The Nhong-Duong Lieu Monument

In the Spring of 1965, Committee of Communist Party of the 5^th military zone, High Command of the 5^th military zone, and Binh Dinh Province Committee of Communist Party decided to establish A1 Front High Command. Mission of the new High Command was to reinforce battlefield in the South of Vietnam, to support anti-American resistance movement of local people, to liberate the provincial countryside and plains of Binh Dinh Province and the whole military zone. Duong Lieu military post which is now Sa Lem  Hill was choosen the first target of attack.

At 0:30 in early morning of the 5^th day of the first lunar month, key force of Vietnamese Battalion 2, Regiment 2, Sao Vang 3 Division  together with local guerrillas of Phu My District secretly made a sudden attack to Duong Lieu military post. A company of pro-American puppet soldiers and 4 platoons of Civil Defence of South Vietnam were wiped out. Nearly 200 enemy soldiers were reportedly dead. 170 guns and a lot of military equipment were collected.

Getting bitter about the defeat at Duong Lieu military post and Gia Huu fortification (Hoai Nhon District), 2 days later, the enemy deloyed 2 battalions under the Regiment 41, 2 platoons of M.113 armoured tanks, artillery force and jet fighters to strike a counter-attack at Duong Lieu military post from National Highway No. 1 at Phu My District. At 2 p.m of the same day, when pioneer infantrymen and tanks of the enemy reached an ambush of the Communist Army at Nhong Pass,  Battalion 1 of the Communist Army quickly besieged the enemy at Da Doc (Diem Tieu). Fire-power of the Communist Army was continuously set from high commanding posts to the enemy’s formation. The battle started to be fierce. The enemy resisted violently although they were attacked suddenly. The more they resisted, the closer the blockade of the Communist Army force was. At 4:30 p.m, the Communist Army force controlled the battlefield. After the 2-hour battle at Nhong Pass, 700 enemy soldiers were reported dead; 4 fighter jets and 2 platoons of M.113 armoured tanks were set on fire; all of the enemy’s weapontry were seized. Meanwhile, guerrillas at An Luong Village, My Chanh Commune began their battle with direction of My Chanh District Committee of Communist Party. Being defeated badly at Nhong-Duong Lieu Pass, the enemy fleed to Phu My District. My Chanh Commune was completely liberated again.

Taking advantage of the victory, the Communist Army force and local people of My Chanh surburban district rised up against oppression of the enemy, destroying strategic hamlets, reclaiming sovereignty. The enemy was so scared that a lot of them give themselves up to the revolutionary government. 1 month after the Nhong-Duong Lieu Victory, 132 hamlets and most of communes with 170,000 inhabitants were liberated.

The Nhong-Duong Lieu Victory was clearly an undeniable proof of the Communist Army force’s growth in strength because the Communist Army force could defeat the enemy regular troops with modern arms and ammunition. This great maiden victory in the 5^th military zone partly broke the “Special War” strategy of US imperialists and its pupet regime in the South of Vietnam at that time. Face of the Vietnamese war had changed a lot.

The Nhong-Duong Lieu Victory is a glorious landmark in history of Vietnamese resistance war against the US imperialists and a long-lasting pride of local people in Phu My District, Binh Dinh Province. That’s the reason why Phu My District Committee of Communist Party decided to build a national monument named after the Nhong-Duong Lieu Victory. The monument was erected in 1985 at site of the once battlefield and was classified as a national historical monument by Ministry of Culture-Information. In every the 5^th day of the first lunar month, a festival to commemorate the Nhong-Duong Lieu Victory is held by Phu My and Binh Dinh people.

• Written by Xuan Loc
• Translated by To Uyen