I visited Mr. Chu Van Tiep one afternoon in early April. Meeting him, I was surprised to see that at the age of 88, he was still very agile, active, and sharp-minded. Memories of the fierce but heroic battles fought by this old veteran who had lived through two wars surged like a whirlwind.
Mr. Tiep was born in Thanh Cat commune (now Cat Van commune), Thanh Chuong district, a peaceful village beside the Lam River. In July 1953, at the age of 17, he volunteered to join the resistance against the French. At that time, the resistance war against the French was entering its most intense phase. Despite his small stature, he was assigned to Regiment 95, 325th Infantry Division. This was one of the first six main divisions of the Vietnam People's Army, established on March 11, 1951, based on several combat regiments in the former Zone 4 (North Central Vietnam). Throughout the war, this unit was also known as the Binh Tri Thien Regiment.
Mr. Tiep recounted that back then, our army was very short of supplies, from military equipment to combat weapons. From Thanh Cat commune, after volunteering to go to the front, Mr. Tiep immediately underwent a rapid training course and marched with his unit to the Red River Delta region.
During the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring strategic offensive, the southern area of the Red River Delta was a crucial front, diverting enemy fire from the Northern battlefield and Dien Bien Phu, contributing to the liberation of Ninh Binh, Phu Ly, and Nam Dinh cities. Simultaneously, it cut off the enemy's supply route to the Northwest battlefield, contributing to the "earth-shattering Dien Bien Phu victory" on May 7, 1954.
Mr. Tiep still vividly remembers the final days of the resistance war against the French. News of enemy defeats on all battlefields poured in. Fighting barefoot, wearing self-woven bamboo hats, and with meager meals, the young soldiers were always full of fighting spirit. He remembers most vividly the days of incessant rain and biting winds, when the soldiers dug trenches and transported weapons, ready to go into battle upon receiving orders from their superiors, disregarding the hardships and difficulties. After the heroic battles on Highway 1, blocking the enemy's retreat route, what saddened Mr. Tiep most was that many of his comrades had fallen on the battlefield just hours before news of victory arrived.
After the victory at Dien Bien Phu, which ended the nine-year resistance war against the French, Mr. Tiep and his unit marched back to the southern bank of the Ben Hai River, where the country was temporarily divided at the 17th parallel. In 1963, after more than 10 years in the military and 9 years directly stationed on the front lines in Vinh Linh, he was discharged and returned to his hometown of Thanh Chuong. From 1964, he moved to Tan Ky to build a new economic zone.
After spending more than 10 years on the battlefield fighting against the French and the American imperialists, Mr. Tiep thought that upon his discharge and return to his hometown to build a new economy in Tan Ky, he could finally escape the bombs and bullets of war. However, when he arrived in Ky Son commune (Tan Ky), the American imperialists began escalating the war in the North.
Recognizing that the war could be protracted and the path to liberating South Vietnam and unifying the country might be lengthy, from 1959, the Central Committee of the Party and the Politburo decided to build a strategic transport route to support the Southern battlefield, also known as the Truong Son Road (now the Ho Chi Minh Trail). The starting point was calculated from Kilometer 0, located in Ky Son commune (now part of Tan Ky town), to Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province.
It was for this reason that throughout the years of the war against the US, Tan Ky district became a key target of enemy bombing. Numerous air raids were carried out by the US imperialists at locations such as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Highway 15A, Highway 15B, Son Ferry, Roi Ferry… especially at Milestone Zero and the communes along Highway 15 such as Ky Son, Nghia Dung, Nghia Dong, and Nghia Binh.
When he arrived in Tan Ky district to participate in the new economic development program, armed with the hard-won experience from the battlefield, Mr. Tiep was assigned the task of being the militia commander of Ky Son commune. During the fierce bombing campaign by the US imperialists in North Vietnam, under the direction of higher authorities, local communities, farms, factories, and militia forces closely coordinated with main army units to build anti-aircraft gun emplacements. As the militia commander, Mr. Tiep once again took up arms, joining the local militia and people in fighting the enemy.
Mr. Tiep recounted that Milestone No. 0 on the Truong Son Road, the point passing through Tan Ky district, was the intersection of Route 15A and Route 15B, a convenient location for motorized convoys to transport goods and troops to fight in the South. During times when the enemy intensified bombing of the North, the Truong Son Road was frequently scouted, discovered, and fiercely attacked. At Milestone No. 0, Truong Dong, and along the road through Ky Son and Nghia Hanh communes, enemy aircraft of all types, such as AD6, P108, 24, B52, etc., continuously circled and attacked, causing heavy casualties. The enemy focused their bombing efforts on cutting off the supply route to the South for our army and people.
During the years of the war against the Americans, under the direction of higher authorities, Ky Son commune established two combat units: one unit for traffic control and another specializing in shooting down enemy aircraft. In addition, a task force of 20 comrades was formed, always present at dangerous locations to monitor traffic lights, signaling troops transporting weapons and food to the Southern battlefield, and alerting local residents to take shelter whenever enemy aircraft appeared. These teams were all led by Mr. Tiep, coordinating with the main army to protect Kilometer Zero and the strategic roads passing through the area.
Under intense enemy bombardment, the transport convoy was repeatedly hit by bombs and caught fire. Each time this happened, the militia of Ky Son commune quickly approached to extinguish the fire and move the damaged vehicles away from the scene to prevent casualties among the soldiers and to avoid disrupting the vital transportation route.
To ensure that soldiers and civilians had shelter during bombing raids, A-shaped bunkers were dug every 50 meters along the roads passing through Ky Son commune. With the spirit of "no sacrifice for the vehicles," the people of Ky Son commune sacrificed hundreds of houses to provide wood for paving roads; participated in hundreds of battles; and bravely cleared and defused many unexploded bombs, ensuring the safety of convoys and contributing to timely support for the Southern battlefield.
According to statistics, during the war against the US, the people of Ky Son commune had to endure 1,200 tons of bombs and ammunition, resulting in the damage of 187 houses, 4 bridges, 1 food warehouse, and 1 school, killing 75 people and injuring 112. This does not include hundreds of buffaloes and cows, and dozens of hectares of land and crops that were also destroyed.
After the Paris Agreement was signed on January 27, 1973, peace was restored in the North, and the land of Tan Ky was no longer scarred by the roar of airplanes and bombs. At this time, Mr. Tiep, formerly the head of the commune's militia, was appointed Chairman, then Secretary of the Party Committee of Ky Son commune, and later Secretary of the Party Committee of Tan Ky town. After retiring, he was again trusted and elected as the Party branch secretary. Regardless of his role, this Party member and soldier of Uncle Ho always maintained his moral character, setting a good example and leading the way in all activities to foster unity within the Party branch and consensus among the people. In addition, he also focused on mobilizing the masses by listening to the thoughts, aspirations, and legitimate opinions of the people in order to find the most reasonable and fair solutions.
Bidding farewell to Mr. Chu Van Tiep right at Kilometer Zero, the once-fiery "coordinate of fire" has now become a National Historical Site, a testament to a glorious era in the nation's history, a place marking the heroic achievements of an entire generation of "Iron Fortress Vietnam," including people like Mr. Tiep.
