Long Hung Commune: A land of "exceptional people and auspicious geography".

Việt Nam•09/10/2023

Long Hung commune (Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province) - the birthplace of the Southern Uprising, the former "American-killing zone" - is the homeland of many heroes who fought and sacrificed for the revolutionary cause.

PLACE WHERE IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENTS TAKEN PLACE

According to the book "History of the Party Committee and People of Long Hung Commune (1930 - 2005)", during the anti-French resistance period, the Long Hung Communist Party Branch was established in 1930. Comrade Le Van Giac was chosen as the first Secretary of the Branch. In 1940, a movement to train in martial arts arose throughout the communes of Chau Thanh district in preparation for the uprising.

In March 1940, the Chau Thanh District Party Committee met in Vua hamlet (Long Hung commune) to disseminate the Southern Regional Party Committee's directive on preparing for armed uprising. In May 1940, Comrade Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tot (Muoi Thap), a member of the Regional Party Committee and also a native of Long Hung, returned to the commune to implement the plan for preparing for the uprising.

The Southern Uprising National Historical Site - the place where the red flag with a yellow star first appeared.

In Long Hung commune, precisely at midnight on November 23, 1940, the Long Hung commune Party branch received the order to launch an uprising. The commune's guerrillas mobilized the entire population, lighting torches, beating drums and gongs, and using sticks, spears, and machetes to seize the Long Hung commune office. Simultaneously, a banner reading "Democratic Republic of Vietnam" was hung in front of the Provincial Uprising Committee headquarters located at Long Hung communal house.

According to the book "My Tho - Go Cong in the Southern Uprising (1940)", it is recorded: "On November 23, 1940, the revolutionary government of My Tho province was established and organized a rally with more than 3,000 participants at Long Hung Temple to introduce itself to the people."

On the morning of November 23, 1940, the Uprising Committee assigned someone to hoist the red flag with a yellow star on the banyan tree in front of Long Hung Temple (the banyan tree still stands today). This was the first time the red flag with a yellow star flew, demonstrating an unprecedented revolutionary spirit. Long Hung Temple was also chosen by the Provincial Revolutionary People's Court as the venue for the first trial in the history of the Vietnamese revolution to prosecute the cruel collaborators.

RED ADDRESS

The revolutionary government lasted only 49 days before being brutally suppressed by the French colonialists. The history of Long Hung will never forget the glorious, decisive event on January 4, 1941, when the enemy concentrated all their forces to encircle the Cay Me and Tram Bau hills (Long Hung commune).

Knowing they could not resist the enemy, four comrades—Le Van Giac, Secretary of the Long Hung Party Branch; Nguyen Van Ghe, Provincial Party Committee member; Le Van Quoi, Chau Thanh District Party Committee member; and Nguyen Van Quan, a Chau Thanh District Party Committee official—stayed to fight to the last bullet, then drew their swords and committed suicide, determined not to surrender to the enemy.

Today, Long Hung Temple is a National Historical Monument commemorating the Southern Uprising in Tien Giang province, and Go Me historical site has become a significant landmark not only for the current generations of Long Hung commune, but also for younger generations inside and outside the province.

From 1945 to 1947, Long Hung was chosen as the provincial base for organizing and commanding the resistance against French colonialism. Based in Long Hung, provincial agencies recruited many cadres and soldiers to build the armed forces. Comrade Chin Kinh (Nguyen Tan Thanh) initially took charge of protecting the base, later becoming the Head of the Provincial Military Committee. He participated twice in the attack on the Vam Xang outpost and established the province's first local militia company, holding a send-off ceremony in mid-1947 at Mrs. Ba Ngon's house, near Ong Ho market.

After the 1954 Geneva Accords, the Provincial Party Committee's leadership moved to Long Hung to lead the organization in shifting the struggle from armed to political . Although kept secret, the people were aware and protected the location. For two years, the enemy was unaware that the Provincial Party Committee's headquarters were located there.

Young people in Long Hung commune light incense to commemorate the heroic martyrs at the National Historical Monument of the Southern Uprising.

During the resistance war against the US, Long Hung commune was heavily attacked by the enemy. In early June 1966, the US began constructing the Dong Tam base, which was completed in December 1966. The base was located in Long Hung commune, spanning two hamlets, Long Thoi and Long Binh B, covering approximately 200 hectares.

The completion of the base created new difficulties for the military and people of Chau Thanh district, especially the border communes directly confronting the Americans such as Binh Duc, Long Hung, Song Thuan, Thanh Phu, and Vinh Kim. In this context, along with the people holding their ground in the border area, the Party Committee of Long Hung commune, together with the local forces and people, achieved many victories, with many examples of "Heroes of the Anti-American Struggle," such as Comrade Nguyen Van Tau (Bay Tau) in Long Binh A hamlet, who killed 72 American soldiers. The people, along with the guerrillas, participated in fighting the enemy; some sharpened stakes, others planted grenades. The families of Mr. Le Van Kich and Mr. Ba Chuong built defensive barriers to prevent enemy sweeps and dug tunnels to hide cadres.

Many young guerrillas, aged 14 or 15, also participated in attacking enemy outposts. In particular, Ho Van Nhanh, a young guerrilla from Long Hung commune, despite being only 16 years old, had entered American bases over 130 times, defusing 4,500 various types of ammunition and guiding guerrillas and soldiers in defusing 1,000 more. He assisted the army in over 30 battles, killing 130 American soldiers and hundreds of puppet troops. Ho Van Nhanh bravely sacrificed his life while defusing a mine and was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State on November 6, 1978.

Like Hero of the People's Armed Forces Ho Van Nhanh, Le Thi Hong Gam (Tu Gam) also secretly joined the village guerrilla team in 1967 when she was only 16 years old. Notably, on April 18, 1970, to prepare for a night battle, she and two other female guerrillas went to buy food for their comrades. When they reached the middle of the field, they were discovered by the enemy, who intended to capture them alive. Undeterred, she calmly aimed at the helicopter and fired, causing one to burst into flames and crash on the spot.

The second helicopter swooped down, dropping troops and surrounding them. In that life-or-death moment, she did not waver, shooting down three more enemy soldiers. Because the enemy was so numerous, they concentrated their firepower on her, severely wounding her, and she bravely sacrificed herself at the young age of 19. On September 20, 1971, Le Thi Hong Gam was posthumously awarded the Liberation Merit Medal, Third Class, and the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. She was the first female Hero of the People's Armed Forces to be awarded this title in Tien Giang province.

Long Hung commune also has another Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Comrade Tran Huu Danh (real name Tran Van Danh, born in 1916, died in 1988). He joined the revolution in January 1934. The highest position he held was Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Lieutenant Colonel, and Political Commissar of the My Tho Provincial Military Command during the resistance war against the US for national liberation.

At the age of 18, Comrade Tran Huu Danh joined the secret organization of Comrade Nguyen Thi Thap in his hometown. On March 9, 1945, he was the first to seize five enemy guns in My Tho and bring them back to equip the local forces. During his revolutionary activities, he was entrusted with many different tasks by his superiors and achieved many outstanding victories.

It can be said that Long Hung commune is a land of "spiritual and talented people," having produced many outstanding individuals who contributed their efforts and sacrifices to the building and protection of the country, leaving behind landmarks and people that will endure through time.

There are still many other outstanding sons and daughters of Long Hung commune not mentioned in this article, but all of them have culminated in the glorious history of Long Hung, a Heroic Commune of the People's Armed Forces, with 614 martyrs who fell for national independence. These glorious chapters of history have contributed to the overall success of the revolution and are being continued by the present generations of Long Hung commune.

Compiled by PHAN CAO THANG

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