Thai Nguyen in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign

On December 6, 1953, at ATK Thai Nguyen, the Politburo of the Party Central Committee met to listen to the General Military Commission report on its determination and decision to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. The Politburo unanimously approved the General Military Commission's combat plan.

President Ho Chi Minh , General Vo Nguyen Giap and other Party and State leaders discussed plans to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign (1954). (Photo: VNA)

Implementing President Ho Chi Minh's Directive "this campaign is an important campaign not only militarily but also politically, not only domestically but also internationally. Therefore, the entire army, the entire people, the entire Party must concentrate on completing it successfully". With the slogan "all for the frontline, all for victory", the army and people of Thai Nguyen together with the army and people of Viet Bac, Tay Bac, Lien khu 3, Lien khu 4 focused all their strength and assets on the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

Looking at the map, Dien Bien Phu is a valley located about 500km from ATK Thai Nguyen. In Thai Nguyen, National Highway 3 and Provincial Road 13 are two vital traffic routes, important for transporting forces, food and weapons to the Dien Bien front.

Previously, to ensure transportation to serve the campaigns in Trung Du, Hoang Hoa Tham, Hoa Binh, Tay Bac... Thai Nguyen mobilized 22,400 workers to repair bridges and roads and transport goods to serve the campaigns, exceeding the assigned target by 1,600 people. Although their material and spiritual lives were still lacking, many days without rice and having to eat cassava and porridge, the female workers of Tuc Duyen commune in Dong Hy district, now Tuc Duyen ward (Thai Nguyen city) working on the construction site of Highway 13A in Deo Khe (Dai Tu) still exceeded the labor productivity target, completing the task ahead of schedule.

In order to prevent our transport of weapons and food from the Viet Bac base to the front, in 1953, the French concentrated their planes and bombs to fiercely bomb the transportation system in Viet Bac in general and Thai Nguyen in particular. In Thai Nguyen, just counting the Huy Ngac ferry terminal (Dai Tu), Thac Oanh, Minh Ly, Trai Cai (Dong Hy), enemy planes bombed and bombed, sinking 7 ferries.

Faced with that situation, the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee proposed a leadership policy to focus on repairing the road surface to ensure smooth traffic in all situations, within the set deadline. In February 1953, the Provincial Party Committee held a conference to disseminate the situation and tasks of ensuring traffic safety to the leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Resistance - Administrative Committee, and leaders of the Military, Police, youth and women's organizations, and district Party Committee members in charge of traffic in the districts. The Provincial Party Committee completed the Provincial Traffic Repair Construction Site Command, headed by Comrade Nguyen Trong Due, Head of the Traffic Department.

In April 1953, the Provincial Party Committee decided to establish a bridge and road protection committee at the provincial, district and commune levels along the traffic routes, with the task of patrolling and guarding key traffic points and vulnerable areas. The Provincial Military Command coordinated with the Provincial Police to organize patrol teams at traffic control stations along National Highway 3 from Cho Moi to Bo Dau and along Highway 13A from Bo Dau to Khe Pass.

In order to have a mobile force to ensure traffic and transportation in key and vulnerable areas when the enemy bombarded, according to the policy of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Youth Union Executive Committee organized the establishment of two main youth volunteer teams for bridges and roads. Although newly established, living and eating conditions were still lacking, but the officers and soldiers overcame all difficulties, ensuring that 85% of the troops working on the road surface completed their tasks excellently, ensuring timely and smooth traffic and transportation in vulnerable areas.

To ensure transportation for the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, in early 1954, the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee gathered cadres from the Youth Union, Farmers' Association and Provincial Party Committee Inspection Committee to help the districts mobilize 9,559 workers in two batches to fill bomb craters and repair bridges and roads on National Highway 1B and Provincial Road 13A.

The province established 115 security teams with over 1,900 team members to protect the most vulnerable sections of important traffic routes. When enemy planes were bombed or bridges were damaged, the security teams promptly repaired them to ensure smooth traffic.

Amidst the bustle of porters carrying heavy loads, carts carrying heavy loads through forests, mountains, passes, and streams to Dien Bien Phu, in addition to food, weapons, there were also thousands of letters from fathers, mothers, and people's organizations in the province sent to the brave soldiers who rushed to kill the enemy.

The Thai Nguyen porters built a great emotional bridge connecting the rear of ATK Thai Nguyen with the Dien Bien front line. That bridge contributed significantly to the victory of our army and people in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

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