Insider's Memoirs
Meeting Colonel Van Minh Truong (Dai Thien village, Ham Hiep commune, Ham Thuan Bac district) on the historic April days. Despite his old age, the veteran's eyes lit up with happiness and pride when remembering the historic April 19th. The Colonel recalled: “At that time, I was the Commander of the 812th Infantry Regiment, one of the main units of the campaign. That day, it was dark, our troops were not familiar with the targets and maneuver routes in Phan Thiet town. We knew that the liberation army was coming to liberate. With many volunteers from the people leading the way, showing the enemy's targets and warehouses, the main and local troops proactively attacked, destroyed enemy troops, occupied the entire provincial governor's office, liberated 70 prisoners in Dinh Cong Trang prison, occupied the treasury and military and logistics bases, and collected all the enemy's weapons and war vehicles. And then, at dawn on April 19, our homeland was liberated”. “We have been waiting for this moment for decades. We were so happy, tears of joy. All those years of hardship, of suffering, of being trampled by bombs and bullets, suddenly disappeared. The red flags with yellow stars fluttered all over the streets of Phan Thiet; the people were as happy as if it was a festival, enthusiastically welcoming the liberation army,” Colonel Truong recalled.
Mr. Tran Nhat Nghia - Member of the Youth, Students and Pupils Working Team of Binh Thuan Province, former prisoner of Con Dao: Engrave the historical days in your heart
.jpg)
At around 12:00 on April 30, 1975, in the tiger cage cell at Con Dao prison, my comrades and I received the news that Saigon had been liberated. At that moment, my emotions exploded, and we immediately shouted in unison, “Saigon City - Ho Chi Minh City is completely liberated…”.
At 1:00 a.m. on May 1, 1975, my comrades and I were freed from our chains. After 20 years of fighting, today we were able to hug each other and cry freely for the day of victory. I and some young people were selected to join the "Determined to Win" Battalion to build a revolutionary government in Con Dao until the afternoon of May 19, 1975. After the solemn ceremony to celebrate Uncle Ho's birthday, we boarded the ship back to the mainland - the last ship of the victors in Con Dao.
On May 23, 1975, we returned to Phan Thiet. After the liberation day, I and many other young people enthusiastically worked. As children and siblings of martyrs, and a student of the Saigon University of Literature (before 1975), I was soon trained by the Party and the State and graduated to work, continuing to serve my homeland. Although we were tormented by the "after-effects of imprisonment", thanks to our steel, optimism, trust, and love of life, we cultivated the qualities of "living cleanly" and were proud of and cherished the heroic past, always keeping a smile and a love of resistance.
After 50 years, since returning from the “Hell on Earth Con Dao”, these fiery days of April, I feel very moved and moved remembering the memories of a heroic and bloody time. Until now, we always hope and believe that: “The son” will definitely be better than the “father” so that the “home” of Vietnam will be forever happy. I hope that the young generation will always be full of ambition and aspiration, following in the footsteps of their fathers and brothers to make our country strong, shining on all five continents, satisfying the hearts of the previous generations.
Mr. Pham Van Long - Chairman of the Provincial Veterans Association: Proud of the development of his homeland
The 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Binh Thuan (April 19, 1975 - April 19, 2025), the Liberation of the South, and the reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) is an opportunity for us to review the heroic history of the nation, look back on the journey of building and developing the country. At the same time, we have a deeper understanding of the values and lessons learned from the practical struggles of the nation to add strength and determination in the work of building and defending the Fatherland. Turn the glorious achievements of the past into a driving force to continue to develop Vietnam, make it civilized, happy and prosperous.
Over the past 50 years, proud of the heroic revolutionary history of Binh Thuan, the cadres and members of the Veterans Association in the province have always promoted the nature of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" and the tradition of "Loyalty - solidarity - exemplary - innovation", actively participating in building and protecting the Party, the State, the people and the great national unity bloc. In addition, they have actively participated in revolutionary action movements, local campaigns; charitable activities, helping each other to do business, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, improve living standards, and care for and protect the legitimate interests of veterans. At the same time, they have improved the effectiveness of educating the tradition of patriotism, revolutionary heroism, and the will to be self-reliant and self-reliant for the younger generation. Contributing to building Binh Thuan to develop rapidly and sustainably, and entering a new era with the whole country - the era of national development.
Mr. Truong Minh Quang - Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union: Every action of the youth comes from love for the homeland.
As a son of Binh Thuan, living in peace and independence today, I feel extremely moved and proud when the Party Committee, government and people of the province are organizing many practical and meaningful activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation Day of Binh Thuan. This is an opportunity for us, the young generation, to remember and express our deep gratitude to the previous generations of fathers and brothers, the excellent sons who sacrificed for national independence and for the freedom of the people. 50 years - a proud journey, marking the revival, innovation and strong development of Binh Thuan homeland. As the next generation, we are always deeply aware that our responsibility is not only to preserve historical memories but also to follow in the footsteps of our fathers and brothers, contributing our intelligence and youth to build our homeland to become more and more prosperous, civilized and modern.
As a companion of the youth union members of the province in the journey of training, dedication and maturity, I always hope and believe that the youth of Binh Thuan will be the pioneering force in the cause of innovation and development of the province. In the era of digital transformation and deep integration, I expect the youth union members of Binh Thuan to act with a new spirit - "Self-awareness, proactiveness, creativity and dedication". Every action of today's youth - even the smallest - comes from love for the homeland. It is these actions that will form a strong flow, bringing Binh Thuan faster and further on the path of development, sustainability and prosperity.
Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/tu-hao-50-nam-giai-phong-tiep-buoc-xay-dung-que-huong-129493.html
Comment (0)