Female soldier "brass legs and iron shoulders"

Artillery is a combat arm, an engineering arm that is the main firepower of the army and the main ground firepower of our army and it seems that this task is only for men, because moving cannons weighing up to tons, when fired, makes a loud explosion, requires the gunners to have extraordinary health and endurance. However, during the war to defend the country of the Vietnamese people, there were many female artillery teams that went directly to the battlefield, fought directly with the enemy and achieved many outstanding feats.

Gunners on the battlefield often have to move around while carrying heavy loads, so they are known as soldiers with “iron shoulders and bronze legs.” When fighting, in addition to their role as gunners, they are often real infantrymen, directly fighting the enemy.

Artillery is the force that President Ho Chi Minh once gave eight words: "bronze legs, iron shoulders, good fighting, accurate shooting" and this title is no exception for "female artillerymen."

The female artillery unit is named after the hero Hong Gam. (Photo: Hoang Chu/VNA)

" The road is slippery and the rain is pouring down

Who is carrying the cannon up the road?

Still laughing and talking

Like a flock of sparrows flying into a flower garden

Hello my hometown girl

Became a brave warrior on the battlefield

Has become a solid rock

Good at shooting and scoring goals

Hello my achievements

Hello bright red flame of faith.

The poems that poet Giang Nam dedicated to the female artillery soldiers of March 8 (the code name of the Lam Dong Province Female Artillery Team) in 1970 became the poems that lit the fire.

The heroic "steel flowers"

During the resistance war against the American imperialists in the South and against their destructive war in the North, our country was constantly subjected to enemy bombs and bullets that destroyed our infrastructure and people. Therefore, we determined that, no matter the circumstances, no matter how fierce the war was, we had to fight, attack and destroy the enemy while ensuring production.

Therefore, in the localities, a team of "female artillerymen" gradually formed - a local force that both produced and fought the enemy. During the day, female militiamen actively plowed and participated in production with the local people. When night fell or there was a campaign alarm, they went to the artillery positions to stand guard with the troops.

Names such as the Chanh Thon Village Militia Platoon (Phu Xuyen), the 8/3 Lam Dong and Ben Cat Women's Artillery Teams... and even legendary names: the ten Lam Ha girls, the Ngu Thuy Women's Artillery Team, have been deeply engraved in the hearts of local people and are famous throughout the country.

• Lam Ha Militia Company

In 1966-1967, the US Air Force fiercely bombed the North of our country. During those years, many female militiamen of Lam Ha Militia Company (Lam Ha Commune, Phu Ly Town, now Lam Ha Ward, Phu Ly City, Ha Nam Province) directly fought and heroically fell right on the artillery platform.

Lam Ha Air Defense Militia Company was established on August 5, 1965. In line with the common determination of the entire nation to "defeat the American imperialist invasion war and unify the country," Lam Ha girls volunteered to apply to join the air defense militia.

Ten Lam Ha female anti-aircraft artillery militia. (Source: National Museum of History)

They were very young girls, just out of high school, some were farmers, teachers, workers. Those ten girls were born, grew up, fought and died heroically on the land of Lam Ha. 10 girls sacrificed themselves on different battlefields, at that time they were only about 16-22 years old.

At the 37mm artillery site, on October 1, 1966, 6 women were killed, including: Dinh Thi Tam (born in 1948), Tran Thi Tuyet (born in 1947), Pham Thi Lan (born in 1944), Vu Thi Phuong (born in 1943), Nguyen Thi Thu (born in 1948) and Nguyen Thi Thi (born in 1950).

At the 57mm artillery position at Duong Am, on October 9, 1966, Nguyen Thi Thuan (born in 1948), Tran Thi Thep (born in 1944) and Nguyen Thi Oanh (born in 1942) also heroically sacrificed.

On the 57mm artillery site in Hoa Lac, on July 7, 1967, Dang Thi Chung (born in 1944) sacrificed herself. At first, the sisters took turns on duty, while the rest regularly took care of farm work and housework. Many went to the battlefield with their clothes, hands, feet, and heads still smelling of mud.

Practicing the tactics of anti-aircraft artillery to shoot down aircraft is not easy for women. However, with great determination, being loved and admired by the army units and being encouraged by relatives, the women have not only mastered one but many combat positions on the 57mm, 37mm anti-aircraft artillery platform, and the 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine gun to be able to complete the mission in all situations.

Female artillerymen of Ngu Thuy. (Photo: Archive)

Having been established for only 1 year, Lam Ha Air Defense Militia Company directly participated in many fierce battles. Typical battles were those in early October 1966.

Early in the morning of October 1, 1966, the siren of American aircraft flying south of the Northern Delta broke the quiet atmosphere. As a natural reflex, the Lam Ha militia immediately ran straight to the air defense position. Outside the artillery position, the gunners quickly got into combat positions, turned around, adjusted their direction, and were ready to fire...

In addition to logistics, ammunition supply, and medical evacuation, Lam Ha militia women also fought directly alongside the army. They were Nguyen Thi Thu, Nguyen Thi Thi, Dinh Thi Tam, Tran Thi Tuyet, Pham Thi Lan, Vu Thi Phuong... That morning alone, there were 4 waves of dozens of tons of bombs falling on bridges, railways, artillery positions, and locations around Phu Ly, causing devastation, death, and grief.

Although they had just joined the battle, amidst the bombs and bullets rumbling and the roar of jet engines, the women did not show any fear or waver, but calmly waited for the target to come into range before pouring fire, making it difficult for the enemy to approach the bombing target. In the fourth wave, at nearly 10:30 a.m., the air defense position in Dinh Trang village, Lam Ha commune, consisting of 4 37mm artillery batteries deployed along the main road of the commune, near National Highway 1, had 2 batteries hit by bombs.

That series of bombs took the lives of six Lam Ha female militiamen, including Dinh Thi Tam, Tran Thi Tuyet, Nguyen Thi Thu, Nguyen Thi Thi, Pham Thi Lan, and Vu Thi Phuong.

Eight days later (October 9, 1966), in a battle to fight back against American aircraft, three more Lam Ha girls, Nguyen Thi Thuan, Tran Thi Thep and Nguyen Thi Oanh, fell on the 57mm artillery position at Duong Am.

Portrait of martyr Tran Thi Thep. (Source: National Museum of History)

In another battle, on July 7, 1967, the 10th daughter - Dang Thi Chung of the Lam Ha Air Defense Militia Company heroically sacrificed herself at the 57mm artillery position in Hoa Lac.

The ten Lam Ha girls - martyrs, each with their own unique style, but their fighting spirit, sacrifice and personal stories have become a song that goes through the years of a heroic time of fighting the Americans.

The ten Lam Ha girls sacrificed their lives not on the same day like the ten young volunteer girls at Dong Loc T-junction (Ha Tinh), but all of them are immortal heroes and martyrs, living forever with the age of sixteen, twenty, ten steel flowers on Lam Ha land.

• Ngu Thuy Women's Artillery Company

In 1965, due to continuous defeats on the southern battlefield, the US imperialists expanded the war to attack the North. Quang Binh - the bridge between the southern battlefield and the northern rear, suffered countless bombs and bullets from the enemy.

On average, each Ngu Thuy resident (Le Thuy district, Quang Binh) had to endure over 130 bombs and bullets of all kinds. On November 20, 1967, Quang Binh Provincial Military Command decided to establish the Ngu Thuy Women's Artillery Company (abbreviated as Xe Gai). The company consisted of 3 platoons, with the task of defending the coast and intercepting American warships at sea, preventing them from approaching our country's waters. The weapons equipped for the company were 4 85mm cannons.

At first, the Company had 37 soldiers, all members of the fishing cooperative, aged from 16 to 22. The girls were small but achieved great victories.

The Ngu Thuy Women's Artillery Company at that time. (Source: Quang Binh Province Electronic Information Portal)

February 7, 1968 was a historic milestone marking the first victory of the "Xê Gái" Company. With only 48 bullets, the gunners hit the US warship numbered 013.

Ms. Ngo Thi Thoi - Political Commissar of the Company recalled that when the target was only 13km away, the Company received the order to fire from Company Commander The, simultaneously firing 4 shots (16 rounds) at the enemy ship. When the first shot was fired, the enemy had discovered our position, they ordered the warships to fire cannons, enemy planes dropped bombs from above, it was pitch black and we couldn't see anything. But all the women were still determined to stick to the battlefield and not leave the target, determined to make a victory right in the first battle.

After that victory, the unit continued to fight and achieved many more resounding victories in the battles: March 27, May 15, June 14, 1968 and May 5, June 19, July 14, July 29, 1972. Fighting tenaciously, many people were admitted to the Party right on the artillery platform. Many female gunners who were wounded were still determined to stay on the battlefield, fighting side by side with their comrades such as Tran Thi Cang, Nguyen Thi Be, Ngo Thi Mai...

During 10 years of continuous fighting (1967-1976), they achieved heroic feats. With their achievements, on August 25, 1970, the Company was honored as a Hero of the People's Armed Forces and awarded the Third Class Military Exploit Medal, the First Class Military Exploit Medal, and all 37 female artillerymen of Ngu Thuy were awarded the title of Hero.

Ngu Thuy Artillery Women's Company at the monument to honor their achievements. (Source: Quang Binh Province Electronic Information Portal)

In particular, the Company was also honored to receive a letter of praise from Uncle Ho and his badge twice. After the country was completely unified, in 1977, the unit was disbanded, with a total of 91 soldiers.

In the South, after the Tet Offensive in 1968, many artillery teams were established in all the battlefields of the South. These were very special units - all female, under the district teams, with a compact organization from squad to company.

Although they are women, they specialize in using mortars, both as armed propaganda and as real combat units. What is special is that most of them are very young, some have just passed their teenage years. Many of them can only read and write, but when they shoot, they are very accurate, and when the enemy counterattacks, they remain calm and flexible in handling the situation...

• Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company

In the Southeast region, the Ben Cat Women's Artillery Team (Binh Duong) is famous for its ability to fight independently, coordinate, and also do a good job of serving combat, civil affairs, and enemy affairs.

The Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company was established in January 1968. From its establishment until the end of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the AK gun joined the Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company in combat, fighting independently and coordinating in more than 400 battles; breaking many operations, destroying strategic hamlets and enemy outposts, causing them heavy losses.

The AK gun of the Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company is kept at the Military Region 7 Museum. (Source: People's Army)

Typically, on October 20, 1972, on the way back to the base, the unit's marching formation was discovered by three enemy armed helicopters. They swooped down and fired at the unit's formation. Faced with this situation, under the command of the company's officers, the entire unit took advantage of the terrain and cover, arranged their battle formation, and used infantry guns to fight back simultaneously.

In the first volley, one helicopter was shot down on the spot, and two others fled. A moment later, the enemy gathered five more to attack. The women of the Ben Cat Artillery Company continued to fire back and shot down one more helicopter, while the rest fled.

With many outstanding achievements, in 1969, the Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company was awarded the title "Victory Unit of the Fortress."

On October 20, 1976, the Ben Cat Women's Artillery Company was honored to be awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

• Xuan Loc women's mortar team

The famous Dong Nai artillery team was formed from the Combat Support Platoon but is commonly known as the Xuan Loc mortar team.

Due to the development requirements of the armed forces of Xuan Loc district and to meet the reality of the battlefield, at the end of 1968, the mortar unit under the Xuan Loc District Military Command was established. The official name is the combat support team or Xuan Loc mortar team, but due to the characteristics of the majority of mortar team members being female, it is still called: Xuan Loc female mortar team.

According to veteran Do Thi Thuan (residing in Xuan Truong commune, Xuan Loc district), former Captain of the Xuan Loc Women's Mortar Team, in the first battle on March 12, 1969, 4 soldiers in the unit including Nghiep (Nguyen Hoang Nghiep, captain), Hong, Ngoc, Chan from Tan Phong base marched to Phu Binh hamlet, where the Saigon army's Police Department was located to study the battlefield. The terrain here was rough and rocky, difficult to travel, the Police Department was near people's houses, easy to be exposed, difficult to observe the target.

But when the four soldiers crawled close to the fence to investigate, the fence was only about 300m away from the target, with rocks underneath that could act as a barrier against enemy bullets. Immediately, the four soldiers brought out a 60mm mortar with 15 bullets and fired directly at the Saigon Military Police Department; killing the police chief and seriously injuring many others...

After the victory in the first battle, the team continued to gain many achievements in the following battles. In the battle to liberate Xuan Loc, the team was assigned to block and use artillery and mortars to support the main force and fight independently, destroying warehouses, bases, and war vehicles along Highway 1, the Cau Sap station area (today's Suoi Cat commune) and blocking the enemy from Binh Thuan; especially supporting and blocking the 2nd Airborne Brigade of the Saigon army landing from Long Khanh...

“

The women in the mortar team were commanders, gunners, loaders, medics and nurses. They always carried three weapons: AK rifles (slung across their backs), grenades on their hips and 82mm or 60mm mortars, fighting continuously to hold back the enemy.

“The women in the mortar team were commanders, gunners, loaders, medics and nurses. They always carried three weapons: AK rifles (slung across their backs), grenades on their hips and 82mm or 60mm mortars, fighting continuously to hold back the enemy. By 5:30 p.m. on April 9, 1975, Cau Sap post (Suoi Cat), Xuan Phu post (Ong Cung palace), and Ong Don crossroads were destroyed, opening the way for the liberation of Xuan Loc," veteran Do Thi Thuan recounted.

In the following days, the Xuan Loc Women's Mortar Team continued to fight, supporting our infantry to advance to liberate Long Khanh, opening the "steel door" of Xuan Loc (the town of Long Khanh province at that time - Long Khanh city today).

In nearly 7 years of fighting, the Xuan Loc Women's Mortar Team participated in 144 battles, of which 74 were independent operations, killing 771 Saigon army soldiers, 134 American soldiers (including 1 pilot); destroying and capturing many enemy weapons and war vehicles. The team also sadly bid farewell to many fallen comrades such as Ms. Thu, Mr. Nghiep and many other comrades.

• Long An Women's Artillery Team

In the Central and Southwestern regions, the Chau Thanh (Long An) Women's Artillery Team is famous with the familiar name "Long An Women's Artillery Team."

From a battery established on February 9, 1968 in Phu Ngai Tri commune, the team developed into 3 60mm mortar batteries with 30 all-female gunners, but was the terror of American bases on the "American destruction belt" in Long An.

In the memory of Ms. Truong Thi Hong Quan, Deputy Platoon Leader of the Long An Province Women's Artillery Team, the exploits of the Long An-Kien Tuong Women's Artillery Teams contributed to making the golden pages of history of the land of bravery and resilience where the whole people fought the enemy. Those were the battles against the American posts in Can Dot, Rach Kien belt, Binh Tinh, Hiep Thanh, which caused heavy losses to the enemy. Those were the artillery strikes that hit the Hau Nghia Provincial Governor's Palace, the attack on the airport that broke the enemy's sweep into Duc Lap.

Female gunners of the heroic Long An Women's Artillery Team. (Photo: Document)

In just 3 years, from 1968 to 1970, Long An female artillery fought 416 large and small battles in Duc Hoa, destroying dozens of tanks and thousands of American and puppet soldiers.

And in the 1968 Mau Than battle, together with his comrades, the Red Army Battery Captain poured dozens of shells and artillery shells into Tan Son Nhat airport.

In the southernmost region of the country, most districts of Ca Mau province have organized female artillery platoons and achieved remarkable results. Chau Thanh female artillery shot down a jet plane, killed dozens of enemies, and captured many weapons and military equipment; Dam Doi district female artillery platoon in the attack on Cha La fort, in 10 minutes of firing with 21 mortar rounds, completely destroyed an enemy security platoon.

Trang Bang Female Artillery Platoon (Photo taken by Tay Ninh Newspaper reporter at Trang Bang District Traditional House).

Although the Cai Nuoc female artillery team was established late (November 1972), after only 3 years, it organized 49 large and small battles, destroyed 2 security companies, 1 reconnaissance platoon, 125 enemies and participated with other units in the province in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975...

“The sisters told each other to practice every day to fight the enemy more accurately and effectively. Life and death were just a hair’s breadth apart. Fighting was like that, but living conditions were lacking and extremely harsh, sometimes the sisters could only bathe once every 2-3 days,” confided Ms. Nguyen Hong Thanh, political commissar of the Chau Thanh Women’s Artillery Platoon…

Trang Bang female artillery platoon participated in firing artillery at enemy targets during the resistance war against America. (Photo: Archive)

For them - the female gunners - the two words "independence" for the Fatherland have become the driving force that nothing can stop the seemingly weak steps of women.

In its history of fighting and growing, the Vietnam People's Army has achieved many resounding victories, firmly protecting the independence of the Fatherland. In that common achievement, there are contributions from heroic female gunners./.

Ca Mau Province's female artillery team practices combat skills in preparation for the liberation day on April 20, 1975 (Photo: Vo An Khanh/VNA)

Source: https://mega.vietnamplus.vn/doi-nu-phao-binh-nhung-bong-hoa-thep-anh-hung-6778.html