Two tanks entered the Independence Palace 40 years ago.

Upon arriving at the museum to see Tank 390 again, the veterans were "challenged" with the question, "Are you sure this is the tank that rammed through the main gate of the Independence Palace on the afternoon of April 30, 1975?"

The two tanks, T59 number 390 and T54B number 843, were both recognized as national treasures in 2012. During the war against the US, these two tanks were part of Company 4, Battalion 1, 203rd Tank Brigade, 2nd Corps.

Tank 390 is currently on display at the Armored Vehicle Museum (Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hanoi), alongside dozens of other tanks in faded green. The vehicle's serial number is clearly visible, and its turret remains intact, bearing the marks of bullets from its participation in various campaigns. Despite having gone through many battles and years of exhibition, the tank still starts smoothly and operates well.

The original, unique replica of Tank 390 is currently on display at the Armored Vehicle Museum. Photo: HP

Tank 843, on display at the Vietnam Military History Museum (28B Dien Bien Phu), is prominently placed among images of the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign. The fuel lines and batteries have deteriorated, rendering the tank inoperable. To mitigate the effects of the hot and humid climate, museum staff clean and maintain it regularly every year.

"After numerous maintenance checks, Tank 843 is almost entirely original, requiring only the replacement of some rusted parts and minor components. In December 2014, the tank was repainted. The technical council had to find the exact original paint and color because if the wrong type was used, the original paint layer would be destroyed," said Lieutenant Colonel Cao Thế Duyên, a conservation officer at the Vietnam Military History Museum.

There was a time when public opinion debated which of the two tanks was the one that rammed through the main gate of the Independence Palace.Finally, French journalist Francoise Demulder, who was present at that historic moment, captured images proving that tank 390 had rammed through the main gate and entered the Independence Palace.

On the morning of April 30, 1975, two tanks, both part of the 4th Company's deep penetration formation, crossed the Thi Nghe bridge, paving the way for the 2nd Corps' forces to advance towards the Independence Palace. Tank 390, carrying Lieutenant Vu Dang Toan, political officer of the 4th Company and tank commander; gunner number 1 Ngo Sy Nguyen; gunner number 2 Le Van Phuong; and driver Nguyen Van Tap, followed tank 843, commanded by company commander Bui Quang Than, towards the palace gate.

At that moment, tank 843, leading the assault formation, crashed into the side gate of the palace and got stuck. Tank 390, following behind, immediately charged forward and knocked down the main gate. Company commander Bui Quang Than jumped out of tank 843, ran to the roof of the palace, took down the flag of the Republic of Vietnam Army, and raised the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

The soldiers on tanks 390 and 843 were among the first liberation forces to arrive at the Independence Palace on April 30, 1975. Photo: Francoise Demulder. Provided by the Military History Museum.

After the incident was verified and clearly concluded, Major General Le Ma Luong, then Director of the Vietnam Military History Museum, reported to the General Political Department of the Ministry of National Defense, requesting that tank 390, which was being used and trained at the 203rd Tank Brigade, 2nd Corps, be brought to the museum for display alongside tank 843.

"My opinion was agreed upon by my superiors, but when working with the armored forces, Major General Doan Sinh Huong, Commander of the corps, replied that he wished to keep tank 390 and display it at the museum to serve as a means of propaganda and education for officers and soldiers in the corps, as well as for the general public and international friends," General Luong said.

Before being placed in the museum, Tank 390 had traveled a long journey across the country with the soldiers following the liberation army's advance route.This is a medium-sized main battle tank manufactured by China based on the Soviet T54A production line, supplied to Vietnam in 1969. During its long journey, Tank 390, starting from A Lưới, participated in the battles to liberate Hue and Da Nang, becoming the first tank to ram through the main gate of the Independence Palace on the afternoon of April 30, 1975.

Video: Archives from the Armored Vehicle Museum

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Throughout the war against the US, Tank 390 continued to participate in defending the southwestern border, performing international duties in Cambodia, then boarded ships and sailed north, participating in the war to defend the northern border. In 1980, the tank and its unit were stationed in Lang Giang (Bac Giang province) and were used as training and combat-ready vehicles.

When the Armored Corps inaugurated its museum in 1999, the soldiers who were on the tank that day were invited to meet and identify the original artifact. Museum staff challenged the tank crew with the question, "Can you confirm that this is the tank that rammed through the main gate of the Independence Palace on the afternoon of April 30, 1975?"

Artilleryman Ngo Sy Nguyen recited the vehicle's identifying features with precision, such as the two dents on the left side of the turret, about one centimeter deep, caused by shrapnel. On the turret's surface, just behind the fixed weld, there was a dent longer than a handspan caused by bomb fragments. Each dent and the vehicle's serial number were exactly as described by the veterans. At that point, museum staff opened the doors and allowed the witnesses to see the vehicle again. "The vehicle has been repainted, but it was intimately connected to us throughout our fighting journey since 1972, how could we forget it?" Mr. Nguyen shared.

Colonel Le Xuan Khanh, Director of Z153 Factory and former technical officer who participated in inspecting and repairing tank 390, said that in 1999, the technical department of Z153 Factory was ordered to receive the tank for repair. Knowing that this was an artifact of special historical value, the technical team tried to preserve the tank's original condition, only replacing some commonly damaged parts.

After nearly two months of repairs, the vehicle was handed over to Brigade 201 for transport to the museum. The transport team had to use specialized vehicles to move the 36-ton artifact to its display location.

Tank 843 carrying Company Commander Bui Quang Than - the man who planted the flag on top of the Independence Palace at 11:30 AM on April 30, 1975. Photo: HP

Alongside tank 390 as it advanced into the Independence Palace was tank T54B, numbered 843, manufactured and supplied to Vietnam by the former Soviet Union during the war against the US.After reunification, Tank 843 was ordered to take over Nha Be Port (now Nha Rong Port) and then march to Long Binh General Depot. Afterwards, the tank was taken to Hanoi to participate in an exhibition celebrating reunification.

After the exhibition ended, tank 843 returned to training duty at Brigade 203 until 1979, when it was brought to the museum for display.

In 2011, when preparing the dossier to recognize the tank as a national treasure, the museum invited witnesses to verify that the tank was an original artifact. The tank crew, including tank commander Bui Quang Than, gunner number 2 Nguyen Van Ky, and driver Lu Van Hoa (gunner number 1 Thai Ba Minh had passed away earlier), were once again reunited with their "old friend".

The soldiers of yesteryear clearly remember the scratches on the plastic knob of the right-hand steering wheel, caused by the train driver bumping into it while changing the machine gun's magazine. The rear fender was deformed from turning the vehicle through the Truong Son forest. The dent at the front of the vehicle, 3 cm in diameter and 1 cm deep, is a bullet wound inflicted by American soldiers firing at the front of the vehicle, injuring gunner Nguyen Van Ky while he was using his 12.7 mm gun to fire at American infantry at the Nuoc Trong base. Even now, that shrapnel is still lodged in Mr. Ky's wrist.

Forty years have passed, and although the two vehicles are no longer in combat, they continue to transmit historical knowledge and pride to future generations by being on display at the museum. During a recent exchange, a young person asked artilleryman Ngo Sy Nguyen, who was on board vehicle 390, if he felt sad that a period of history doesn't mention the soldiers who drove vehicle 390, and only remembers the tanks on the anniversary of April 30th?

"For us, it no longer matters which vehicle arrived first or last; there's no need to claim credit or assign blame. History has granted me and my comrades a glorious moment by being the first to arrive in Saigon, at the very moment of national reunification. That is fortunate and more fulfilling than the comrades who fell on the road to Saigon," he replied.

According to VnExpress