A scientific seminar was recently organized by the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee and the High Command of Military Region 9, the High Command of the Navy Region 2, and the Brigade 125 to mark the 60th anniversary of opening the Ho Chi Minh sea trail, unnumbered naval ships and 75 years since conducting the first trip across the sea.
The delegates at the seminar (Photo: baodongkhoi.vn)
Speaking at the opening of the seminar, Chairman of the Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tam said that 75 years ago, during the resistance war against the French colonialists, from Thanh Phong coastal commune of Thanh Phu district, under the direction of the Party Committee of the region, the Ben Tre Provincial Party Committee successfully organized the first sea-crossing trip to take cadres of Zone 8 to the North to report to the Party Central Committee (PCC) and President Ho Chi Minh about the situation of the resistance war in the South, as well as ask the PCC to support the South with weapons.
By mid-1946, according to the direction of the PCC, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh, as the captain of the unnumbered naval ship, crossed the sea from Phu Yen province to bring the first military shipment from the North to Ben Tre in mid-December 1946 to hand over to Zone 8.
Although there are no historical documents confirming that the sea-crossing trip contributed to forming the basis for the PCC to set out the policy of opening the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea in the resistance war against the US imperialists, the historical fact shows that this trip opened the way to transport and supply weapons from the North to the southern battlefield.
This event is remembered with pride, demonstrating the pioneering and creative spirit of opening the trail and wharf to bring weapons from the north to the south of the Party Committee, army and people of Ben Tre province in the early days of the resistance war against the French colonialists.
Generally, from 1961 to April 1975, the Ho Chi Minh sea trail arranged 1,355 arrivals of ships to the wharfs of Zone 5, Zone 8 and Zone 9, with 99,827 tons of weapons, bullets and goods, along with more than 30,000 cadres and soldiers supporting the army and people in the South, to fight the US.
From June 1963 to April 30, 1975, Ben Tre Wharf received and transshipped 28 arrivals of ships with 1,386 tons of weapons, bullets and goods to the battlefields. With the contributions, on November 22, 2011, Unit A101 of Ben Tre Wharf was awarded the noble title Hero of the People's Armed Forces.
The seminar focused on clarifying and affirming that the opening of the Ho Chi Minh trail at sea is the correct and creative guideline of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh; the legendary Ho Chi Minh sea trail - historical values and lessons; Ben Tre pioneered in paving the way and wharfs of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail and promoting the value of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail in building and defending the Fatherland today and orienting to develop Ben Tre province to the east.
At the seminar, many delegates delivered presentations on the values and significance of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail.
The Ho Chi Minh sea trail helped to provide weapons, importantly contributing to the overall victory of the resistance war against the US imperialists and protecting the country. Continuing to promote the pioneering spirit, Ben Tre province has exploited the potential and advantages of the marine economy, creating a strong impetus to move forward and build the province to be richer and more beautiful./.
BTA