1. Which pilot bombed the Independence Palace?

  • Nguyen Van Bay
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  • Vu Xuan Thieu
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  • Nguyen Thanh Trung
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  • Nguyen Van Nghia
    0%
Exactly

Colonel Nguyen Thanh Trung (born in 1947, from Ben Tre) was the pilot who bombed the Independence Palace in 1975. Before that, he was directed by the Central Military Commission of the Southern Bureau to take the exam to join the Air Force of the Republic of Vietnam, becoming a "pilot in the heart of the enemy".

On April 8, 1975, he received orders to take off from Bien Hoa airport, flying an F5-E to drop bombs in Phan Thiet. According to regulations, the following plane had to take off 5 seconds after the previous plane, maximum 10 seconds. Pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung used these 10 seconds to distract the flight commander and the ground observation station.

Taking off, he did not join the flight to Phan Thiet but flew back to Saigon, carrying 4 bombs towards the Independence Palace. After dropping them, he circled to the Nha Be fuel depot, fired 300 more 120mm bullets still on the plane, then landed safely at Phuoc Long airport.

2. Before becoming a "pilot in enemy territory", what did you change?

  • Change of hometown
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  • Change name
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  • Change of residence
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  • Change mother's name
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Exactly

Pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung was born into a family of 5 siblings. His father was Dinh Van Dau (also known as Tu Dau), who was the Secretary of Chau Thanh District Party Committee. When he was 10 years old, his mother reissued his birth certificate to make him 2 years younger. His birth name Dinh Khac Chung was also changed to Nguyen Thanh Trung, but he was still from Ben Tre. His resume then only had a mother and a son, with no information about his father - a revolutionary cadre.

During the war years, living, studying and working in enemy territory, he often had to face checks on his background and hometown. However, every time he was asked, he answered consistently, leaving no room for doubt.

3. After the shocking bombing, how was your wife and children?

  • Arranged to safety
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  • Arrested
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Exactly

Before the mission, pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung did not take his wife and young children to a safe place because he was afraid that the arrangements would reveal his plan. After the bombing, his wife and children were arrested. They were not released until the liberation.

4. Are you the pilot who dropped the bomb on Tan Son Nhat airport?

  • Wrong
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  • Correct
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Exactly

20 days after bombing the Independence Palace, pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung was also the one who led the squadron bombing Tan Son Nhat airport.

On the morning of April 28, 1975, at Phu Cat airport, Colonel Le Van Tri - Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force decided to send a force to participate in the battle, including 6 pilots: Nguyen Thanh Trung, Nguyen Van Luc, Tu De, Han Van Quang, Hoang Mai Vuong and Tran Van On. The flying squadron was named the Quyet Thang Squadron.

At 9:30 a.m. the same day, 5 A-37 aircraft of the squadron, each carrying 4 bombs and 4 barrels of oil, were ordered to fly from Phu Cat to Thanh Son airport (Phan Rang province). Here, the squadron landed, ready to wait for orders to fly to Saigon, dropping bombs on Tan Son Nhat airport.

While heading towards Saigon, the squadron flew low to avoid radar. When approaching Tan Son Nhat, the pilots diverted to Ba Ria - Vung Tau to create a diversion. The bombing of Tan Son Nhat by the Quyet Thang Squadron left the airport paralyzed and in complete disarray. The American plan to evacuate the airport by heavy jets failed, and had to be replaced by small helicopters parked on the roofs of high-rise buildings.

5. In what year was he awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces?

  • 1984
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  • 1994
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  • 2004
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  • 2014
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Exactly

The two airstrikes on the Independence Palace and Tan Son Nhat Airport carried out by pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung had great strategic significance, contributing to ending the war and unifying the country.

In 1994, pilot Nguyen Thanh Trung was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. He is also known as the first Vietnamese person to fly the Boeing 767 and 777.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/phi-cong-nao-da-nem-bom-vao-dinh-doc-lap-2392051.html