Battlefield memories of Hero of the Armed Forces Pham Thanh Tam
With 24 years of military service, Hero of the Armed Forces Pham Thanh Tam has many memorable experiences from his journey fighting to defend the country, especially the years of his youth spent on the Quang Tri battlefield. He always considers his time in the military to be the most glorious period of his life and will forever cherish those memories.
Unforgettable memories
During these days when the whole country is commemorating the 81st anniversary of its founding.Vietnam People's Army(December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2025), Hero Pham Thanh Tam (born in 1950) from Nghi Tan 6 block, Cua Lo ward (Nghe An province) reminisces as he turns through the documents of his unit and major battles to relive the memories of the past.
During our conversation, Mr. Tâm showed us two thick books titled "Portraits of Heroes of the Ho Chi Minh Era" and "1,000 Exemplary Heroes and Heroic Vietnamese Mothers of the Ho Chi Minh Era." In those books, he was honored to have two pages dedicated by the editorial board to introduce his biography and military achievements.
Veteran Pham Thanh Tam began his story: “I was born and raised in Nghi Tan coastal village (Cua Lo ward). In 1969, I left school at the age of 19 and enlisted in the army, assigned to Battalion 6, Special Forces Command. From then on, I began my days of training and combat, facing life and death countless times on the fierce battlefield, achieving victories with my comrades, contributing to driving out the invaders.”
After training, young soldier Pham Thanh Tam and his comrades were deployed to the "fire land" of Quang Tri, serving in Battalion 35, Regiment 305, Command Headquarters.Special ForcesAt that time, Mr. Tâm was assigned to a reconnaissance unit, tasked with infiltrating deep into enemy territory, monitoring and assessing the enemy situation to develop operational plans.
As the fighting intensified, facing the enemy daily, Pham Thanh Tam and his comrades participated in hundreds of battles, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy.
Special forces soldier Pham Thanh Tam can never forget the years 1971-1972, a period of many battles in which he and his comrades achieved great victories. On the night of February 21, 1971, he was assigned the mission of commanding a reconnaissance and attack on Ta Con airfield (Quang Tri province), destroying aircraft, tanks, and pilots of the South Vietnamese army.
The enemy maintained a tight defense with dozens of layers of barbed wire fences, a dense network of watchtowers, and trained dogs. The reconnaissance soldiers, with their resourcefulness and courage, weaved through the layers of fences and guard posts to plant mines at the airport. By maintaining secrecy and surprise, Mr. Tâm and his comrades destroyed many enemy combat vehicles and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy…
On the evening of May 21, 1971, Pham Thanh Tam was assigned to command a reconnaissance team to attack an enemy logistics base in Ai Tu (Quang Tri). “In that battle, my comrades and I crossed 10 layers of barbed wire and entered the warehouse area, where we encountered four American soldiers on guard. I signaled my comrades to crawl into the warehouse quickly to avoid detection, then we planted timed mines in the ammunition depot and quickly withdrew,” Mr. Tam recalled. Upon reaching a safe position, the combat team heard violent explosions from the enemy base; fire erupted and black smoke covered the entire area, destroying many enemy ammunition depots.
On the night of June 19, 1971, Pham Thanh Tam continued to command the reconnaissance team in an attack on the Ai Tu base. On the way to the warehouse, they were discovered by the enemy and subjected to intense fire. The enemy unleashed dogs to search everywhere, but fortunately, Tam's combat team managed to withdraw in time.
Three days later, the reconnaissance team returned to their mission. This time, the enemy had changed their defenses. Mr. Tam and his teammates tried every means to infiltrate the area, and after three hours, they successfully planted mines in the warehouse and withdrew safely.
For his achievements, special forces soldier Pham Thanh Tam was honored with 6 Orders of Military Merit (First, Second, and Third Class). Notably, on December 20, 1973, he was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State – a well-deserved reward for this resourceful and courageous soldier.
Contributing to building our homeland
After the liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country, Mr. Pham Thanh Tam remained in his unit, performing training and combat readiness duties, and was promoted to battalion-level officer, then to regimental-level officer.
In 1979, whenNorthern Border WarWhen the outbreak occurred, the Special Forces Regiment was deployed to Quang Ninh province to protect the border. As the Regiment Commander, Mr. Tam led the units to closely monitor the area, infiltrate deep into enemy territory to gather intelligence, and always remain ready for combat.
From 1987 to 1991, Mr. Pham Thanh Tam was sent by the State to Cuba as a military advisor to the Cuban government. During this time, he actively applied his abilities and experience gained during his years of fighting and defending the country to share with the Cuban armed forces, aiming to enhance their defense capabilities against the threat of invasion.
He was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Cuban State with the following inscription: “On behalf of the revolutionary armed forces of the Republic of Cuba, we express our gratitude and commendation for your contributions to strengthening our country’s defense capabilities. Your experience is highly valued by the Generals, Admirals, officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and Navy personnel, demonstrating the enduring friendship between our peoples based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism.”
In 1993, after 24 years of military service, Mr. Pham Thanh Tam retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Returning to civilian life, he actively participated in social work, joined the Front Committee, and the Veterans Association, making significant contributions to local movements. Particularly during the early days of Cua Lo town's establishment, when smuggling was quite prevalent, Mr. Tam actively monitored the situation, coordinated with the police force to prevent smuggling, and gradually stabilized the area.
Mr. and Mrs. Tâm have five children, all of whom are grown up and have their own families. Two of them have pursued military careers, continuing to contribute to the building and protection of the nation.
Comrade Pham Thanh Tam is a member who has been awarded the 55-Year Party Membership Badge. He actively participates in local organizations and sets a leading example in various movements. At the same time, he has demonstrated the fine qualities of a soldier of Uncle Ho's army, showing a conscious effort to care for and educate the younger generation in patriotism and revolutionary spirit; and readily sharing difficulties with his comrades and fellow soldiers.”
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Chairman of the Veterans Association of Cua Lo Ward
