More than 60 years ago, on August 2 and 5, 1964, the Vietnam People's Navy closely coordinated with the Air Defense Force, the armed police, and the military and civilians of coastal localities to fight bravely, driving the American destroyer Madoc out of our waters, shooting down 8 planes, injuring many others, and capturing the first American pilot in the waters and skies of the North; opening a glorious history of fighting and victory for the Vietnam People's Navy, contributing to encouraging our entire Party, people, and army to fight to protect the North, promote the revolutionary war to liberate the South, and unify the country.
In this heroic victory, the army and people of Quang Ninh province made a special mark by shooting down 3 American planes and capturing the first American pilot in the North. Specifically, in Hon Gai town, at 13:35 on August 5, 1964, many groups of American planes from the 7th Fleet including: F4, F102 and 4 AD6 planes rushed in to bomb and shell our Navy Port at Bai Chay and the surrounding area of Hon Gai town. With a high sense of vigilance, determination, courage, and intelligence, our armed forces, including air defense units, navy, armed police, and militia, closely coordinated, fired low-range, medium-range, and high-range fire, and after 20 minutes of fighting, shot down 3 American planes, of which 2 crashed on the spot. Lieutenant E Alvarez, piloting the AD4 plane, was shot down by the 14.5mm machine gun squad at 2:45 p.m. and parachuted into the sea. He was captured alive by 3 soldiers of the Co To Island unit, including Warrant Officer Nguyen Kim Bao, Corporal Le Van Loc, and Private Nguyen Dinh Giang, a boat driver on his way to work by sailboat from Hong Gai town to the unit. He was then handed over to our naval ship to receive him. This was the first American pilot captured alive in the North at Hon Moi lagoon, Ha Long bay, Quang Ninh province.
The glorious victory of the first battle on August 2 and 5, 1964 added a historical milestone to the tradition of "Determination to fight, determination to win" of the army and the tradition of fighting against foreign invaders of our nation. This was a victory of the political and spiritual strength of the entire nation, of the determination to dare to fight, know how to fight and defeat the American invaders of our army and people. That victory will forever be a symbol of the steadfast, indomitable will, of the intelligence and military art of Vietnam inherited and developed in the Ho Chi Minh era to a new height. That victory strengthened the belief in defeating the American imperialists and strongly encouraged the spirit of fighting the Americans of the army and people of the whole country. At the same time, it affirmed the achievements of economic development combined with national defense consolidation, building a regular, modern army in 10 years (1954 - 1964) and the initial successes in building an air defense posture on the basis of people's war in the North. On the international level, that victory created a resonance, creating trust and support from socialist countries and peace-loving people around the world for our people's resistance war against the US to save the country.
The victory on August 2 and 5, 1964 was the first typical feat of the Vietnam People's Navy and also the first victory of the army and people of the North in fighting against the destructive war of the US imperialists. The victory is a symbol of the indomitable will of Vietnam; it is an affirmation of the will to dare to fight, to be determined to fight and to know how to defeat the American invaders of the Navy in particular and the entire army and people in general. This is also a victory of the spiritual strength of the entire nation, of the intelligence and military art of Vietnam "using the few to fight the many, using the small to fight the big"; promoting the total strength of the entire nation to defeat an enemy many times stronger than us with the existing equipment and weapons.
The victory in the first battle on August 2 and 5, 1964 was a milestone in the history of building, fighting and growing of the heroic Vietnam People's Navy, forever the pride of generations of soldiers and people of Quang Ninh. This is also a great source of encouragement and motivation for the Party Committee, government and people of Quang Ninh province to maintain and promote the tradition to a new height in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
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