A special Tet on the battlefield
(Baonghean.vn) - Half a century has passed, Colonel Ho Huu Lan still retains memories of the difficult, fierce but also very heroic days of the Mau Than Spring uprising (1968). For him, it was a special Tet with many memories that are not easy to fade, even though time is gradually receding...
This Lunar New Year, Colonel Ho Huu Lan (from Quynh Luong Commune - Quynh Luu; former Regiment Commander of Regiment 3 - Division 324; former Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 4) turns 79 years old, still healthy enough to enjoy with his children, relatives, friends and comrades.
During meetings and reunions, the stories he told most were about memories of the battlefield, especially the memories of celebrating Tet in the middle of the battlefield in 1968, when we launched the Mau Than Spring Offensive and Uprising. At that time, his unit was operating in the mountainous area west of Tri-Thien and was ordered to march to liberate Hue city.
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| Colonel Ho Huu Lan (right) and his comrades during a visit to the old battlefield. Photo: Cong Kien |
He said: “On January 20, 1968, our regiment began marching to the 15th General Station in Laos, then followed the B45 road towards Thua Thien - Hue. The regiment launched a "lightning speed" marching competition, which sounded like the echoes of the heroic footsteps of the old cloth-clad heroes. The troops marched loudly over high passes, deep streams, and through vast forests, everyone wanted to reach their destination as quickly as possible...”.
Arriving at Huong Tra intersection, the unit was welcomed by mothers, sisters and younger sisters who gave them banh chung and warm smiles that warmed the hearts of the soldiers. Next was the performance by the Tri Thien Military Region Art Troupe with the Mai Nhi melody and passionate, bustling songs, as if giving the soldiers more strength to enter the battle to liberate their homeland and supporting the troops into battle.
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| Delegation of war veterans from Nghe An province revisits the old battlefield in Thua Thien - Hue. Photo: Cong Kien |
As a regimental-level officer, Ho Huu had the opportunity to grasp quite fully and in detail the developments at the unit's attack points. The battalions charged into battle with unprecedented determination, with a spirit of enthusiasm to liberate the enemy's lair, causing the enemy to be terrified.
The places that are still mentioned by Hue people today when talking about the exploits of the liberation army in the past are: An Ninh Thuong village, Tay Loc airport, Thuy Quan culvert, La-Que Chu field, Imperial City, Mang Ca Lon and Mang Ca Be... In those places, fierce battles took place, with us and the enemy fighting for every inch of land and street.
In the first few days of February 1968, our army controlled most of the targets, liberated Hue city and some surrounding areas, occupied the main targets, destroyed and captured more than 3,000 enemies.
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| The delegation of war veterans of Nghe An province burned incense for comrades who sacrificed their lives during the Mau Than Spring Offensive in 1968. Photo: Cong Kien |
“The people of Hue, who had been held captive for a long time, were very excited to see the liberation soldiers strong and full of spirit. The elders, mothers, sisters and children poured into the streets to wave and offer banh chung, meat, candy and other foods. The soldiers held the people’s hands tightly, smiled and wished them a happy new year,” Colonel Ho Huu Lan recounted.
According to Mr. Lan, the soldiers who attacked and liberated Hue city that year celebrated a Tet in the joy of victory, which they will surely never forget.
