Nam Dan Armed Forces: Worthy of the title of Heroic Unit

(Baonghean)Throughout its formation and development, the Nam Dan armed forces have always overcome hardships with the spirit of "self-reliance and self-strengthening," building a continuously growing force, excellently fulfilling all assigned tasks, and rightfully earning the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces...

Following the August Revolution of 1945, in the precarious situation of the newly established Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and with urgent preparations for a long and arduous resistance war, in order to strengthen the armed forces and the command and control capacity of the local military agencies, on March 28, 1947, based on the policy of the Central Military Commission, the Military Commission of Zone 4, and the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, a directive was issued to establish the Militia and Self-Defense Force Committee (abbreviated as District Military Command), with Comrade Le Trong Oi as Commander, Comrade Vuong Thuc Linh as Political Commissar, and Comrade Ho Pho as Deputy Commander - Chief of Staff. From then on, March 28th has been taken as the Traditional Day of the Armed Forces of Nam Dan District.

Nam Dan district held a conscription day.

Immediately after its establishment, responding to President Ho Chi Minh's call and the orders of the General Staff, Nam Dan district once again surged into a new battle, assuming the stance of masters of their own country with the spirit: "We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country, we would rather die than be enslaved." On October 5, 1949, the officers and soldiers of the Nam Dan District Military Command, in coordination with the army and people of Quynh Luu district, attacked the French troops who had landed in the district, killing and capturing more than 100 of them, seizing many weapons, and forcing them to retreat to the sea.

The resistance war against French colonialism was a difficult journey, but with the indomitable spirit of the Soviet homeland, the army and people of Nam Dan, together with the army and people of Nghe An, built and firmly defended this important base. It served as a strategic foothold and rear area for Military Region 4 and the entire country, as well as for neighboring Laos. The armed forces of Nam Dan matured remarkably, contributing alongside the armed forces of the entire province and military region to countless victories in both protecting the fledgling government and participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, the Binh Tri Thien battlefield, the Laotian battlefield, and the main battlefield in Northern Vietnam...

Throughout the protracted resistance war against French colonialism, tens of thousands of young people from our district volunteered to join the army. Among them were many young students and intellectuals who voluntarily went to the battlefield to fight the enemy, and many of them became talented generals and artists.

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Provincial Party Committee member, Secretary of the Nam Dan District Party Committee, handed over the traditional flame at the 2017 military enlistment ceremony.

Following the victory in the resistance against French colonialism, the Vietnamese revolution entered a new phase: the North carried out a socialist revolution; the South, still under the domination of the US imperialists, continued its national democratic revolution. With the spirit of their Soviet homeland, the army and people of Nam Dan, along with the rest of the country, embarked on a new long march, waging the resistance war against the US to save the nation (1954-1975).

Nam Dan continued to be one of the key targets of fierce bombing by the US Navy and Air Force, and the people and soldiers of Nam Dan had to directly face many difficulties and challenges. First and foremost, the people and soldiers of Nam Dan had to ensure traffic flow on important routes, including the strategic road section from Truong Bon slope (Nam Hung commune), running through the communes of Nam Hung, Nam Thai, Nam Nghia, Nam Van, Nam Dien, Nam Tan, Nam Dong, Nam Hoanh, Nam Duong, Nam Kim, etc., to Duc Tho (Ha Tinh province), with a total length of over 30 km.

Continuing and upholding the glorious patriotic traditions of previous generations, during the years of the nationwide resistance war against the US to save the country, with the spirit of "Not a single grain of rice is lacking, not a single soldier is lacking," and "All for the front lines," the army and people of Nam Dan both contributed to building socialism in the North and provided manpower and resources to the great front lines in the South, contributing to the final victory of the resistance war, achieving independence, freedom, and national reunification. Under the enemy's bombs and bullets, the armed forces of Nam Dan bravely and tenaciously held their ground, fighting in coordination with the spirit: "If we die, we will leave our flesh and bones; if we live, we will resolutely defend the homeland of Uncle Ho."

During the period of national construction and defense, the armed forces of Nam Dan have always been at the forefront, serving as the core force for the entire population in carrying out military, national defense, and security tasks in the locality. When war broke out on the southwestern and northern borders, the armed forces and people of Nam Dan actively joined the military and people of the border provinces in repelling the enemy and defending every inch of the sacred land of the Fatherland. Today, under the leadership and guidance of the Party committees, the government, and the Provincial Military Command, the armed forces of Nam Dan continue to uphold the tradition of decisive victory in combat, overcoming all difficulties and striving to fulfill all assigned tasks.

Over the past 70 years, under the leadership of the Party, the management and administration of the State, and directly under the leadership and guidance of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command; the District Party Committee, the District People's Council, and the District People's Committee; nurtured and protected by the people; inheriting and developing the cultural and revolutionary traditions of the people of Nghe An province; the tradition of fighting invaders and defending the country of the nation, and the tradition of the heroic Vietnam People's Army, the armed forces of the district have overcome countless difficulties and challenges, fighting and building simultaneously, and continuously growing stronger, achieving great accomplishments that have made important contributions to the cause of national liberation and the protection of the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

In the coming period, given the impacts of the global, regional, and domestic situations, with both advantages and difficulties intertwined, the armed forces of Nam Dan district are determined to continue upholding and promoting the tradition of "leading the way and rising first" of the heroic Soviet homeland, to constantly strive and resolutely complete all assigned tasks. In particular, they will focus on effectively carrying out several specific tasks such as:

Continue to thoroughly understand and strictly implement the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, the Resolutions of Party Congresses at all levels, focusing on the Resolution of the 8th Plenum of the Central Committee (11th term) on "The Strategy for National Defense in the New Situation". Firmly grasp the enemy's schemes and tactics and the political security situation in the area, preventing any unexpected surprises; build a clean and strong Party Committee, and comprehensively strong agencies and units; improve the overall quality and combat strength of the district's armed forces, building revolutionary, regular, elite, and progressively modern armed forces in Nam Dan to meet the requirements of the new situation, especially to excellently complete the task of building a comprehensively strong model unit in 2017;

The Nam Dan District Military Command is training militia and self-defense forces.

Closely coordinate with departments, agencies, and mass organizations in the district to promote the building and strengthening of the all-people national defense, building a solid all-people national defense posture linked to a people's security posture, especially in key areas. Develop and effectively utilize the potential in the defense zone; focus on improving the education and training of national defense and security knowledge for all target groups and the entire population. Pay attention to building a strong reserve force and militia;

To effectively fulfill its role as a working force in the new situation, the armed forces of the district need to do even better in mass mobilization work, protecting the people, building a strong military-civilian solidarity relationship; and strengthening the "people's support" base from the grassroots level. They should promote activities of "showing gratitude and repaying kindness"; conduct propaganda and mobilization work to ensure the people strictly abide by the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws; help people reduce poverty, build new rural areas, prevent and overcome the consequences of natural disasters, conduct search and rescue operations to ensure the safety of the people, and contribute to ensuring favorable conditions for accelerating the socio-economic development of the district in the coming years.

Military and police agencies at all levels need to seriously implement Government Decree No. 77/ND-CP and Decree No. 74/ND-CP on the coordination between the Army and the Police in performing national defense and security tasks. They must proactively anticipate, understand, and accurately assess the situation, especially in areas with complex issues, to avoid being caught off guard or surprised, and to ensure absolute safety.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Trung

(Deputy Political Commissar, Head of Political Affairs, Nam Dan District Military Command)