Forever remembering the time of "Splitting Truong Son to save the country" - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station

Truong Son veterans in Lang Son city update information through the press

In the atmosphere of the whole country looking forward to the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), we had the opportunity to meet and talk with Truong Son veterans currently living in Lang Son city.

In December 1971, Mr. Truong Dinh Dong (born in 1954), residing in Chi Lang ward, Lang Son city, volunteered to join the army to protect the Fatherland. Mr. Dong was assigned to the 304B Infantry Division, trained until February 1972, Mr. Dong was sent to learn to drive at the Viet Bac Military Region Driving School. After learning to drive for 45 days, Mr. Dong was assigned to the anti-aircraft artillery unit of the 262nd Regiment, 365th Division. At the end of 1972, he received orders to march to the southern battlefield.

During the 16 years of fighting against the US to save the country (from 1959 to 1975), Truong Son soldiers steadfastly resisted over 733,000 US air strikes, millions of tons of bombs and ammunition of all kinds; created a transportation system consisting of 5 vertical axes, 21 horizontal axes, nearly 17,000 km of motorized roads, destroyed and captured 17,740 enemies... creating the legend of the historic Ho Chi Minh trail.

More than half a century has passed, but the years of driving the convoy through the "rain of bombs and bullets" on the legendary Truong Son road are memories that are forever imprinted in the minds of the soldiers who drove the vehicles that year. Mr. Dong recalled: I was in charge of driving the vehicles carrying goods, military provisions, and weapons to supply the campaign. Every day, the convoy departed in the late afternoon and traveled all night to bring weapons, ammunition, food, and soldiers to the front line. The Truong Son road that year was bumpy because of "bombs and bullets", in addition, all vehicles had to be camouflaged, and were not allowed to use headlights but had to use fog lights and turtle lights to illuminate a distance of about 3 meters. When passing through water areas, the lights had to be turned off to avoid reflecting light and being detected by the enemy. The weather was also extremely harsh, the dry season was hot enough to burn the skin and flesh, and the rainy season lasted long, making the dirt roads slippery. Despite the difficulties, we still had to keep a steady hand on the wheel, because just a little carelessness could cause both people and goods on the vehicle to fall into the abyss.

As for the information soldier Nong Quoc Toan (born in 1949), residing in Chi Lang ward, Lang Son city, Truong Son in his memory those years were extremely fierce, arduous, life and death were just a hair's breadth away. Mr. Toan enlisted in February 1968, belonging to the 304B Thai Nguyen Division. In October 1970, Mr. Toan and his unit marched to the South, he was the head of the information and communication station, responsible for receiving and transmitting information to the base.

Recalling those days, Mr. Toan was moved: Back then, we had to live in a 2-meter-deep bunker. There were days when, to improve our meals, we had to go to the forest to pick wild vegetables and catch fish in the stream. One time, while we were fishing, our bunker was discovered and bombed by enemy planes. I was lucky to escape death, but my comrades were killed, including Mr. Dan, from Hai Duong, my close friend on the battlefield.

During the war, no one counted the difficulties, dangers, life and death were very fragile, but in the hearts of Truong Son soldiers, the belief in victory and determination helped them overcome everything. Truong Son soldiers like Mr. Dong and Mr. Toan contributed together with the army and people of the whole country to liberate the South and unify the country.

The heroic memories, the days of war participating in paving the way, fighting on the Truong Son road of the soldiers in the past will forever be a source of light, a valuable lesson about the value of independence, freedom, peace, about national pride and self-respect for the young generations to follow, from which they will strive to study and compete to build and protect the Fatherland.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/nho-mai-mot-thoi-xe-doc-truong-son-di-cuu-nuoc-5043387.html