Nghe An in the historic Dien Bien Phu victory
(Baonghean) - During the resistance war against French colonialism, the people of Nghe An not only provided human and material support to the battlefields, but also excellently fulfilled their international obligations to the revolution in Laos. In particular, when the Dien Bien Phu campaign was launched, the Party Committee and people of Nghe An again took on the important task of building a strong rear in all aspects.
With the spirit of “All for the front line, all for Dien Bien Phu victory”, Nghe An people enthusiastically competed in production. In a very short time, by February 1954, people had stored 1,460 tons of dried and cleaned rice. This was truly a great effort in the context of the enemy bombing, shelling, collapsing large and small dams and agricultural systems, destroying many warehouses, wharves... causing great damage to the rear in terms of people and property.
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| Pulling artillery into position during the Dien Bien Phu campaign. Photo: Archive |
In order to devote all their efforts to serving the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Nghe An Youth Volunteers were directly present on the battlefield, ensuring traffic and serving the front line at key points from Moc Chau to Dien Bien. On the transportation and supply front, tens of thousands of laborers and Nghe An Youth Volunteers fought side by side with the army and people of the whole country to overcome high passes, deep streams and enemy bombs and bullets to supply weapons, ammunition and food to the troops.
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| On May 7, 1954, the “Determination to Fight, Determination to Win” flag given by President Ho Chi Minh to the Vietnam People’s Army flew proudly on the roof of the De Castries bunker. Photo: Document. |
From January 1954, the bombings on the roads leading to Dien Bien Phu became increasingly fierce. Despite the danger, the Nghe An Youth Volunteers, with the slogan: “Live bravely, cling to the roads and bridges, die bravely”, after each enemy bombing, all cadres and team members rushed to the road to fill in bomb craters, mend the roads, ensuring the movement of motorized convoys. When key areas were attacked and motorized vehicles were temporarily halted, the packcarts, shoulder poles, boats, etc. came into play.
Along with the Youth Volunteers, the Nghe An porter force also played an important role in carrying out the task of transporting soldiers from the rear to the front. In the first few months of 1954, Nghe An had 155,974 porters serving the front. In addition to the number of porters serving in the Lao battlefield of nearly 24,400 people and 146,000 bicycles, the number of porters serving the Dien Bien Phu battlefield was over 30,000 people and 3,700 bicycles.
Among the 15 officers and soldiers who were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the National Assembly in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, Nghe An was honored to have 3 people: Martyr Tran Can (who had the achievement of steadfastly holding out to fight the enemy, holding the position on the 507 high point), Phan Tu (who successfully completed the task of commanding troops to break the rapids on the Nam Na River, ensuring the transportation of weapons) and Dang Dinh Ho (who successfully completed the task of commanding troops to open the door to attack Hill C, famous for his fighting style as fast as a squirrel, as strong as a tiger and his deep thrusts and division made the enemy terrified). These are just 3 children out of thousands of heroic, steadfast Nghe An children who enthusiastically participated in fighting the enemy in many aspects, contributing significantly to the victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign.
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| Delegation of Nghe An Newspaper made a pilgrimage to the historic land of Dien Bien Phu. Photo: Archive |
Looking back at their contributions to the Dien Bien Phu campaign in the past, the Party Committee and people of Nghe An have the right to be proud of their worthy role in the development of national history. These are also invaluable legacies, the luggage for the generations of Nghe An people today and tomorrow to cherish, preserve, promote and contribute to building the homeland and country to be more and more beautiful.
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| A corner of Vinh City. Photo archive |
Over the past 66 years, the echoes and significance of the Dien Bien Phu victory still resonate. Promoting the spirit of that victory, today, the Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An are striving to compete in labor, study, production, construction and defense of the Fatherland. The province's economy, culture and society are constantly developing with many proud achievements: Per capita income is constantly increasing; PCI index in 2019 reached the highest ever, rising to the top of the North Central region, the construction of new rural areas continues to be carried out effectively and sustainably.... The work of Party building and rectification continues to be carried out seriously and achieves many good results.
Promoting the glorious tradition that generations of ancestors have created, the generations of Nghe An descendants today must be more aware of their responsibility to history and to their homeland; Unite, unanimously exploit and actively promote resources to soon turn Nghe An into a "fairly prosperous province" of the country as beloved Uncle Ho always wished...
