 24, 1975, the Liberation Army stormed into the town, and by 11:30 p.m. the same day, Quang Ngai town was completely liberated. On the way to participate in the liberation of Da Nang, his unit was ordered to return to liberate the South.

To stop the advance of the liberation army, the US and the Saigon government concentrated their remaining strength to establish a defense line stretching from Phan Rang through Xuan Loc to Tay Ninh, in which Xuan Loc was the key point, the "steel door" protecting Saigon - Gia Dinh in the East. Mr. Du recalled that the battle here was very fierce, on the first day of fighting, our army captured half of the town.

However, the enemy then increased their troop and firepower, determined to hold Xuan Loc at all costs, causing our army to suffer many losses. With their intelligence, bravery and courage, our army changed their fighting style from direct attack to encirclement and division, causing chaos in the enemy's position. On April 21, 1974, our army liberated Xuan Loc town, shaking the enemy's defense system in Saigon.

The victory of the Xuan Loc campaign created a favorable assembly area, serving as a springboard for the attack of the Eastern wing, one of the five main mobile forces of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign formation to liberate Saigon - Gia Dinh. Mr. Du emotionally recounted that when advancing to the Xuan Loc intersection, he himself carried on his shoulders a seriously wounded comrade, who was then taken to the rear base for treatment, but he was still worried whether that soldier would survive or not. With the victory of Xuan Loc, his unit marched straight to participate in the liberation of Saigon - Gia Dinh.

“Even now, recalling that moment, we are still moved. People carrying flags and flowers filled both sides of the road to welcome the Liberation Army. I still remember the impressive image of a young man around 16 or 17 years old driving a car carrying the Liberation Army. On the afternoon of April 30, 1975, many people brought all kinds of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, pots and pans... to cook right in front of the Independence Palace to celebrate the victory, to celebrate the day the country was completely liberated. My teammates and I were overwhelmed with emotion at that time, very touched by the people's affection for the soldiers,” Mr. Du shared.

After his homeland was liberated, he was sent to study as an information officer in Ha Bac, then returned to work at Battalion 2, Infantry Regiment 6. With his achievements in combat, Mr. Du was honored to be awarded many certificates of merit, certificates of merit, orders and medals of all kinds, especially the First Class Glorious Soldier Medal, Second Class Resistance Medal, Second Class Feat of Arms Medal for his achievements in the resistance war against the US, saving the country. When he retired, he continued to participate in the work of the front, the Veterans Association of Quang Tri town. In every position, Mr. Du always promoted the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldier to complete his tasks well.

Honored to be selected as one of five veterans to participate in activities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day on April 30 (1975 - 2025) in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Phan Thanh Du hopes to have the opportunity to meet his old comrades to reminisce about the heroic fighting days of the entire nation, to appreciate even more the value of independence and peace today.

Aquarius

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nguoi-linh-gia-ke-chuyen-thang-tu-lich-su-193315.htm