Like a hundred rivers flowing into one sea...

(Baonghean.vn) - Thirty-nine years ago, during these days, like surging rivers, our troops converged from many directions on one point: Saigon. The vanguard troops advanced swiftly, sweeping away the last remnants of the old regime, reunifying the country and creating a single unified territory.

Along with that endless flow, there was a force that contributed significantly to the overall victory of the nation: the heroic 571st Strategic Mobile Motor Transport Division. On this historic day at the end of April, more than 500 veterans of the division from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh gathered at Ho Chi Minh Square, in the Red City, to remember a glorious era that will not be easily forgotten.

Veterans of the Division reported their achievements and laid flowers at Ho Chi Minh Square.

Veterans of the Division reported their achievements and laid flowers at Ho Chi Minh Square.

The courageous veterans behind the wheel, enduring enemy bombs and bullets on the once fierce Ho Chi Minh Trail, are now peacefully chatting and strolling to the square named after President Ho Chi Minh on a beautiful, peaceful April morning. Before the statue of beloved President Ho Chi Minh, Mr. Nguyen Van Mao, Deputy Head of the Liaison Committee of the Truong Son Army in Nghe An, and other former soldiers of President Ho Chi Minh's army, emotionally and proudly reported to him: "Dear President Ho Chi Minh! We are former officers and soldiers who fought and worked in the heroic 571st Motor Transport Division. Today we gather here to recall the glorious traditions of our unit. We will continue to encourage each other, uphold the traditions of President Ho Chi Minh's army, the traditions of the Truong Son army of the past, to strive even harder on the new front."

Joy at the foot of the statue of our beloved Uncle Ho.

At the meeting hall of the 25th Provincial People's Committee guesthouse, almost all the "units" of the Division had gathered. Radiant smiles and tight embraces filled the air between former comrades. Now, after the courageous journeys through the hail of bullets, they walked peacefully side by side, their eyes filled with tears or smiles, all reflecting the immense joy of their reunion. Veteran Tran Ba ​​Thanh (from Quang Binh province) rushed to embrace his former comrade Le Van Bich (Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City), exclaiming, "Wow! You're still alive? I thought you were dead at Tha Me fort!" It turned out they were two friends from the same unit; one was wounded and left behind, while the other joined the surging offensive. After decades apart, they could only hold hands and shed tears.

The troops gathered at the monument to President Ho Chi Minh.

Colonel Nguyen Van Minh, former head of the Division's propaganda department, took a few minutes to speak with us on the sidelines of the traditional military reunion. He confided: "As the largest strategic transport division in the entire army at that time, throughout the war against the US, the unit participated in almost all major campaigns, culminating in the historic April 30th. Following that, the Division continued its international mission in Laos and Cambodia. Therefore, the feelings of the veterans of the 571st Division are truly unforgettable. That's why the camaraderie remains as strong as it was during the war. Now, we meet again here, not only to reminisce about our traditions, but also as an opportunity to chat and share the difficulties faced by our comrades."

Uncle Ho still marches with us.

In the bright sunshine of a late April morning, the gathering place seemed to light up with countless words and heartfelt stories. Many had graying hair, dressed in military uniforms adorned with medals marking their victories, while others were humble in civilian clothes. But deep within their eyes and hearts, I saw a shining pride: They were soldiers of Uncle Ho. Before the reunion, the former soldiers, proudly dressed in their neat uniforms, their medals gleaming on their chests, embraced each other, hand in hand, reminiscing about their time of bloodshed. There were also moments of poignant silence as they spoke of beloved comrades who had gone forever to distant battlefields, some softly sobbing because the remains of their fallen comrades had yet to be found and brought back to their warm homeland.

"The fathers' generation first, the sons' generation following / They have become comrades, marching together in the same song."

To my surprise, I encountered many familiar, humble faces here, all of whom I only now learned were courageous transport soldiers of the Division. There was my uncle Hoai, several veterans from my small neighborhood, Comrade Pham Anh Tuan, former Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee, and Hero of the People's Armed Forces Phan Van Quy, General Director of the Pacific Economic Group. Regardless of their positions, they now sat together, just like in the old days, sharing a cabin or on the same route towards the front lines. Among the dignified veterans with their graying hair, there was a very unusual "character" in a cadet uniform with bright red epaulets. That was La Thi Anh Hong, a student at the Hoang Hoa Tham Cadet School (Son Tay, Hanoi). She accompanied her father, veteran La Van Quyet (Dong Huong, Thanh Hoa City), who had previously worked at the 571st Division headquarters, to the reunion. Looking at the young yet mature Anh Hong amidst the shadows of the battlefields of yesteryear, the poem from that time seems more beautiful than ever: "The fathers' generation before, the sons' generation after / Have become comrades sharing the same marching song."

The once-graceful female veterans of the Division

Turning the pages of glorious history, we learned more about one aspect of the unit's many achievements. The 571st and 471st Divisions – the Truong Son Army – Ho Chi Minh Trail, were two crucial strategic transport divisions of the Truong Son Corps throughout the years of the war against the Americans. Established on July 12, 1973, to meet the demands of the battlefield situation at the time, the Divisions participated in almost all campaigns in the war against the Americans. Particularly in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, along with other units, the Divisions made a significant contribution to the overall victory of the nation.

In the final days of April 1975, the motor units of the 571st Division mobilized tens of thousands of troops from various corps to launch a direct attack on Saigon, capturing the Independence Palace, the General Staff Headquarters, Tan Son Nhat Airport, the radio station, the General Police Headquarters, the Saigon Special Zone Command... With nearly 10,000 officers and soldiers and 2,600 transport vehicles, throughout the fighting and construction period on the battlefield, there was not a single campaign that the Division did not participate in, and no route in the Truong Son mountain range, regardless of sun or rain, that the Division's vehicles did not reach. Key locations such as Seng Phan, Cong Troi, Ta Le, Phu La Nhich Pass, Bac Tunnel, Vang Mu Pass, Tha Me Tunnel... bear the imprint of the courageous soldiers and convoys of the Division.

During the Spring Offensive of 1975 and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the Division used over 2,000 vehicles to transport weapons, rapidly moving the 1st Army Corps from Vinh Linh to Dong Xoai. Along Highway 1, they then moved with the 2nd Army Corps, advancing and fighting the enemy to liberate the coastal provinces, quickly approaching Saigon and attacking the enemy's stronghold. Among the many examples of courageous drivers, driver Duong Quang Lua of the 512th Regiment mobilized combat forces to penetrate deep into enemy territory alongside the tank formations of the 203rd Brigade of the 2nd Army Corps, overcoming numerous enemy defense lines and resistance strongholds to capture the Independence Palace at 11:30 AM on April 30, 1975. This was the first military transport vehicle to arrive at the Independence Palace during that sacred moment for the nation. Because of those proud achievements, on June 3, 1976, the entire Division, 8 battalions, 4 companies, and 7 officers and soldiers of the Division were honored by the Party and the State as a Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces.

Through countless years of pride, the former Trường Sơn soldiers from all over the country and in various regions still organize reunions to "live on" with the memories of a time of bombs and bullets, upholding the tradition of "Heroic Trường Sơn soldiers and the drivers of the Steel Division." Returning to ordinary, simple lives, with many different positions and jobs, the soldiers of the 571st Division still deserve the titles "Bold and courageous," "Steel steed," and "The steel fist of the Trường Sơn - Hồ Chí Minh Trail."

Colonel Hoang Cong Dinh, former commander of the 13th Regiment, recounted: "Back then, we always thought that we wouldn't leave the front until reunification. Remembering those days still brings tears to my eyes. In some key areas, the enemy would drop bombs every 15 minutes. I remember, on the first day of Tet in 1968, in the Na Tong area, Savannakhet (Laos), enemy bombs hit our unit, killing two supply soldiers. I was assigned the task of burying my comrades. Just as I arrived, bombs fell again, and I and the bodies of my two comrades lay piled on top of each other in the burial pit. Later, I always remembered that moment and felt incredibly lucky to have had the chance to return."

The Ho Chi Minh Campaign has completed its great historical mission, and the soldiers and heroes of yesteryear have returned to live peacefully among the people. Now, amidst everyday life, the heroic battlefield spirit seems to have faded into the depths of their hearts; only when they meet old comrades do the old stories resurface. But somehow, sitting beside them, I still feel as if I can see before my eyes the smoke-stained flags on the advancing tanks, the flags in the hands of the marching troops, under the vast sky now clear of the enemy, and the song suddenly soaring high, "...We march amidst a myriad of golden stars..."

Cong Manh