New village on farm land

Mr. Pham Hai Duong opened a rice milling service to increase his family's income.

Going back in history, four years after the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory, according to the decision of the General Staff, on May 8, 1958, Regiment 176 held the launching ceremony of the Dien Bien Military Farm, consisting of 1,954 officers and soldiers. Each company of the Regiment was a production unit of the Farm, arranged interspersed with communes and villages in the Dien Bien basin area, and 2 companies were arranged in the Muong Ang area, the production units of the Farm were still called C. The Farm had the task of training, being ready for combat, clearing bombs and mines, reclaiming and renovating fields to develop production, and at the same time guiding ethnic people to develop production and stabilize their lives. By 1960, the Farm was officially renamed the Dien Bien State Farm. With the slogan “Taking the Northwest as homeland, taking the Farm as family”, Dien Bien soldiers returned to the battlefield with the youth volunteer force to join the Dien Bien Farm, entering a new battle: overcoming the war, restoring production, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty.

Taking us for a walk around the village, on the concrete road stretching next to the lush green fields, Ms. Le Thi Phuong, Secretary of the Party Cell of Village C9, Thanh Xuong Commune (Dien Bien District) said: In Village C9, most of the soldiers who participated in the resistance war against the French stayed behind, bringing their wives and children from the lowlands to live and build the farm. When they moved to the farm, they grew rice and vegetables, and then our descendants also promoted the spirit of the previous generation, working together to build Village C9 better and better. The people in the village united to compete in labor production, develop the economy, gradually stabilize their lives, many households became well-off, infrastructure was invested in construction, rural traffic was concreted, and houses were invested in and built spaciously.

Dien Bien soldier Hoang Van Kha recounts the process of building Dien Bien State Farm to his children and grandchildren.

As a soldier who participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, after the victory, Dien Bien soldier Hoang Van Kha (born in 1932), along with his wife and children, stayed to build the Farm, drive tractors, plows, and improve the fields to develop production. Dien Bien soldier Hoang Van Kha shared: At that time, I was a soldier of the 316th Division, participating in logistics work, serving the battlefield. After our army won, I stayed in C9 to build the farm. When we started building, it was all swampy, difficult to travel, we had to use bulldozers to level the ground to make a road. Now, the village has changed a lot, the houses are spacious, the village roads and alleys are concreted, there is a cultural house for people to participate in physical exercise, arts, and activities. These are changes that I never thought of before.

Mr. Hoang Van Dong, son of Dien Bien soldier Hoang Van Kha, village C9, Thanh Xuong commune shared: We are proud to have our father participate in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and build the farm. Although he is 95 years old this year, he is still lucid, telling stories about the battle and building the farm for our children and grandchildren to listen to and learn. He always advised us to actively work in production and develop the family economy. Not only developing the economy, I also participate in the work of the village as the Head of village C9 from 2006 - 2013, the Head of the Veterans Association. I was born and raised here, so I have seen the obvious changes in the village, the roads are concreted to the alleys of each family, the material and spiritual life of the people has improved a lot.

Main roads and inter-village roads C9 are concreted.

C9 village, Thanh Xuong commune has 141 households and more than 500 people. Coming to C9 village today is the image of a prosperous village, with no poor households, an average income per capita of 42 million VND/year, 100% of the roads in the village have been concreted, with a street lighting system, a green - clean - beautiful landscape, security and order are always ensured, there is no petty theft. In 2020, C9 village was recognized by the People's Committee of Dien Bien district as a model new rural village. People in the village unite to help each other develop the economy and stabilize their lives. Many households have boldly invested, becoming good production and business households in the commune. A typical example is Mr. Pham Hai Duong's family, in addition to cultivating rice fields, he also opened a milling machine service and raised poultry.

Mr. Pham Hai Duong, village C9, Thanh Xuong commune said: My father was a former Dien Bien soldier, participated in the battle of A1 hill in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and was also the Party Secretary of village C9. My father always told me to promote the tradition of children of farm cadres, and strive to build my hometown. Therefore, after retiring, I opened a rice milling service, combined with growing 3,000m2 ^of rice and vegetables, raising chickens, bringing a stable income for my family of 7-10 million VND/month. In building model villages and hamlets, my family has always been a pioneer, exemplary, leading the way, contributing labor and money to build the village.

C9 today has changed dramatically, people's lives have improved significantly from material to spiritual. That change is due to the solidarity and attachment of the people in economic development, poverty reduction, and building an increasingly prosperous C9.

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