A solemn ceremony was held in the northern port city of Hai Phong on Oct. 21 to mark the 50 th anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea (Oct. 23).
Addressing the ceremony, President Truong Tan Sang recalled that after 1954, with their plot to divide the nation, US imperialists and their lackies intended to disregard the Geneva Treaty and bring troops to invade the south to turn it into a new colony in order to attack the north.
In that situation, the Party defined the path to liberate the south as a revolutionary path. The Party advocated the speedy assistance of personnel and weapons from the north to southern battlefields and organised team 559 to open a land route passing the Truong Son Mountain Range – the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail.
On Oct. 23, 1961, the Ministry of Defence decided to establish military transport team 759 to embark on a new strategy – the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea – to transport soldiers and weapons to the southern battlefields, especially places where the Ho Chi Minh Trail land route on the Truong Son Mountain Range could not reach.
During the 14 years from 1961 to 1975, officials and soldiers of teams 759 and 125 of the Naval Service on unmarked ships engaged in heroic exploits.
Hundreds of ships carrying thousands of tonnes of weapons, medicine, cargo and tens of thousands of officials and soldiers were sent to southern, central southern and zone 5 battlefields to joined the people and army to smash the enemy’s plot and bring the anti-US imperialist war to a victory.
President Sang stressed that the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea is always a pride of the Vietnamese Army and people. It constitutes a bright symbol of the revolutionary heroism, brainpower, bravery, iron will and resolve of the Vietnamese people to gain national independence, freedom and reunification.
“From the tradition of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, we are further aware of the great role of seas and islands as Uncle Ho has taught: “In the old days, we had only nights and forests. Nowadays, we have the days, the sky, the sea and a long, beautiful coastline and we need to protect it,” said the President.
On this occasion, the team of officials and soldiers on the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea under the Ministry of Defence’s Navy Arm were honoured with the Ho Chi Minh Order, and seven units of Brigade 125 of the Navy Arm and six individuals were presented with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Force.
Earlier, a delegation of leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly and Fatherland Front led by President Truong Tan Sang offered incense at Do Son’s wharf K15 in commemoration of fallen soldiers who laid down their lives on the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea./.
