1. We traveled along Central Vietnam following the swift footsteps of the soldiers, marching, taking photos, writing articles, and transmitting information to Hanoi . The team traveled in a Soviet-made, square-backed command vehicle and also brought a Honda borrowed from the Hue Military Administration Committee for easier mobility.
Mr. Lam Hong Long was a talented and dedicated photographer, the author of the famous photograph "Uncle Ho leading the way in Unity." Mr. Vu Tao, Mr. Hua Kiem, and Mr. Dinh Quang Thanh were all seasoned war correspondents, present at every major battlefront and campaign, from the Route 9 – Southern Laos campaign, the Quang Tri – Khe Sanh campaign... to the " Dien Bien Phu in the Air" in Hanoi.
Before joining the Vanguard Unit, I participated with Mr. Lam Hong Long in the campaign to liberate Hue and Da Nang in the very first days. We walked from My Chanh Bridge all night, covering more than 30km to reach Hue because, before retreating, the Saigon army had destroyed the bridge, making it impossible for cars to cross.
Upon hearing that the liberation army was advancing into Da Nang, Mr. Lam Hong Long, journalists Ngoc Dan, Hoang Thiem, and I immediately set off. On the morning of March 29, 1975, we left Hue. Mr. Long and I rode a Honda 67. Ngoc Dan and Hoang Thiem rode a Honda Dame. We headed towards Hai Van Pass. Mr. Long and I took turns driving. Along the way, I learned that he had been captured and imprisoned in Da Nang for several years before relocating to the North. Before that, he was a decorator in theaters and then a photographer. He became enlightened about the revolution and participated in its activities, but was captured during an enemy raid on an inner-city base and imprisoned in Con Ga prison. At that time, his fiancée traveled all the way from Ham Tam to Da Nang to visit him. Mr. Long was released just as the Geneva Accords were signed. The organization then arranged for him to relocate to the North...
Journalist Vu Tao was a seasoned military correspondent with extensive battlefield experience. I met him on the way to the Quang Tri front in 1972. Vu Tao was a calm, soft-spoken man, but very courageous and a master of photography. He is most famous for his photograph "Standing Tall," which depicts an anti-aircraft gun crew returning fire against American planes, just as a bomb explodes next to the gun emplacement. Only with courage and a willingness to sacrifice could one stand firm and take such a photograph. Besides the work "Standing Tall," journalist Vu Tao also left behind many memorable photographs, such as "Missile troops defending Hanoi," "Capturing Tan Lam base, Quang Tri," "Cultural class for young female volunteers in a mountain cave"... Particularly noteworthy are his works that offer a profound humanitarian perspective on war, such as the photographs taken in Quang Tri in 1972: "Liberation army soldiers bandaging the wounds of Saigon soldiers," "Ceasefire, call on the enemy to surrender," "Officers and soldiers of the 56th Regiment of Saigon who defected from the war, and were accepted by the Liberation Army"...
Journalist Hứa Kiểm, a Tay ethnic minority born in Lạng Sơn, enlisted in the army at a very young age. He was trained and became a cultural teacher. In 1966, he joined the Vietnam News Agency's photojournalist class and dedicated himself to photography. He was a photographer always present in the fierce battle zones of the war, often stationed in the Vĩnh Linh battlefront and present in battles south of the Bến Hải River, photographing major battles such as the Cồn Tiên and Dốc Miếu artillery bombardments in 1967; he was frequently at the Trường Sơn ATP (Apple, short for A), Ta Lê tunnel, and Phu La Nhích pass on the 20th Victory Highway. In 1971-1972, he was always present at anti-aircraft and missile sites, closely associated with the navy and air force in fierce battles.
Journalist and photographer Dinh Quang Thanh belongs to the leading generation of photographers of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA). In his twenties, Dinh Quang Thanh took up photography and had his works exhibited in photo exhibitions in the early years after the liberation of Hanoi. Later, he attended the VNA's reporter training course, becoming a professional reporter from 1962, dedicating his entire life to journalism. Besides his journalistic duties, he also devoted time to creating artistic photographs and was a founding member of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists. Dinh Quang Thanh captured authentic images of the struggle to defend the country: pontoon bridges across rivers; a young volunteer guiding vehicles through key areas during the bombing campaign in Central Vietnam; the scene of Bach Mai Hospital being flattened by American B52 bombs during the 12 days and nights of the Dien Bien Phu air campaign...
2. I felt incredibly fortunate to be working alongside such colleagues. Due to professional requirements, we didn't follow any particular unit but marched independently, gathering information, taking photographs, writing articles, and transmitting news back home as we passed through different areas. Danger was always lurking. My colleagues and I kept pace with the soldiers' rapid advance across the country, through all the major cities, from Hue to Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang... We were present at the battles in Phan Rang and Xuan Loc, and were able to join the eastern flank's assault force that entered the Independence Palace on the afternoon of April 30, 1975.
The reporters in the team participated in and documented the final battles at Nuoc Trong - Ong Que rubber plantation, witnessing the ceremony of awarding the victory flag to infantry and tank units before their advance into Saigon. Under dangerous combat conditions, the team members, even while traveling in a command vehicle, closely followed the assault force, fighting and advancing into the city center.
At noon on April 30, 1975, the reporters in the vanguard team were among the first to arrive and captured historically significant images: Liberation Army tanks entering the Independence Palace, the Dương Văn Minh cabinet after its surrender, and the people of Saigon pouring into the streets to welcome the Liberation Army. Afterward, we split into two groups. Hứa Kiểm, Đinh Quang Thành, and driver Ngô Bình headed towards Tân Sơn Nhất airport. From the Independence Palace, Vũ Tạo and I borrowed a car from the Deputy Commander of the 2nd Army Corps, Hoàng Đan, to go to Nhà Rồng Wharf, the City Hall, and the Saigon Army General Staff Headquarters… to take photos and gather material for writing about the first day of liberation. At the City Hall, gunfire was still raging, bullets flying dangerously close to us. We had to stand close to the Trần Hưng Đạo statue to avoid the bullets. I will never forget Vũ Tạo's calm face when he reminded me: "It's the last day of the war. Try to stay safe!"
Journalist Vu Tao and I have two very special photos from April 30, 1975: The photo I took of him working amidst the Liberation Army tanks converging at that historic moment on the grounds of the Independence Palace. The photo he took of me waving to the people of Saigon on Hong Thap Tu Street.
During that special mission, I have many unforgettable memories. When passing through Ham Tan - Binh Thuan, the hometown of Mr. Lam Hong Long, we witnessed the first moment Mr. Lam Hong Long reunited with his family after 21 years of separation, and also the moment he met his fiancée who had waited for him until the day of reunification... The team also witnessed driver Ngo Binh meeting his father, the commander of an artillery regiment on the Eastern battlefield.
About a week after the liberation of Saigon, the Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam News Agency, Dao Tung, sent Mr. Lam Hong Long and me to Vung Tau, where soldiers from Con Dao prison had just been brought back to the mainland. It was during this trip that Lam Hong Long took the photograph "Mother and Son Reunion." One afternoon at the reception area, he witnessed a mother from the Mekong Delta meeting her son, Le Van Thuc, a death row prisoner who had just returned from Con Dao, and captured this incredibly moving image. This photograph has become a symbol of the Spring of Reunion, the Spring of 1975. History granted Lam Hong Long, a reporter from the South, the opportunity to capture that image after many years of separation.
The members of the Vanguard Team are very proud to have contributed their efforts to the overall success of the news agency's staff and reporters, and of the press force during the historic Spring of 1975. Later, photographer Lam Hong Long was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Art for his works: "Uncle Ho Initiates Unity" and "Mother and Child on Reunion." Two streets were named after him, one in Phan Thiet city and one in La Gi town (Binh Thuan province), his hometown. Journalists Vu Tao, Hua Kiem, and Dinh Quang Thanh were awarded the State Prize for Literature and Art for their outstanding works during the war.
Uncle Lam Hong Long and comrades Vu Tao, Hua Kiem, and Le Thai have passed away, but their images will forever remain with us, the members of the Vanguard Reporting Team.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/Phong-su-tu-lieu/nhung-phong-vien-xung-kich-i772051/
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