Guardians of the Fatherland's sea and sky
(Baonghean.vn) - 52 years ago today (August 5, 1964), the Vietnam People's Navy made a miracle. That was the first time, with the spirit of courage, creativity and determination to fight and win, the Vietnam People's Navy dealt a fatal blow to the US Air Force, shooting down 8 planes and injuring many others, capturing the pilots, initially foiling the US imperialists' plot to sabotage the North, preventing them from carrying out their intention to block support from the North to our Southern battlefield.
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| The leaders of the Navy Command awarded collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the first victory on August 2 and 5, 1964. (Photo courtesy) |
The victory of the first battle on August 5, 1964 has become a glorious traditional day of the Vietnam People's Navy, forever a symbol of indomitable will, an affirmation of the spirit of daring to fight, determined to fight and knowing how to defeat the American invaders of the Navy in particular and our army in general. This is also a victory of the spiritual strength of the entire nation, of the intelligence and military art of Vietnam: "using the few to fight the many, using the weak to defeat the strong"; promoting the combined strength of the entire nation to defeat an enemy many times stronger than us with existing equipment and weapons, affirming the correctness of the people's war policy led by our Party and President Ho. It was a fierce confrontation between the forces and posture of the people's war at sea of the army and people of the North and the strength of the US navy and air force.
| The victory of the first battle was a warning to the US and the Saigon government, creating a great echo in the international arena, affirming the indomitable will of the Vietnamese people, a small nation but not willing to submit to any invader. That victory was the premise, the basis for our Party to build determination, mobilize and promote the strength of the entire nation, call for the support of international friends, and strengthen the resistance war against the US to save the country. |
Promoting the spirit of the first victorious battle, the Navy has risen to become the core force in the people's war at sea, sinking many enemy ships; shooting down and burning many planes; destroying enemy forces and war vehicles, opening the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea, providing effective support to the Southern battlefield; advancing to liberate the islands, together with the army and people of the whole country, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country in the spring of 1975. The country embarked on a period of construction, the Navy continued to be the core force in the struggle to protect sovereignty over seas and islands, effectively preventing plots and acts of encroachment and violation of the sovereignty over seas, islands and continental shelves of the Fatherland, ensuring security and safety for socio-economic activities to be carried out normally at sea and on the continental shelf, making worthy contributions to the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.
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| Navy soldiers today - Illustration photo |
More than half a century has passed, the heroic spirit and valuable lessons from the first victory of the Vietnam People's Navy still remain valuable, reminding each of us today to always be vigilant against the plots and tricks of hostile forces, to further promote the spirit of independence, self-reliance, the theme of preparedness, daring to fight, determined to fight and determined to defeat the enemy in all situations.
But the annexation plots have never left the East Sea peaceful. China's activities in illegally reclaiming and constructing rocks, and recently sending planes and missiles to Hoang Sa, and flying in Truong Sa, which belong to Vietnam's sovereignty, are stirring up the East Sea. Millions of eyes and millions of hearts always turn to Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, reminding us of the sacred, inalienable values of the Fatherland's sovereignty.
Responsibility for the Fatherland is weighing heavily on the shoulders of the marine soldiers. To truly be worthy of being the core force of the people's war at sea, to excellently undertake the task of fighting to protect the sovereignty of the sea, islands and sacred continental shelf of the Fatherland, building the Vietnam People's Navy to become more standardized and modern is an extremely urgent requirement. Our Party and State always allocate a worthy budget to invest in the navy to purchase modern equipment and weapons.
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| Two of Vietnam's most modern missile frigates at Cam Ranh military port |
We have purchased missile frigates Dinh Tien Hoang and Ly Thai To with a large number of weapons equipped, ensuring the enhancement of the navy's combat power. Along with investing in the surface fleet, the Vietnamese Navy has also purchased many modern Kilo-636 class submarines, while continuing to maintain the effective operation of previously equipped submarines. Not stopping at investing in purchasing, we have also been researching, designing, manufacturing, and successfully producing modern warships capable of equipping the navy for combat readiness missions.
The Party, the State and the people always believe and place their hopes on the strength of will, courage and spirit of self-sacrifice for the cause of fighting to preserve the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland of the marine soldiers. You were born from the people, live in the hearts of the people, and are immersed in the heroic tradition of your fathers. Surely, you will continue and promote that tradition in the best and most worthy way, and most excellently fulfill the task of guarding the peace of the Fatherland's seas and skies./.
Van Thieng