Living witnesses of the historic victory of April 30th.

According to eyewitness accounts, there were stories of young volunteers being buried under rubble by bombs; their comrades would dig them out, they would rest for a while, and then continue their mission.

In the thousands of years of our nation's history of building and defending the country, the great victory of Spring 1975 is one of the most glorious achievements, reunifying the country. But to achieve the peaceful life we ​​have today, countless sons and daughters of Vietnam sacrificed their youth and even their blood.

The stories of those involved are always considered the most vivid and authentic historical documents. Flipping through old photos with his comrades, memories of the heroic war unfold before the eyes of veteran Bui Ngoc Chien (in Dong Da district, Hanoi) like a slow-motion film.

Soldier Bang Nguyen That (far right) escorts Duong Van Minh to the radio station to read the surrender statement. (Archival photo)

Back then, when the war to defend the homeland was entering its most intense phase, in July 1966, like millions of other young men, Bui Ngoc Chien, who had just turned 18, put aside his studies, enlisted in the army, and went to the Southern battlefield to fight.

Mr. Chien recounted that, "Going to the South" was not only the aspiration of every generation, but also the pride of cadres and soldiers for the survival of the Fatherland in the context of the North and South still being divided.

A battalion of over 600 men trained in Chi Ne town, Lac Thuy district, Hoa Binh province. Every day, everyone had to carry a heavy backpack full of bricks as they marched through simulated mountainous terrain, rivers, and streams, even through the night...

After three months of training, the battalion set off on a march across the Truong Son mountain range to fight in the Quang Ngai battlefield. That arduous journey, along with the soldiers' equipment, was also marked by their determination to defeat the American enemy so that the country could be unified and families could be reunited.

Mr. Bui Ngoc Chien recounted: “We marched a battalion of over 600 comrades from out here. But unexpectedly, the special forces unit of Farm 3 came to recruit 12 people to supplement their special forces unit. Special forces combat is very intense because when fighting, special forces always attack key points, meaning they have to get to the very heart of the battle, while the infantry coordinates and attacks from the outside. The most important thing is how the infantry can maintain secrecy so that the special forces can approach that heart point.”

Veteran Bui Ngoc Chien, residing in Dong Da district, Hanoi.

Always standing shoulder to shoulder with the army during the resistance war were the Youth Volunteer Force. Tens of thousands of young men and women, barely 18 or 20 years old, were part of the Youth Volunteer Force, but they carried within them the resolute spirit of "Crossing the Truong Son Mountains to save the country."

Recalling her honor to be among them, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Lien said: "At just 17 years old, in the rice-growing countryside of Thai Binh province, I eagerly set off to join the youth volunteer corps."

Her youth volunteer team left their hometown and marched into the Truong Son Mountains for over a month, traveling day and night to avoid detection by enemy aircraft. During those difficult months, the female youth volunteers remained optimistic. A 20-person performing arts team was formed as part of the 67th Construction Brigade. After some time, the team was merged with the Ministry of Transport's performing arts troupe to form the "Singing to Drown Out the Sound of Bombs" performing arts group.

And Ms. Lien was one of the most active members of the team, participating tirelessly with the enthusiasm of youth. By day, she worked in the cultural troupe, ensuring communication in the trenches, and by night, she became a teacher...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Lien shared: “There were days when we were buried under rubble from bombs. Our comrades dug us out, and after resting for a while, we continued our mission. At that time, the ideals were so noble, there was something incredibly motivating. Songs like 'The Girl Who Opens the Way,' 'On the Peak of Truong Son'... whenever we sang them, we felt a heroic spirit. We never thought about death; we just went to work, completed the assigned tasks so that the convoy carrying supplies could move forward, and that made us feel exhilarated.”

In the struggle for national liberation, the moment that those who witnessed it could never forget was April 30, 1975, when Mr. Bang Nguyen That - 66th Infantry Regiment, 304th Division, 2nd Corps - a soldier who directly escorted President Duong Van Minh and Prime Minister Vu Van Mau to declare their surrender to the liberation army at the Independence Palace.

Mr. That emotionally recalled that on April 26, 1975, in the Long Khanh rubber forest, the entire 66th Infantry Regiment was briefed on the plan and prepared to participate in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

After capturing the Nuoc Trong base, the enemy's elite armored training school guarding the gateway to Saigon, at dawn on April 30, 1975, the 66th Infantry Regiment was assigned as the main assault force, along with the 203rd Tank Brigade, 2nd Corps, advancing straight along the Bien Hoa highway into Saigon.

On the way to Saigon, the enemy repeatedly ambushed and fiercely resisted, but the liberation forces quickly neutralized them until the last pockets of resistance were eliminated.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., after the second tank rammed through the main gate, the entire infantry column advanced straight into the front hall of the Independence Palace. Faced with the initiative of the liberation army, President Dương Văn Minh, Prime Minister Vũ Văn Mẫu, and the entire cabinet of the Saigon government were disarmed and ordered to surrender unconditionally.

Mr. Bang Nguyen That recounted: "With the aim of avoiding conflict between the two armies, as well as among our compatriots and comrades nationwide, after a brief consultation, Comrade Pham Xuan The had to take President Duong Van Minh and Prime Minister Vu Van Mau to the radio station to announce their surrender."

"It was an honor and a source of pride for me and the entire 2nd Corps' deep penetration team, including the 66th Infantry Regiment, to be present at the historic moment of April 30, 1975. I will never forget those memories. Although some comrades sacrificed their lives even at the moment of victory."

According to VOV