Yen Bai - The solid "iron wall" of the Fatherland

Yen Bai - Learning and following Uncle Ho's teachings, in 90 years of construction and development, the militia and self-defense force of Yen Bai province has continuously grown in quantity, improved in quality, ready to receive and complete all assigned tasks, truly the "Iron Wall" of the Fatherland, highly appreciated by the government and trusted by the people.

"Steel ramparts" in wartime

90 years ago, at the First Congress of the Indochinese Communist Party on March 28, 1935, our Party issued a Resolution on the Self-Defense Force, marking the birth of the Militia and Self-Defense Force as an important component of the national defense. Since then, self-defense forces in both rural and urban areas were born, forming the core for the masses to carry out armed uprisings, conduct guerrilla warfare, and build and expand revolutionary bases. In August 1945, the Militia and Self-Defense Force, together with the entire people, successfully carried out the General Uprising to seize power. After September 2, 1945, the Militia and Self-Defense Force was one of the three types of forces of the people's armed forces, organized widely throughout the country, truly a tool to protect the young revolutionary government and protect the achievements of the revolution.

During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the Militia and Self-Defense Force was gradually unified in organization, directed and commanded by the commune, district and provincial military commands and placed under the direct leadership of the Party committees at all levels. Although equipped with only rudimentary, homemade weapons and having to confront the expeditionary army equipped with modern equipment, the Militia and Self-Defense Force, together with the people, built fighting villages, steadfastly stuck to the land and people, wore down the enemy, destroyed the enemy, eliminated traitors; actively coordinated with the army to fight against enemy sweeps and sieges. Through many clever and flexible fighting methods, they created conditions and contributed to the main force in carrying out many major campaigns, winning decisive victories in the historic Dien Bien Phu campaign.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, the Northern Militia and Self-Defense Force had spread widely to every village, commune, factory, farm, and enterprise; equipped with many types of relatively modern weapons, forming a network to shoot down low-altitude enemy aircraft, shooting down many aircraft, capturing many American pilots, destroying dozens of commando groups, sinking and burning many enemy warships. Tens of millions of people were mobilized to participate in ensuring traffic, serving combat, preventing evacuation, overcoming the consequences of war, and effectively providing human and material support to the southern battlefield.

Comrade Nguyen Tuan Anh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Bai province visited and encouraged the militia and self-defense forces at the 2025 training launch ceremony.

After the great victory in the spring of 1975, the militia and self-defense force was mobilized to participate in building the border defense line; directly fighting, coordinating and serving the army in the war to defend the Fatherland at the southwestern border and the northern border. Many militia and self-defense units achieved outstanding results, destroying many enemy forces, protecting people in villages, communes, public works, farms and factories; coordinating with the People's Army to fight steadfastly, defeating the enemy's attacks, making an important contribution to the victory of the wars to defend the Fatherland.

In the current national renewal process, the militia and self-defense forces are standing side by side day and night with the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people to firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, protect the Party, the State, the people and the socialist regime, maintain peace, political stability, ensure national security and social order and safety; proactively prevent and defeat all plots and sabotage actions of hostile forces against the revolutionary cause of our people, making an important contribution to the successful implementation of the cause of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Yen Bai "square star" mark

Along with the continuous growth and maturity of the Militia and Self-Defense Force nationwide, the Militia and Self-Defense Force of Yen Bai province was born and matured, gradually consolidated and developed in both quantity and quality. A typical example is the birth of the "Au Co Guerrilla Team" in 1946, the predecessor of the local army of Yen Bai province, and then the guerrilla teams: Dai Lich, Thuong Bang La, Cat Thinh, Dai Dong, Khau Pha... were born one after another and gradually developed steadily.

After 9 years of resistance against the French, the Yen Bai province's Militia and Self-Defense Force had grown to nearly 10,000 people; participated in over 500 battles, destroyed over 2,500 enemies, captured and surrendered over 2,000, contributing greatly to the glorious victory of the Dien Bien Phu campaign that resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, the Yen Bai provincial militia and self-defense force organized 126 watchtowers and built 54 aircraft combat positions. During the two times of fighting against the destructive war of the US imperialists, the Yen Bai provincial militia and self-defense force shot down 7 planes, captured many American pilots, and was also the core force for clearing bombs and mines, opening roads, increasing production, protecting local security and politics, contributing with the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to completely liberate the South, unify the country, and end the nation's resistance war against the US to save the country.

Van Yen District Military Command organizes Militia training

During the period of national construction and defense, the Yen Bai provincial militia and self-defense force has continuously grown and developed together with the entire army and people to overcome the consequences of war, promote production and build the economy, culture and society. In particular, in the current period, in addition to the tasks of training and combat readiness, the militia and self-defense force is also the core force in preventing and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics; coordinating with other forces to maintain political security and social order and safety, contributing to consolidating the national defense, associated with a solid people's security posture, creating favorable conditions for local economic development.

Identifying the militia and self-defense force as the core force in building the all-people national defense, the all-people national defense posture associated with the people's security posture, in recent years, the Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command have advised local Party committees and authorities at all levels to focus on leading and directing the effective implementation of measures to build, consolidate and develop the militia and self-defense force, truly acting as the core in carrying out military and national defense work at the grassroots level; participating in maintaining local political security and stability, creating a favorable environment for socio-economic development.

Following the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh, cadres are the root of all work, in recent years, local Party committees and authorities in the province have selected cadres with qualifications, capacity and dedication to work, and sent them to attend training courses for military commanders of communes, wards and towns. Up to now, most of the comrades holding the position of military commanders of communes, wards and towns in the province have undergone basic training at military schools from the province to the military region; many comrades have college and university degrees, thanks to which the staff capacity of the military cadres at the grassroots level has been constantly improved, the quality and effectiveness of the work of the Commander of the Military Command of communes, wards and towns has become increasingly solid.

To improve the quality and effectiveness of the militia and self-defense forces, in addition to the regular training program, agencies and units in the Provincial Military Command and localities in the province have promptly added tasks that are close to the actual situation to the annual training program of the militia and self-defense forces.

The militia forces of communes, wards and towns have closely coordinated with the police force and other forces, organized patrolling activities to guard and protect the area, propagated and mobilized people to comply with all policies of the Party and laws of the State, and at the same time practiced combat plans to protect the area. The militia soldiers are truly proud to join the militia force to contribute to protecting their homeland and country.

It can be seen that in the current innovation and integration process, the militia and self-defense force of Yen Bai province continues to promote its heroic tradition, not afraid of difficulties and hardships, carrying out the task of being ready to fight to protect the homeland and the Fatherland. In particular, the militia and self-defense force clearly demonstrates its pioneering role in peacetime through participating in labor production, helping people eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, prevent, combat and overcome the consequences of natural disasters, epidemics, rescue, and relief... Wherever people encounter difficulties and misfortunes, there is the militia and self-defense force standing side by side to support. From 2015 to present, the province has mobilized tens of thousands of working days of militia and self-defense forces to participate in patrolling and guarding to ensure social order and safety, helping people participate in preventing and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics; helping people in the area to sustainably eliminate poverty and build new rural areas.

In particular, in 2024, when storm No. 3 and its circulation passed, it left immeasurable damage, devastation, and loss requiring a long-term reconstruction process. The militia and self-defense forces stood side by side day and night, coordinating with other forces, regardless of difficulties and dangers, always being present in time to evacuate people and property to safety; organizing environmental sanitation, traffic routes, dredging mud and soil at landslide and flooded areas, clearing the flow of public areas and houses... helping people to soon stabilize their lives after the flood.

Militia and self-defense forces parade at the 2025 training launch ceremony .

With the determination to help people quickly stabilize their lives, the province's militia and self-defense force has evacuated over 8,800 households from flooded areas, areas at risk of landslides, flash floods, and flash floods; participated in cleaning and sanitizing nearly 126km of roads and nearly 2,600 houses, clearing over 8,200 cubic meters of mud and waste, helping people quickly stabilize their lives. The image of "square star" soldiers wading through storm No. 3 to save people's lives and property; accompanying people to overcome the consequences of natural disasters is forever a beautiful image, a symbol of the contributions and sacrifices of the militia and self-defense force for the peace of the people of all ethnic groups in the province.

Over 90 years of building, fighting and growing up, generations of cadres and soldiers of the Yen Bai provincial militia and self-defense force have been absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the people, and the revolutionary cause of the Party, fought steadfastly, intelligently, and bravely; worked, studied, and performed effectively, achieving many outstanding feats of arms, contributing with the entire Party and people to build and defend the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Inheriting and promoting the glorious tradition of the Vietnamese militia and self-defense force, each officer and soldier of the militia and self-defense force of Yen Bai province will continue to train, strive, and build an increasingly mature and strong force, meeting the requirements of the tasks in the new era, worthy of being the "iron wall" firmly protecting the sacred border of the Fatherland as praised by President Ho Chi Minh; together with the Party Committee, government, people and armed forces, build Yen Bai province to develop comprehensively, sustainably, greenly, harmoniously, with identity and happiness, contributing with the whole country to build our country to become more and more prosperous and happy.

Thanh Chi - Hoai Van

Source: http://baoyenbai.com.vn/11/347898/Yen-Bai---Vung-chai-buc-tuong-sat-cua-To-quoc.aspx