Solemn 50th Anniversary Ceremony of Truong Bon Victory

Video clip: Speech by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the ceremony.

Comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh presented a speech at the ceremony:

Attending the ceremony were comrades: Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Politburo member, Prime Minister; Pham Minh Chinh - Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Organization Commission; Vuong Dinh Hue - Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister; Vo Van Thuong - Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission; Phan Dinh Trac - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission; Nguyen Xuan Thang - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council.

Also attending were members of the Party Central Committee: Ho Duc Phoc - State Auditor General; Le Minh Hung - Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; Nguyen Thanh Binh - Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Party Central Committee's Organization Commission; Nguyen Chi Dung - Minister of Planning and Investment; Tran Hong Ha - Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; Dao Ngoc Dung - Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; Le Thanh Long - Minister of Justice; Thuan Huu - Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association; Tran Binh Minh - General Director of Vietnam Television; Nguyen Duc Loi - General Director of Vietnam News Agency; Le Thi Nga - Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Judicial Committee; Nguyen Thi Thu Ha - President of the Vietnam Women's Union; Hau A Lenh - Vice President, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front;

Former members of the Party Central Committee: Truong Dinh Tuyen, former Minister of Trade; Le Doan Hop, former Minister of Information and Communications, Chairman of the Nghe An Association in Hanoi;

Alternate members of the Party Central Committee: Le Quoc Phong - Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; Le Quang Tung - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Nguyen Van Thang - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province.

Regarding the delegates from the provinces and Military Region IV, there were comrades: Trinh Van Chien - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee; Le Dinh Son - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Xuan Tien - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Van Loi - Secretary of Binh Phuoc Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Thi Nghia - Standing Deputy Secretary of Hai Phong City Party Committee; Major General Ha Tan Tien - Deputy Commander of Military Region IV.

Attending the Ceremony were also representatives of leaders of ministries, departments, central branches; corporations, general companies, and large enterprises nationwide.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades: Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; former leaders of Nghe An province; members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Standing members of the People's Committee - People's Council - Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, and the National Assembly Delegation.

Also attending were representatives of leaders of departments, branches, localities in the province and a large number of people of Nghe An province.

Before the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other Party and State leaders offered incense at the Truong Bon Martyrs Memorial House. Photo: Thanh Cuong

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, Nghe An was the direct great rear of the great frontline of the South; the great frontline of the great rearline of the socialist North. And in this zone IV fire line, Truong Bon had a particularly important position on Route 15A - the traffic artery supplying human and material resources to the southern battlefield.

Realizing the extremely important military position of Truong Bon, the US imperialists focused on fierce attacks. In just 4 years, from 1964 to 1968, this key point had to endure 18,936 bombs of various types and thousands of missiles.

In the midst of fierce fire and bombs, thousands of cadres, soldiers, frontline workers and people here have steadfastly held their ground, fought intelligently and bravely with the iron determination that "the heart may stop beating, but the road cannot be blocked"; "live clinging to the bridge, clinging to the road; die steadfastly and bravely", maintaining the traffic flow for convoys and troops to the front line.

Party and State leaders and many central, local and Nghe An provincial delegates attended the celebration. Photo: Thanh Cuong

On the Truong Bon route full of sacrifices and hardships, the army and people of Nghe An contributed 2 million working days, dug and built millions of cubic meters of earth and rock; transported more than 94,000 motor vehicles safely; transported and cleared more than 1 million tons of goods.

And also at Truong Bon, 1,240 outstanding sons of the army, police, youth volunteers, and frontline laborers fell, forever remaining in the bosom of Mother Earth. Among those outstanding sons were 13 youth volunteers of Squad 2 - "Steel Squad" of Company 317, Team 65, Nghe An Youth Volunteers. They sacrificed themselves in the early morning of October 31, 1968.

The battles, sacrifices and hardships in Truong Bon of our army and people are the most beautiful crystallization of patriotism, of the will to fight and win against foreign invaders; of courage, dignity, conscience and the desire for peace.

With gratitude and remembrance for the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives at Truong Bon, this place was built into a National Historical Relic Site in 1996. The collective of 14 Truong Bon youth volunteers belonging to Company 317, Team 65, Youth Volunteers General Team against the US to save the country of Nghe An province were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President in 2008.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee opened the ceremony. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Truong Bon has become a red address for educating the youth about patriotic traditions, a spiritual and cultural address welcoming tens of thousands of compatriots and soldiers to come here to pay tribute and visit the souls of heroes and martyrs.

The 50th anniversary of Truong Bon victory (October 31, 1968 - October 31, 2018) and the art program "Truong Bon - Legendary Land" are activities to honor the glorious revolutionary tradition of our army and people in the resistance war against the US to save the country; express deep gratitude and appreciation to the heroic martyrs, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of the armed forces, wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, former youth volunteers, relatives of martyrs, families with meritorious services to the revolution, including 13 martyrs of the heroic "Steel Squad" who fell exactly 50 years ago.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his deep gratitude for the great sacrifices of millions of heroes, martyrs, wounded and sick soldiers across the country who spared no effort in their youth and lives, calmly accepted all tasks, and rushed into the most dangerous places with the spirit of "determination to die for the Fatherland".

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stated: Truong Bon is a shining symbol of the youth volunteer force and revolutionary heroism. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Reviewing the heroic history of Truong Bon, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed: Along with Dong Loc T-junction, Hang Tam Co, Quang Tri Citadel and many other historical sites, Truong Bon has become a sacred land, a shining symbol of the youth volunteer force, of revolutionary heroism in the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country. The place name Truong Bon has gone down in history, becoming a highlight, a source of pride for future generations.

The Prime Minister commended the Party Committee and the government of Nghe An for their constant efforts to build a rich and beautiful homeland, making people's lives increasingly prosperous, happy, and developing comprehensively and sustainably. In particular, Nghe An has paid attention to the work of gratitude, taking care of policy beneficiaries and people with meritorious services, and building "red addresses" to educate the younger generation about traditions, of which the Ho Chi Minh Homeland Relic Site and Truong Bon Relic Site are typical addresses.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised the initiative of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Nghe An province, Vietnam Television, units and individuals who solemnly organized the 50th Anniversary of Truong Bon Victory and the Truong Bon - Legendary Land Art Program.

Leaders of Nhan Dan Newspaper and Nghe An province presented 25 savings books to relatives of Truong Bon martyrs and former Youth Volunteers. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The Prime Minister suggested: Central ministries, branches, socio-political organizations, businesses and all people need to be more deeply aware of the great sacrifices of previous generations to firmly preserve the achievements of the revolution. From there, join hands to better care for the material and spiritual lives of families of war invalids, sick soldiers, former Youth Volunteers and meritorious people.

Activities to show gratitude to heroes, martyrs, veterans, wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, former youth volunteers, etc. need to be multiplied, carried out regularly, continuously and without stopping, and with many specific and practical actions. This is the duty and responsibility of every Vietnamese citizen.

As for Nghe An, the Party Committee, government and people of the province need to constantly strengthen the building of a strong Party and political system to create momentum for development; join hands and unite to build the province into the best province in the North.

Nghe An Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh affirmed: In recognition of the great contributions of the heroic martyrs, the Party Committee, government and people of Nghe An pledge to unite as one to build their homeland to become more and more prosperous. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Speaking at the ceremony, comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province affirmed: Inheriting and promoting the heroic Soviet tradition, Nghe An province is gradually exploiting its enormous potentials and advantages, developing steadily, bringing prosperity and happiness to the people.

With gratitude and remembrance of the heroic martyrs, cadres, party members and people of Nghe An province vow to preserve and protect the achievements that previous generations have created; be loyal to the ideals of national independence and socialism; vow to unite, strive to overcome difficulties, work enthusiastically, study and practice, determined to strive to successfully implement the goals and tasks set forth in Resolution 26 of the Politburo and Resolution of the 18th Provincial Party Congress, building Nghe An by 2020 to become the economic center of the North Central region and a fairly large province in the Northern region as President Ho Chi Minh always wished.

The Truong Bon Art Program - The Legendary Land revives the heroic historical moments of the nation. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Nghe An province will continue to carry out gratitude activities, take care of policy beneficiaries and people with meritorious services; build Truong Bon forever as a red address to educate the indomitable and resilient patriotic tradition of generations of fathers and brothers to generations of children.

After the Anniversary Ceremony, the art program "Truong Bon - Legendary Land" is held to commemorate and honor the heroic martyrs on the legendary Truong Bon route, contributing to educating future generations about the nation's heroic revolutionary tradition./.