Ceremony marks 55th anniversary of legendary Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail

(Bqp.vn) - The Ministry of Defence held a ceremony in Hanoi on May 16 to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail and Traditional Day of Truong Son Soldiers (May 19, 1959-2014) and receive the State certificate recognising the route as a Special National Relic.

Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich addresses at the ceremony.

In his opening remark, head of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army, Senior Lieutenant General Ngo Xuan Lich recalled the glorious history of the Truong Son soldiers, young volunteers and people in building and maintaining the legendary Truong Son - Ho Chi Minh Trail.

He reiterated that on May 19, 1959, a special military mission with an initial 500 members was assigned the task of opening the route and transporting military supplies to assist the southern battlefield during the resistance war against the US aggressors.

From a liaison route, the trail was upgraded to support a transportation system that supplied manpower and materiel to the southern battlefield, contributing greatly to the historic victory of Vietnamese people to liberate the south and reunify the country.

Lich added that lessons from the construction and operation of the legendary road were invaluable assets of the nation and the glorious tradition of Uncle Ho's soldiers, marking a heroic and glorious page of the nation’s struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as in the cause of building and defending the country.

After liberation, units taking part in building the trail were re-organised to establish Multi-battalion 12, with the new task of undertaking the construction of hundreds of important infrastructure works that played a key role in socio-economic development and national defence and security.

Politburo member Le Hong Anh awards Military Exploits Order, first class to Multi-battalion 12.

Praising the great achievements of Truong Son soldiers and Multi-battalion 12, Politburo member Le Hong Anh, a standing member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, suggested officers and soldiers of the People's Army of Vietnam in general and the battalion in particular thoroughly grasp the Party and State’s policies and laws to build a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern people’s army, confirming its role as a loyal and reliable political, revolutionary and fighting force to the Party, State and people.

He urged the Multi-battalion 12 - Truong Son Construction Corporation to ensure its task of economic efficiency associated with effective political and social security and national defence, striving to build the company into a strong business that was highly competitive in the market environment and met the requirements of international economic integration.

At the ceremony, Politburo member Anh presented the Military Exploit Order, first class, to the army corps in recognition of its excellent contributions to national construction and defence.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam also handed over the Special National Relic certificate for Truong Son Trail to Multi-battalion 12 and representatives from the 11 provinces along the route.

Trung Kien (Source: Nhan Dan)