Towards the 60th Anniversary of Ham Rong Victory: Phuong Dinh in the days of war and war

“We lived in extremely difficult economic circumstances but were full of patriotism. During the days of the anti-American resistance war, we participated in protecting Ham Rong bridge. The hardships and losses of that day will forever be an indelible mark. The victory of Ham Rong will forever be an immortal song about the resilient tradition of the land and people of Phuong Dinh during the time of bombs and bullets”. That was the sentiment of Ms. Nguyen Thi May, Phuong Dinh 2 residential group, Tao Xuyen ward (Thanh Hoa city) on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Ham Rong victory (April 3, 4, 1965 - April 3, 4, 2025).

Phuong Dinh 2 Street Cultural House is invested in spaciously, meeting the living needs of the people.

Mrs. May's house is located deep in the alley, but it is very clean and airy. Mrs. May talked to us about the fierce days of fire and smoke when the army and people of Ham Rong - Nam Ngan, together with the people of Hoang Anh commune (old), now Tao Xuyen ward, Thanh Hoa city, joined the decisive battle against the American invaders, protecting Ham Rong bridge. At that time, the local men had gone to the southern front, so the village was mainly composed of the elderly, children and girls in their eighteens and twenties. Those historic days made Mrs. May and her six militia sisters (one of whom had passed away) proud and moved every time they mentioned them.

Phuong Dinh village (now Phuong Dinh 1 and Phuong Dinh 2) has military value (adjacent to Ham Rong bridge, has the North-South railway running through it and intersects with National Highway 1A - the country's vital traffic artery), so during the anti-American period, the peak of which was the period of fighting against the destructive war in the North, Phuong Dinh and Ham Rong were once again subjected to enemy planes dropping bombs and destroying bridges to cut off traffic and prevent the supply of human and material resources to the South. The enemy's bombings on key areas such as Tao bridge, Ham Rong bridge, the anti-aircraft artillery system in front of the village and the warehouse system of the 228th anti-aircraft regiment, aimed at destroying and cutting off the supply of weapons and military provisions for the anti-aircraft artillery positions...

Despite the hardships and fierceness, the leaders, fighting forces and people of Phuong Dinh village were determined not to waver. Notably, the main shock force in production and fighting in the village at this time was mainly women. Among them, there were 7 militia girls mobilized to serve the battle to protect Ham Rong bridge, including: Lai Thi Duong, Nguyen Thi Mon, Nguyen Thi Boi, Nguyen Thi Tap, Nguyen Thi May, Nguyen Thi Xa and Nguyen Thi Cao (Mrs. Cao had passed away).

Mrs. May recalled: "In 1965, 1966, the US was fiercely bombing, my 6 sisters and I joined the shock team and learned 10 days about using anti-aircraft artillery. The most memorable days were September 21, 22 and 23, 1966, each day they attacked 19 times on many targets: bridges, roads, battlefields and even villages. The 5 of us were assigned to the gun batteries to fight, the other 2 were in charge of logistics. As soon as we handed over the work, we were attacked by American planes from 8am to 4pm. They had dozens of planes circling the sky to scout, support and bomb fiercely, the sky was full of noise. Many soldiers sacrificed, my 7 sisters were under pressure, including Ms. Cao and Ms. Tap who were buried but were dug up by comrades and militiamen and brought back to the station to recover. With the care and encouragement of our superiors, right after our health stabilized, our sisters continued to fight and participate in overcoming the consequences. Despite the hardships and dangers, we sisters continued to do many things, such as: replacing gunners, reburial, bandaging wounded soldiers, filling bomb craters to restore the damaged railway section...".

Ms. Nguyen Thi May recalls her memories of participating in the fight against the US's destructive war to protect Ham Rong bridge.

It is impossible to count how many times the 7 militia sisters and the people of Phuong Dinh village fought intensely in the war to protect Ham Rong bridge. They brought food and ammunition to the battlefield for the troops; transported hundreds of wounded and fallen soldiers from the battlefield to the regimental infirmary for treatment, burial, and even blood transfusions to treat wounded soldiers... Phuong Dinh became a real fighting village, a direct logistics base of the 228th Air Defense Regiment. The whole Phuong Dinh village stood side by side with the battlefield, some went out to serve and deal with the consequences after each battle, some in the village wove straw hats to provide for the troops, some worked hard to plow without leaving an inch of land fallow, ensuring food supplies... Each person in Phuong Dinh village did not leave the battlefield, clinging to each plot of land and roof to protect Ham Rong bridge, doing a good job as the rear.

In Mrs. May's story, her brother, the village militia leader Nguyen Viet Dua, was mentioned. In the memories of her and the other militia women in the village, Mr. Dua at that time was truly a brave brother and soldier. He directed, deployed, assigned tasks very systematically and encouraged them promptly. That helped Mrs. May and many other militia women in the village feel more secure and confident in the battle.

Mr. Dua enlisted from February 1960 to April 1964 in Company 5, Battalion 4, Regiment 57 (Sam Son), he was admitted to the Party in 1962 at the unit. After more than 4 years of completing his mission and returning to his locality, in May 1964, he became the commune team leader at the time when the US expanded the war to the North by air force and navy. He immediately rushed into the fight with all his enthusiasm and sense of responsibility to the Fatherland and the People. He commanded the entire commune militia during the days of steadfast resistance against the destructive war of the US imperialists. Mr. Dua was wounded in the head and was taken to the 228 Regiment Infirmary for treatment. For his contributions in the historic battle to protect Ham Rong Bridge, Mr. Dua was awarded the Second Class Military Exploit Medal, and was honored to represent the militia force along with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang and Ms. Ngo Thi Tuyen to go to Hanoi to meet Uncle Ho and attend the ceremony to celebrate the victory of the entire army in 1967...

Stories about the legendary Ham Rong bridge and the heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect the bridge and Ham Rong land are always told in the memories of historical witnesses, through books and newspapers to remind the younger generation to appreciate the past, appreciate the sacrifices of blood and bones of many people who fell to bring a happy and peaceful life for today. Phuong Dinh 1, Phuong Dinh 2 has always been one of the outstanding units of Tao Xuyen ward. Stopping on the land of a time of war, people not only remember the heroic history but also witness the changes of the revolutionary countryside. During the development process, Phuong Dinh village has many innovations, the traffic infrastructure system has been invested, wide roads connect trade more conveniently. Especially promoting the advantage of converting business, multi-industry trade services; young workers have stable jobs in agencies, Hoang Long Industrial Park (Tao Xuyen ward); average income per capita in 2024 reaches 76 million VND; Cultural and sports movements take place enthusiastically, creating solidarity and cohesion in the community, actively participating in implementing model street criteria, striving to reach the model street finish line by 2025.

Article and photos: Le Ha

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/huong-toi-ky-niem-60-nam-ham-rong-chien-thang-nbsp-phuong-dinh-nhung-ngay-khoi-lua-243418.htm