As part of the commemorative activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, Ca Mau Province solemnly held a ceremony on the evening of April 24 to receive a certificate recognising the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea’s launch site (Vam Lung Wharf – Ca Mau Province) as a Special National Monument.
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The ceremony to receive the Special National Monument Certificate for the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea. (Photo: NDO) |
Before the ceremony, leaders from the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Council, the People's Committee, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ca Mau offered flowers and incense at the Vam Lung Wharf Historic Site in Ngoc Hien District, Ca Mau.
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Ca Mau provincial leaders offer incense and flowers in tribute to revolutionary soldiers at sea at Vam Lung on the afternoon of April 24. (Photo: NDO) |
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Nguyen Ho Hai, Secretary of the Ca Mau Party Committee, along with other provincial leaders, pay tribute at the monument complex dedicated to the “no-number” ship fleet at Vam Lung Wharf. (Photo: NDO) |
At the ceremony, Nguyen Minh Luan, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, delivered a speech recounting the tradition of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea — a military supply route that crossed the East Sea (South China Sea), which was one of the brilliant strategies devised by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh to secretly transport weapons and personnel from the north to support the Liberation Army in the south during the resistance war against the US.
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Nguyen Minh Luan (second from left), Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee, receives the Special National Monument Certificate for the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea |
Faced with the demands of the Southern revolution and the urgent need to reinforce battlefronts, on October 23, 1961, after careful preparation, the General Command issued a decision to establish Military Transport Unit 759 — the predecessor of today’s Naval Brigade 125 — to launch the strategic transport route known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea.
The “no-number” ships operated along this legendary route for 14 years (from 1961 to April 30, 1975), successfully transporting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of weapons, with more than 80,000 trips by officers, soldiers, and senior leaders of the Party and military to the south and back, promptly reinforcing leadership and command forces on southern battlefields.
In Ca Mau, the “no-number” ship fleet is associated with Vam Lung Wharf. On October 11, 1962, the first unnumbered wooden vessel, named Phuong Dong 1 and commanded by Captain Le Van Mot and Political Commissar Bong Van Dia, departed from K-15 Wharf in Do Son (Hai Phong) carrying 30 tonnes of weapons, which were safely delivered to Vam Lung Wharf, officially opening the legendary sea route. Between 1962 and 1970, the Vam Lung Wharf cluster received 75 ships with over 4,400 tonnes of weapons and equipment for the southern front.
On November 10, 2010, Vam Lung Wharf was recognised as a National Historical and Cultural Site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Along the transport route, 12 collectives and 15 individuals were awarded the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces, including Naval Brigade 125, which received the title twice.
In recognition of the historical importance and immense contributions of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, on November 26, 2024, the prime Mminister issued Decision No. 1473/QD-TTg to designate the “Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea” as a Special National Monument, including the Vam Lung site in Ca Mau Province.
According to Nguyen Minh Luan, the designation of the Ho Chi Minh Trail at Sea, including the Vam Lung site, as a Special National Monument is a great honour for the Party Committee, government, and people of Ca Mau. This is also the first site in the province to have been recognised as a Special National Monument.
