Half a century later: victories of peace in all aspects

Rewritten Article

Illustration by Trịnh Lập

By Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

It's been half a century, and the tale of the final moments of the war on April 30, 1975, has only been shared among our close-knit family. Like many other families in Việt Nam, ours had members scattered across the nation who found themselves on opposing sides.

This specific anecdote was relayed by our second cousin, a military engineer who was tasked with defending a bridge leading to Sài Gòn, now Hồ Chí Minh City. His task was to halt the Liberation forces from advancing. His team did their best, but as an engineer, he also tried to preserve the bridge for as long as possible.

On the other side, an advancing Liberation army unit was attempting to seize control of that same bridge. They could have bombed the Sài Gòn army's positions, but they chose not to.

This standoff continued until the troops on the southern end of the bridge heard the then-President Dương Văn Minh of the Republic of Việt Nam crying out for his troops to "lay down their weapons to save unnecessary further losses." They surrendered.

Our cousin later ended up in a re-education camp where he encountered the officer on the other side - now part of the winning side. To his surprise, the man was another military engineer, just like him. He told our cousin that he'd intentionally avoided destroying the bridge, hoping it would remain intact and serve the local population after the war.

The officer, in awe of the southern engineer's restraint, sought him out after the war. They never became friends or foes again, but the bridge they both risked their lives to save stayed intact and later served the community.

It may seem like a scene straight out of a war movie, but it's a real-life story, shared with no need to make himself look better by our southerner.

Their lives took different paths. They were never friends or enemies again, but the bridge they both risked their lives to save remained and later served the community.

Shared Mission after the War

Following the reunification, many southern soldiers enlisted in the new army and later joined the combined forces. They went on to battle the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, helping put an end to the genocide there.

Over 1,000 aircraft, including C-130 Hercules planes, and military materials remained intact at more than 200 southern airstrips and airports. Northern pilots were taken aback by the modernity of facilities such as Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, complete with double runways and well-equipped hangars.

In May 1975, the Sài Gòn Military Administration Committee broadcast a call for pilots and technicians to return to work. Over a thousand engineers responded and were then employed.

Retired Colonel Nguyễn Thanh Lâm, then a young second lieutenant of the Việt Nam People's Air Force, recalled hearing about a skilled engineer of the defunct Sài Gòn air force named Quân in a re-education camp. With his superior's blessing, he drove to Xuân Lộc, Đồng Nai, and invited Quân back to his team. Quân helped restore the C-130 aircraft for immediate use and also identified other southern engineers to join their ranks.

Former southern pilots and technicians also returned to Cần Thơ Airport. Many had years of experience and a genuine love for their careers. As tensions on the southwestern border with Cambodia grew, numerous former southern military personnel asked to serve in the new army.

Northern air force Colonel Nguyễn Văn Kháng, who took charge of Biên Hoà Airport, remembered that Nguyễn Thành Trung, a mutinous pilot from the Sài Gòn air force, spoke English – and he began teaching northern staff at night.

On May 27, 1975, the first successful flight by new Liberation pilots took place. Thirty-six northern pilots changed to flying new US aircraft within a month, astonishing their trainers.

Many former southern pilots candidly admitted they had flown bombing missions over areas controlled by the liberation force. Now, they wanted to help shield our fellow Vietnamese citizens from the Khmer Rouge.

Though still officially temporary staff, they ate, worked, and were treated by their northern counterparts as equals. Over time, they realized these former adversaries were just co-workers, sharing food, hardship, and the burden of national duty.

Ready for New Battles

The pay was meager, food was scarce, and life was tough. Northern soldiers, many with no southern families, often shared their rations with those supporting dependents. They smoked the same cigarettes, drank the same water, and rested on the same straw mats – seemingly as though they had never stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.

With the threat of another war looming on the horizon, they stood together.

Colonel Lê Hải of the new air force battalion said they managed to accomplish their missions thanks to support from southern technical staff. Retired now, he hopes to meet them again and remember those days.

Colonel Nguyễn Văn Bảy, commander of Air Regiment 937, recalled that they took over 200 aircraft, 500 vehicles, and undamaged depots and runways. But there were only six pilots in the Quyết Thắng Brigade – each now responsible for 33 aircraft. Former southern air force staff were enlisted to help train new northern pilots. After just 10 days of joint training, the new teams were operational on American A-37 aircraft.

By June 1975, the regiment could conduct 40-50 flights daily. For five years, no significant accidents occurred due to careful training and collaboration between northern and southern staff.

By late 1977, as tensions with the Khmer Rouge grew, "No one shall touch Việt Nam" became the shared motto. On the eve of National Day, September 2, 1977, Khmer Rouge forces attacked An Giang Province. An airlift was organized to transport 70,000 soldiers and equipment to the border.

By the end of 1977 and into 1978, more wounded soldiers required immediate treatment. In January 1978, the first flight of 39 injured troops was successfully evacuated to Hà Nội. By the end of the year, over 8,000 had been flown north for treatment.

At the upcoming military parade in Hồ Chí Minh City on April 30, we hope to see some of these men – united in hardship and national mission – representing the resilience and brotherhood forged during one of the hardest times in our history. VNS.

Insights:

Illustration by Trịnh Lập

The post-Vietnam War era marked the collaboration of former adversaries from North and South Vietnam in a unified military force, particularly against the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Southern technical experts were actively recruited by northern commanders, demonstrating the importance of operational necessity over past divisions.
Former South Vietnamese soldiers, like engineer Quân, transitioned into the new national army and played a key role in maintaining captured U.S. equipment while northern commanders provided operational leadership against the Khmer Rouge.
This collaboration proved vital in offsetting an immediate threat and also strengthened the post-war Vietnamese military’s cohesion. The shared mission in Cambodia not only neutralized the Khmer Rouge but also fostered unity among the Vietnamese forces. [1]

The tale of the final moments of the war on April 30, 1975, was shared among families, including those with members scattered across Vietnam who found themselves on opposing sides.
Our second cousin, a military engineer, was tasked with defending a bridge during the war and tried to preserve it for the local population after the war.
Another military engineer from the advancing Liberation army intentionally avoided destroying the same bridge, hoping it would remain intact.
The standoff continued until the troops on the southern end of the bridge heard the then-President Duong Van Minh calling for his troops to surrender.
Following the reunification, many southern soldiers enlisted in the new army and helped put an end to the genocide in Cambodia by battling the Khmer Rouge.
Retired Colonel Nguyen Thanh Lam invited a skilled engineer of the defunct Saigon air force named Quan back to his team to restore C-130 aircraft for immediate use.
The officer who led the Liberation army was astonished by the modernity of facilities like Tan Son Nhat Airport, complete with double runways and well-equipped hangars.
Former southern pilots and technicians at Cao Lanh Airport shared food, hardship, and the burden of national duty with their northern counterparts despite having flown bombing missions over areas controlled by the liberation force.