During the long and arduous resistance war against the French colonialists, the army and people of Zone 5 (today's Military Zone 5) together with the whole country waged a comprehensive, all-people war, fought more than 15,000 large and small battles, eliminated hundreds of thousands of enemies, destroyed and captured many weapons and equipment. These feats contributed significantly to the "earth-shaking" Dien Bien Phu Victory, forcing the French colonialists to sign the Geneva Agreement, restoring peace in Indochina.

Lieutenant General Le Ngoc Hai, Commander of Military Region 5, led a working delegation on a field survey. Photo: LE TAY

Entering the extremely fierce resistance war against the US to save the country, the Military Region 5 still steadfastly stuck to the people, stuck to the land, "using enemy weapons to fight the enemy" with typical battles demonstrating intelligence and creativity. The victories of Ba Gia, Nui Thanh, Van Tuong... are typical examples of the creative art of people's war, fighting the enemy with the very method of "using the few to fight the many, using the primitive to defeat the modern". Then, the resounding battles followed one after another demonstrating the steadfast fighting spirit in the General Offensive and Uprising of the Spring of Mau Than 1968, the strategic offensive of 1972, directly contributing to the Great Victory of Spring 1975, liberating the South, and unifying the country.

After the country's reunification, the Military Region 5 continued to successfully complete the task of protecting the southwestern border, fulfilling the noble international duty of helping the Cambodian people escape genocide, and coordinating with the Lao army and people to destroy reactionary forces. Inland, the Military Region 5's Military Region resolutely fought to suppress reactionaries, hunt down FULRO, and maintain political security, order, and social safety in the Central Highlands. In any task or circumstance, generations of officers and soldiers of the Military Region 5 always uphold the will of self-reliance, self-strengthening, and the spirit of military-civilian solidarity, successfully completing all assigned tasks, leaving a bright mark of heroic tradition, which is a solid foundation for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland today.

Lieutenant General Le Ngoc Hai (second from right), Commander of Military Region 5, listens to agencies and units report on plans to build military projects. Photo: LE TAY

In the period of deep international integration, the Military Region 5's armed forces continue to demonstrate their mettle, intelligence, and steadfastness in the Party's goals and ideals. Faced with the complex and unpredictable developments of the world and regional situation, and the intertwined traditional and non-traditional security risks, the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and the Military Region 5 Command thoroughly grasp the viewpoint of protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, "protecting the country before it is in danger". Accordingly, the work of grasping and forecasting the situation has been raised to a new level, ensuring timely and correct assessment of the nature, avoiding passivity and surprise. Combat readiness plans and options are regularly supplemented and improved, closely following the characteristics of strategic areas. Coordination with local Party committees, authorities, and units of the armed forces is regularly given importance, creating a solid all-people national defense posture associated with a solid people's security posture.

Along with staff work, the Military Region 5 focuses on training according to the motto "basic, practical, solid", attaching importance to the reality of modern warfare. The exercises of defense zones, civil defense, and joint services are organized with increasing quality, focusing on electronic warfare and high-tech warfare. Thereby, improving the combat capacity, comprehensive strength, and situation handling ability of the troops, meeting the requirements of firmly protecting the Fatherland in all situations.

All aspects of mass mobilization, policy, ethnic, religious, and military rear work were deployed synchronously and effectively. Military Region 5 troops are present in all regions: overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, rebuilding houses after storms, accompanying people in economic development, building new rural areas... During the Covid-19 pandemic, officers and soldiers of Military Region 5's armed forces did not fear danger, set up thousands of quarantine checkpoints, carried bags of rice, and brought gifts to people in remote areas... That affirms that the Military Region's armed forces always put the people at the center. It is these simple actions that have contributed to building a solid "people's heart battlefield", strengthening the deep and close relationship between the army and the people.

Inheriting the 80-year heroic tradition, the Military Region 5 continues to thoroughly grasp the position and role of the task of consolidating national defense and maintaining national security; grasp the guiding viewpoints, goals, directions, and tasks of national defense and security in protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, "protecting the country before it is in danger"; resolutely fight to defeat all plots of "peaceful evolution" and violent overthrow by hostile forces; at the same time, proactively prevent manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the country; strengthen defense diplomacy with neighboring countries, build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border.

During the journey of building, fighting and maturing, from a young force in the early days of the revolution, the Military Region 5's armed forces today have become truly "lean, compact, strong", disciplined, elite, and advanced to modernity. In particular, the revolution of streamlining the organizational apparatus, building the armed forces associated with the two-level local government model has been and is showing clear effectiveness, creating unity, flexibility, and enhancing the overall strength of the Military Region's armed forces in the new period.

Promoting the tradition of "Self-reliance, self-strengthening, overcoming difficulties, enduring hardships, being ingenious and creative, fighting steadfastly, and winning gloriously", the Military Region 5 is determined to join the entire Party, people, and army in building and firmly defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland, consolidating the position to protect the Fatherland early and from afar, "protecting the country before it is in danger".

The 80th anniversary of the Military Region 5's Armed Forces Tradition Day is an opportunity for each officer and soldier today to review the heroic tradition, pay tribute to the heroic fighting and sacrifice examples; arouse national pride, patriotism, self-reliance, and self-strengthening spirit, and add will and confidence for the Military Region's Armed Forces to firmly enter the new period, firmly maintain the viewpoint of protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, "protecting the country when it is not yet in danger", build a national defense posture associated with a people's security posture, a solid "people's hearts posture", contributing to improving the overall quality and fighting strength, firmly maintaining the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands.

During the 80-year journey of building, fighting and growing, the Military Region 5 has built the tradition of "Self-reliance, overcoming difficulties, enduring hardships, being creative and resourceful, fighting tenaciously, and winning gloriously", contributing to building and strongly promoting the revolutionary nature and glorious tradition of the heroic Vietnam People's Army.

With great contributions to the cause of national liberation, national defense and construction, the Military Region 5 was honored by the Party and State with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces; was awarded 2 Gold Star Orders, 3 Ho Chi Minh Orders and many other noble awards.  

Lieutenant General LE NGOC HAI, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Commander of Military Region 5

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/phat-huy-truyen-thong-don-vi-anh-hung-bao-ve-to-quoc-tu-som-tu-xa-861874