The "barefoot, steel-willed" people...

(Baonghean) - During the war against the US to save the country, Nghe An militia and self-defense forces closely coordinated with other forces to shoot down 46 aircraft of various types; contributed to sinking and burning 36 enemy warships... Upholding the heroic tradition, today's militia and self-defense forces always uphold the spirit of vigilance, are ready to fight, and actively train to keep the homeland peaceful and developing...

Mr. Lu Van An (middle) talks about the memory of shooting down the US HU16 plane in 1967. Photo: CN

During the war against the US, the Thong Thu commune militia (Que Phong) was the first unit in Western Nghe An to shoot down an American plane. Mr. Lu Van An, 85 years old, who was then the deputy squad leader of the Thong Thu militia, proudly said: “To protect our homeland, the Thong Thu commune militia was established very early. His Loc village militia platoon had 14 people, divided into 2 shifts on duty on the air defense hill. One day in June 1967, while his squad was on duty, they saw an American plane from the West sneaking through a mountain pass to invade the interior. In a favorable position, 7 brothers aimed and fired, he was the one who fired the first shot. The American plane was hit by bullets and went into smoke, crashing into the Huoi Tang area of ​​Muong Piet village, Thong Thu commune. Shooting down the American plane, the soldiers and people of the commune were very happy because this feat reduced the casualties of our people.”

For the people's struggle, the militia and guerrillas of Thong Thu commune always strive to fulfill their assigned tasks well, worthy of the trust of the Party, the protection, nurturing and shelter of the people. Besides the resounding feat of "the 996th American plane shot down in the North", during the war against the US, the militia of Thong Thu commune also made many other silent achievements such as digging more than 200 A-shaped tunnels, hundreds of individual holes, and more than 2km of trenches. In 1976, the militia and guerrillas of Thong Thu commune were awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Mr. Sam Van Ha, Commander of the Military Command of Thong Thu Commune, said: Continuing that tradition, over the years, the militia of Thong Thu Commune has always been the vanguard force in maintaining security and order in the border area, regularly coordinating with the border guards to protect the border, working with the police force to destroy drug hotspots, coordinating with forest rangers to protect the forest, performing well the task of recruiting soldiers, and on-site tasks such as flood and storm prevention, search and rescue.

Talking about the local militia, the people of Thong Thu commune are all proud and express their deep trust. Mr. Luong Van Tuan, Muong Piet village, expressed his gratitude: During the historic flood in August 2012, at around 4 am, my family was sleeping when the flash flood swept away the entire house. My wife, children and I only had time to cling to the supporting poles and surrounding trees. Luckily, in the midst of that danger, the whole family was rescued in time by the militia. We are very grateful to the commune militia…”.

If in the mountainous areas the militia and self-defense forces played a great role in keeping the border areas peaceful, then in the coastal areas, the heroic qualities of the past and the "Dien Hong" will to protect the homeland's seas shine brightly today... Mr. Ngo Sy Ai, from Dong Trai village, Dien Ky commune, Dien Chau district, led us to Cau Bung, describing the historic battle 50 years ago...

On the morning of April 3, 1965, the two brothers Ngo Guom and Ngo Sy Ai were ordered to go to the district headquarters to receive combat weapons including a machine gun and two magazines. The two had just returned to Cau Bung when they suddenly heard the roar of enemy planes - two RF 101 bombers coming from the sea. “At that time, one of the two planes dived and dropped bombs. I immediately gave the magazine to Guom and knelt down. Guom loaded the bullets and put the gun on my shoulder. I used the gun mount while observing and guiding the gun for Guom. After the first pull of the trigger with three bullets, my ears were ringing. Right in the second round, one plane was hit by bullets. After that, we knew that the RF 101 had crashed in the Do Luong district area.” Mr. Ai's clenched fists, stern face, and fiery eyes as he described helped us know and understand more about the bravery of the gun mount and the spirit of sacrifice of the people and army that year.

Mr. Bui Sy Hau told Nghe An Newspaper reporters about the anniversary of the battle against enemy warships in the Gulf of Tonkin.

“Golden liver, iron heart”, “Bare feet, steel will” are the qualities that helped the militia achieve resounding victories. In the golden history pages of the nation and the province, the feats of the militia force of Quynh Long commune, Quynh Luu district, who shot down 2 American warships and 1 seaplane, coordinated with friendly units to shoot down 2 planes, and shot down 4 other warships, are still recorded. Mr. Bui Sy Hau, former captain of the militia of Quynh Long commune, 76 years old this year, confided: “Before going to sea, all of us militiamen were given a living funeral. We knew we were going to die but still went because for us and many others, the sea is life. It is not just a piece of rice, a piece of clothing. It is an inch of sea, the sky of our homeland. When the enemy comes to rob, we must fight them off...”.

In that battle, the Quynh Long militia suffered heavy casualties, all the ships were burned by the enemy, many people were injured and sacrificed. As for Mr. Bui Sy Hau, he survived thanks to clinging to the wreckage of the ship. Later, he was captured by the enemy. There is one detail that he still remembers, that is, when he was captured by the enemy, they tortured him and asked him: Why did such a small, backward ship dare to engage in close combat with the American ships. Mr. Hau answered: "When the enemy still invades Vietnam, all the people will be determined to fight the enemy anytime, anywhere and fight with everything they have."

The bravery and courage of the militia soldiers have written a legend about love for the homeland and country. That is the belief for today's generations to forever learn and follow. For everyone, the memory of a time when "Phong Dinh men plowed during the day, returned to the fortifications at night/ Phong Van mother had a steady hand on the plow/ Picked a handful of green tea to give to the gunners" is the belief and vitality for Hung Dung (Vinh City) to rise up and bravely confront the enemy. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dan, in Tan Phuc block - the Red Village militia that shot down an American F4 plane in 1968, took us to the Dinh Trung revolutionary relic to see the young men and women of the ward being trained to be ready for combat with the contents of shooting, throwing grenades, and command. Mrs. Dan shared: “Our militia platoon went on duty with a strong belief in how to protect our homeland. The feat of shooting down the plane was just a highlight that added to the beauty of the Red Village militia. In peacetime, those highlights are becoming more and more beautiful.”

In the current period, the Hung Dung Ward militia has promoted its revolutionary fighting tradition on the front of fighting against poverty and backwardness, maintaining security and order. Mr. Nguyen Phuc Nghia, Commander of the Hung Dung Ward Military Command, said: In recent years, the local defense and military work has always been taken care of and promoted in all aspects of defense education, building combat readiness training organizations, recruiting soldiers and military rear policies. Currently, the Militia Platoon is organized with a tight and complete staff, including 1 female squad. Every year, the ward organizes full training content, ensuring time for the force; as well as organizing 24/7 combat readiness during holidays; coordinating with the civil defense to patrol and guard every night, ensuring security and order in the area.

Love for the Fatherland and the desire for peace are the goals and motivations for the militia and self-defense forces in particular and the young generation in general to be determined to excellently complete their tasks according to specific goals and targets, contributing to building strong and comprehensive agencies, units and localities...

Chung - Nam - Tuan