Hoa My War Zone - where fierce battles between our army and people took place in the past

Before Liberation Day

In 1972, the war situation in the Tri Thien Hue battlefield was increasingly favorable to us. However, the US still refused to give up its invasion of Vietnam, continuing to implement the strategy of "Vietnamization of the war" to maintain neo-colonialism.

Since March 1973, the Tri Thien Hue Regional Party Committee determined to "steadfastly maintain a stance of violence, heighten vigilance, be ready to fight, and resolutely defend the liberated areas and strategic corridors". Phong Dien armed forces continuously attacked the enemy in many places. Dozens of internal bases were built in the republican army, security forces, and militia, pushing the enemy back to a defensive position. In the context of both building and continuously fighting against the enemy's encroachment, the City Party Committee still focused on developing culture and education to meet the immediate and long-term requirements of serving the revolution.

On September 30, 1973, high school students entered their first school year in the liberated area. On July 3, 1974, in the Phong Son liberated area, the Phong Dien Revolutionary People's Committee solemnly organized a rally on the day the town's radio station officially broadcast its first broadcast. This was also the first radio station in the city to broadcast the revolutionary voice in the Phong Son liberated area, encouraging the spirit of the soldiers and civilians in the town.

In December 1974, the Tri Thien Hue Regional Party Committee issued a key resolution: "Completely destroy the division and basically defeat the enemy's pacification plan, win the people, and gain control in the rural plains." The area north of Hue city was identified as the direction to mobilize the masses to rise up and break the blockade, strategic hamlets, and attack and destroy the enemy. In Phong Dien at this time, there were two types of villages and communes: one liberated and one still in dispute. At that time, the enemy's power in the plains was quite strong, while we were still weak. However, our strength was that the people deeply hated the enemy and were ready to rise up when the opportunity arose. Some of our secret bases behind the enemy were capable of ensuring that hundreds of cadres and soldiers could stay for a few days before the shooting. Carrying out the task of liberating the locality, we secretly sent troops through the enemy's blockade lines, reaching the concave areas to hide behind the enemy.

Phong Dien Town Center today

Liberation Campaign

At exactly 5:00 p.m. on March 8, 1975, units of the 4th Regiment of the Tri Thien Military Region captured Pho Lai (Phong Son), including Hill 57 and 37, which were occupied by the 130th Bao An Battalion under the command of the 147th Marine Brigade of the puppet army. After more than 30 minutes of fierce attacks with artillery and infantry, we quickly took control of Area A and a number of other targets. Along with the attack of the 4th Regiment, on the northern front, the military region, city and town forces and local guerrilla teams attacked the enemy's military sub-regions in Phong Binh, Phong Hoa, Phong Chuong, Phong Hien, and Phong An. At the same time, the grassroots Party cells launched a campaign to provide food, medicine, care for the wounded, and guide the troops to pursue the enemy. Faced with our offensive momentum, the puppet authorities in the communes lost their bearings. In the plains, regular and local troops and guerrillas quickly attacked Phong Loc Sub-region (ie Phong Chuong); People and guerrillas in Phong Chuong, Phong Binh, Phong Hoa, Phong Son, Phong An, Phong Thu communes simultaneously rose up, disintegrating the militia and puppet authorities at the commune level. We won the people, kept the people, and gained control of a large area.

The enemy, despite their failures, stubbornly continued to block us at the borders of villages and hamlets, increasing the number of mines, ambushes to capture young people and women, and building trenches and strongholds to guard against our surprise attacks. Outside, they increased their countermeasures, but inside, they were confused and huddled together, many hamlets were abandoned; thus creating many advantages for us in launching attacks.

In just 2 days and nights, we attacked 22 hamlets, mobilized nearly a thousand people to hang flags, distribute leaflets in hamlets and villages, and read the appeals of the Revolutionary People's Committee and the City Front. We achieved great victories, especially in defeating and destroying the evil forces that were oppressing important remote areas.

From the first days of the historic March, the army and people of Phong Dien closely coordinated with the main force of Quang Tri, Battalion 10 (K10), Company 3 (C3) of Hue city and the units stationed in the area to simultaneously rise up and attack with the spirit of rushing into battle with the spirit of "One day is equal to 20 years". Facing the momentum of the revolution, in the early morning of March 23, 1975, the party cells, guerrilla units, and working teams of the district mobilized the masses to coordinate with the armed forces and the people of the communes to rise up and hunt down the villains, capture the enemy remnants, and collect weapons. Hundreds of enemy soldiers were confused, threw away their guns and ammunition, and fled. On the night of March 23, 1975, we seized the opportunity to drive away the militia guarding Pho Trach bridge, proactively attacked and occupied Phong Dien district. The flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was raised to the top of the flagpole in the middle of Phong Dien district yard. At the same time, our attack forces continued to pursue the enemy remnants.

At exactly 3:00 a.m. on March 24, 1975, Phong Dien district (now Phong Dien town) was completely liberated, contributing significantly to the liberation of Hue city on March 26, 1975.

Roads in Phong Dien town are now fully connected.

Aspiration

The attack and liberation of Phong Dien destroyed a system of important military bases, the northern shield of the enemy in Hue, serving as a springboard for friendly districts in the general uprising, creating favorable conditions for our forces to develop an offensive to liberate the entire city. It was a great and most glorious victory, creating brilliant pages in the history of the town.

After the great victory in the spring of 1975, the City Party Committee mobilized human and material resources to focus on overcoming the severe consequences of the war. With the solidarity of the Party Committee, the government, and the people, over the past 50 years, since the country was completely liberated, and after 35 years of re-establishing the district (town) from October 1990 to the present, Phong Dien has worthily continued the heroic tradition in fighting, solidarity, and creative efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges, and develop the economy and society.

Phong Dien now has a new look with spacious urban infrastructure, convenient roads, clean and beautiful environment. The economic structure of the town continues to shift in the right direction, focusing on increasing the proportion of industry (accounting for 60%), trade - services (accounting for 20%), reducing the proportion of agriculture (accounting for 20%); average income per capita reaches 75.7 million VND/person. The material and spiritual life of the people is increasingly improved; national defense and security are constantly consolidated and enhanced. The town's Party Committee has more than 4,000 party members, with 51 grassroots party organizations, the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the party organization and party members are increasingly enhanced. In particular, cadres, party members and people of Phong Dien are extremely happy and excited when the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 175, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 1314 on recognizing the city as a centrally-run city, Phong Dien became a town. This is an important milestone and the pride of the Party Committee and People of Phong Dien town in the development process.

Looking back at those glorious pages of history, Phong Dien Party Committee and People are forever proud of the heroic past, proud to be the first locality of the city to be liberated, worthy of the merits and trust of our predecessors...

Doan Ky Coi (Permanent Deputy Secretary of Phong Dien City Party Committee)