That day, Prince Sihanouk traveled on the Truong Son road!
After the Paris Agreement (January 1973), our F470 forward unit, Group 559, was assigned the task of welcoming Prince Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Samdec Monich on the Truong Son road to return to Cambodia after a long time of exile in China. This was the last leg of the Group's march before handing over to the liberation army of the neighboring country at the Indochina Junction border.
After the Paris Agreement (January 1973), our F470 forward unit, Group 559, was assigned the task of welcoming Prince Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Samdec Monich on the Truong Son road to return to Cambodia after a long time of exile in China. This was the last leg of the Group's march before handing over to the liberation army of the neighboring country at the Indochina Junction border.
This special event was organized as a campaign. Four Truong Son Army Divisions were assigned to take the solemn guests through 8 stops. The living facilities for the Prince and his wife were carefully ensured. When we were waiting on the southern bank of the Ta Ngau River (the river used as the border between Laos and Cambodia flowing into Vietnam) to receive the task of taking the delegation to the liberated area of our friend, a gesture of Prince Sihanouk made everyone remember forever.
After stepping off the ferry, under the bright sunlight of a new day, Mr. Hoang was moved to tears and knelt down to kiss the land at the border of his Fatherland, then shook hands with each person who came to welcome him. The beautiful gesture of the Prince reminded everyone of the image of Uncle Ho hugging and kissing a handful of soil at the Vietnam - China border marker 32 years earlier, when he returned to Pac Po cave to lead the Vietnamese Revolution in February 1941.
On the way from Hanoi, Mr. and Mrs. Hoang were given the code name "Thang - Loi", wore liberation uniforms, and rode in a special vehicle equipped with an anti-tank mine detector. They were both excited and proud. The marching formation was arranged with a pair of "Si ha núc giả" going first, the vehicle carrying them was mixed in with a convoy of dozens of vehicles bearing the code name "Special Task Force" of the Central Military Commission going to the battlefield.
At each 10-minute break stop, Ms. Hoang Monich (a beauty of French origin) warmly shook hands, encouraged, and gave candy and cakes to each Vietnamese soldier in the escort army serving the delegation. At the moment of farewell at the gathering place, she gave each person a Xieng Mao transistor radio, China, as a souvenir of this historic "Victory" trip. It is known that the trip was so beautiful that Prince Sihanouk composed a song called "Grateful for the Road" on the way, talking about the Vietnamese sentiment.
On the occasion of the 52nd Anniversary of the heroic Truong Son troop tradition (May 19, 1959 - 2011), I recount the memories of 38 years ago on the Truong Son route (the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail) to affirm the friendship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia during the years of fighting together against the common enemy, the invading American imperialists.
Le Lan
