Gratitude forever

These days, the entire Vietnamese people are bustling with joy to celebrate the reunification of the country 49 years ago. April 30, 1975 has gone down in history as a shining milestone of the 20th century. Nearly half a century has passed, the Independence Palace is still there and seems to have not changed much with the red flag with yellow star fluttering like a symbol of peace.

In the heart of every Vietnamese today, there is a stirring when looking back at the glorious history. Everyone has their own pride, both those who have experienced the war or their children and future generations, all share the pride in the achievements that their ancestors have achieved in the past arduous and fierce war.

As a person who once fought with a gun and witnessed the historic moment of April 30, Lieutenant General Pham Xuan The (born in 1947) - who was awarded many noble awards by the Party and State: Second Class Military Exploit Medal; First Class Military Exploit Medal; Second and Third Class Military Exploit Medal; First, Second and Third Class Liberation Soldier Medal... Title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces during the period of resistance against the US to save the country.

“We are grateful for the leadership of the Party and the State, and are moved to remember our comrades who fought with us and sacrificed their lives on the battlefields so that we could continue to grow and enjoy peace like today. It is truly an immense gratitude,” Mr. The told PV Doi Song va Phap Luat with an emotional and nostalgic voice.

In his conversation with us, the Lieutenant General repeatedly emphasized that he believes and hopes that the current and future generations will always appreciate the contributions of their predecessors, and appreciate the historical value that our entire nation has shed so much blood to regain the prosperity, unity, and independence we have today.

“I feel very proud of the leadership of the Party as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army during that war. The wise, timely and resolute leadership of the entire campaign command contributed to quickly ending the war to regain independence. I am proud of the sacrifices of my comrades to create that unforgettable moment,” Mr. The recalled with emotion.

At a historic moment for the entire nation, at 11:30 a.m. on April 30, 1975, the flag of the Liberation Army flew over the roof of the Independence Palace, marking the complete collapse of the US imperialists and their puppet regime in South Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Campaign was a complete victory, and Vietnam was unified. That was a great mark for the nation and also marked a special moment for him.

“When President Duong Van Minh said: “We know that the Liberation Army is attacking the inner city, we are waiting for the Liberation Army to come in to hand over”. In my natural reaction, I became serious and said loudly: “You are the losers, you were taken prisoner, you must declare unconditional surrender”… General The generously told the reporter.

After that, he and his comrades escorted Duong Van Minh to the Jeep to the radio station to announce his surrender. “In my mind, I only thought that the declaration of surrender needed to be announced on the radio to be broadcast widely. Because when we entered the Independence Palace, about 2-3 hours away, there was still a fierce battle at the Saigon bridgehead, many comrades had sacrificed. As long as President Duong Van Minh announced his surrender, his comrades fighting on other fronts would know, the enemy would also know and quickly end the war to save bloodshed on both sides,” Mr. The recalled.
And the war ended in joy for millions of people.

Hope the young generation actively cultivates virtue and talent

Over the years, General The often met his old comrades and went with them to look for them, because he was worried that many comrades were still at the edge of the forest and streams, lying on the battlefield without names or identities. But that was also what he regretted the most because the results of such searches were not really positive.

“There is only one history, but people who judge history have many different perspectives. I like the saying “Adding to history is inhumane, subtracting from history is unjust”. There are still people who do that, distorting history, and future generations will misunderstand. Therefore, I hope that history needs to be viewed correctly. I hope that the authorities will take strong action against those who deliberately distort the country's history, because distorted arguments will reduce the prestige of our nation's just war. We do not want to take up arms like the enemy forced us to take up arms”, the Lieutenant General pondered.

Mr. The also believes that to maintain peace, we must defend from afar, train good soldiers, build a strong army, have a strong economy, educate the army officers and soldiers in general and the younger generation as well as the people about cherishing peace. Because our peace does not come naturally, it is experienced from wars that have lasted for thousands of years, so we must always be vigilant, take precautions, have the right policies and guidelines to lead the people to unite, "top and bottom are of one mind, horizontal and vertical are clear" then we can overcome all difficulties.

Besides his concerns, Lieutenant General Pham Xuan The also had many messages for today's young generation. He said: "Training both health, knowledge, and modern weapons, but if the human spirit is not stable, the weapons will be useless. Virtue and talent must go hand in hand to create strength. No matter how good a commander is, if his character is not stable and he is shaken when facing difficulties, he will not be able to complete his mission and vice versa, if he is brave and reckless, but lacks knowledge and intelligence, he will not be effective in combat."

Thu Duong