Ham Rong Victory is forever an immortal epic, leaving valuable lessons for present and future generations (*)

On the evening of April 3, at the Thanh Hoa City Convention Center, Thanh Hoa province solemnly held a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Ham Rong victory (April 3-4, 1965 - April 3-4, 2025); Thanh Hoa Newspaper respectfully introduces the full text of the speech of comrade Nguyen Doan Anh, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee at the ceremony.

Dear Do Trong Hung, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Organizing Committee.

Dear leaders of central departments, ministries, branches and agencies!

Dear provincial leaders and former provincial leaders!

Dear Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, veterans, and former militiamen who directly participated in combat and served in combat to protect Ham Rong Bridge,

Dear compatriots and comrades!

Today, in the joyful, excited and proud atmosphere of the army and people in the heroic homeland of Thanh Hoa. The Provincial Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee - Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee solemnly organized the 60th Anniversary of Ham Rong Victory (April 3, 4, 1965 - April 3, 4, 2025). This is an opportunity for us to review together the heroic fighting tradition, the courageous spirit and the indomitable will of the previous generation, while at the same time arousing the pride and responsibility of today's generation in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in general, and Thanh Hoa homeland in particular.

At the solemn forum of the ceremony, on behalf of the provincial leaders, I warmly welcome and would like to send to the comrades of the Party Central Committee, former members of the Party Central Committee, comrades of the leaders of the departments, ministries, branches, central agencies, comrades of the leaders, former leaders of the province, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, veterans, former militiamen who directly participated in the fight, served in the fight to protect Ham Rong bridge, distinguished delegates, guests, and all compatriots and comrades my respectful greetings and best wishes!

In this sacred moment, we respectfully remember and express our boundless gratitude for the immense merit of President Ho Chi Minh - the genius leader of the Vietnamese revolution, who devoted his entire life to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, and the happiness of the People. We will forever remember and pay deep gratitude to the heroic martyrs, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of the People's Armed Forces, generations of cadres, soldiers, militia, youth volunteers, frontline workers, wounded and sick comrades, families of martyrs, and all the armed forces and people who fought bravely, sacrificed themselves, and contributed to the heroic epic of Ham Rong Victory.

Delegates attending the ceremony.

Dear delegates! Dear compatriots and comrades!

After the Dien Bien Phu victory that “resounded throughout the continents and shook the world” in 1954, the North of our country entered the construction of socialism, becoming a solid rear base supporting the South in the struggle against the US imperialists and their lackeys. Meanwhile, the US did not accept defeat, and tried to implement the strategies of “Special War”, “Local War”, “Vietnamization of the War” to turn the South into a new type of colony, suppressing the struggles of our people. Faced with consecutive failures on the Southern battlefield, the US fabricated the Gulf of Tonkin incident (August 1964) as an excuse to escalate the war, expanding its bombing activities to the North by air force and navy with the plot to cut off the strategic North-South supply line.

Thanh Hoa was identified as the direct rear of the Binh-Tri-Thien front and Ham Rong bridge was the “ideal choke point” on the transport route from North to South. Destroying Ham Rong bridge would cut off the North-South traffic artery, at the same time destroying the economy, weakening the role of the great rear of Thanh Hoa. With that intention, President Johnson and the US government prepared a plan to attack Thanh Hoa province, especially the Ham Rong area, with the combined forces of the air force and navy.

Realizing the enemy's ambition, the Party Central Committee and the Government directed the Party Committee, the government, the army and the people of Thanh Hoa to prepare to respond. The armed forces, especially the air defense, artillery, navy and militia, were strengthened in training, deployed in tight positions, forming a solid people's air defense posture, determined to protect Ham Rong bridge. The people of Thanh Hoa localities closely coordinated with the armed forces to persistently hold the land and bridge, build trenches, fortifications and positions, and actively contribute human and material resources to the fight to protect the homeland. By the evening of April 2, 1965, the General Command of the Vietnam People's Army announced: The enemy would launch a major attack on Ham Rong on April 3; at the same time, reminded "We must fight firmly, hit accurately, shoot down many enemy planes on the spot, protect the target, save ammunition...". All main army forces, local army, militia and self-defense forces in Ham Rong, Do Len areas and other key areas are always calm and confident, consolidating fortifications and solid battlefields, practicing combat plans, and skillfully using weapons, equipment and vehicles, ready to enter the battle.

Dramatic art program at the celebration.

At exactly 8:45 a.m. on April 3, 1965, the US sent a series of planes to suddenly dive and drop bombs, starting from Do Len, Tinh Gia, Nong Cong and entering the key area of ​​Ham Rong. On the first day, they used 102 groups of fighter planes to attack fiercely for 3 hours. Not stopping, on April 4, the enemy continued to use a large force of planes to bomb with great speed and intensity, organizing an attack every 10 minutes. Groups of planes from many directions rushed in like moths, one group replaced another. The sky of Ham Rong resounded with the roar of planes, the ground shook with the sky-shattering explosions of bombs and bullets.

In that context, despite the enemy's fierce attacks, threats from all sides, bombs and bullets falling heavily; despite the enemy's forces with modern and sophisticated weapons and means of war, the Thanh Hoa army and people in all battlefields and combat positions still held their ground steadfastly, with intelligent, bold, unexpected fighting methods, determined to fight and win to protect their homeland. The names "thunder god", "ghost", "heavenly enemy", "intruder" to "flying fortress" were all shot to pieces by the Thanh Hoa army and people. On April 3 and 4, 1965, the Thanh Hoa army and people shot down 47 American planes, 31 of which were shot down in the Ham Rong area alone. The US empire had to bitterly admit: "Those were two dark days for the US air force".

Dramatic art program at the celebration.

Ham Rong Victory is the crystallization of many factors, in which the wise leadership of the Party and beloved Uncle Ho gathered and crystallized the patriotism of the whole nation, together with the iron will, intelligence and creativity of the army and people of Thanh Hoa, overcame countless difficulties and hardships, steadfastly, creatively, fought bravely, sacrificed, and established glorious feats. The air defense - air force soldiers, soldiers, militia, workers, youth volunteers, and people of Thanh Hoa wrote a heroic epic with courage and selfless actions for the Fatherland.

We cannot forget the young men and women in their eighteens and twenties who always held their guns firmly, bravely facing the enemy. That was Team Leader Nguyen Thi Hang, who, despite being wounded, did not leave her command position. That was Ms. Ngo Thi Tuyen who nimbly jumped into the thick smoke of bombs, carrying two ammunition boxes twice her body weight at a time so that the soldiers would have ammunition to fight. That was the four brothers of Mr. Ngo Tho Lan who volunteered to board the ship to support and fight with the gunners. That was the workers of the Lo Cao power plant and Ben Coc sawmill who participated in pulling artillery and loading ammunition, and the workers of the 19/5 bridge team who worked day and night to repair the bridge damaged by enemy bombardment. That was the elderly, the people of Nam Ngan, Yen Vuc, Dong Son and the monks of Mat Da Dam Xuan pagoda who silently supplied food to the soldiers and wholeheartedly cared for the wounded...

The victory of Ham Rong, along with many other typical victories of our army and people in the battles to protect Pha Ghep and Do Len ferries, the noble sacrifice of teachers and students of the Medical School and the 7+3 Pedagogical School at the construction site of the Ma River dike in 1972,... has further enhanced the glorious tradition of the heroic homeland of Thanh Hoa, contributing with the whole country to the Great Spring Victory of 1975, liberating the South and unifying the country.

Dramatic art program at the celebration.

Dear delegates! Dear compatriots and comrades!

Ham Rong Victory became an immortal monument, a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people against all invaders. This was also the first major defeat of the US Air Force in the skies of the North, an affirmation of the invincible strength of the Vietnamese people's war.

60 years have passed but the Ham Rong Victory event remains an immortal heroic epic, leaving valuable lessons of profound significance for present and future generations:

That is a lesson about the Party's wise and talented leadership in assessing the situation, organizing the battle, and mobilizing the combined strength of the entire political system and the people to participate in the battle.

That is a lesson about the People's War strategy, about the art of organizing combat and using flexible combat forces, especially in organizing a multi-layered, dense, multi-level people's air defense formation, shooting down many American planes, firmly protecting strategic targets.

That is a lesson of passionate patriotism - of the desire for peace, independence, freedom and national unity; of the combined strength of the great national unity bloc; of the absolute loyalty and spirit of determination to fight and win of the army and people of the whole country in general, and the army and people of Thanh Hoa in particular.

Dramatic art program at the celebration.

Dear delegates! Dear compatriots and comrades!

The year 2025 is of special significance, playing a key and decisive role in completing the goals of the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress and the 5-year socio-economic development plan 2021-2025. This is also the year marking the time when our country enters a new era - the era of striving to become a developed, rich, civilized and prosperous nation.

We are proud and believe in the correct, wise and talented leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in the indomitable and indomitable patriotism and the intelligence and creativity of our people and army. We are proud of the heroic and indomitable fighting tradition of our ancestors, promoting the spirit of Ham Rong Victory. In the coming time, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Thanh Hoa pledge to unite, join hands and build Thanh Hoa into a rich, beautiful, civilized and modern province, a comprehensively developed and exemplary province of the whole country, worthy of the contributions of the ancestors who fought and sacrificed for our peaceful life. In particular, it is necessary to carry out well the following key tasks:

Firstly, continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the Central resolutions, directives and conclusions on restructuring the political system's apparatus "Slim - Compact - Strong - Effective - Effective - Efficient", building a 2-level local government model, associated with restructuring and improving the quality of the staff, civil servants and public employees, to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation.

Second, lead and direct the drastic and effective implementation of tasks and solutions to achieve an economic growth rate of 11% or more; including: Focus on reviewing and synchronously perfecting institutions, mechanisms and policies; removing difficulties, obstacles and bottlenecks, unblocking resources, creating momentum for development. Focus on prioritizing resources to accelerate the implementation of investment projects, especially large and key projects. Continue to strongly improve the investment and business environment to attract investment resources to the province. Speed ​​up the disbursement of public investment capital, associated with ensuring the quality of works and projects, avoiding negativity, loss and waste. Synchronously implement solutions to increase state budget revenue; manage and use the budget economically and effectively to create resources for development investment.

Third, continue to seriously and effectively implement Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo and Resolution No. 03/NQ-CP of the Government on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, creating a foundation and driving force for Thanh Hoa to enter a new era - the era of development of the Vietnamese people.

Fourth, continue to improve the quality of cultural, educational and health activities; effectively implement the work of job creation, poverty reduction, and social security; speed up the progress of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses in the province according to Directive No. 42-CT/TW of the Prime Minister and Directive No. 22-CT/TU of the Provincial Party Standing Committee.

Fifth, strengthen national defense and security, ensure social order and safety; focus on building the all-people national defense posture, associated with the people's security posture, and build an increasingly solid provincial defense zone.

Sixth, continue to implement Directive No. 35 and the conclusions of the Politburo on party congresses at all levels, towards the 14th National Party Congress; focus on completing documents and personnel plans to submit to the Congress, ensuring the best quality to bring Thanh Hoa to rapid and sustainable development in the new term.

Dramatic art program at the celebration.

Dear delegates! Dear compatriots and comrades!

Time has passed since the day our army and people woven the heroic epic of Ham Rong Victory, but the historical significance and the epochal stature of that heroic event will never fade. It is still a torch that lights the way, fuels the fire and shines brighter and brighter in the cause of innovation, construction and protection of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam today.

Continuing the heroic and glorious historical tradition of the homeland, promoting the spirit of "Ham Rong Victory", on behalf of the leadership of Thanh Hoa province, I call on the people, comrades and soldiers of the armed forces in the province to strive to overcome all difficulties and challenges, successfully complete the goals and tasks set out in the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, determined to build Thanh Hoa into a "model province" as beloved Uncle Ho always wished.

Once again, I would like to wish all leaders, delegates, distinguished guests, and all compatriots and comrades good health, happiness, and success!

Thank you very much!

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(*) Title set by the Editorial Board

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ham-rong-chien-thang-mai-la-ban-anh-hung-ca-bat-tu-de-lai-nhung-bai-hoc-quy-gia-cho-cac-the-he-hom-nay-va-mai-sau-244488.htm