The army and people of Nghe An with the Upper Laos Campaign
"The victory of the Upper Laos campaign was a victory of the noble spirit of international proletariat, a victory of the solidarity between the two nations and the two armies of Vietnam and Laos." In that glorious victory, the army and people of Nghe An province made a significant contribution.
After suffering heavy defeats in Hoa Binh and Northwest Vietnam, the French colonialists concentrated their forces on defending Upper Laos. Their plan was..."To transform Sam Neua into a strong 'Na San-style' fortified complex in Northwest Vietnam to prevent advances by the main Vietnamese forces in the Upper Laos battlefield and threaten the liberated areas of the Vietnamese revolution.".
To thwart the French colonialists' plot and lead the resistance to victory, the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Party and Government decided to coordinate with the Pathet Lao liberation army to launch the Upper Laos Campaign. The Upper Laos Campaign aimed to..."Destroying a portion of the enemy's forces, liberating a part of the land, helping the Lao resistance government expand and build its main base, and creating conditions to intensify the Lao people's resistance.", just to"Further training for our main forces in tactics and in the implementation of the Party's international policy.".
The operational area in Upper Laos was very far from Vietnam's rear bases, so"The supply issue is the most difficult."However, this task was of paramount importance. To successfully accomplish this mission, the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam entrusted Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh with the primary responsibility of mobilizing human and material resources to support the campaign.
In fulfillment of the tasks assigned by the Central Committee, on February 21, 1953, the Party Committee and Government of Nghe An province organized a Military-Civilian-Government-Party Conference to thoroughly understand the requirements and tasks of serving the Upper Laos campaign. The conference identified the main tasks of the military and people of Nghe An as follows:"Ensure adequate supplies for the Vietnamese-Lao joint forces and other forces participating in the Upper Laos campaign.".
To accomplish this task, immediately after the Conference, the Provincial Administrative Resistance Committee decided to establish a Front Supply Council, named..."Nghe An Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment", codename K31, headquartered in Do Luong district, with Comrade Le Loc as Chairman.
The transport route from Nghe An to Xieng Khouang is over 400 km long, with many sections untouched by human footsteps, and the weather is extremely harsh. To fulfill the task assigned by the Central Government, Nghe An province quickly mobilized 72,940 civilian laborers to repair 170 km of road and build more than 100 pontoon bridges and temporary bridges on Route 7 from Phu Dien (Dien Chau) to Do Luong, then to Muong Xen and into Laos.
After Route 7 to Laos was opened, under the direct guidance of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Agriculture, 12,000 laborers from Nghe An, with 1,486 bicycles and 1,066 boats and canoes, transported 740 tons of rice, thousands of buffaloes and cows, hundreds of tons of salt, dried fish, fish sauce, and other goods along Route 7 or the Lam River to support the campaign.
On May 20, 1953, Nghe An province mobilized another contingent of 12,700 civilian laborers on foot. These laborers had to cut through mountains and forests, crossing high points in Noong Hat, Ban Ban, Phu Quac, Hoi Ca Nhom, Pha Phien, etc., to transport food, supplies, weapons, and ammunition to Xieng Khouang. Battalion 195 and Companies 121 and 123 of the province's local troops were also deployed to Xieng Khouang to serve and directly participate in combat in Laos..
Along with mobilizing manpower (main force troops, civilian laborers) and material resources (food, ammunition) for the campaign, Nghe An was also one of the training areas and a launching point for attacks against the enemy by the main units participating in the Upper Laos campaign. To prepare for the campaign, on March 17, 1953, the 304th Division held a military-political conference in Dang Son commune, Anh Son district, Nghe An province. Attending the conference were Comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, representing the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam, and Comrade Phumi Vongvichit, representing the Party, Government, and the Itxala Front of Laos.
On March 31, 1953, the 304th Division split into two wings and advanced into Laos. Under the direct command of Comrade Hoang Minh Thao, Commander of the 304th Division, the 99th and 66th Regiments crossed the Tadopaklak Pass, attacking the enemy's defense system from Noong Het to Ban Ban, aiming to prevent the enemy from retreating to the Plain of Jars. Comrade Phumi Vongvichit accompanied this wing. After assembling in Laos, this wing coordinated with the Pathet Lao Battalion commanded by Comrade Thao Tu to participate in the campaign. Under the command of Comrade Le Chuong, Political Commissar of the 304th Division, the 57th Regiment secretly crossed the Phulaixileng Pass, passing through Muong Ngan and Muong Ngan, and attacked directly into the town of Phonsavan. Comrade Nhuvu, Secretary of the Xieng Khouang Provincial Party Committee, accompanied this wing.
On April 8, 1953, the Upper Laos campaign began. Despite the complex terrain, high mountains, deep streams, and unpredictable weather, throughout the campaign, tens of thousands of civilian laborers from Nghe An province worked day and night carrying rice, salt, weapons, and ammunition to support the troops pursuing the enemy. In many places, these civilian laborers had to directly fight against bandits to protect their supplies and wounded soldiers.
After nearly a month of fighting, on May 3, 1953, the Upper Laos campaign ended in victory. The Vietnamese-Lao joint forces eliminated nearly 2,800 officers and soldiers, liberating a vast area of approximately 35,000 square kilometers.2With a population of over 40,000, it comprises Sam Neua province, most of Xieng Khouang province, and part of Luang Prabang province, including the Nam U area, a strategically important and one of the richest regions in Northwest Laos..
The victory in the Upper Laos campaign not only contributed to depleting the enemy's forces and expanding the Lao resistance base, but also connected this base with the Thanh-Nghe-Tinh rear area of Vietnam, creating a continuous chain and favorable conditions for the resistance of the two nations.
Assessing the significance of this victory, Comrade Phoumi Vongvichit affirmed:"The victory of the Upper Laos campaign was a victory of the noble spirit of international proletariat, a victory of the solidarity between the two nations and the two armies of Vietnam and Laos."In that glorious victory, the military and people of Nghe An province made a significant contribution.
