We will forever be grateful to those who fell...

(Baonghean) - If you have the opportunity to visit Nghe An - the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh, and travel along National Highway 1A, to the north of Ben Thuy Bridge, you will see a tall, imposing chimney standing at the foot of Dung Quyet Mountain. This is the remaining evidence of the Vinh Power Plant.

In February 1965, the US imperialists launched Operation "Thunderbolt," using their air force to bomb and shell our country from Vinh Linh to Nghe An. Along with the people and army nationwide, the workers, employees, and union members of the Vinh Power Plant demonstrated their intense hatred and unwavering determination to defeat the invading American enemy with the slogan "Production well - Fighting well - Observing defense orders well - Ready to defeat the enemy."

Faced with the increasingly tense war situation, the Party Committee of the Vinh Power Plant held a meeting and concluded: “The enemy will attack our plant fiercely and relentlessly by all means; machinery will be damaged, and comrades will inevitably be killed. In the struggle against the enemy to protect and maintain the power supply, sacrifice is inevitable for us; we are ready to accept that sacrifice. However, we must do a good job of people's air defense, providing maximum protection for people and equipment, and minimizing casualties. Let's lead the Party members and the masses to resolutely protect and maintain the power supply; let's cling to the furnaces, machines, and power lines to produce electricity. Production now is essentially fighting, and it will be arduous and involve sacrifice.” Despite being the target of fierce bombing by American aircraft, the cadres and workers of the Vinh Power Plant remained steadfastly at the plant. The various departments bravely coordinated to fight back against the enemy while simultaneously operating the plant. When the bombing subsided, the soldiers rushed to repair and restore the power plant to generate electricity for production and combat.

The chimney of Vinh Power Plant - a testament to the heroic days of struggle fought by the plant's workers and employees. Photo: TH

During that fierce battle, June 4, 1965, became an unforgettable day for the staff and workers of the Vinh Power Plant. While repairing equipment damaged by the first bombing raid by the American enemy, enemy planes suddenly swooped down and dropped bombs on the plant. Eight comrades, staff and workers, died on the spot, still holding their tools and equipment. Many others were wounded. For example, Comrade Tran Van Qua, the foreman of the electrical workshop, died with his hand still tightly gripping a screwdriver; Comrade Do Ngoc Dinh died next to the multimeter he was using; Comrade Le Thi Hoe fell next to the furnace control panel while checking the pressure gauge; and Comrade Tran Van Ty, the shift leader of the furnace operation team, died while inspecting the furnace before putting it into operation. Comrades Nguyen Canh Dan, Tran Van Toan, Nguyen Buu Quang, and Phan Duc Duyet sacrificed their lives while inspecting the power plant... Besides the enormous loss of human lives, the Vinh power plant was severely damaged by the bombing.

Right at the foot of Dung Quyet mountain, where the enemy relentlessly bombed and shelled day and night, devastating the factory to the point of near destruction, the Vinh electricians remained resilient and resourceful in many ways: sometimes placing generators on mobile vehicles to avoid bombs, other times digging tunnels to move machinery deep into the mountain... to ensure the power supply did not go out. With the spirit of "even if it means sacrificing our lives, we will hold onto the factory," comrades Do Van Phung, Trinh Van Thuan, and Ha Dang Sinh sacrificed their lives while on duty protecting the factory. The power lines were also severely damaged, with broken wires, damaged insulators, and fallen poles occurring frequently. The line maintenance workers took turns on duty to resolve incidents at key points, and many comrades were affected by the pressure of bombs and shells while on duty; There were comrades like Nguyen Khac Dat who bravely sacrificed his life right on the power pole while working on the power lines to supply electricity to the Linh Cam pumping station, and worker Phan Van Cu who died while approaching to defuse a delayed-action bomb on the cliff face to clear the way to the generator cluster.

The Director of Nghe An Power Company was honored as a Nghe An Entrepreneur for the 4th time in 2015. Photo: PV

During the fierce years of war, struggling against the enemy to produce every kilowatt of electricity, the Vinh Power Plant continued to supply power to meet the production and fighting needs of Nghe Tinh province. Action slogans like "The enemy attacks, we recover; the enemy attacks again, we recover again; we hold firm, we swear to fight to the death for the sake of electricity," and "If the main chimney collapses, we'll build a tin chimney; if the tin chimney collapses, we'll build an underground chimney"... became the belief and pride of the Nghe An power industry for generations. In recognition of the heroic achievements of the electricians in this resilient Soviet homeland, the Vinh Power Plant was awarded the title of Heroic Unit and two Labor Heroes, Huynh Ngoc Du and Truong Quang Tham, along with 30 medals of various kinds.

Upholding the glorious traditions of a Heroic Unit, and paying tribute to the sweat, effort, and even blood and bones of our comrades who came before us, the Vinh Power Plant - Nghe Tinh Power Department - Nghe An Power Department - now Nghe An Power Company - has always strived to excel in fulfilling its historical mission. Generations of cadres and employees of the former Vinh Power Plant and the current Nghe An Power Company are proud to have contributed significantly in terms of their capabilities and intellect to the cause of national liberation, reunification, and the building and protection of the Fatherland.

As of December 2014, the Nghe An Power Company's grid assets included 5,319 km of medium-voltage lines; 13,500 km of 0.4KV lines; 7 substations with a capacity of 48,000 KVA; and 4,325 distribution substations with a capacity of 1,213,587 KVA. The company has maximized its capital resources to invest in and upgrade the power grid system, continuing to bring electricity to remote and disadvantaged areas with a series of projects to improve the efficiency of rural power grids and industrial zones, serving the industrialization and modernization of the country and contributing to building a more prosperous and beautiful Nghe An. During the 2010-2015 term, the company provided support to 3 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and contributed 1.3 billion VND to charitable funds. These incense sticks were also offered to pay tribute and express gratitude to the heroic martyrs who fell for the sake of electricity in their homeland, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the June 4, 1965 event.

Trinh Phuong Tram

(Party Committee Secretary, Director of Nghe An Power Company)