Sa Lon is called according to the Vietnamese transcription, and the French transcribed it into Latin as Saloun. Regarding the meaning of the name, the K'Ho elders in Dong Giang commune explained: Sa Lon means "Mother stream", "stream winding like a dragon".
Sa Lon Base is nestled in the undulating mountains, creating a wild and majestic natural landscape. Red dirt trails wind around the hillsides, winding through dense forests. Sa Lon stream flows babblingly, winding through gray, moldy rocks, the stream water is clear as a mirror. The air here is strangely fresh and peaceful. The wind carries the scent of grass, of the old forest and a very special nostalgia. At the foot of the hill, the remains of the camp, the shelter, and the Hoang Cam kitchen covered with moss are like silent witnesses, telling the story of a glorious and heroic time of those who "kept the green forest to fight the enemy".
The entrance to the monument today. |
Standing in the middle of the vast land of the Southern Truong Son Mountains, where the Sa Lon base is today, few people can imagine that more than half a century ago, this place had suffered the terrifying carpet bombings of the US Air Force's B-52 "flying fortresses". The sound of the bombs exploding, reverberating all the way to Phan Thiet at that time! But Sa Lon still stood firm and fought steadfastly until the day the South was liberated and the country was unified.
During the period 1954 - 1975, the old Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee established its base in Sa Lon three times: from December 1954 to June 1957, from mid-1961 to December 1964, and from September 1968 to August 1970. Here, many important historical events took place such as: the Conference to establish the Liberation Front of South Vietnam in Binh Thuan province (October 1962), the 1st and 2nd Provincial Women's Union Congresses (1962, 1964), the 1st Provincial Emulation Fighters Congress (September 1964), and the 1st Provincial Party Congress during the resistance war against the US (July 1970).
In addition to the events taking place at Sa Lon, this is also where many units, agencies, and departments were established, located, and operated such as: Cao Thang Military Factory, Tran Phu Party School, Security Department, Finance and Logistics Department, Military Medical Department, Propaganda Department, Military Department, Station F5 (press distribution agency)...
Today, the Sa Lon base has been restored and recognized as a provincial historical relic. The relic site includes items such as shelters, halls, Hoang Cam kitchen, and memorial houses to preserve andeducate the revolutionary tradition for the younger generation. The revolutionary historical relic site has been restored and renovated but still retains traditional vestiges. In the memorial house, there are many valuable artifacts such as: homemade guns, mines, manual printers, military and militia equipment, production tools, etc. And many images recording the fighting and production activities of our army and people and the K'Ho ethnic group in the Dong Giang mountainous region.
Hoang Cam kitchen mark. |
During that trip back to the source, we had the opportunity to meet the veterans - those who lived, fought and were attached to the Salon base during the most fierce years of the resistance war against the US. They are now old, with gray hair, but their voices are still strong, their eyes still shining when talking about those unforgettable days. "Back then, the forest was very dense, American bombs were scattered like rain. One day, right after the meeting, artillery fire came, we had to split up and run into each crevice of the rocks, each bunker. But no one was afraid. Life and death were only a hair's breadth apart at that time, but the belief in the revolution, in tomorrow's peace of the country was the motivation for us to overcome everything" - a veteran recounted.
The road back to the base is no longer as dangerous as before, the roads are spacious and clear. The flagpole in the middle of the forest has been rebuilt, soaring high in the blue sky, below is a memorial stele engraved with the names of the fallen sons... We stood silently in the middle of the Sa Lon forest, letting the forest wind blow through, like a call from the past. It feels like we were touching every beat of the land, of the people, of the years that will never return but will forever live in the memory of the nation...
Hai Ho
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/du-lich/202507/sa-lon-dau-xua-bat-khuat-038108b/
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