The story of a special forces soldier on duty in Thailand

Searching for the history of Special Forces Group 1

The book “History of Special Forces Group 1” (pages 52 + 53) has a passage: “On the night of October 2 to 3, 1972, Group A54 attacked airport 372. The force participating in the battle had 11 people organized into 2 combat teams and 1 team to open the door. The first team consisted of 4 people, commanded by comrade Nguyen Khac Nga, to attack the aircraft...

Two combat teams calmly and confidently entered the target and placed more than 30 timed mines in the most vulnerable areas of the aircraft, fuel depots, and generators. At 2:00 a.m. on October 3, explosives in the airport exploded repeatedly. The aircraft and fuel depots caught fire. As a result, we destroyed or damaged 23 aircraft of various types, 1 generator, and burned 1 fuel depot.

Veteran Nguyen Khac Nga cannot forget the days of duty in Laos and Thailand. Photo: Cong Kien

On our side, when the retreating troops were discovered by the enemy, they used heavy firepower to shoot at the formation and blocked the door, causing 3 soldiers to die. Comrade Nguyen Khac Nga was captured by the enemy with 8 wounds on his body...”.

In April, when the whole country was looking forward to the 45th anniversary of the liberation of the South, we had the opportunity to meet and talk with Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga - the person who participated in destroying American aircraft at the lair in Thailand.

In a small house in Block 1, Thu Thuy Ward (Cua Lo Town), the former special forces soldier shared: “In 1965, when I was just 18 years old, I joined the army, belonging to the 324th Division, fighting in the Quang Tri battlefield. After that, I was sent to the North to train as a special forces soldier and then deployed to operate in Laos and Thailand. I was captured by the enemy during the battle at airport 372 in Thailand, and it was not until 1978 that the two countries negotiated to return me...”.

Nguyen Khac Nga's wartime mementos, including a portrait, a sweater given by the Vietnamese Embassy before he left Thailand, and a photo of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and the Thai Prime Minister cut out from a Thai newspaper. Photo: NVCC

The commandos in the front lines (Laos and Thailand) are often divided into groups of about 10 people, operating independently and of course with little support from the rear. Mr. Nga and his comrades in Group A54 go through forests, wade through streams, and cross the Mekong River during flood season to capture targets, wear down enemy forces, and build bases.

And eating bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, and banana roots instead of rice was a daily occurrence. To fool the enemy, these soldiers could disguise themselves as mendicant monks, tourists, or local farmers...

Joy burst in prison

In late 1972, to put pressure on the conference table in Paris, the US plotted to use a large number of aircraft, including the “B-52 Flying Fortress” at bases in the Pacific and Thailand, to attack Hanoi and several northern provinces and cities. Predicting the enemy’s plot, we decided that in addition to the air defense force - air force intercepting aircraft in the skies of the North, we would use special forces to attack enemy aircraft right in their lair.

Brave and intelligent in combat, soldier Nguyen Khac Nga was awarded many medals and noble titles. Notably, when he was captured by the enemy, his unit reported his death to his family. When he was returned to his country, he learned that he had a "Fatherland's Gratitude" Certificate. Photo: Cong Kien

The aircraft systems at the US bases in Thailand were the target of destruction by Group A54. With a spirit of intelligence, courage, and not afraid of hardship and sacrifice, the special forces attacked the US air bases in Thailand. Typical examples were the raids on T90 and T99 airports, especially the attack on airport 372 commanded by Mr. Dao Duc Hanh, and Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga commanded the first group to carry out the mission of destroying the aircraft.

Returning to the developments of the raid on airport 372, after being captured by the enemy, Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga was treated for his wounds to extract information. The book "History of Special Forces Group 1" continues to write about the son of Nghe An: "After being questioned many times by the enemy, Nguyen Khac Nga's only answer was: I, a soldier of the Vietnamese People's Army, went to attack the American base, because the US used planes and bombs at this base to attack Vietnam, killing my people".

Returning to normal life, Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga continues to participate in social work and take care of family life. Photo: Cong Kien

Unable to extract information, the enemy pushed the steadfast soldier into a dark dungeon, where he continued to torture him. For two years, he was confined to a 2m2 room, without sunlight. It was not until 1974, when the US military left Thailand and handed over the prisoners to the Thai government, that Nguyen Khac Nga was allowed to leave solitary confinement, see the sunlight, interact with other prisoners, and his activities were relaxed.

Mr. Nga said: “At noon on April 30, 1975, Tran Huu Hiep (in the same unit A54, captured in another battle - PV) and I turned on the radio, tuned to the Voice of Vietnam radio station and heard the news that Saigon had been liberated. The two brothers hugged each other, bursting with joy, both cheering and sobbing, because we knew that sooner or later we would be able to return to our beloved Fatherland. The good news spread to other rooms, the Thai prisoners, then the Thai soldiers also cheered, followed by overseas Vietnamese coming to visit and congratulate...”.

But it was not until three years later, when Prime Minister Pham Van Dong came to negotiate with the Thai Government, that Mr. Nga and Mr. Hiep were returned. It is impossible to describe the joy and emotion when stepping onto the plane at Bangkok airport with the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga's joy of reunion with his family. Photo: NVCC

Setting foot in the capital Hanoi, the brave and courageous soldier burst into tears like a child who had not seen his mother for a long time... When he returned home, he found out that he had become a "martyr", and that his unit had sent his family a death notice 6 years ago.

To this day, Mr. Nguyen Khac Nga still keeps a photo of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and the Thai Prime Minister shaking hands after the meeting, which was published in a Thai newspaper. And a sweater given by the Embassy, ​​along with wounds all over his body.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Thanh - Chairman of the Association of Revolutionary Soldiers Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy said: "Comrade Nguyen Khac Nga is now 52 years old in the Party, has achieved many feats in combat, was captured and tortured by the enemy but still maintained his integrity. Returning to normal life, he lives simply, in harmony and with his comrades."