Back to border area P2: Heroic memories of the days “eating Northern rice, fighting the Southern enemy”

After almost fifty years, Vinh Linh people can still recollect the story of “eating Northern rice, fighting the Southern enemy.”

Nguyen Van Phong recalls the milestones in the local history. Photo: M.D

When the Ben Hai River was designated as the country’s temporary border and the war against American troops became tough, the Vinh Linh people remained in their homeland and served as artillery self-defense militia, public armed security, and reconnaissance soldiers.

They carried with them the youthful zeal and the will to fight American troops for a shared goal of uniting the nation as they traveled to the Southern battlefield every day to fulfill their missions.

Special work trips

Nguyen Van Phong, 88, in Tien My 1 Village, Vinh Lam Commune, Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri, became unusually lucid whenever the name “DKZ 75 mm Artillery Battery” was mentioned because he would never forget the days he spent “eating Northern rice, fighting the Southern enemy” with his friends.

I enlisted in the community militia in 1954, and I became the commander of the 75mm DKZ Artillery Battery in Vinh Lam commune in 1965. The 12-member battery protected the Vinh Linh region, maintaining peace and security in the villages, and assisting the locals in their agricultural production.

The mission given to Mr. Phong and the soldiers of the Vinh Lam Artillery battery was to cross the Ben Hai River into the Gio Linh – Cam Lo front, work with the other forces, and blockade the river section between Cua Viet, Gio Linh District, and Dong Ha in order to launch an attack on enemy warships.

The Artillery Battery fired eight shells during the course of five days of fighting, sinking five American warships. After six days, Mr. Phong and his soldiers withdrew and went back to the North bank after learning that the enemy had found their hiding place. The Artillery Battery won the Victory Medal – First Class for its achievement of sinking five American warships.

Nguyen Van Tro tells his grandchild about the past stories. Photo: M.D

Nguyen Van Tro, who was born in 1943, felt moved by Vinh Linh’s joyous celebration of the July Festival for Peace. He served as a soldier in the C24 Reconnaissance Commando, Regiment 270 (Line Regiment), alongside the army and the people of Vinh Linh, protecting the military borderline and the Vinh Linh area during the resistance war against the US.

Every time Mr. Tro traveled on official business from the North bank of the Ben Hai River to the South bank, it seemed like a “special” trip. To gain an understanding of the enemy’s activities, he was tasked in April 1966 with crossing the Ben Hai River to the Con Tien - Doc Mieu base. He had to navigate the water, the forest, and the mines with his teammates during the first mission. He witnessed his fellow die of the enemy’s bullets and it made him strong to work better for the resistance war.

Ngo Thi Tho and Le Thi Xao recall the past. Photo: M.D

Countless sacrifices

Under the motto “Vinh Linh is ready to respond to whatever the battlefield needs,” the army and people of Vinh Linh devotedly supplied both human and material resources for the battlefield between 1954 and April 30, 1975.

A great deal of suffering, sacrifice, and anguish lay behind those successes as local soldiers and citizens fought alongside main army units.

Mr. Tro always knew he would be near death, so he expected the battlefield conditions to be extremely harsh whenever he received a mission to fight in the South.

As the Platoon Leader of Le Hong Phong Platoon since 1967, Mr. Tro has frequently given the unit direct orders to assess the situation in the Gio Linh district. Even though he took extra precautions to protect himself and his allies, the enemy still found them and unleashed a horrific barrage of gunfire. With a swift retaliation, he and his allies yelled “Ready to fight, not afraid of sacrifice.” He was badly hurt on that reconnaissance mission and had to go back to the rear base to receive treatment.

“I still have it better than a lot of other people, actually,” he said when saying that many of his comrades could wait to see the national reunification.

We got to know Ms. Ngo Thi Tho, a 1947 native who worked as a militiaman at the B Tung Luat wharf from 1967 until 1973. Ms. Tho recalled: "I joined a platoon of twelve people at that time, six of whom were strong swimmers and rowers. The squad is in charge of combat and production during the day, and at night they must row boats to carry food and weapons, move main force troops across the Ben Hai River into the Southern theater of operations, and return wounded soldiers and martyrs to the front lines.

Her injuries sustained while on duty included a near-death experience. She made an effort to conceal her injuries, only informing the unit of a minor cut so she could keep working.

With the threat of death, female militiamen such as Ms. Tho worked nonstop, day and night. To liberate the South and unite the nation was their sole goal.

After more than 20 arduous years of struggle, the sacrifices made by the soldiers, the people of Vinh Linh in particular, and the entire nation in general, were rewarded. The reinforced concrete Hien Luong Bridge was constructed and finished in 1974 following the signing of the Paris Agreement on January 27, 1973, which intended to end the Vietnam War and bring peace back to the country. The reunification was set up on April 30, 1975. Since then, the Ben Hai River in Vietnam has reverted to its original state as a gentle river.

Minh Duc – Thanh Hai – Tu Linh – Linh Pham