At No. 183, Le Hong Phong Street, Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province nowadays locates the head office of Binh Dinh Province Department of Culture and Information. In 1968, it was a provincial radio station of the old wartime Southern Vietnam regime.
The attack to the radio station was considered the most typical battle among a series of fights in the Spring 1968 Massive Offensive by Vietnamese Communist forces. Many historians and alive witnesses then certified that the radio station was worth to be chosen as a historical monument because it saw the well-known battle and triumphal victory of Binh Dinh armed force in 1968.
In late 1967, war complexion in South Vietnam changed in favour of the Communist forces. The “Second Indochina War”, also known as “Vietnam War” to the West and the “American War” in Vietnam, declined from its 1966 climax. Conforming to a general policy of the Central region, Binh Dinh Communist forces and local people organized a big attack to Quy Nhon town, where all of provincial key bodies and agencies of Saigon government located.
In the Massive 1968 Tet Offensive, the Communist forces organized many orderly directions of attack to Palace of the Province Governor, the provincial police station, the provincial radio station, Quy Nhon Airport, etc. 50 soldiers of the provincial Regular Army together with an inter-commune Commando Battalion made the attack on the enemy positions in co-operation with special task forces and municipal partisans.
The radio station was the first priority of the attack. The Communist forces expected to attack and occupy the radio station early, then taking the best advantage of the available technical facilities of the radio station to call the local people for revolts against the enemy and liberation of the homeland. After successfully attacking the radio station, the Communist forces would assail another positions. The attack to the radio station expected to start at 0h 29th January 1968 on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
A scout troop had secretly entered the inner city to reconnoitre the field of action. The troop was led by Mr. Nguyen Khuong (nicknamed Bien Cuong), member of standing provincial committee of the Communist Party, Secretary of Quy Nhon Town Communist Party Committee. No sooner had the preparation for the attack been about to finish than Mr. Khuong and some other scouts was suddently arrested on the 28th January.
The Provincial Communist Party decided to go ahead but changed the attacking plan a little. The first priority of the attack at that time wasn’t the radio station any more but Quan Tran military post, where Mr. Khuong and other captives were kept under control of the enemy. Then, the Communist forces would assail the radio station then. Quan Tran Post was 400m Southwest away from the radio station.
With this slightly-changed plan, at the evening of 29th January 1968, Battalion 50, the inter-commune Commando Battalion, the special task forces and the partisans moved from Hung Thanh secret army base to Quy Nhon Town. Thanks to good preparation and protection of local agents, the Communist forces safely broke into the inner city, approaching the enemy positions before the Lunar New Year’s Eve. The enemy didn’t know anything.
The New Year’s Eve was coming soon. The enemies was beside themselves with joy in the Tet after a difficult year of confronting with the VC (the Communist forces). However, some small groups of the Saigon government soldiers in their camouflaged combat uniforms with M-16 guns on their hands sometimes found along streets of Quy Nhon Town. At 0h, 29th January 1968, when the whole Quy Nhon Town overwhelmed with firecracker sound, the Communist forces got order of attacking the enemies.
The enemies was totally surprised at first. The attack to Quan Tran military post occurred quickly. 22 captives including Secretary of Quy Nhon Town Communist Party Committee Nguyen Khuong were released.
Two Commando Companies went on attacking the radio station as planned. All of the enemies, including 2 US soldiers, were killed and arrested alive. Simultaneously, other Communist troops assailed the Palace of the Province Governor, Bach Dang police station, Son Pass military depot, bus station, etc. The enemies were extremely puzzled and paralysed, not being able to assist together.
The next morning, after regaining their calm, the enemies called for help from other places. The Offensive had become fierce since then. The Communist forces and the Saigon government troops fighted over each conner of streets. The 7-day-and-night defensive battle at the radio station was the most typical battle of the Spring 1968 Massive Offensive in Binh Dinh.
The Communist Commando soldiers was resilient in fighting against many counter-attacks of the enemies who were supported with lots of tank and armoured cars. Many Communist soldiers dearly laid down their lives for the motherland. As soon as one soldier died, the others took turn to fight against the enemies to their last breath as their slogan: “Sacrifice for long-lived homeland”.
However, both sides’ strength was very unequal. The commander Bien Cuong lost his life. Arm and ammunition were impossible to be transferred to the Communist forces at the radio station. Although the fight was violent but distance between the Communist forces and the enemies became shorter and shorter. When the enemies reached the second floor of the radio station, 2 injured commando soldiers found alive. Both run out of ammunition.
The Spring 1968 Massive Offensive in Quy Nhon Town ended when the 7 day-and-night defensive battle at the radio station was over. The battle brought new political face to the revolution in Binh Dinh. Together with overall victory all over the South Vietnam battlefield in the Spring 1968, Binh Dinh military forces and people disheartened US imperialists, defeating their “Vietnam War” Plan.
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