People's Armed Forces Hero Nguyen Thanh Trung: "I have fulfilled my responsibility as a fighter pilot"

Reporter: You consider the moment you flew and dropped bombs on the Independence Palace and then landed safely in the liberated zone as “the flight of my life”. How did you feel at that time?

Bombing the Independence Palace was an action I had planned for a long time. And to do that, I had to be a pilot and fly a fighter plane. After being selected, I was sent by the Saigon Air Force to the US for pilot training from 1968-1971.

When I was a child, my father was brutally tortured by the enemy and died. My mother and uncles changed my name and made a new birth certificate with the last name Nguyen. Therefore, I was not suspected of working for the Saigon army.

By 1975, in order to mobilize all forces and capabilities together with the army and people of the whole country to quickly destroy the Saigon government, the Military Propaganda Committee of the Region (the contact person was Uncle Bay Luong and Brother Nam Thien) instructed me to choose the right time to bomb the Independence Palace and then fly to the liberated zone.

On April 8, a group of F-5E aircraft of the 540th Air Group, including the aircraft I was piloting, was ordered to leave the Bien Hoa joint base to bomb and support the infantry in Phan Rang. I thought this was an opportunity, so when preparing to take off, I asked the squadron commander for permission to take off a few seconds later to have the opportunity to separate from the squadron, take off from Bien Hoa airport, increase altitude and head straight towards Saigon...

When I had a clear view of the Independence Palace, I threw two bombs into the yard next to the building. I continued to circle around and threw them into the right area of ​​the Independence Palace and hit the target.

When I dropped the bomb on the Independence Palace, I only thought that I had to carry out my bold plan for a long time. The most important thing was that I had to calculate correctly, accurately, and hit the target. Our revolution all knew that I would drop the bomb on the Independence Palace and had prepared for every situation. The explosion at the Independence Palace was necessary at that time, and my mission was to make the bomb explode.

Luckily, our revolution had liberated Phuoc Long airport, so after the bombing, I reported to the unit that the mission had been completed and returned to Phuoc Long to land. It was a small, newly liberated field airport with a very short runway. But thanks to previous testing, I stopped the F-5E at the 900m mark. If I had slid another 100m, the plane and I would have been gone.

When I got off the plane, there was a military unit to welcome me. I don’t remember who it was. But the feeling at that moment was overwhelming. It was the true feeling of returning to my comrades.

Reporter: The second bombing raid was more systematically organized, at which point you revealed yourself as a revolutionary. The Quyết Thắng Squadron entered the history of the Vietnam People's Army and you were a member who made history. What strength gave you the confidence to continue confronting the enemy?

In my life, there were two bombings. The bombing of the Independence Palace was done “alone. on my own horse”, decided by myself and that was when I officially revealed myself.

After that trip, I was assigned to Chu Lai airport to learn how to convert to A37 aircraft. After a week of training, we were taken to Thanh Son airport (Phan Rang). At exactly 6:00 p.m. on April 28, we led the flight, controlling 5 A37s to fly to Saigon, dropping bombs on Tan Son Nhat airport.

In the second battle, we were well prepared, with planes, pilots, and landing and take-off airports. We carried out the mission of attacking Tan Son Nhat airport, but were ordered by our superiors not to attack the runway to give the US a chance to retreat. The sooner the US retreated, the better. Therefore, we only attacked the aircraft parking area, destroying many military aircraft, preventing the Republic of Vietnam Air Force from using Tan Son Nhat base to carry out bombing missions into the battlefields right next to Saigon. Two days later, we liberated the South.

For me, every bombing raid is emotional, and I also know that I might never return.

Reporter: Having bombed important locations like the Independence Palace and Tan Son Nhat Airport twice and still returned safely, do you consider yourself a lucky person?

Fighting requires preparation of several plans. One is to fight successfully without any problems. Two is to fight unsuccessfully and be intercepted by enemy planes.

I think what I did was very special. At that time, I tried to complete the mission, and I had to accept what could happen. Who shot, who chased, I didn't care. When I attacked the Independence Palace, I thought the Saigon Air Force would take off to chase me, but after the bombing, I was the only one flying straight in the Saigon sky. The F-5E I was flying was the most modern fighter jet, flying at 2,000 kilometers per hour, no Saigon Air Force plane could chase me.

My network seems to be very big. (Laughs). That's why I was able to overcome the most intense stages of the war, during the two historic bombing raids.

Reporter: In your latest interview with the press, you talked a lot about your concern for the people and your desire to do something to end the war and reduce the suffering of the people. Was bombing the Independence Palace such a decision?

But ending the war is very difficult, there must be a strong blow. I am a young man growing up in a country at war, so my actions must do something decisive.

At that time, with my strength, I thought that I had only the chance to use bombs to end this war. As for whether I am proud of ending it or not, I am not proud. Every citizen must have the responsibility to do for the country, to do what they can. Like the bombing, I thought that bombing the right brain of the Independence Palace, maybe it would influence some cool heads to end the war. And clearly, using bombs to attack the Independence Palace greatly affected the government of the Republic of Vietnam, causing chaos in everything.

Reporter: When you dropped the bomb on the Independence Palace, you were still a pilot for the Saigon government. After dropping the bomb, you were able to escape to the liberated zone, but there were still many worries?

I knew that I was a pilot of the Saigon regime. If I bombed the Independence Palace, the other side would condemn me and call me a traitor.

But this war has two sides, one side is the people, the other side is the government we are doing. I think that bombing the Saigon government will be supported by the people more. As for the Saigon government's condemnation, I don't care, I listen to everything they say. I just think about the things I want to do and whether I can achieve them or not, whether I can achieve the goal of ending this war soon to relieve the suffering of the people, then I think I have done it.

This, even when I was young, I thought like that. And finally, I have also fulfilled my wish.

After the shocking bombing, my family, including my wife and two young daughters, the second child was only 8 months old, were arrested and taken to prison cell 9, and were not released until liberation. People asked me why I did not arrange a safe place for my wife and children in advance. But no one did it. Taking my wife and children away was not necessarily safe, and if I acted rashly, I would be even more suspected. When I did something, I did not tell my wife because I did not know if I could do it or not, and telling her in advance would be risky.

When I completed the revolutionary mission assigned to me, bombing the Independence Palace, I was not so worried about myself, but I was worried about the people at home. After that bombing, I knew my wife and children were imprisoned, and I was also restless. But worrying could not do anything, so I tried to throw myself into work to forget, by doing my assigned tasks well.

On May 2, 1975, I left Phuoc Long for Saigon, and when I arrived at Bien Hoa airport, I met my wife and children who had just been released from prison. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

After liberation, I was assigned to work at the 935th Regiment in Bien Hoa, test-piloting the aircraft left by the Americans, passing on my experience to my pilots. I mainly did political missions, and hardly flew any more fighter planes. Later, I transferred to work in transport aircraft, working for Vietnam Airlines.

Reporter: As a Hero of the People's Armed Forces, you have never considered yourself a hero? You just think it is your historical mission?

I think my life must definitely be involved in protecting the country, ending the war, and building the country. The important thing is to do it in the right place, at the right time. Sometimes I was right, sometimes I was not successful in ending the war, but personally I was fortunate to be able to participate in ending the bloody war that lasted for decades.

Later, I was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces. It was a great honor, because the State and the people trusted me. Those recognitions were proof that I had contributed to the success of our revolution.

In fact, when flying a fighter plane, you know that the plane is good, but when flying a test flight, it is very difficult, always be ready to die. At that time, you have to review the parachute movements, determine that the plane can break down at any time, or parachute successfully, or die.

Reporter: Your life is still full of conflicting information. Is being misunderstood the thing that makes you most sad? How did you overcome it?

Standing on the people's side, I do what is right, what the people support, and I don't do what the people oppose. I just do my best to fulfill my responsibilities, no matter what anyone says.

But my peace is not complete peace. Coming back to you, in name only, but in my heart, I think a lot, also worry about many things.

I know I was a puppet pilot, and was used by the revolutionary side in many battles. But whether I can trust him absolutely is still a question mark. I have to think about it myself, explain it to myself, and I cannot confide in anyone.

But in my role as a Party member, when I received a task, I only knew how to fulfill my responsibility, without thinking deeply anymore.

Reporter: At that time, was there ever a time when you thought you would take advantage of the opportunity to train to fly a plane and flee to another country?

I have never thought about going abroad. Life is the same everywhere, you have to create it yourself. Everywhere, people welcome good workers, good thinkers, good doers. But wherever people are lazy and do nothing, they will not be welcomed.

Reporter: What is the thing that still haunts you in the war of national liberation?

There are many regrets. In life, it is difficult to fulfill one's responsibilities. In my heart, I always feel that I have done many things, but there is something that has not been completed, not done completely. The failure to liberate Hoang Sa is such a thing.

Reporter: How did we heal the wounds of war after liberation? Do you think Vietnam has done well in terms of national reconciliation?

Up to now, the Vietnamese people have solved the problem of national reconciliation peacefully, meaning that the differences between me and you have gradually lessened, there is no more tension. The previous generation has difficulty accepting, but the next generation has an easier time accepting, reducing the tension of the previous generation, and building the country together. Everything takes time, and time for Vietnam must go through a generation for it to end. The young generation must solve the problem of hatred between the previous generation.

I have many friends who worked under the old regime. Their children and grandchildren have integrated into our new government very well, integrated into the new society, and they all encourage their children and grandchildren to build the country.

Reporter: Later, you became a great leader in the aviation industry. What is the thing that you devoted the most to imparting and teaching to the young generation in the industry?

As a leader in the aviation industry, I always want aviation to be safe, to fly to and from destinations safely. I must fully exploit and fly well any type of aircraft assigned to me. And this has been proven in practice.

Reporter: The 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South is a special milestone. Many of your friends are no longer around to witness the changes in Ho Chi Minh City. How do you see the city's rise today?

Ho Chi Minh City compared to 50 years ago, has developed a lot, is bigger, more modern and has a larger population. Saigon deserves to be the center of the South and also deserves to be the center of Southeast Asia - the pearl of the Far East.

Thank you Hero of the People's Armed Forces Nguyen Thanh Trung!

Publication date: April 1, 2025
Implementing organization: TRUONG SON
Content: THAO LE - THIEN LAM
Presented by: MINH THU
Photo: THANH DAT

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Source: https://special.nhandan.vn/AH-Nguyen-Thanh-Trung/index.html