Nghe An's contribution to the Central - Lower Laos campaign in the Winter - Spring war 1953 - 1954

In 1953, the resistance war against the French had entered its eighth year, but the battlefield situation had not yet achieved a decisive military victory. In that situation, in October 1953, the Politburo met in Keo Province and decided to launch the Winter-Spring 1953-1954 strategic offensive. The attack directions were determined to be the Northwest, Central Highlands, Central Laos, and Lower Laos.

Implementing the Politburo's policy, on November 19, 1953, the General Military Commission met in Dinh Hoa (Thai Nguyen) and decided to launch the Central - Lower Laos campaign.

The mission of the Central Laos campaign was to use a part of the main force to coordinate with the Pathet (Laos) army to expand the liberated area; attack the South - North Indochina corridor to wear down a part of the enemy's strength; coordinate with the main battlefield in the North; liberate Tha Khec.

To ensure logistics for the campaign, the Party Central Committee and the Government instructed Inter-Zone 4 (mainly assigned to Nghe An, Ha Tinh and the liberated area of ​​North Quang Binh) to take responsibility. The Lao Party Central Committee also mobilized the people of Central Laos to be ready to serve the campaign.

Implementing the Politburo's policy on mobilizing human and material resources to serve the campaign, Inter-zone 4 established a Front Supply Council specializing in serving the campaign. The General Department of Front Supply sent a delegation of cadres led by comrade Dinh Thien, directly working with the Inter-zone 4 Front Supply Council to organize the work of ensuring the campaign. Inter-zone 4 organized a Transport Supply Command to establish a supply corridor from Nghe An to Central Laos. The Supply Department of the 325th Division was in charge of campaign logistics, the K43 rear hospital in Thanh Chuong - Nghe An, the 700 weapons warehouse in Chu Le - Huong Khe - Ha Tinh ensured the rear line for the 325th Division. As for the 436th Battalion of the 325th Division, only Binh - Tri - Thien provided logistics for the march to Lower Laos. When arriving in Lower Laos, the unit would rely on friends to operate.

In parallel with mobilizing people to contribute in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, Inter-zone 4 also organized training courses for cadres from the provincial to district levels in Central Laos to prepare for the establishment of the government and take over the management of the newly liberated areas. At the same time, it coordinated with friends to go to each village to mobilize people to build revolutionary bases in Ma Ha Xay, Bu La Pha, Ta Oi, Muong Noong, along Highway 9, Cam Cot, mobilized Lao people to contribute food and provisions for the campaign, established transport stations...

Implementing the policy of Inter-zone 4 on mobilizing logistics resources to supply the campaign, the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh have proposed many measures to implement. The preparation work for the campaign from propaganda to unify ideology and action; mobilizing young people to join the army, mobilizing people to participate in civilian labor to rebuild and repair bridges and roads; mobilizing food, food; tools, means of transport, setting up stations, transporting food, ammunition, medicine, transporting the wounded... took place vigorously in the two provinces as one."people's festival"

In Nghe An, the Front Supply Council was established with the participation of comrade Nguyen Van Than - Regional Party Committee member and comrade Duong Van Dat - representative of Nghe An province. Nghe An province mobilized 20,000 laborers, 1,500 bicycles, and 1,006 boat laborers. On November 10, 1953, the combined laborer team of Nghe An, consisting of 32,000 people and 1,800 bicycles from Ha Tinh province, transported 4,600 tons of rice to Thanh Luyen and Chu Le stations (in Huong Khe district - Ha Tinh), Tan Ap and Cuc hamlets stations (in Quang Binh province). After that, the Nghe An laborer team was assigned to serve the front line in the area of ​​Road 12, advancing towards Ba Ngao. A typical example was the Anh Son Company, which traveled 38 km of forest road in one night to enter Ma Ha Xay - Tha Khet in time to follow the main force. Thanks to scientific arrangement, organization, encouragement and mutual help, the workers increased productivity from 60kg/trip to 130kg/trip.

Mr. Nguyen Van Han, Nguyen Van Huu - Anh Son porter team carried 240kg/trip, was awarded the Third Class Military Exploit Medal, Ms. Thai Thi Truc (Do Luong town - Nghe An) was awarded the title of Emulation Fighter. Company 3 Dien Chau increased the average carrying capacity to 135kg/trip. In addition to transporting food and ammunition, the porters also participated in transporting the wounded, escorting prisoners of war, and joining the army to liberate Ba Na Phao, Ma Ha Xay, Nhom Ma Rat, Tha Khet. When the enemy concentrated 19 infantry battalions, 3 artillery battalions to form Xe No stronghold to fight back against Ba Na Phao, cutting off Highway 12, the entire porter group of Nghe An was stuck between the two pincers of the enemy. The porter leadership calmly let the porters retreat into the forest to preserve their forces and find a way to contact the Front Supply Council.

The enemy discovered the porters and bombed the Y20 station, killing Comrade Dong, the station chief, and two porters. The French army organized an attack on Ka Vac and Pha Cuoi to cut off the transport route of the porter companies, but the Anh Son, Quynh Luu, and Quyet Tien Companies bravely moved the warehouse and station to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

During the third phase of the campaign, Company 4 and Quynh Luu Company were assigned the task of crossing La Boi and Ca Rong passes to open a new route to transport logistics for Regiment 66.

During 16 days and nights, they overcame all difficulties, voluntarily reducing food rations to 40 grams to give the soldiers enough rice to fight. When their battlefield service term expired, many cadres and party members voluntarily stayed to serve in combat against the enemy's plot to retake Tha Khet town and areas in Khammouane province, protect the liberated zone, and at the same time march with the main force down Route 9 in the cold rain, complex terrain, under enemy fire. The service work of the Nghe An porter team contributed to the main force destroying the enemy at the positions of Pha Lan, Huoi Xai, Xe Ta Moc, Muong Phin, cutting off the strategic traffic route of Xavanakhet - Dong Ha - Hue - Da Nang.

For 7 months, Nghe An laborers did not fear hardships and dangers, maintained battlefield discipline, disciplined relations with the people and friendly troops, excellently completed the campaign mission, leaving behind beautiful achievements and unforgettable feelings in the hearts of our soldiers and Lao friends.

Comrade Hoang Sam, the campaign commander, assessed: The porters are not only a powerful force in transporting supplies, rescuing victims, and evacuating the wounded, but also a fighting force. Comrade Phummi Vongvichit was very touched when he received help from Nghe An porters while on his way to attend the victory celebration of the liberation of Tha Khek town.

The victory in Central and Lower Laos fulfilled a top strategic requirement of forcing Nava to continue to disperse its strategic mobile army, contributing to reducing the enemy's main force on the main battlefield in the North, especially in the direction of Dien Bien Phu. The liberated area of ​​the Lao people continued to expand from the south and north of Route 9 down to the east of Savannakhet, neutralizing Route 12, cutting off Route 9, forcing the enemy to be in a state of "Indochina being cut in half". In Lower Laos and Northeastern Cambodia, a large area was liberated, contributing to clearing the strategic corridor of South and North Indochina, then continuing to hold back a part of the enemy's mobile forces after the victory of Dien Bien Phu.

The Central - Lower Laos Campaign lasted nearly 6 months, soldiers and laborers had to march and fight on a vast mountainous terrain, up to 1200km long. The starting point of the campaign was the eastern slope of the Truong Son range, the combat area was the western slope of the Truong Son range.

Despite the harsh weather and complex terrain, the footprints of the people of Nghe An and Ha Tinh were still imprinted on every road of the Truong Son range to serve the campaign.