Dear Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc - former member of the Politburo, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Dear Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, veteran revolutionaries, and Heroes of the People's Armed Forces.
Dear leaders of Central departments, ministries and branches; leaders of the Ministry of National Defense; Military Region 5 Command; comrade generals, and veteran comrades who fought in the Thuong Duc battlefield!
Dear guests and fellow countrymen!
Today, in the heroic atmosphere of the historic August days, towards celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the heroic Vietnam People's Army; celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Quang Nam homeland and major national holidays, on the heroic and revolutionary-tradition-rich land of Dai Loc, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Quang Nam province solemnly organized the 50th Anniversary of the Thuong Duc Victory (August 7, 1974 - August 7, 2024).
This is an opportunity for us to review the glorious historical victory, which has great significance in the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country; an opportunity for us to remember the heroic martyrs, comrades and compatriots who fought bravely and sacrificed in the cause of national liberation of our people in general and in the campaign to liberate Thuong Duc in particular; at the same time, this is also an opportunity to continue educating the revolutionary tradition for the younger generation, arousing patriotism, national pride, responsibility and aspiration to build and develop Quang Nam to become increasingly rich and beautiful.
On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, I would like to warmly welcome and respectfully send to the leaders of the Central agencies, the Military Region V Command, the generals; the leaders, former leaders of the province through the periods, the veteran revolutionaries, the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, representatives of the Veterans Liaison Committee of the units of Divisions 304, 324, the units of the Military Region V Command, the armed forces and people of Quang Nam province, Dai Loc district who directly participated in the campaign, fought on the Thuong Duc battlefield in the past, the distinguished guests, and all the people my best wishes!
In this sacred moment, we respectfully commemorate the great contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, of the heroes, martyrs, comrades, and compatriots who fought bravely and sacrificed in the cause of national liberation and in the Thuong Duc campaign in particular. We always remember and are eternally grateful to the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the cause of liberating the homeland, liberating the nation, and unifying the country.
On behalf of the Party Committee and the government of Quang Nam province, I would like to send my warmest regards, sincere feelings and deepest gratitude to the veterans, wounded soldiers, families of martyrs and families of those who participated in the Thuong Duc liberation campaign.
Dear compatriots and comrades !
Going back in history, on January 27, 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed, this was one of the great victories of the Vietnamese revolution in the resistance war against the US, to save the country; this victory created a solid foundation for our army and people to "fight the Americans to leave, fight the puppets to fall", to move forward to completely liberate the South, and unify the country. However, with the act of sabotaging the Paris Agreement, the puppet army sent mobile forces to carry out the plot of encroachment, "flooding the territory", dividing lines, dividing regions, winning over people, encroaching on land, eliminating the "leopard skin" situation, pushing the revolutionary forces, especially the main force of the liberation army, out of the plains and urban areas. In Quang Da, they gradually re-occupied the liberated areas and tried to consolidate the Thuong Duc military sub-region into a solid outpost to protect the Da Nang joint military base.
Faced with that situation, the Resolution of the 21st Conference of the Party Central Committee, 3rd tenure, determined: "The path of the Southern revolution is the path of revolutionary violence". Thoroughly grasping the spirit of that resolution, in mid-1974, the Standing Committee of the Regional Party Committee and the Military Region Party Committee of Military Region V decided to launch the Autumn 1974 combined campaign, identifying the key battlefields of operation as Quang Nam, Quang Da, Quang Ngai with 5 war zones, including: Nong Son - Trung Phuoc war zone; Tay Que Son war zone (Quang Nam); Thuong Duc war zone (Quang Da)...
The Thuong Duc military district was built by the US to become a solid outpost to protect the Da Nang joint military base and control our Route 14 in the west of Quang Da. The military district consisted of a cluster of fortified strongholds located in Ha Tan village, Loc Binh commune (now Dai Lanh commune, Dai Loc district), at the confluence of Cai and Con rivers, next to Highway 14, not far from the Eastern Truong Son road, about 40km from Da Nang as the crow flies. According to the enemy's assessment, Thuong Duc was the "Pearl Eye of the Dragon's Head", the "Impregnable Steel Door". Thuong Duc was located in the joint defense position of the US-puppet tactical zone I, the "steel door" protecting the outer ring of Da Nang; the enemy generals arrogantly challenged: "Only when the Vu Gia river flows backwards will the Viet Cong occupy Thuong Duc"!
On our side, due to the particularly important strategic position of Thuong Duc, the Command of Military Region V determined: “ This campaign must win both militarily and politically. Military is to completely destroy the enemy on the spot, attract, detain and destroy a part of the enemy's mobile forces. Political is to liberate and ensure the lives of more than 10 thousand people, smash the local government and evil spies, maintain the liberated area, defeat the enemy troops coming to relieve, create favorable conditions for the military region's comprehensive offensive campaign to develop and win”.
The Thuong Duc Campaign was codenamed K711. The mission to attack the Thuong Duc stronghold cluster used the Ministry's main force, including Division 304 and Regiment 3 of Division 324, in coordination with forces from Military Region V, armed forces and the masses in Quang Nam province and Dai Loc district.
All preparations for the campaign were carried out very urgently, especially in key areas. The Quang Da Special Zone Party Committee sent comrade Pham Duc Nam, Deputy Secretary of the Special Zone Party Committee, and comrade Nguyen Ba Phuoc, Deputy Commander of Front 4, to participate in the Thuong Duc Front Command Committee. The Special Zone Party Committee also mobilized a large number of cadres from all sectors, sectors, and people in the province, mainly from mountainous districts and Dai Loc district, to serve the main force of the General Command. Hundreds of laborers from mountainous districts were mobilized to serve the campaign. Ideological work, organization, training, logistics, and battlefield preparation were urgently deployed...
After a period of preparation, on June 6, 1974, at the 304th Division Headquarters in the Bung River area (Nam Giang district), Senior Lieutenant General Chu Huy Man, Commander of Military Region 5, assigned specific tasks to the 304th Division. Once again, he emphasized: "This campaign must win both militarily and politically. Military is to completely destroy the enemy, political is to liberate and ensure the lives of more than ten thousand people."
On the morning of July 29, 1974, Division 304 opened fire to attack Thuong Duc. After a day of fierce fighting, units of Division 304 and the province destroyed the strongholds of Ba Khe, Go Cam, Mo Coi Hill, Luc Nam, and surrounded the stronghold of Dong Ha Song. At the stronghold of Thuong Duc, our forces of Division 304 encountered difficulties and could not develop, so they had to stop to do ideological work, reorganize the forces, and change tactics from immediate attack to "encirclement and encroachment". The armed forces of the province were tasked with attacking the enemy's military posts and liberating the people from the concentration area.
The battle between us and the enemy was fierce and lasted for many days. With a heroic fighting spirit and effective tactics, by 8:30 a.m. on August 7, 1974, our army had completely controlled the Thuong Duc military sub-region. The "Determination to Fight and Win" flag given by the Party Committee and People of Quang Da to the 304th Division flew over the Thuong Duc military sub-region, signaling the complete victory of the campaign. From August to December 1974, our army continued to defeat the "recapture" attacks of the enemy's main force, including the paratroopers and marines, breaking the backbone of the Saigon army's strategic reserve force.
Dear comrades and countrymen !
The victory in Thuong Duc affirmed the correct and sharp leadership of the Central Military Commission and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, and at the same time clearly reflected the remarkable maturity of the main force and armed forces on the battlefield of Zone 5 in terms of level and ability of combined arms combat; contributing to the bankruptcy of the enemy's "pacification and encroachment plan" and plot to "flood the territory".
From the Thuong Duc Campaign, we clearly understood the target of the battle, the reaction of the Saigon puppet army, deeply and specifically assessed the comparison of forces between us and the enemy on the battlefield, especially the possibility of military intervention by the US imperialists... That was one of the practical bases of important significance for the Politburo, the Central Military Commission and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army to continue to perfect the strategic plan to completely liberate the South and unify the country.
The victory of Thuong Duc was one of the resounding victories of the army and people of the South, with great political and military significance, creating a solid practical foundation for the Politburo to build the determination to completely liberate the South and unify the country in 1975. The late Chairman of the State Council Vo Chi Cong affirmed: “The victory of Thuong Duc not only cut off the steel door protecting the outer perimeter of Da Nang but also had important strategic significance at this time. It was a measure of the comparison between our armed forces and the puppet main force. From that reality, it contributed to the Politburo and the Central Military Commission having new assessments, proposing correct and decisive policies in the strategy of general offensive and uprising in the historic spring of 1975”.
The victory of Thuong Duc affirmed the great strength of the solidarity between the army and the people. It was the close coordination between the army and the people of Dai Loc district with the main force in fighting and serving the fight that contributed to that resounding victory. The victory of Thuong Duc clarified the truth: The strength of the army is crystallized from revolutionary heroism combined with the strength of the spirit of patriotism and solidarity that has been forged for thousands of years by our people, creating a combined strength to defeat all enemies.
The victory of Thuong Duc is a vivid symbol of our people's patriotism and the unparalleled brave fighting spirit of our army; it is a source of motivation urging generations of officers, soldiers of the armed forces and people in the province to continue to cultivate, train and strive for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
50 years have passed, but the lessons of experience remain valuable. They are lessons in assessing and forecasting the situation correctly; lessons in promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc; lessons in conducting people's war, all-people war, all-round war; lessons in promoting patriotism, the will to fight, win, independence, self-reliance, self-strengthening of our entire Party, army and people; lessons in applying unique military art to battlefield realities.
Dear comrades and countrymen !
After the country's reunification in 1975, with a steadfast revolutionary tradition, with the will and determination not to give up in the face of difficulties, the Party Committee, government and people of Quang Nam have promoted the revolutionary tradition, constantly innovated, created, united, and strived to continue writing the heroic and glorious history of the homeland of Quang Nam. The clearest evidence is that after more than 27 years of re-establishment, Quang Nam province has achieved many important achievements in all fields, creating the image, appearance and position of a Quang Nam, proactive and creative in thinking; correct and decisive in action...
The outstanding mark is the very rapid economic breakthrough, improving the material and spiritual life of the people, from a poor, purely agricultural province that had to receive more than 70% subsidy from the Central Government, after 20 years of re-establishment, since 2017, Quang Nam has balanced its own budget and contributed to the Central Government; up to now, Quang Nam has become a fairly developed province in the Central region. The scale of GRDP reached more than 5.5 billion USD, ranking 26/63 provinces and cities. The highest annual budget scale reached 33,000 billion VND.
The appearance of rural, mountainous and ethnic minority areas has changed positively, the infrastructure system has been invested and upgraded, shortening the gap between mountainous and plain areas. Culture and society have made much progress, poverty reduction has been carried out vigorously; policies for people with revolutionary contributions have been well implemented, ensuring social security; education, training and health care have been given attention with many outstanding results; the material and spiritual life of the people has been significantly improved.
National defense and security are maintained, politics are stable, and foreign relations are expanded. Party building and the political system are increasingly consolidated and improved; the province's position is increasingly affirmed.
In the old Thuong Duc area, the economic picture is also increasingly improving. From a fierce area during the war 50 years ago, up to now, Dai Lanh, Dai Hung, Dai Hong, Dai Son communes of Dai Loc district have complete infrastructure, convenient transportation, invested schools and medical stations, agricultural production has developed, the potential strengths of the mountainous area are exploited reasonably through farm and hill garden economic forms. Small-scale industries and services are increasingly developing, contributing to job creation and increasing income for the people. People are happy and excited, believing in the leadership, the innovation of the Party, the changes of their homeland and country.
Dear comrades and countrymen !
Quang Nam in general and Dai Loc in particular are localities with a tradition of steadfast and indomitable revolution, and at the same time, they are places that have suffered heavy consequences of war. The heroic history of this land always remembers the merits of heroes and martyrs, and deeply appreciates the great contributions and sacrifices of cadres, soldiers, people, and comrades who fought steadfastly and sacrificed heroically on the Thuong Duc battlefield in particular, and Quang Nam province in general.
In recent times, the implementation of preferential policies, care, improvement and enhancement of the lives of people with revolutionary contributions has always been identified by Quang Nam province and Dai Loc district as a key and regular task; programs to care for people with revolutionary contributions such as "The whole people take care of families of war invalids, martyrs and people with revolutionary contributions", the movement "repaying gratitude"... have been implemented and responded to strongly, widely and evenly.
Thereby, the rate of over 97% of policy households in the province having a standard of living equal to or higher than the average standard of living in residential areas has been increased, the material and spiritual life of policy beneficiaries has been increasingly improved. In addition, the work of taking care of martyrs' graves and cemeteries in the province has been ensured to be clean, beautiful and dignified.
In the coming time, Quang Nam province will continue to direct agencies, units and localities to better implement policies and regimes for people with revolutionary contributions. In particular, doing a good job of preserving and effectively promoting the value of the national historical relic of Thuong Duc Victory to serve the work of traditional education associated with tourism development in Quang Nam province.
Dear comrades and countrymen,
The victory of Thuong Duc is a symbol of revolutionary heroism; a shining example of the determination to fight and win, the spirit of continuous attack, the iron will, the boundless courage of the cadres and soldiers of Division 304, Division 324 and the armed forces of Quang Da province and Dai Loc district; affirming the great strength of the spirit of solidarity between the army and the people...
The pride in the Thuong Duc Victory will certainly be a source of strength, belief, a solid premise, and a great motivation for the Party Committee, government, and people of the province to firmly overcome difficulties and challenges, continue writing a heroic history, and be determined to realize the aspiration of development and build Quang Nam into a fairly developed province of the country by 2030.
Once again, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province, I would like to thank the leaders of the Central departments, ministries, and branches; the leaders and former leaders of Quang Nam province; the veteran revolutionaries, heroic Vietnamese mothers, generals, and war veterans; distinguished guests and all compatriots and comrades who took the time to attend the 50th Anniversary of the Thuong Duc Victory (August 7, 1974 - August 7, 2024).
I would like to send to the leaders, distinguished guests, cadres, soldiers and compatriots my best wishes for health, happiness and success!
Thanks a lot!
PRESENTED BY: HO QUAN
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dien-van-cua-bi-thu-tinh-uy-luong-nguyen-minh-triet-tai-le-ky-niem-50-nam-chien-thang-thuong-duc-7-8-1974-7-8-2024-3139207.html
Comment (0)