The power of unity, courage, and creativity.

(Baonghean) - On August 21, 1945, tens of thousands of people in Nghe An, with the revolutionary armed forces as the core, marched from all directions to the residence of Governor Dang Huong to declare the abolition of the colonial and feudal government and the establishment of a revolutionary provincial government. Born and developed on the basis of the Party's revolutionary armed forces, and as the next generation of the "Red Self-Defense" fighters in the revolutionary movement of 1930-1931, the Nghe An Armed Forces have always demonstrated a fighting spirit, ready to sacrifice for the people and the country, worthy of the traditions of the Vietnam People's Army and the heroic Soviet homeland. With that significance, August 21st has become the annual Traditional Day of the Nghe An Provincial Armed Forces.

During the nine years of resistance against the French, tens of thousands of cadres and soldiers of the Nghe An armed forces provided support to the front lines, contributing to the building of the first main army units of our army. Thousands of militiamen, guerrillas, and tens of thousands of civilian laborers coordinated with the main army units, fighting and supporting combat operations on battlefields such as Binh Tri Thien, Hoa Binh, Northwest Vietnam, Ha Nam Ninh, Central and Upper Laos, and the Dien Bien Phu campaign.

During the resistance war against the American imperialist invasion, Nghe An served as both the frontline of the North and the direct rear of the major frontline in the South and the fraternal Lao revolution. It was a key target in the air and naval bombing campaign against the socialist North. The modern aircraft and weapons of the American imperialists could not subdue the spirit and courage of the army and people of Nghe An. Through the strength of unity, courageous and creative fighting, the army and people of Nghe An, in coordination with units of the Ministry and Military Region, shot down 553 aircraft of all types, captured many enemy pilots; sank or destroyed 36 warships and commando boats of the US-puppet regime; and captured 28 commando and reconnaissance teams. Local troops and militia independently shot down 112 aircraft and sank or destroyed 26 enemy warships and commando boats. Particularly using infantry weapons, the militia of Nghe An province shot down the first modern aircraft of the American imperialists – marking the beginning of the movement to shoot down American planes with infantry weapons in the North.

Soldiers on Mat Island (Provincial Military Command) practice combat readiness. Photo: Tran Hai

The Soviet flame once again shone brightly, with over 140,000 cadres and soldiers being sent to the battlefields, and over 160,000 young people from Nghe An province enlisting to fight the enemy. 120,000 young volunteers served in combat on the battlefields, mobilizing over 40 million man-days to build transportation routes and support the fighting. The victories of the army and people of Nghe An made a significant contribution, along with the rest of the country, to the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, completely liberating the South and unifying the nation.

After 1975, the armed forces of Nghe An province underwent a new phase of development. The military command system from the district to the provincial level was organized, consolidated, and perfected to meet the military and national defense tasks of the new period. When the border war broke out, nearly 200,000 young people from Nghe An went to fight to support the battlefields in Vietnam and in neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Overcoming all difficulties, hardships, shortages, and sacrifices, the officers and soldiers of the Nghe An armed forces in the volunteer army went into the most difficult and dangerous places to work with the revolutionary forces of their allies to build bases, mobilize the masses, organize forces to eliminate bandits, and expand liberated areas.

The armed forces of Nghe An province have been honored by the Party and State with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces; 159 local military units and militia forces, and 81 officers and soldiers have been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces; hundreds of thousands of medals and decorations of various kinds have been awarded to officers and soldiers; 1,918 mothers have been awarded and posthumously awarded the title of Heroic Vietnamese Mother. Even more honorably, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its founding, the armed forces of Nghe An province were awarded the Second Class Order of National Defense by the President of Vietnam and the Isala Order by the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

PV