Dien Bien soldiers tell old stories

*Mr. Nguyen Xuan Chiem (88 years old) in Hong Phong commune (Ninh Giang) tells the next generation about the historic Dien Bien Phu Campaign* .

Intense

"I still remember clearly the 56 days and nights of digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, enduring heavy rain, and eating rice balls when participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign," said Nguyen Xuan Chiem (88 years old) in Hong Phong commune (Ninh Giang). Following the sacred call of the Fatherland, Mr. Chiem volunteered to join the army when he was only 16 years old. He was an engineer soldier of Regiment 151 and was present in Dien Bien Phu at the end of 1953.

The 151st Engineer Regiment, in coordination with the 312th and 316th Divisions, was mobilized to clear the way for artillery to enter the battlefield. After just over 20 days of intensive work, all 6 artillery mobility routes, covering tens of kilometers, were completed. “The area around Dien Bien Phu at that time was bombed by the enemy with napalm, all the trees were burned down, with very little green left, so road construction was extremely difficult and dangerous. When the enemy aircraft stopped operating, my unit had to immediately rush out from the shelter to fill in bomb craters and defuse unexploded bombs to ensure smooth traffic,” Mr. Chiem recalled.

*Photo commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory of some soldiers participating in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and their relatives from Hong Phong commune (Ninh Giang)*

On May 1, 1954, our army launched the third attack. Mr. Chiem's engineering unit and another unit were assigned the task of digging an underground tunnel close to the enemy's underground tunnel. After more than a week of sweat and effort, the underground tunnel was completed, and soldiers placed explosives close to the enemy's underground tunnel. From there, our army from all directions successively captured the remaining targets, "breaking" the enemy's counterattack, creating a springboard for soldiers to attack the De Castries tunnel.

After the victory day, Mr. Chiem was honored to receive the Dien Bien Phu Soldier Badge on his chest. Mr. Chiem still carefully preserves that badge to this day.

The victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign had a very important contribution from the artillery force. Mr. Nguyen Van Thao, 96 years old this year, in Nguyen Trai ward (Hai Duong city) was once a Platoon Leader of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion (Regiment 367, Division 351). Mr. Thao's battalion was equipped with 12.8mm and 37mm cannons and, together with other artillery units, was placed on the hilltops around the Dien Bien Phu area. Mr. Thao recalled that at that time, our army's artillery was deployed with the motto "dispersed firepower, concentrated firepower". Although the artillery formation was scattered, they were all directed towards the enemy's targets. Mr. Thao's unit's anti-aircraft artillery force successfully completed its mission, shooting down many enemy aircraft and preventing enemy aircraft from bombing and attacking as well as providing reinforcements and food.

Never forget

*For former Dien Bien soldier Pham Van Liem (93 years old) in An Thanh commune (Tu Ky), memories of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign are unforgettable.*

Early last April, veteran Nguyen Van Chien (88 years old) in Quan village, Minh Duc commune (Tu Ky) met his old comrades at a meeting and gratitude program for Dien Bien soldiers in Thanh Hoa province. In his memory, the days of fighting and winning the Dien Bien Phu Campaign are unforgettable. Mr. Chien was a soldier of Regiment 42 - one of the first main regiments of the Vietnam People's Army, volunteered to go to the "fire pan" of Dien Bien Phu to fight.

The march to Dien Bien Phu left in Mr. Chiem's mind a journey through forests, wading streams with complex terrain, steep slopes, secret paths through forests and deep streams with fast flowing water. At the Dien Bien Phu battlefield, Mr. Chiem participated in the entire campaign and witnessed the fierceness and bloodshed of his comrades. Mr. Chiem's unit was assigned the task of fighting the enemy parachuting and fighting the reinforcements from Laos.

"The spirit of young soldiers like us at that time was to open a bloody path, to be ready to sacrifice. After the fierce and fierce battles, my comrades and I, the Dien Bien Phu soldiers, were able to live in a moment of joy when the enemy surrendered. During the 56 days and nights of fighting between us and the enemy, the more we fought, the more we won, the more the enemy fought, the more we lost, just as Uncle Ho said, winning Dien Bien Phu would change the whole of Indochina," Mr. Chien emotionally recounted.

At exactly 5:30 p.m. on May 7, 1954, the flag of determination to fight and win of our army flew on the roof of De Castries bunker, marking the complete victory of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. Veteran Pham Van Liem (93 years old) in An Thanh commune (Tu Ky), who was on duty to protect the command base during the Dien Bien Phu campaign, recalled: “Everyone was looking forward to the moment of victory. But we could not imagine what victory was and when it came, it was like a dream. At that time, my comrades and I saw the white flag of the enemy surrendering. Everyone was moved, choked up with indescribable emotion.”

During the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, Hai Duong had thousands of people who directly participated in the fighting and served in the fighting, making an important contribution to the victory that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world". By the end of February 2024, the whole province had 471 people who directly participated in the campaign living in the locality. They were all elderly and weak, but still set a good example for their children and grandchildren to follow and made many contributions to building their homeland.

NGHIA AN

Source