Scientific Conference marks the 60th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea: Historical miracle, valuable lessons for the cause of national construction and defense.

Panorama of the conference

(HPDT)- An online scientific conference themed “Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea – Historical miracle and valuable lesson for the cause of national construction and defense” which was hosted by the Ministry of National Defense in cooperation with the Central Propaganda and Training Commission and Hai Phong city was held on the morning of October 19^th. The conference was held online with the main broadcasting point at Hai Phong Convention Center and connected up to 26 locations with the participation of more than 700 delegates from central agencies as well as provinces, cities and all-army agencies.

General Pham Van Tra - Former Politburo Member, Former Minister of Defense; Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan – Former Politburo Member, Former Chairman of the General Department of Politics; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Training Commission attended the conference.

The conference’s presidium chairing at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong city

The Presidium who chaired the conference at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong city including: Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Tran Luu Quang - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Head of the Hai Phong National Assembly Deputies Delegation; Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics; Lieutenant General Nguyen Quang Ngoc - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Military Region 3; Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy; Major General Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nhien - Director of the Vietnam Military History Institute.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Thanh - Former Member of the Party Central Committee, Former Deputy Minister of Public Security, Vice Chairman of the Central Council of Theoretical Studies; Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hong Huong - Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Veterans Association; Lieutenant General Phung Sy Tan - Deputy Chief of the General Staff attended at the main broadcasting point.

Participants at the main broadcasting location in Hai Phong

From Hai Phong, Mr. Nguyen Van Tung - Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee, Mr. Do Manh Hien, Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Mr. Pham Van Lap - Chairman of the City People's Council; Mr. Cao Xuan Lien, Chairman of the City Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee represented the city leadership to attend the conference.

Participants at the main broadcasting location in Hai Phong

Ho Chi Minh Road on the sea - shining symbol of patriotism, willpower and determination for liberation

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh affirmed that: 60 years ago, together with the Ben Tre Dong Khoi movement, the revolutionary movements of the southern delta provinces had changed strongly and spread widely. In order to meet the requirements of transporting weapons and supplies for the Southern and South Central battlefields, on October 23, 1961, the Ministry of Defence decided to establish Mission 759 which was tasked at supplying the battlefield by sea. The birth of Mission 759 exemplified strategic vision and creativity by the Politburo, particularly the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence, marked a significant milestone in the history, opening a new development of a strategic shipping route to support the Southern battlefield. Annually, October 23^rd becomes both the traditional day of Mission 759 (the present-day Brigade 125 under the Command of the Naval Region 2 of Vietnam People’s Navy) and the inaugural day of the Ho Chi Minh sea trail.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense delivering the opening speech.

Panorama of the conference

The Ho Chi Minh Road on the sea with the glorious feats of the Navy and the people of the coastal provinces where the route passed is seen as a highlight in the national history as a miracle with its great stature, significance and valuable lessons that has still been valid in the national construction and defense of Vietnam today.

Participants at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong

Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea has been one of the outstanding inventions of our Party and President Ho Chi Minh in the resistance war against America for liberation. From that exact policy, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense and the General Command directed agencies and departments to implement with the highest spirit and determination to overcome all difficulties, challenges and hardships to clear the route and transport weapons to the strategic areas which were far from the Northern Rear. It was really a miracle under the poor conditions of people and means, especially when we had to overcome the enemy's obstruction and drastic raid.

With the determination of “All for the beloved South, all for defeating the US invaders”, the cadres and soldiers of Mission 759 - Brigade 125 always determined to brave death for the survival of the fatherland. In order to overcome stormy journeys and the enemy's eyes and ears, it was not only necessary to be brave and courageous, but also to be very clever and creative. We had to keep thinking of opening new routes and modes of transportation when the enemy found one. For many years, the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea was a theater of combined-arms battles, a fierce struggle between the Vietnamese revolutionary troops and the enemy. And in the end, the victory belonged to the struggle of the Vietnamese army and people for national independence, freedom, peace and national reunification.

Hai Phong is proud to be the origin of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Tran Luu Quang - Secretary of the City Party Committee emphasized that with a strategic position, Hai Phong is located in a strategic defense area of ​​Military Region 3, a solid shield of the capital Hanoi. During the war against the US, with the position of the largest seaport city in the North, Hai Phong was the place to receive most of the international aid and the starting place of the ships without number and the starting point of Ho Chi Minh Trail - a legendary route on the sea connecting the great rear of the North with the great front line of the South. The scientific conference on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the opening of Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea is a precious opportunity to review the heroic tradition of the heroic Vietnamese People's Army, the tradition of a “brave and determined to win” port city. Being proud to be the starting point of the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail on the sea, inheriting and promoting the glorious revolutionary tradition of the “brave and determined to win” port city, over the years, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Hai Phong city has always been keeping up the solidarity, overcoming the difficulties, and striving to gain many important achievements in the fields of economy – society and defense - security.

Mr. Tran Luu Quang, Member of the Central Party Committee, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Deputies’ Delegation speaking at the conference

Participants at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong

Participants at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong

Speech by Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics

Further elucidate historical values, theoretical and practical lessons to apply in the cause of national construction and defense.

The scientific conference’s organizing committee received nearly 90 presentations from leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Ministry of National Defense, central and local ministries and departments, military zones, corps, armed forces, academies, research institutes, historical witnesses and scientists inside and outside the military…

Speaking at the conference, General Pham Van Tra, former Minister of National Defense mentioned the great historical values of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea, the great hardships and sacrifices of the cadres and soldiers of the “Ship without number" which marking a milestone in the national history. He also highly appreciated the significance of the conference in educating and promoting patriotic revolutionary traditions to the young generation today and in the future for the cause of national construction and defense.

General Pham Van Tra, former Politburo member, former Defense Minister delivering a speech at the conference.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Quang Ngoc, Commander of the Third Military Region speaking at the conference.

At the conference, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Danh Tien, Director of the Institute of Party History, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics made a presentation on "Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea - strategic vision of the Party"; Colonel Bui Tu - former reporter of Ship 676, former Political Commissar of Naval Region 1 recounted the journeys on the "ship without number" with many difficulties and dangers but full of courage, ingenuity, and willingness to sacrifice of the cadres and soldiers; Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Bong - Political Commissar of the Navy delivering a speech on promoting the creative spirit, willingness and determination of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea in the present cause of protecting sovereignty over seas and islands; Lieutenant General Nguyen Quang Ngoc - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Third Military Region highlighted the significance and profound lessons of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea in the construction of the Military Region 3; Major General Nguyen Van Gau - Member of the Party Central Committee, Political Commissar of Military Region 9 highlighted the historical values ​​of the strategic maritime shipping route for the battlefields of the Mekong Delta in the resistance war against the US and national salvation; Ms. Dao Khanh Ha - Head of the Propaganda Department of Hai Phong City Party Committee made a presentation on promoting the great spiritual value of Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea’s starting point in educating today’s young generation...

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Danh Tien, Director of the Institute of Party History (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics) speaking at the conference.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Bong, Political Commissar of the Navy, speaking at the conference

Major General Cao Phi Hung, Deputy Commander of Military Region 5 speaking at the conference

Colonel Bui Tu, former reporter of the ship 676, former Political Commissar of Region 1 of the Navy recounting his memories at the conference

Major General Nguyen Truong Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of Military Region 7 speaking at the conference

Major General Nguyen Van Gau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Political Commissar of Military Zone 9 speaking at the conference

Ms. Dao Khanh Ha, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Head of the Propaganda Department of the City Party Committee speaking at the conference.

Participants meeting on the sidelines of the conference at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong city.

Participants meeting on the sidelines of the conference at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong city.

Participants at the main broadcasting point in Hai Phong

To summarize the scientific conference, Major General, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nhien - Director of the Vietnam Military History Institute stated that each presentation had deeply analyzed and interpreted each specific content, elucidated more historical value, theoretical and practical issues. The presentations had provided many new arguments, focused on analyzing, deepening and concretizing the valuable lessons of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea.

Major General, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nhien, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Military History (Ministry of National Defense) speaking at the conference

Speaking at the closing of the seminar, Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Le Huy Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense once again stressed that Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea is such an strategic initiate of our Party led by President Ho Chi Minh which made a national miracle and became one of the factors to contribute to the victory in the resistance war against the US to save the nation. The process of construction, operation and contributions of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea have demonstrated the initiative and sensitivity of the Central Military Commission, the General Command, and the Ministry of National Defense, reflected the resilient and indomitable will, intelligence, braveness, aspiration for independence, freedom, peace, and reunification of our army and people. From here, many historical lessons and experiences on strategic direction, unique development of military art of the Vietnamese revolutionary war have been summed up with profound historical and realistic value to apply to the Vietnamese cause of national construction and defense in the current period.

Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Le Huy Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defense delivering closing speech.

The conference’s success contributed to affirm the great historical value of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea to the entire Party, army and people, thereby highlighting historical experiences and lessons to be continuously researched and made use of in new conditions and circumstances. This will contribute to building the Vietnamese People's Army to be revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern which is worthy of being the core force and successfully implements the cause of national construction and defense. Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh suggested that, on the basis of research materials at the conference, the departments, agencies, institutes and schools in the whole army should promote the propaganda and education in order to fully and deeply realize the research materials in practice.