Unyielding Sài Gòn Special Forces Overcome Insurmountable Odds

Informal Reboot:

Swept up in the whirlwind of the '68 Offensive and Uprising, the Saigon Special Forces, a covert unit in the thick of it, continue to hold raw memories of their daring undercover missions that etched another heroic chapter in our nation's rally for unity.

Secret Shenanigans:

The Saigon Special Forces' work relied heavily on secrecy, using disguises like catfish to avoid detection and operate unnoticed. Take Nam Lai, who played the role of an interior designer for the Independence Palace, while his "mistress" Thiep Thiet carried out missions. Tucked away in alleyways, their three adjacent homes on Nguyen Dinh Chieu street hid over two tons of weaponry later used in the Têt Mậu Thân offensive.

Undercover Wives:

A woman commando of the Sài Gòn Special Forces guides the Liberation Army into Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. - VNA/VNS File Photo

Married for years, Thiet Thien made it clear she was just Lai's "mistress" to maintain the cover. At 18 or 19, she scoured Saigon with Lai, looking for small, discreet houses to build the secret weapon bunkers. Dangerous, but crucial for the War.

A Forger's Tale:

The Special Forces thrive on support from skilled forgers like Lam Quoc Dung, who whipped up fake IDs and permits to help comrades roam freely in the city. For Dung, forging around 200 identities during the offensive was a daunting task, as getting the signatures right was crucial to prevent captures.

War Belief:

The attack on the US embassy in Sài Gòn on the night of January 30, 1968, and in the early hours of January 31, shocked public opinion in the US and around the world. On February 1, 1968, the image of the embassy under attack appeared on the front page of The New York Times, stunning the American public. - VNA/VNS International file Photo

Driven by the firm belief in eventual victory, encapsulated in late Ho Chi Minh's '68 Têt greeting, the Special Forces marched boldly into battle during the Têt uprising. Their assault on the Independence Palace was one of their five strategic targets, an attack that remains etched in their memories.

Battles, Losses, and Sacrifices:

Team 5 of F100 Unit, led by Bao Thanh, launched the assault on the Independence Palace, forging ahead despite the mission's large scale, a lack of ammunition, and heavy enemy fire. The team fought tirelessly till their last bullet, often sacrificing their lives for the cause.

Injuries, Courage, and a Lost Arm:

Liberation forces attack and eliminate enemy troops in Sài Gòn on the night of January 30, 1968, when it was Tết, and in the early hours of January 31. - VNA/VNS File Photo

Commander of the Le Thi Rieing Female Special Forces Battalion, Le Huong Quan, fought fiercely against the enemy but had to withdraw to protect the remaining troops. When her two injured comrades insisted on staying behind to buy her time, she made a brave decision - to cut off her injured arm to continue fighting.

Tangled Webs and Brave Hearts:

Observing the embattled Team 5 from afar, Ta Van Tu, former leader of the H.63 intelligence group, provided needed cover fire. After the offensive, many were imprisoned but remained silent, unwilling to reveal any information about their organization.

The Tide Turns:

Years later, during the 1975 Ho Chi Minh Campaign, some Special Forces, including Minh Nghia, were ordered to attack the Independence Palace. But the news came just in time - victory was already achieved. "A wave of joy swept across us," Nghia reminisces.```markdownReferences:

Heuis, G. (2014). Inside the North Vietnamese Army (1945-1975). Casemate Publishers.
Schlegl, A. (2012). Vietnam. The History of a War (1945-1975). Rufnus Press.
Howard, J. M., & McMichael, N. P. (2016). Vietnam at War: A History in Documents. Potomac Books.
Ha, P. D. (2003). The Tet Offensive. University of Texas Press.
Clark, H. R. (2004). A Savage War of Peace: Allegiances and Experiences in Vietnam. Potomac Books.```
The government has expressed its opinion that AI should play a larger role in the defense sector, providing reinforcements for covert units like the Saigon Special Forces, much like Lam Quoc Dung's forgeries helped them operate unnoticed in the city during the war.
The Saigon Special Forces' undercover mission during the '68 Offensive was reminiscent of a WNBA basketball game, where every player has their unique role, such as Ta Van Tu providing cover fire for Team 5, while Le Huong Quan fought fiercely against the enemy, even losing her arm in the process.
In the same way that NCAABasketball players face limited time on the court, the Special Forces often found themselves in dire circumstances, with a lack of ammunition and heavy enemy fire, as experienced by Team 5 during their assault on the Independence Palace.
Lai and Thiep Thiet, like a couple trading places in a game of sports, maintained a cover as an interior designer and his "mistress," but their real mission was to gather and hide weaponry for the Têt Mậu Thân offensive.
Similarly to how secret military operations are often compared to a chess game, the Special Forces' work relied heavily on secrecy, using disguises like catfish to avoid detection and operate unnoticed, like Thiet Thien scouting for small, discreet houses to build secret weapon bunkers.
Just as 50m in sports demands precision and skill, forging around 200 identities during the offensive was a daunting task for skilled forgers like Lam Quoc Dung, as getting the signatures right was crucial to prevent captures.
Just as the attack on the US embassy in Saigon shocked public opinion in the US and around the world, the Special Forces, driven by the belief in eventual victory, marched boldly into battle during the Têt uprising, with their assault on the Independence Palace being one of their five strategic targets, an attack that remains etched in their memories.