The core force in building and defending the Fatherland.
The Self-Defense Militia has always lived up to President Ho Chi Minh's praise: "The militia, self-defense forces, and guerrillas are the forces of the entire nation, an invincible force, an iron wall of the Fatherland." To acknowledge the great contributions and honor the fine traditions of the Self-Defense Militia, the Party and State decided to choose March 28, 1935, as the traditional day of the Self-Defense Militia.
Colonel Phan Dai Nghia
Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command
The Self-Defense Militia has always lived up to President Ho Chi Minh's praise: "The militia, self-defense forces, and guerrillas are the forces of the entire nation, an invincible force, an iron wall of the Fatherland." To acknowledge the great contributions and honor the fine traditions of the Self-Defense Militia, the Party and State decided to choose March 28, 1935, as the traditional day of the Self-Defense Militia.
The Red Guard tradition
during the Nghệ Tĩnh Soviet Uprising
The Nghe An militia force was established very early, its predecessor being the Red Guard units during the Nghe Tinh Soviet Uprising. Under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the militia force developed rapidly and spread widely from the mountainous areas to the plains and coastal regions, from cities to villages. Everywhere, guerrilla units were the core of the peasants' struggle against high taxes and levies, against the oppression of the colonial and feudal regimes, protecting cadres, and preventing the enemy from plundering and killing civilians. This was also the main force that led to the establishment of the Nghe An armed forces on August 21, 1945, along with the people of the province rising up to successfully carry out the August Revolution, making Nghe An one of the first localities in the country to seize power.
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Throughout the nine-year protracted resistance war against French colonialism, the militia and self-defense forces of Nghe An province always stood shoulder to shoulder with the main army units, simultaneously fighting the enemy, engaging in labor and production, building fighting villages and communes, organizing civilian labor brigades, transporting and supplying food to the Dien Bien Phu front, and central and lower Laos, serving both the war effort and fighting itself. They ensured that the enemy did not stay in Nghe An for more than 24 hours, making Nghe An a solid rear base for the revolution nationwide. This is proof of the great achievements of the people of Nghe An, in which the militia and self-defense forces were the core.
With peace restored, the militia became the core force in the land reform, rural development, and restructuring of the economy from individual farming to cooperatives and low- and high-level cooperatives. They also built factories and enterprises in the national reconstruction and socialist construction. They fought against social evils and outdated feudal customs, built a new way of life and a new type of person in the rural and urban areas of the province, and combated sabotage by the enemy, including the activities of negative and disgruntled social elements, commandos, and spies.
During the war against the destructive bombing campaign of the American imperialists in North Vietnam, the militia and self-defense forces were the core force of the people's air defense system. With the spirit of guarding the peace of the skies, seas, and homeland, the provincial militia and self-defense forces organized hundreds of anti-aircraft gunneries, dozens of coastal artillery positions that were constantly on standby, and thousands of other militia and self-defense soldiers who simultaneously engaged in production, served in combat, and fought. When the enemy left, they worked and produced in factories, farms, and fields, always carrying their weapons. When the enemy arrived, they fought, even alone with just one gun, forming a battleground and firing directly at the enemy.
The militia always closely coordinated with the missile, radar, and anti-aircraft artillery units of the main army and local troops, forming a widespread, multi-layered, and multi-directional air defense system involving three branches of the armed forces throughout the province. They repelled over 40,000 aircraft attacks in thousands of battles, shooting down 553 aircraft of various types and capturing many enemy pilots (of which the militia's anti-aircraft forces alone shot down 46 aircraft). The coastal militia also coordinated with the artillery to participate in hundreds of battles against enemy warships, contributing to sinking or burning 36 enemy warships.
Many excellent battles and skilled marksmen from the Self-Defense Militia forces achieved outstanding feats, becoming exemplary battles of low-altitude air defense that were widely publicized throughout the country. Contributing to the richness of people's warfare, the fighting methods of the Self-Defense Militia further embellished the history of our homeland's resistance against foreign invaders. In addition, the Self-Defense Militia contributed millions of man-days to opening roads, clearing enemy bombs, mines, and torpedoes, filling bomb craters in key areas, maintaining the smooth flow of transportation, and ensuring the supply of resources from the North to the South.
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With outstanding achievements in combat, combat support, and labor and production, 10 collectives and 3 individuals in the provincial militia and self-defense forces have been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces and other prestigious awards by the State.
Promoting the role of the militia and self-defense forces.
in the new situation
Deeply understanding the two strategic tasks set forth by the Party in the new era: building and defending the Fatherland, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee, the militia and self-defense forces have actively worked and produced alongside the people of the province, promoting industrialization and modernization, transforming the production structure, applying new science and technology, and intensifying cultivation... Many comrades in the militia and self-defense forces are not only brave and intelligent in combat, but also very diligent and creative in labor, production, and economic activities, becoming skilled workers and successful entrepreneurs, legitimately enriching their families and actively contributing to building their homeland and country.
At the same time, we consistently focus on building up our forces, providing political education, and conducting military training, contributing to the comprehensive development of a strong foundation and a solid national defense system, integrated with a robust people's security posture throughout the province. We maintain constant vigilance, are ready to fight, actively combat social evils, and proactively prevent "peaceful evolution" and the enemy's subversive plots and tactics in all aspects of social activity. We maintain a peaceful and stable environment, creating favorable conditions for the province's economic, cultural, and social development. In particular, since the promulgation of the Militia and Self-Defense Force Ordinance (1996), the Militia and Self-Defense Force Law (2009), and its amendments in 2019, the organization, training, competitions, drills, and activities of the Militia and Self-Defense Force have increasingly achieved high quality and effectiveness. Through inspection and evaluation of results, every year 100% of the militia units at the commune, ward, town, village, neighborhood, agency, enterprise, and school levels achieve a good rating, with many units achieving an excellent rating. The Nghe An militia force has won numerous high awards in competitions and sports events organized by Military Region 4. Every year, tens of thousands of citizens of militia age are registered and strictly managed. The selection process for the core militia force is organized rigorously according to the principle of "the people elect, the people discuss, and the people care." The militia force is organized, built, and trained to suit the specific characteristics of labor, production, and combat requirements, such as militia in religious areas, militia at sea, with local forces, mobile forces, and militia of various branches, to meet the demands of modern warfare.
To date, 787 units have organized militia and self-defense forces, including 412 militia units and 375 self-defense units, with 47,410 personnel from all branches of the military, accounting for 1.4% of the population and 29.3% of Party members. Military officers at the commune, ward, and town levels, as well as those in the Military Command Boards of agencies and organizations, have all received basic training.
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With the attention and care of the Party Committee and the government, and the strict guidance, management, and training from the military, the provincial militia and self-defense forces have always developed in both quantity and quality. They consistently serve as exemplary forces in implementing the Party's guidelines, policies, and the State's laws, actively participating in local movements such as "poverty alleviation," "eliminating dilapidated thatched houses," building culturally advanced families, villages, and workplaces, and constructing rural roads and irrigation canals. As a core force in preventing and mitigating damage, supporting the community in overcoming the consequences of forest fires and floods, and conducting rescue operations during natural disasters and enemy attacks, these are the unsung heroes, always ready to face any difficulties and challenges to protect the community.
Currently, the global, regional, and domestic situations are undergoing many unpredictable developments. Therefore, now more than ever, the tasks facing the people and armed forces of the province in general, and the militia and self-defense forces in particular, are extremely challenging. It is necessary to constantly maintain vigilance, be ready for combat, actively train to improve skills, and organize, deploy, and build a widespread and rational militia and self-defense force capable of responding effectively to any situation. Building, educating, training, and motivating the provincial militia and self-defense forces to successfully complete their tasks and maintain high reliability is the responsibility of the entire Party Committee, the people, and the armed forces of Nghe An. Every officer and soldier of the current generation of the Militia and Self-Defense Force will forever be proud of their glorious traditions, grateful to the generations of forefathers, and determined to excellently fulfill their duties according to the specific goals and targets set in the plans of each sector and level, contributing to building strong and comprehensive agencies, units, and localities.
