Heading South...!-Part 2: Going in the midst of a great Spring victory

(QBĐT) - On February 3, 1975, in My Thuy commune (Le Thuy), Division 341 held a ceremony to send troops to the South to fight. In the atmosphere of the whole country going to battle under the order of General, Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap: "Fast, faster, bolder, bolder, seize every hour, every minute, rush to the front, liberate the South. Determined to fight and win completely", Division 341 was supported by Group 559, Truong Son troops marched by motor vehicles, promptly participating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

"Enter the city as strong as the city"

Colonel Ha Thanh Binh, a veteran of Regiment 273, Division 341, recalled: The mobile unit went South along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, reached Highway 9, then turned to Laos and Cambodia, and at the end of February 1975, arrived at Phuoc Long town and immediately joined the battle in the 4th Corps, Southeast Front.

Colonel Le The Soai, former Division Commander of Division 341, said: Division 341 was one of the units that initiated the destruction of the enemy's "steel door" of Xuan Loc. This was a key battle, concentrating the coordination of many military branches, with large technical equipment in a town. On the morning of April 9, 1975, Division 341 opened fire to attack Xuan Loc. After 12 days and nights of fighting, by April 21, the troops controlled the battlefield. The victory of Xuan Loc, "the will of steel opened wide the steel door" had a decisive meaning for the victory of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

After the victory in Xuan Loc, the 341st Division continued to attack the Trang Bom breakthrough point, developing along Highway 1 into Bien Hoa and Saigon. This was a battle within the general strategy of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign with the mission of destroying a part of the vital forces in Trang Bom, breaking the defense line to the East of Saigon, opening the way forward, creating favorable conditions for the forces and military branches to quickly develop and attack Bien Hoa and Saigon-Gia Dinh.

At the end of the battle, the 341st Division destroyed and disintegrated the 43rd, 48th, and 52nd Battalions of the puppet 18th Division; the 1st and 3rd Armored Battalions, the Strong Zone Center, the 48th Battalion Command Post, the 43rd Battalion Light Command Post, the Security Battalion and the Separate Company, captured 1,215 prisoners, disintegrated the civil administration system, liberated land and over 10,000 people.

Complete the reliefs recreating the fighting and growth process of Division 341 at the Relic Site.

Continuing to advance into Saigon, Division 341 divided into two directions, the first direction captured Tam Hiep, Long Binh; the second direction captured Bien Hoa airport, together with friendly units crossed Dong Nai river to attack Thu Duc, General Police Department, Bach Dang Port, Navy Command, General Department of Social Affairs, Phu Tho Racecourse... At 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign was completely victorious.

After the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, Division 341 participated in military administration duties in Saigon; fought to protect the southwestern border of the Fatherland and successfully completed the noble international mission in Cambodia. At the end of November 1980, Division 341 returned to Military Region 4, stationed in 3 districts of Nghia Dan, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau (Nghe An).

On September 2, 1976, when visiting Division 341, General Vo Nguyen Giap praised the officers and soldiers: As the youngest division of our Army, after completing the combat mission, it promptly entered the military management mission. Division 341 completed its mission well, was loved and admired by the people, especially in terms of style and discipline. The comrades "entered the citadel as firmly as a fortress", setting an example in building a regular Army, our forces in the South.

Comrade Nguyen Van Linh, former Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, noted: Ho Chi Minh City will never forget that Division 341, together with the armed forces and the people, completed the task of protecting and building the city. Ho Chi Minh City people often mention Division 341 as a unit with strict discipline, good implementation of policies, and solidarity between the army and the people. Division 341 has entered the history of the city as a brilliant and brilliant feat of the heroic Vietnam People's Army.

The attack formation of the 341st Division in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

After 10 years of international service, before returning home, the Central Executive Committee of the Party and the Government of Cambodia sent a letter to Division 341: The Cambodian Fatherland will forever record in its golden book of revolutionary struggle the feats and images of the Vietnam People's Army in general and of Division 341 in particular.

During the years of fighting in Cambodia, you have left behind extremely beautiful memories, pure images of solidarity between the people and armies of Cambodia and Vietnam. The name of the Division has been deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the people of Thap Pagoda. Time will pass, but the history of the Cambodian nation and the Cambodian people will forever remember the name of the heroic 341st Division.

The heroic soldiers

Colonel Ha Thanh Binh, veteran of Regiment 273, Division 341, said: In June 2024, when working with Quang Binh province, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited My Thuy commune, visited the station of Division 341. Talking with the people and veterans of Division 341, the Prime Minister commented that the heroic Division 341 is a military unit that, although "born later", is an army that "goes long, deep, far, and to the day of total victory".

With its outstanding achievements and feats of arms, Division 341 was twice awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces (in 1976 and 1979), the Ho Chi Minh Medal, the First Class Military Exploit Medal and many other noble awards by the Party and State. The Cambodian State awarded the First Class Absala Medal. Thousands of cadres and soldiers were commended and honored; many comrades later became generals, senior cadres of the Party and State, scientists, successful businessmen...

During the war against the US and the international mission in Cambodia, the 341st Division had soldiers who were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces (AHLLVTND), including martyrs: Nguyen Song Thao, Ngo Khac Quyen, Nguyen Xuan Loc; especially the Hero of the People's Armed Forces Pham Van Lai, a native of Quang Binh, from Quang Chau commune (Quang Trach).

According to the stories of the veterans of Division 341, Ha Thanh Binh and Hoang Van Xiu: Hero Pham Van Lai (1952-2017) enlisted in May 1972. When Division 341 was established, he became one of the first soldiers of the Division. At the battle of Xuan Loc, Pham Van Lai worked as a liaison for Company 9, Battalion 9, Regiment 266, with Mr. Tran Van Buong (former President of the Association of Veterans of Quang Binh province) as Political Commissar.

Mr. Tran Van Buong recalled: During two days of fighting at the Xuan Loc gateway front, despite being seriously wounded, Pham Van Lai alone bravely destroyed 31 enemy soldiers and wounded dozens of others. On October 20, 1976, Pham Van Lai was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President.

Ngo Thanh Long

Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/phong-su/202504/huong-ve-nam-bai-2-di-giua-mua-xuan-dai-thang-2225491/