Historical relic of Truong Son Martyrs Memorial Temple Long Dai Ferry

Long Dai Ferry Terminal is located in Long Dai village, Hien Ninh commune (North bank), Xuan Duc village, Xuan Ninh commune (South bank), Quang Ninh district, Quang Binh province; now located at Km 1004 + 810 on the Ho Chi Minh trail, the eastern branch of Truong Son. Long Dai Ferry Terminal is a fire coordinate during the war against the US to save the country. The ferry terminal is one of the most fierce and important river crossing points on the Truong Son trail, often bombed by crazy planes in the years 1965-1972. The US imperialists carried out a war of destruction in the ferry terminal area in order to prevent the North from supporting the Southern battlefield.

See more: Monuments and scenic spots of Quang Binh

Looking at the Thong Nhat railway bridge spanning the Long Dai river with a length of 178m (the longest in Southeast Asia in the 70s of the 20th century) and the Long Dai Dong Truong Son bridge running parallel to each other like a big dragon crossing the river, those who experienced a time of bombs and bullets here and the people of Quang Ninh district could not help but recall the years of fighting against the US to save the country that left deep traces. Before 1965, Long Dai ferry was located on National Highway 15A, managed by the Quang Binh Provincial Department of Transport. In 1965, the US imperialists escalated their bombing of the North.

Quan Hau ferry on Highway 1 and Long Dai ferry on Highway 15A, both located in Quang Ninh district, became the focus of fierce bombing by American aircraft. The two ferry terminals were handed over to Quang Binh Provincial Military Command to serve transportation during the war. The war was getting fiercer and fiercer. The demand for support on the battlefield was increasing.

Long Dai ferry was assigned to Group 500 of the General Department of Forward Logistics. The C16 engineering unit under the 16th Military Station, Group 500, held out day and night and made outstanding achievements, ensuring timely traffic and wharf access to support the Southern battlefield. The great honor was that on June 18, 1969, the C16 Long Dai ferry engineering unit was awarded the title of Heroic Unit of the People’s Armed Forces by President Ho Chi Minh.

The C16 Long Dai Ferry Engineer Unit continued to hold the ferry and the pontoon bridge to open the port throughout the war until the Long Dai railway bridge on the Thong Nhat railway line was opened. Dozens of brave C16 officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives and were injured while on duty; some had to hold memorial services before boarding the canoe. Many of the unit’s achievements, stories, and people were cited by many newspapers as examples for learning. Therefore, C16 was awarded many Military Exploit and Military Exploit medals for the collective and individuals.

To open the ferry, open the route both on the river and on land on both sides of the key point, many units with many types of troops of the combined arms at the key point of Long Dai ferry bravely fought and served the battle with the slogan “All for the front line! All for the beloved South!” and “Each ferry trip is a feat contributing to the liberation of the South and the unification of the country!” Both banks of Long Dai are an air defense system with high-, medium-, and low-range fire nets of the main force and militia and guerrillas on duty day and night to fight back enemy aircraft, protecting the ferry terminal, a vital traffic artery on strategic route 15A, part of the Truong Son – Ho Chi Minh road system.

The 12.7mm female platoon on duty in Xuan Ninh commune shot down an American plane on the south bank of the ferry and was awarded a badge by Uncle Ho. To the north, there is ferry terminal 1 near the railway bridge; ferry terminal 2 is 100m down a low hill, on the remains of the ferry terminal during the French colonial period. At ferry terminal 2, there is a mark of the heroic sacrifice of 16 C130 Youth Volunteer martyrs from Kien Xuong district, Thai Binh province. They were 17 or 20 years old, left their hometown to volunteer to open route 18 of the Truong Son – Ho Chi Minh route system from April 1971, serving the South-Laos campaign.

In July 1972, the enemy fiercely attacked Long Dai ferry and Highway 15A. The youth volunteer unit of Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province was carpet-bombed by the American invaders, causing heavy casualties and forcing the unit to move to the rear to consolidate its forces.

Unit C130 was mobilized to station and stand by here, along with soldiers and engineers, to promptly clear the route. On September 19, 1972, Unit C130 was on a rescue mission at the ferry terminal on both banks of North Long Dai, to clear the route. American aircraft came and hit the bunker of the brothers and sisters next to the terminal. 15 brothers and sisters (7 women, 8 men) were killed. On September 23, 1972, a comrade in the unit was killed at the terminal. The people of Long Dai village still remember the names of each person who died.

Long Dai Ferry – National Historical Relic

Long Dai ferry is a national monument recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Information since 1986. The feats of arms and sacrifices of hundreds of soldiers from units in the combined arms to open the route at this important point deserve to be carved into a victory monument! A temple should be built there to pay homage to the fallen soldiers and martyrs at the heroic Long Dai ferry.

With gratitude for “Truong Son Love”, Saigon Giai Phong Newspaper and sponsors have supported the fund. The Provincial Youth Union was assigned to be the project owner to build a martyrs’ temple, gratitude tower, bell tower and memorial stele in a cluster of nearly 20 items on an area of ​​​​12 hectares on both sides of Long Dai ferry.

Along with the above task, the Provincial Youth Union has proactively mobilized funding and presided over the construction of the Memorial House for 16 Youth Volunteers who sacrificed their lives at Long Dai ferry. The inauguration ceremony of the Memorial House was held on December 21, 2012, on the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People’s Army, the National Defense Day and the “40th anniversary of the victory of Hanoi – Dien Bien Phu in the air”.

A place of gratitude on the legendary Truong Son road

The heroic sacrifice of the young volunteers to open the route has been recognized by the Party and the State. Today, the Long Dai Ferry Relic Complex and the Truong Son Martyrs Memorial Temple are a destination for the young generation to pay their gratitude and are a “red address” in the historical relic system of the Truong Son Road for tourists to visit and offer incense when traveling on the East branch of the Ho Chi Minh Road when coming to Quang Binh.

Currently, many relics in the South of Quang Binh province along with famous landscapes create an attractive tourism chain of Quang Binh. Traveling on the legendary Ho Chi Minh road, offering incense at the historical relics of Long Dai ferry, road 10, A72 Information Station, General Cave, Cha Loi Cave, Love Valley, Cold Water Stream and Bang Stream create attractive destinations for Quang Binh tourism.

See more: Quang Binh tour