(Baonghean.vn) - During the war against the US, Nghe An was a fiercely contested battleground, serving as both a rear area and a frontline facing the enemy. Many locations in Nghe An were vital transportation hubs, so they were subjected to intense bombing by the enemy, such as Ben Thuy, Truong Bon, Cau Cam, Hoang Mai...
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Youth volunteers at Truông Bồn filled in bomb craters in 1968.
During the war against the US, Truông Bồn (Mỹ Sơn-Đô Lương) held a particularly important strategic position, serving as the "only road" connecting the vital transportation route supplying the Southern battlefield. Because of its extremely important military location, it became a target of fierce attacks by the US from late 1965, especially from early 1967 to October 1968. "Our hearts may stop beating, but the road cannot be blocked / We will live steadfastly, clinging to the bridge and the road; we will die bravely and courageously," was the slogan of the Truông Bồn Youth Volunteers.
On October 31, 1968, 13 young volunteers (11 women, 2 men) from Company 317 fell in one of the enemy's last fierce bombing raids at Truong Bon. Their blood mingled with the earth and sky, writing a legend known as Truong Bon.
The smiling faces of the Youth Volunteer Team 69 as they marched out to clear roads and bridges at Cam Bridge in 1966.
Cam Bridge – a crucial junction of three vital transportation arteries: Highway 1A, the North-South railway, and the waterway (Nha Le Canal). Recognizing the bridge's vital importance as a key transportation hub and the northern gateway to the North, the US imperialists attacked it at all costs. In 1967 alone, US pilots dropped 27,000 bombs of various types on Cam Bridge, and warships of the 7th Fleet fired 5,000 artillery shells ranging from 175mm to 230mm. To protect Cam Bridge, from 1966 to 1968, more than 100 officers and soldiers fell in battle. The climax was the sacrifice of 15 Youth Volunteers and 18 officers and soldiers of the 16A Air Defense Battalion (Military Region 4) at Cam Bridge on February 5, 1967.
The performing arts troupe braved bombs and bullets to boost the morale of the soldiers fighting on the battlefield in Vinh City.
During the fight against the destructive war waged by the American imperialists, Vinh city, with an area of less than 32 square kilometers at the time, suffered 250,555 tons of bombs and ammunition dropped by the enemy in 8,768 bombing raids, averaging 1,900 kg per person. The Ben Thuy area alone, less than 2 square kilometers, endured 2,912 bombing raids. Almost no houses remained intact in the city, and thousands of people were killed or wounded. Vinh shot down 146 American aircraft, including the first (August 5, 1964), the 100th (September 14, 1966), and the 300th (May 27, 1965) American aircraft over North Vietnam. On September 16, 1966, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter praising the city's army and people: "Vinh is the first city to shoot down 100 American planes. That is a glorious victory."
The Rocket Cave has been recognized as a National Monument.
Along with numerous ferry terminals, bridges, and train stations in the North that were bombed day and night by enemy aircraft, Hoang Mai, where National Highway 1A and the North-South railway line passed through, was a key target for American bombing at that time. To strengthen forces to ensure smooth traffic flow and serve the needs of transporting goods to support the South, many forces were reinforced to participate in protecting and promptly repairing damage caused by American bombing raids.
At the end of the two phases of the US bombing campaign against North Vietnam, the Hoang Mai town area saw the deaths of 250 soldiers and Youth Volunteers, and thousands were wounded. The most memorable event was when 33 Youth Volunteers sheltering in a cave were hit by missiles from American planes, resulting in the deaths of 32. Following this tragic event, Khi Cave in Hoang Mai was renamed Rocket Cave and recognized as a National Monument by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2011, commemorating the heroic sacrifice of 32 Youth Volunteer martyrs.Duc Chuyen - Nghiem Vien
