On April 14th 1975, based on the Campaign Commander’s proposal and aspirations of nationwide people, soldiers, the Politburo decided to name the campaign liberating Saigon - Gia Dinh the Ho Chi Minh Campaign. It was a great honor for every Vietnamese people to join the campaign named after Uncle Ho and contribute to the historic triumph in spring 1975.
From 14 to 16th April 1975, Provincial Committee held a meeting of key leaders to disseminate army and people’s missions to coordinate with regular troops and fight on the liberating Saigon campaign. Missions were directly assigned to Secretaries of districts and town Party Committee.
The Provincial Committee directed to deploy all provincial forces involving armed forces, people, government and Party, discovered and under covered forces in collaboration with regular higher troops to capture objectives, wipe out the enemy and liberate completely the province.
Forces were deployed as following:
- Using force forces of the province, discovered and under covered guerrillas in collaboration with higher army to emancipate the province.
- Gathered forces of the province, districts occupied rural areas and towns
- Phu Loi 1 battalion’s duty was to lead the way for 320B Division to attack Saigon, then to invade Lai Thieu zone; 74 Company seized Bung areas.
- 2nd Battalion was supported firecrackers by 312 Division to liberate Binh My commune, then occupy Phu Loi zone and Thu Dau Mot town (objectives in town were important).
- 3rd Battalion (after formation) quickly cooperated with the 2nd Battalion in taking over the town.
- The Company of Sappers combined with Phu Chanh guerrillas to strike and emancipate Phu Chanh commune then move forward to the town.
- 73rd Company of Commando in collaboration with Di An teams invaded this zone and then came to Di An train depot.
- Forces of Chau Thanh district and guerrillas liberated Tan Phuoc, Binh Chuan commune and Chau Thanh military zone.
- Nam Ben Cat district deployed forces and coordinated with guerillas to free Tay Nam commune, towns and assisted regular troops to block the enemy to retreat from Lai Khe army base as well as to force the enemy to surrender.
- Di An, Lai Thieu, Nam Tan Uyen district joined with provincial army forces to attack towns, extend others objectives within the areas and ready to be mobile.
- As for Thu Dau Mot town, besides the armed forces, the Provincial Party Committee organized cadres into 7 spearheads sticking into hamlets along the town and mobilize people to rise up, seize power as soon as army forces attacked the town.
The Provincial Steering Committee decided to change the Steering committee of against encroachment command into Steering committee of town releasing command. Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Mr. Bui Xuan Thuan was in charge of Committee’s Head cum Commissar; Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party cum Head of provincial army Mr. Nguyen Van Huu undertook commander’s position. Mr. Tran Van Chau, member of Provincial Party, Deputy Head of provincial army, and some cadres, heads of sectors in the province, TDM town and Chau Thanh district were Steering Committee members.
According to the order of the Region Command, the province maneuver forces of 120 cadres in Lai Thieu, Chau Thanh, Ben Cat district, which were led by Mr. Huynh Tu, Deputy Head of provincial army, to guide the 1st Corps in order to conquer objectives and move forward to Saigon.
After the meeting, all of authorities supervised, speeded up the arrangement. Hundreds of cadres were organized into 11 delegations coming to TDM town and collaborating with Party committee of all levels to mobilize people in preparation for uprising.
Provincial army forces urgently prepared plans of battles and guide regular troops to objectives. Many armed teams of volunteer propaganda were established. People’s organizations, underground agents urged contact with military families to call their children back to families, food preparation, secret leaflets issuance, flags sewing, slogan writing… in order to revolt as soon as having orders. (To be continued)
(The History of Binh Duong province’s Party Committee)
