The Truong Son "steel flowers" and memories of the 1975 parade

In the crowd of people flocking to Hanoi these days to wait for the parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, there are special guests carrying a part of history. They are the legendary female drivers of Company 13 - the only female driver company on the Truong Son route, a heroic unit of the People's Armed Forces during the resistance war against the US to save the country.

The convoy of vehicles led by female Truong Son drivers paraded on Ba Dinh Square at the parade on September 2, 1975.

They - the girls in their twenties back then - had driven cars amidst bombs and bullets, and had also driven cars on Ba Dinh Square during the historic parades in 1973 (May 1, 1973) and on September 2, 1975.

From the fiery Truong Son to the historic Ba Dinh Square

Ms. Vu Thi Kim Dung, a former female driver of Company 13, remembers clearly the day she left her hometown to join the youth volunteer force in 1965. Three years later, she was assigned to the female driving team on the Truong Son route - where strategic roads were always submerged in falling bombs and exploding bullets. "There were not enough male drivers. The Command of Group 559 had to assign Station 9 and Station 12 to urgently recruit a number of female youth volunteers to form a transport driving team for the rear. I was one of them," Ms. Dung said.

The female driver company named after the hero Nguyen Thi Hanh, undertook special missions: transporting goods to support the battlefield, taking wounded and sick soldiers from the South to the North for treatment, and transporting cadres to and from the war zone. In the middle of the Truong Son forest, girls in their eighteens and twenties became “steel flowers”, being soldiers, drivers, and companions of the Truong Son soldiers.

In 1972, Ms. Dung and many of her teammates were assigned to the D255 Driving School as teachers. From here, the journey unexpectedly opened: in 1973, the female driving team was summoned to participate in the parade at Ba Dinh Square, to celebrate the victory of the resistance war against the US to save the country, ending the occupation of foreign invaders after the Paris Agreement was signed.

Their task was not small, that was driving the flag-bearing vehicle leading the bloc, the vehicle carrying the leaders, the Quang Binh militia and the artillery tractor.

The — Ms. Nguyen Thi Thiep - former member of the Truong Son Women's Driving Team on a motor vehicle before the parade in 1975

“Back then, there was no rehearsal at Ba Dinh Square like today. We practiced at Bach Mai airport, built a model exactly like the Square to get used to the formation. On the day of the ceremony, we drove straight to Ba Dinh,” Ms. Dung recalled.

If the parade on September 2, 1973 was still modest, then in 1975, in the atmosphere of the whole country joyfully celebrating the great Spring victory, the scale was larger and the atmosphere was many times more enthusiastic.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa – Political Commissar of Company 13 – said that 50 female drivers were selected, not only from Company 13 but also from the Driver Training School. Together, they wore the uniforms of each assigned unit: militia, information, artillery... to drive the convoys into the Square.

Mrs. Pham Thi Ty, who drove the car in both the 1973 and 1975 parades, emotionally recalled: “At that time, we lived in temporary thatched houses at Bach Mai airport. We lacked everything, but everyone was happy. September 2, 1975 was the first National Day of the country's reunification, so it is impossible to describe the joy and pride of us soldiers and the love of the people for the army. On the day of the holiday, the car rolled through the streets of Hanoi, people stood on both sides, waving flags and cheering. That feeling of honor and pride will stay with me all my life.”

The — Ms. Tran Thi Thanh, Pham Thi Ty and Nguyen Thi Thiep (from right to left) visited the Ho Chi Minh Museum before watching the parade on September 2, 2025.

In Mrs. Ty's memory, the formation of the block that day was extremely brilliant: the leading vehicle was driven by Mrs. Tran Thi Thanh, with a bright red flag; followed by a vehicle carrying 16 female militiamen from Quang Binh, then a vehicle pulling an 85mm artillery piece, followed by vehicles of the information and militia blocks... They, the female drivers of Truong Son, became part of the historical moment marking the strength and spirit of Vietnam after the day the country was reunited.

Pride intact after half a century

50 years have passed, but the memories of the two honorable times driving on Ba Dinh Square are still fresh in the hearts of the former female drivers of Company 13. They consider it a source of happiness and pride not only for themselves but also for their families and hometown.

“To be able to attend the parade, to walk past the stage where Uncle Ho once stood to read the Declaration of Independence, where the Party and State leaders waved to the parade, especially at that ceremony, General Vo Nguyen Giap led the parade through Ba Dinh Square, us being able to stand in that line was an honor, pride and emotion that is incomparable in life,” Ms. Dung shared.

Every time the country organizes a military parade, even though they are no longer able to participate directly, the female drivers of Truong Son still remind each other to follow and follow every step of the troops. It is both a joy and a gratitude to their fallen comrades.

Now, as Hanoi is entering the bustling days of welcoming the parade and march to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, September 2, the women of the past once again gather in the capital. Although their health is different from before, many of them can no longer move easily, but their eyes still shine with excitement.

Ms. Pham Thi Ty said that in recent days, the women have been wearing ao dai and conical hats, taking souvenir photos at Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Museum, places associated with national memories. Those who are still healthy enough join the crowd on the street, those who are weaker choose to watch on television. But in general, all of them still look towards Ba Dinh Square - where they once contributed to creating heroic memories of the Fatherland.

Today’s parade is not only a demonstration of national strength but also an occasion to pay tribute and remember the generations of fathers and brothers who sacrificed for independence and freedom. In that flow, the female drivers of Truong Son – the legendary 13th Company – are the living symbol of the spirit of “brave hearts, steady hands” of Vietnamese women.

And when the heroic army marches through Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 2025, in the eyes of the female drivers of Truong Son Road, there will surely be a shining light of endless pride: The Fatherland will last forever, the beautiful country today is independent and free, partly built from the wheels of the past rolling on the legendary Truong Son Road.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/nhung-bong-hoa-thep-truong-son-va-ky-uc-ve-le-duyet-binh-nam-1975-165480.html