Phu Yen (VNA) – Nguyen Trong Nghia, member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and head of the committee’s Commission for Information and Education, on November 28 attended a ceremony in the south-central province of Phu Yen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first "no-number-plate ship" arriving at Vung Ro port in the locality (November 28, 1964 - 2024).
Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Ho Dac Thanh, former captain of Ship 41, who commanded 12 no-number-plate ship missions to transport weapons to the southern battlefield, and Major Ngo Van Dinh, a former soldier of a unit responsible for guarding Vung Ro port - K60 and head of the Vung Ro No-Number-Plate Ship Port Liaison Board, recalled the heroic achievements of officers and soldiers of those ships. The team also included the armed forces and people of Phu Yen, part of the task force that defended the ship and the wharf, safely unloading goods during the struggle.
Located in Dong Hoa town of Phu Yen, Vung Ro port was a vital logistics base in south-central Vietnam. It was selected by central authorities and Military Region 5 to receive weapons and supplies from the no-number-plate ships for the provinces of Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, and Dak Lak. Between November 1964 and February 1965, four such ships successfully docked at Vung Ro, three of which delivered approximately 200 tonnes of weapons and supplies to the battlefield.
Along with the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, also known as the Truong Son Trail, and the strategic transportation route Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, Vung Ro port has become a symbol of glory for the nation, embodying the will and aspiration to fight against foreign invaders to reunify the country.
On November 26, 2024, the Prime Minister issued a decision designating the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, which encompasses locations in Hai Phong, Phu Yen, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Ca Mau as a special national historic site.
In his speech at the event, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Pham Dai Duong said the event of the ship delivering hundreds of tonnes of goods and weapons from the north to Vung Ro port is still remembered as a remarkable feat of ingenuity and creativity, and a glorious chapter in the nation’s history.
Local authorities have concentrated on investment promotion activities, towards developing Vung Ro into a bustling seaport, serving as a gateway to the East Sea. It contributes to promoting socioeconomic development of Phu Yen, and the south-central region. It strengthens the national defence posture associated with the people's security posture in the locality, Duong stressed.
At the event, a representative from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a decision of the Prime Minister and handed over a certificate recognising the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea in Phu Yen as a national special historic site./.
