Each historical mark in Ba Long is not only a testament to a heroic resistance period but also reflects the deep connection between the people and the revolution, thereby nurturing the aspiration to rise up and build a prosperous future.
The road to Ba Long Safe Zone (in the old Dakrong district) no longer requires taking a boat up the Thach Han River from Tram Dam like before. From Km41 National Highway 9, follow Provincial Road 588A for nearly 20km more to reach the center of the old Ba Long war zone.
Shelter and support the Revolution
In Ba Long, almost every family followed the revolution. Veteran Nguyen Hong Nam, 94 years old, from Da Noi village, was a soldier of the Quang Tri Provincial Military Command and joined the revolution from the Ba Long war zone.
He said that in early 1947, the French colonialists stepped up their attacks and occupied many important areas of the province. The Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee decided to withdraw all its forces to Ba Long to continue leading the resistance. On April 14, 1947, the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee held a meeting and decided to choose the land west of Trieu Phong, Hai Hang, from Hon Linh, Boc Lo, through Khe Su, Khe Cau, Ba Long, extending down to Bong, Hai Dao to build the revolutionary base of Ba Long war zone.
The rugged terrain made Ba Long the center of resistance leadership, the stationing place of the Party agency, the Provincial Resistance Administrative Committee, organizations, main force troops, weapons factories... Here, the Quang Tri Provincial Party Congresses took place, transmitting orders and instructions from the Central and the province to soldiers and people, which was the decisive factor in victories.
Promoting its special position, Ba Long became a safe stop for Party leaders and delegations of cadres from the inter-zones going north and south. Typical examples include comrade Le Duc Tho's delegation stopping at Ba Long in 1949, comrade Pham Van Dong's delegation arriving at the war zone in 1951, and comrade Le Duan stopping at the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee office located in Ba Long in 1952 to direct the resistance.
During the 9 years of resistance against French colonialism, Ba Long was both a war zone of Quang Tri and a cradle of literature and art. The boats going up and down the Thach Han River, every night carrying cadres and transporting logistics for the resistance to Ba Long, became familiar to the soldiers and people here.
After 1954, with its important strategic position, Ba Long always witnessed fierce confrontations between the revolution and the army of the old southern government. Implementing the Resolution of the 15th Central Conference in 1959 of the Central Executive Committee on the revolutionary line in the south, on October 10, 1965, Regiment 6 was established in Khe Su, Ba Long commune. This was the first mobile main force unit at the regimental level of the Tri Thien-Hue Military Region, marking a turning point in the development of the main force and the scale of operations on the battlefield.
Worrying about Ba Long
When the country was at peace, Ba Long faced many difficulties and challenges. Ba Long could not be left poor. Secretary of the Ba Long Commune Party Committee Tran Van Chay recalled that with an investment capital of more than 4 billion VND, since 2000, electricity had reached every house, and the old Ba Long war zone had never been so crowded and bustling.
After the electricity was available, the Domestic Water and Environmental Sanitation Program was deployed to provide domestic water that meets standards for more than 80% of the commune's population. Then came the concrete bridges across the Ba Long River and a 12km long road, connecting Km41 of National Highway 9 to the north bank of Ba Long Bridge, which was paved. The south bank also formed a fairly wide road for cars to reach the commune center. Many children in the area passed the entrance exams to prestigious universities, graduated, and were recruited to work in state agencies. For example, the family of veteran Nguyen Hong Nam and his wife has 7 children, 5 of whom are state officials.
In the hearts of the people of Ba Long as well as the veterans of Regiment 6, the painful memories of the battle on October 19, 1965 in Ba Long will never be forgotten, 53 soldiers of Regiment 6 fought, sacrificed, then were buried by the army of the former southern regime, and their remains have only now been found. The wish for a temple to honor and commemorate the heroic martyrs of Regiment 6 was mobilized by Mr. Nguyen Duc Dung, a former veteran of the regiment, former Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Quang Tri province, and was completed a few years ago in Khe Su, Ta Lang village. On the day the temple was inaugurated and recognized as a provincial historical relic, the people of the former war zone were excited and moved.
Entering Ba Long today, at the foot of the high mountains overlapping each other is a wide, fertile valley extending to the river bank. Fields of corn, peanuts, and green beans weave a green color that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The future is opening up before Ba Long with much trust and hope. According to Secretary of the Ba Long Commune Party Committee Tran Van Chay, this revolutionary land needs large investments, exploiting historical, cultural and agricultural resources for development. Mr. Chay pointed to Provincial Road 588A, saying that the provincial road can no longer meet the demand for transporting goods, leading to low prices for agricultural products.
Along with that, many historical relics, although preserved and restored, have not yet become tourist destinations due to lack of uniformity. Mr. Chay is determined to soon complete the general planning and detailed planning of the new commune to submit to competent authorities for approval, as a basis for the continuous direction of the Party Committee and the government. Ba Long will develop, with agriculture as its strength, forming large-scale model fields, specialized production to create high-quality products.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/khat-vong-ba-long-post895075.html
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