In Dak Nhau, I heard stories about the Half-Can Base.

Amidst the lush cashew orchards and coffee plantations laden with fruit, few would imagine that the land of Dak Nhau, Dong Nai province today, was once the site of a heroic resistance base – the Nua Lon Base, a symbol of the spirit of "sharing joys and sorrows," the unity of the army and people during the arduous yet courageous years of resistance, as the lyrics of the song "The Sound of the Pestle in Bom Bo Village" by the late musician Xuan Hong suggest.

Dak Nhau commune strives to become an advanced new rural commune by 2030. Photo: Nhu Nam

The story of unwavering loyalty between soldiers and civilians.
The Nua Lon Base historical site is located in Hamlet 5, Dak Nhau Commune, Dong Nai Province. During the years 1960-1965, this was the starting point of the strategic corridor connecting the socialist North with the front lines in the South. From this base, tens of thousands of cadres, soldiers, and sons and daughters of the South gathered to travel to the North and return to the battlefield, contributing to the formation of the strategic trail later known as the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Mr. Dieu M'Rieng, a former armed security soldier of Zone 10 and former Head of the Propaganda Department of the Bu Dang District Party Committee (formerly Binh Phuoc province), now over 70 years old, confided: "The Nua Lon base has now become lush cashew and rubber plantations. Years have erased its traces, but I still remember vividly that the area where the base was located was a primeval forest, a transitional zone between the Central Highlands and the Southeast region, making it suitable for building a revolutionary base."
Mr. Dieu M'Rieng recounted: In mid-1960, Comrade Pham Thuan (Ba Thu) was assigned to command the armed propaganda team, opening a path to Bom Bo village to establish contact with the North Vietnamese task force providing support to the Southern battlefield. After trekking through the jungle for over a month without making contact and running out of food, Comrade Ba Thu had to return to Dak Nhau to set up a base. At that time, food was scarce, so each person only received half a can of rice per day.
“At that time, the Americans were launching very fierce raids, and the soldiers and people of Bom Bo had to retreat into the deep forest. Food was scarce, so everyone practiced eating only half a can of rice each day to save supplies. That’s how the Half Can Base became its affectionate name,” Mr. Dieu M’ Rieng recalled.
“Back then, Bom Bo village had only about 30 households and 80 people. At Nua Lon Base, during the day, the men followed the soldiers to fight the enemy, while the women harvested rice, corn, and potatoes… at night, they pounded rice together and prepared food supplies. Without lights, the villagers used dried bamboo stalks as torches, their flames flickering in the night. Each mortar had 2-4 people taking turns pounding rice; when they heard enemy planes overhead, they extinguished the fires and took shelter in the bunkers. “As much rice as there is, so much love,” they even harvested rice still in its milky stage in the fields, all for the campaign. Good logistics meant a great victory.”
Mr. ĐIỂU M'RIÊNG
In his memory, Mr. Dieu M'Rieng vividly recalls: In 1965, to prepare for the Dong Xoai - Phuoc Long Campaign, the S'tieng people in Bom Bo hamlet (now Bom Bo commune) followed the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, joining the base and mobilizing mortars and pestles to pound rice to feed the troops. Remarkably, in just three days and nights, they pounded 5 tons of rice, helping the soldiers eat well and fight effectively. In addition, the S'tieng people also supplied nearly 2,000 baskets of rice and 80,000 cassava plants for the campaign, planted thousands of booby traps, deployed troops to defend the hamlet, fought against enemy sweeps in nearly 50 large and small battles, and eliminated hundreds of enemy soldiers…
The epic song lives on.
The Half-Can Base and the touching stories of the close and unwavering bond between soldiers and civilians during the resistance years became the inspiration for writer Vuong Thi Thu Thuy (Ho Chi Minh City) to write the novel "Sacred Land." The work, which she had been nurturing for many years, is based on the account of village elder Dieu Len, a Bom Bo guerrilla fighter who was awarded the title of "Hero of the Anti-American and Puppet Regiment"—a witness to the years when the S'tieng people and the soldiers shared every grain of rice, cassava, and dried corn in the deep forest, eating only half a can of rice a day to save food for the troops.
"I am deeply grateful to the people of Bom Bo from the past, simple yet resilient people who contributed to the victory with their patriotism and loyalty to the revolution. I wrote 'Sacred Land' as a tribute and also hope that today's young generation, especially teenagers, will understand and be more proud of their homeland's history," the author of the novel 'Sacred Land' expressed.

The revolutionary struggle movement of the Bom Bo people during the resistance war. Photo: archival material.

Teacher La Van Hung from Dak Nhau Primary School, Dak Nhau commune, shared: "The Nua Lon base is now just a forest bordering the lush cashew and rubber plantations of the local people; the traces of the past have faded with time. However, the name and the glorious achievements of the army and people here are always remembered by future generations. Even though the base's traces are no longer clear, I always hope that the students will know and be proud of their national history. Especially, the S'tieng ethnic students need to remember the exemplary, loyal heroes such as Dieu Xien, Dieu K'Ru (A), Dieu Doan, Ho Thanh Van… Their sacrifices and contributions have contributed to the glorious tradition of our homeland," said teacher La Van Hung.
A new look on the land of heroes.
The road to Nua Lon Base today is a smooth, paved road, winding through lush green hills covered with cashew and rubber trees. Dak Nhau commune currently has 13 villages and 26 ethnic groups, of which ethnic minorities account for approximately 51.7%. The commune's natural area is over 182 square kilometers, with a population of over 23,000 people. Economically , agriculture remains the dominant sector. The Resolution of the First Congress of the Dak Nhau Commune Party Committee, term 2025-2030, sets two goals: an average annual growth rate of 10% in total state budget revenue; and an average annual growth rate of 10% in the total value of products in the commune.
Dak Nhau is actively promoting the transformation of its crop structure, prioritizing the expansion of high-economic-value crops such as fruit trees, rubber, and coffee; and developing industrial-scale livestock farms. Agricultural extension, veterinary, and plant protection work is being implemented effectively, contributing to improved productivity and quality of agricultural products.
For their immense contributions to the national liberation struggle, the people and armed forces of Dak Nhau commune were honored by the Party and State with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces on December 20, 1994.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Lam, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Dak Nhau commune, said: The commune's Party Committee has concretized the development goals in the Draft Document of the First Party Congress of the commune, term 2025-2030. Accordingly, it has set out 5 key tasks and 4 breakthrough areas: breakthrough in overall planning, management of construction order and development of synchronous, inter-regional transportation infrastructure; breakthrough in comprehensive new rural construction, housing development and ensuring social security; breakthrough in agricultural restructuring, building sustainable value chains and applying high technology; breakthrough in developing high-quality human resources, applying digital transformation and preserving and promoting ethnic cultural identity associated with tourism.
Following the merger, the production space has expanded, creating opportunities for Dak Nhau to develop its existing potential and make sound decisions that are in line with the people's wishes. The commune is oriented towards regional linkages with neighboring localities, focusing on developing green, clean, and efficient agriculture, with agriculture as the pillar and high-quality products as the driving force to improve people's lives. The commune is determined to strive to achieve the goal of building an advanced new rural area by 2030, making Dak Nhau a comprehensively developed, culturally rich, and livable rural area.

Source: https://dongnai.gov.vn/vi/news/van-hoa-dong-nai/ve-dak-nhau-nghe-chuyen-can-cu-nua-lon-57304.html