The legendary Truong Son Trail (better known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail),which has celebrated its 55th anniversary, has become a symbol of theVietnamese army and people’s victories over foreign aggressors.
The path runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, and played animportant role as a supply route for the southern battlefield when thecountry was separated.
The road was built under theleadership of the Communist Party and President Ho Chi Minh. Everycentimetre of the trail was forged and maintained by the spilt blood andsacrifice of uncountable numbers of war heroes who laid down theirlives in the war effort.
In June 1959, Vo Bam, oneof the commanders for the construction of the road, decided to chooseKhe Ho in Vinh Linh district in the central province of Quang Tri as thestart of the trail.
Despite facing fiercebombardment from the enemy, Truong Son soldiers managed to work withdifferent forces, including engineering, artillery, communications,infantry and armoured troops, to supply men and materials to thesouthern front line.
The success of the route wasalso attributed to the great support of locals living along the trail,especially those from ethnic minority groups, including Pako and VanKieu.
Ho Van Thanh, a 71-year-old Van Kieu man whotook part in activities to assist Truong Son soldiers in the war time,said during those days his village had about 30 households who weresuffering from the war. Nevertheless, they did their utmost to join theTruong Son soldiers in transferring goods and helping the soldiers withfood and information.
Major General Nguyen Ba Tong,former Commander of Army Corps 12, which was formed on the basis of theTruong Son engineering forces, said the route represents the greatstrength and will of the whole country.
Hereiterated that more than 20,000 people laid down their lives, whiletens of thousands of soldiers wounded along the trail or exposed toAgent Orange/Dioxin during the opening and maintenance of the route.
“The sacrifice cannot be described in words,” Tong said with tears inhis eyes while lighting incenses at the graves of unknown heroes in themassive Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery in the central province of QuangTri.
Time passes, but the contributions of the Truong Son solders will forever be written in the nation’s glorious history.-VNA
The path runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, and played animportant role as a supply route for the southern battlefield when thecountry was separated.
The road was built under theleadership of the Communist Party and President Ho Chi Minh. Everycentimetre of the trail was forged and maintained by the spilt blood andsacrifice of uncountable numbers of war heroes who laid down theirlives in the war effort.
In June 1959, Vo Bam, oneof the commanders for the construction of the road, decided to chooseKhe Ho in Vinh Linh district in the central province of Quang Tri as thestart of the trail.
Despite facing fiercebombardment from the enemy, Truong Son soldiers managed to work withdifferent forces, including engineering, artillery, communications,infantry and armoured troops, to supply men and materials to thesouthern front line.
The success of the route wasalso attributed to the great support of locals living along the trail,especially those from ethnic minority groups, including Pako and VanKieu.
Ho Van Thanh, a 71-year-old Van Kieu man whotook part in activities to assist Truong Son soldiers in the war time,said during those days his village had about 30 households who weresuffering from the war. Nevertheless, they did their utmost to join theTruong Son soldiers in transferring goods and helping the soldiers withfood and information.
Major General Nguyen Ba Tong,former Commander of Army Corps 12, which was formed on the basis of theTruong Son engineering forces, said the route represents the greatstrength and will of the whole country.
Hereiterated that more than 20,000 people laid down their lives, whiletens of thousands of soldiers wounded along the trail or exposed toAgent Orange/Dioxin during the opening and maintenance of the route.
“The sacrifice cannot be described in words,” Tong said with tears inhis eyes while lighting incenses at the graves of unknown heroes in themassive Truong Son Martyrs’ Cemetery in the central province of QuangTri.
Time passes, but the contributions of the Truong Son solders will forever be written in the nation’s glorious history.-VNA
