Borderland records feat of shooting down US fighter plane

(Baonghean.vn) - The reconnaissance planes and fighter planes of the US imperialists from Thai airports that attacked the North during the years of the resistance war against the US were intercepted by the people and soldiers of the border commune of Nghe An, Thong Thu (Que Phong). The Thai ethnic militia in this remote area shot down modern US fighter planes with primitive weapons.

During the years of the nation's long resistance war against the US, the remote border area of ​​Thong Thu (Que Phong district) was almost quiet on land. Because this was not in the line of fire of the vital transport routes supporting the southern battlefield.

There was also no important military base here and at that time the advantage of dense forests and villages hidden deep in the forest canopy was that they could avoid the prying eyes of the American invaders.

The border land of Thong Thu - the gateway to Sam To district of neighboring Laos - has recorded many feats of arms in the resistance war against the US to save the country. Photo: Ho Phuong.

However, the sky of this land is not as quiet as the ground because every day groups of American planes from Thai airports flying to attack the North fly over here.

Along with that, this is the gateway to Sam To district, Hua Phan province, Laos, so although it was not attacked, local militia platoons were established to fight against American commandos invading our country along the border and intercepting American planes.

Although he is 85 years old this year, Mr. Luong Van An (former Deputy Platoon Leader of the Loc Village Militia Platoon, Thong Thu Commune) still remembers those days clearly: At that time, the village militia platoons and squads were only equipped with K44 military guns. Only the anti-aircraft squad was equipped with a 12.7mm gun, which was the most modern.

Although Mr. Luong Van An is old, he will never forget the day his platoon shot down an American fighter jet flying into the Thong Thu border area to bombard. Photo: Xuan Hoa.

Every day, the militia platoons took turns training while other platoons coordinated with the border guards to patrol the border. At that time, this was a densely forested mountainous area with relatively complex terrain, so it easily became a route for American commandos to infiltrate the northern rear of our country.

Mr. An will never forget the milestone of November 9, 1965. After many days of suspicion, many times American planes flew over Thong Thu sky for reconnaissance. At 2:00 p.m. on November 9, when the platoon was training at Khe Ban Loc, they discovered 3 American fighter jets flying in from the direction of Chu River. Immediately, his entire platoon and the anti-aircraft squad got ready for combat.

Three fighter planes were flying close along the Chu River when they were simultaneously ordered to open fire and shoot down the planes. Immediately after the first K44 gunfire stopped, one of the three fighter planes was emitting billowing smoke.

Ammunition was loaded into the second round of ammunition along with anti-aircraft guns continuing to fire to bring down the fighter. After this second round of ammunition, the previously burned fighter staggered and then crashed into the forest behind Ca Na village. “At that time, the K44 gun fired one round at a time, but when we saw 3 fighter planes flying in at a very low altitude, the platoon was determined to take down these sky bandits.

Thai people in Thong Thu help each other build stilt houses. Photo: Ho Phuong.

In the first salvo, one of the three fighter planes caught fire, then along with anti-aircraft guns, the fighter plane was shot down in the forest behind Ca Na village of Thong Thu commune. That feat made the cadres and soldiers in the commune very excited and determined to fight the sky invaders that flew over here every day", Mr. An excitedly recalled.

However, from then on, the remote land of Thong Thu was watched more by American fighters because they suspected that there were main force troops stationed here. Typically, on January 7, 1966, a group of fighters bombed Thong Thu Primary School in Muong Piet village because they suspected it was a weapons depot. Fortunately, when the bomb was dropped, the students were not yet in school, so the bombing only injured a child living nearby.

The face of the border region today has changed a lot with many new constructions springing up. Photo: Ho Phuong.

During the years of resistance against the US, Thong Thu commune also contributed a lot of manpower and resources to the battlefield. Currently, the commune's Veterans Association has 178 members, many of whom are wounded and sick soldiers during the resistance period. Now each year, Thong Thu has 6 to 7 young men joining the army to defend the Fatherland.

Talking about the patriotism and anti-invasion spirit of the army and people of Mr. Quang Van Tuong's commune, the Chairman of the Association of War Veterans of Thong Thu commune proudly said: "The commune is home to 87% of the Thai ethnic group and the rest are Khmu ethnic groups. But during the war or now, it is a time of peace and the people in the whole commune always uphold the national spirit, ready to go to fulfill the tasks assigned by the country. The army and people always propagate to study and work in accordance with the state's policies and laws so that this border area is always peaceful."

Xuan Hoa