Forever the pride of victory day

Veteran Dam Ngoc Binh (Nam Binh ward, Ninh Binh city) - one of the people who directly participated in the battle in Saigon on April 30, 1975 - could not hide his emotions and pride when recalling the years he participated in the campaign named after Uncle Ho - the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

He said: In early April 1975, when I was a lecturer at the Non-Commissioned Officer School of Information, my superiors decided to appoint me as Squad Leader of Team 15W (Company 18, Regiment 141, Division 312) and assigned a special mission: With other units in the 312th Division, I marched quickly into the Southern battlefield, supplementing the main force to attack the enemy's headquarters in Saigon.

Receiving the order from the Central Military Commission: "Fast, faster, bolder, bolder, seize every hour, every minute, rush to the front, liberate the South. Determined to fight and win completely", with the determination "When there is an order, go, when there is an enemy, fight, win resoundingly", Mr. Binh and his comrades marched through the forest and over the mountains. After 14 days and nights, the unit arrived at the Dong Xoai assembly area, promptly participating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. After that, the unit received the mission of surrounding and destroying the enemy at Lai Khe stronghold, preventing the 5th Division of the Republic of Vietnam from withdrawing to the inner city.

On the night of April 27 and early morning of April 28, the 312th Division was ordered to open fire, capture the Lai Khe base, and destroy the 5th Division of the Republic of Vietnam. After 3 days of fierce fighting, on the morning of April 30, our troops controlled the situation and captured the entire Lai Khe base. Near noon on April 30, the enemy at the Lai Khe base raised the white flag to surrender, and Brigadier General Le Nguyen Vi (Commander of the 5th Division of the puppet army) retreated to his private villa and committed suicide.

"At noon on April 30, we received the news that Saigon was completely liberated, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign had won. I remember, it was raining heavily that day. Upon receiving the news that President Duong Van Minh and the Saigon government cabinet had surrendered unconditionally, we rushed outside, hugged each other, cheered, and rejoiced in the victory. The soldiers shouted: "Long live Ho Chi Minh", "Oh mother, the South is liberated", "Oh homeland, it is liberated..." - Mr. Binh emotionally recalled.

After April 30, 1975, along with the main force units entering to liberate Saigon, Division 312 was assigned the task of managing the city and taking over the enemy's military bases. Mr. Binh and his comrades raised their sense of organization, discipline and revolutionary vigilance, while completing the takeover task, together with the city's cadres and people, hunting down enemy remnants; recovering and managing enemy equipment and weapons; participating in building a revolutionary government and armed forces at the grassroots level, contributing to quickly stabilizing the lives and production of the people of Saigon.

A great honor for veteran Dam Ngoc Binh was that just two weeks after the complete liberation of the South, he was able to participate in the parade to celebrate the great victory of the nation, held in Saigon on May 15, 1975. "On the day of the parade, the officers and soldiers of Division 312, in neat formation, along with the military branches and services of the entire army and the delegation of representatives from all walks of life in Saigon, marched through the stage amidst the cheers of thousands of people. That grand parade and mass march not only demonstrated the strength of the nation but was also an opportunity to unite people's hearts, dispelling the previous reactionary propaganda of the puppet government about the liberation army soldiers," Mr. Binh affirmed.

It has been 49 years since the day the South was completely liberated and the country was reunified, but for veteran Nguyen Van Cong in Ngo Thuong village, Ninh Hoa commune (Hoa Lu), every time he recalls those special days, he recalls his beautiful and passionate youth. In the mind of the old soldier, the memories and joy of the victory day in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign are still intact.

Mr. Cong said: Before entering the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, our army continued to win, liberating one province after another. Therefore, the atmosphere of victory also became intense throughout the battlefields of the South. Continuous news of victory reported from many places made young soldiers like us, who were only eighteen or twenty years old at that time, more and more confident in the spirit of determination to fight, to win, to liberate the South, and to unify the country.

On April 30, 1975, our army launched the final attack, advancing straight into the center of Saigon, capturing the Independence Palace, completely liberating the South. This was the greatest and most complete victory, ending 30 years of the longest, most arduous, fiercest but also very glorious resistance war of the Vietnamese people. "When we received the news that the Independence Palace had been completely liberated, our soldiers cheered with joy and victory. At that moment, we hugged each other and cried because we were happy that the country was at peace, but we also felt moved to remember our comrades who had sacrificed, especially those who had fallen at the gates of Saigon right before the liberation. They were not lucky enough to witness the glorious moment of the country" - veteran Nguyen Van Cong confided.

Also according to veteran Nguyen Van Cong: Saigon on April 30th of that year was filled with flags and flowers, people holding liberation flags stood on both sides of the street waving to the liberation army, everyone's face was joyful and radiant; many people shouted "Saigon is liberated! Saigon is liberated!".

Mr. Cong shared: After the complete liberation of the South in 1976, I left the army, changed my career and was appointed as the Head of River Station No. 2 (Yen Mo). In 1978, when the Party and the State had a policy of sending civil and military cadres, experts and volunteer soldiers to perform international missions in Cambodia, I volunteered to re-enlist, perform political training duties at the Political Department, Non-Commissioned Officer School of Military Region 3 and served there until 1987.

Returning to normal life, promoting the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", veteran Nguyen Van Cong has always been a pioneer in patriotic emulation movements in the locality, holding many key positions in the commune such as: Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ninh Hoa commune. In 2010, he retired. Recalling memories of nearly 50 years ago, veteran Nguyen Van Cong emotionally shared: I am proud and lucky to be one of the children of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, who was able to contribute a small part of my efforts to the great historical moment of the nation - liberating the South, unifying the country. To have peace, independence, and freedom today, countless compatriots and soldiers sacrificed blood, sweat and tears. In my hometown Ninh Hoa commune at that time, there were 8 young men who joined the army with me, but after liberation, only 4 returned... Therefore, I hope that today's young generation will always be proud, remember and promote the glorious traditions of the nation, determined to successfully carry out the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Saying goodbye to veteran Nguyen Van Cong, somewhere echoed the lyrics: "We walk among the golden stars and fluttering flags/Bustling with excitement, the footsteps converge here/Oh Saigon! Firmly believing for so many years, one happy day of liberation...".

49 years have passed, April 30, 1975 has entered the glorious and brilliant history of our nation's achievements on the path of building and defending the country, so that today, every April, millions of Vietnamese hearts are filled with special emotions, urging each person to act with determination, promote the achievements of the April 30 Victory, join hands to build the homeland and country to become more and more prosperous and happy.

Mai Lan

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