With a far-sighted political vision, on September 4, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh sent a special envoy to Vinh City (Nghe An) to invite Prince Souphanouvong to Hanoi for a meeting. That meeting had a strong impact, deciding the Prince's revolutionary path, opening a new period in the history of relations between Vietnam and Laos.
After meeting President Ho Chi Minh, Prince Souphanouvong returned to his country to join the Lao Resistance Government. On October 3, 1945, tens of thousands of people in Savannakhet province held a rally to welcome the Prince. Here, Prince Souphanouvong declared: "From now on, Laos is an independent and sovereign nation on par with all nations in the world." The Prince emphasized that "Laos-Vietnam relations from now on open a new era...".
To help the Lao Government build bases and lead the resistance war to victory, the governments of Vietnam and Laos signed the Vietnam-Laos Mutual Assistance Treaty and the Laos-Vietnam Joint Military Agreement. These are legal documents for the two countries to strengthen relations, solidarity, alliance, and fight against the common enemy.
Following the directive of President Ho Chi Minh, comrade Vo Nguyen Giap was assigned the task of building a Lao revolutionary base in Sam Neua, finding some Lao comrades with patriotic spirit, establishing a volunteer task force to bring them to Sam Neua to build the base and develop the resistance force. Comrade Kaysone Phomvihane lived, studied and trained in Vietnam from his teenage years to adulthood, was a student at Chu Van An School, Hanoi, and was assigned the task of establishing and commanding the Lao Bac Volunteer Team. On January 6, 1949, comrade Kaysone Phomvihane was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party.
In order to enhance solidarity and fighting strength between the Vietnamese military forces and the Lao revolutionary armed forces, following the teachings of beloved Uncle Ho "Helping friends is helping ourselves", on October 30, 1949, the Central Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party decided that "The Vietnamese military forces fighting and working to help Laos should be organized into a separate system, under the name of the Volunteer Army". This is a bright historical milestone, marking the growth and maturity of generations of Vietnamese Volunteer Army (VVA) cadres and soldiers with tens of thousands of people following each other to carry out glorious international missions.
Since being given the noble title, the Vietnam People's Army has helped Laos grow stronger and stronger, ready to receive and excellently complete all tasks; accepting countless hardships, fierceness, sacrifices, struggling in remote and nearby villages to build political bases, expand and protect liberated areas with dozens of campaigns, hundreds of major battles, destroying and capturing thousands of Lao puppets, vassal troops, and American advisors. Notable campaigns include the Nam Tha (1962), Nam Bac (1963-1964) campaigns, the liberation of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang (1964-1965), the liberation of Pha Thi - Sam Neua (1968), Ku Kiet (1969-1971)...
After the founding of the Lao PDR, on December 2, 1975, the entire Party, army and people of Laos focused on healing the wounds of war, building and defending the Fatherland. At that time, the political and security situation of Laos was threatened and disrupted by foreign hostile forces colluding with the remnants of the exiled Lao puppet army to return to destroy the lives of the people, kidnapping and killing cadres... At the request of the Party, State and Lao People's Army, in 1976, the Party, Government and People's Army of Vietnam decided to send the 335th Infantry Regiment and the elite forces of the 324th Division, Military Region 4 to promptly fight with the Lao army and people to wipe out thousands of enemies in Phu Bia, Buom Long (Vieng Chan; Xieng Khouang), bringing a peaceful life to the Lao people. On December 31, 1987, all Vietnamese military personnel withdrew from the country, completing their glorious historical mission of more than 40 years of helping the Lao revolution.
Throughout the nearly half-century long journey, generations of Vietnamese military experts and military specialists (CGQS) have stood shoulder to shoulder with the Lao army and people to fight against the common enemy five times. The first time they were present in Laos from October 1949, withdrawing their troops on June 16, 1954 (nearly 5 years). The second time they were present in Laos on July 16, 1954, withdrawing their troops on January 15, 1958 (4 years). The third time they were present in Laos in September 1959, withdrawing their troops at the end of 1962 (3 years). The fourth time they were present in Laos on August 7, 1963, withdrawing their troops on September 24, 1975 (12 years). The fifth time they were present in Laos in May 1976, withdrawing their troops on December 31, 1987 (more than 11 years). Before 1949, there were thousands of Vietnamese QTN officers and soldiers who went to help Laos.
Throughout the 50-year journey of helping the Lao revolution fight the common enemy, the Party Committee, army and people of all ethnic groups in Thanh Hoa province have sent tens of thousands of their sons to Laos to carry out international missions against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists in the formations of Divisions 316, 324, 968, 678, and the 217th Engineer Regiment... They have accepted countless hardships and sacrifices, determined to complete their missions excellently. Among them, there are many cadres and soldiers who have made outstanding achievements and have been awarded the noble title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, such as Hero Lo Van Buong, Xuan Le commune (Thuong Xuan), Hero Le Van Trung, Thieu Ngoc commune (Thieu Hoa)... There have been more than 40,000 Vietnamese soldiers who have sacrificed their lives and nearly 60,000 wounded and sick soldiers. Among the martyrs, thousands of remains remain in Laos.
In 2009, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the traditional day of Vietnam's military assistance to Laos, Thanh Hoa established the Thanh Hoa provincial military liaison committee with 4,600 members in 24 districts, towns, cities and traditional delegations participating. The Thanh Hoa military liaison committee is a collective member of the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association, a member of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations. Since its establishment, the committee has been operating for 15 years and has successfully organized three congresses. During the past three terms, the committee has regularly cared for the spiritual life and protected the rights of its members; declared and awarded medals and titles of the Lao State to more than 3,500 members. Among them, many cadres and members have performed well in people-to-people diplomacy and received awards from the Lao Central Government, the national liaison committee and the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee.
In recognition of the glorious achievements and traditions of the Vietnam People's Army and Military Service Association in helping Laos over the past 75 years, the Party and State of Vietnam and Laos have awarded noble awards such as: The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam awarded the Gold Star Order (1999); The President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic awarded the National Gold Order (2009); The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam awarded the title "Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces" (2019). In addition, tens of thousands of cadres and members of the Vietnam People's Army and Military Service Association in helping Laos were awarded the Itsa-la Order (Freedom Order) and many other noble orders and medals by the Lao State.
The 75th anniversary of the glorious traditional day of the Vietnam People's Army and Military Service to help Laos is an opportunity to review and honor the great contributions and sacrifices of generations of Vietnam People's Army and Military Service in general, and Thanh Hoa province in particular, for the Lao revolution. Thereby, continuing to promote the tradition of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", the honor and pride of the Vietnam People's Army to preserve and cultivate the great friendship and special solidarity between the two countries "forever green, forever sustainable".
Colonel Le Hong Ngoan
Head of the Liaison Committee of Vietnam Military Command and Military Academy to help Laos in Thanh Hoa province
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/gin-giu-vun-dap-quan-he-dac-biet-viet-nam-lao-mai-mai-xanh-tuoi-doi-doi-ben-vung-228421.htm
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