Len Ha Cave

Len Ha Cave is located in Lu Lu mountain area, Ha village, Thanh Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province.

Len Ha Cave was the base of A69 Base Station, Company 9, Regiment 134 during the years of fighting against the destructive war of American imperialism.

• A72 Information Station

A69 Service Station was established on January 7, 1967, with a squad of three switchboards, a power squad, a line squad, and a logistics department. The total number of soldiers at first was 19, then gradually increased to 33.

Immediately after its establishment, the A69 Military Station chose Len Ha as its base. Len Ha is located in the western forest of Tuyen Hoa district, a commune bordering Laos, about 3km from the strategic route 15A. Len Ha is about 150m high, halfway up the cliff there is a stone cave about 420m2 wide, used by officers and soldiers to place telephone equipment; below the mountain is a dense forest that is easy to camouflage, used as a resting and living camp for officers and soldiers. Len Ha Cave is also a place to store equipment, machinery, and lines of Regiment 134; the strategic reserve of the Joint Information Corps regularly stores 700km of field-covered lines, ready to replace the lines on the North-South route when they are destroyed.

During the fighting, serving the fight against the war, sabotage of the US imperialists and supporting the battlefield, the A69 base station was always brave and resourceful, overcoming the enemy’s bombs and bullets to successfully complete the communication mission.

In early 1972, in order to save the military situation that was in danger of failure on the battlefield, the US imperialists were forced to change their strategy in a passive state, “Americanizing” the war again, recklessly climbing to the highest level of the war ladder. Their plot was to block the supply from outside into our country, from the North to the South, to destroy the rear of the resistance, and to weaken our military offensive on the battlefield.

As the direct rear of the 1972 strategic offensive campaign, Quang Binh became the enemy’s main strategic defense against our army’s offensive on the battlefield. Therefore, the enemy used a large force to attack Quang Binh first, massively destroying the entire frontline with great ferocity.

Standing tall in the face of bombs and bullets, the officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station still steadfastly held their ground, held on to the machines and wires to ensure smooth communication, closely coordinating with the 132nd Regiment, with the information forces of the various branches, arms, and corps to create a seamless information network from the rear to the front line; especially from the campaign command post to the combat units, actively contributing to the great victory of the Quang Tri campaign in 1972.

The joy of victory did not last long, on July 2, 1972, while the officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station were on duty, American imperialist aircraft suddenly arrived, firing smoke cannons into the Station’s dining hall to provide guidance. Less than 5 minutes later, two B52 aircraft flew in and dropped three bombs on both ends of the mountain and one in the middle of the hall. They then dropped flares, then incendiary bombs, causing the Station area to burn fiercely. The enemy’s attack lasted for 5 minutes, but caused extremely heavy damage and huge losses: the station in the cave was severely damaged, the cable network to the station and about 1,500m of power lines around the station area were broken and could not work. The most tragic thing was that 13 officers and soldiers of the Station were killed, including 10 very young female soldiers, and many soldiers were injured. A large area of the Station was destroyed by enemy bombs, causing great pain and loss to the A69 Service Station. But with the spirit of devoting all their efforts to the task of ensuring communications, the surviving officers and soldiers wiped away their tears, suppressed their grief, and threw themselves into their duties. After only one hour, the communications network was restored, the station was reinforced, and at the same time, the comrades took care of the wounded, found the bodies, and buried 13 of their comrades. They had fallen, dedicating their entire youth to the Fatherland, to the cause of liberating the South, and unifying the country.

They are:

1/ Dam Van Trinh – born in 1944, hometown in Dong Thanh, Kim Dong. Hung Yen:

2/ Duong Van Chan – born in 1946, hometown in Doai Coi, Trung Khanh, Cao Bang;

3/ Tran Van Xay – born in 1946, hometown in Ngo Quyen, Thanh Ba, Phu Tho

4/ Vu Thi Lan – born in 1950, hometown in Vu Tay. Vu Thu, Thai Binh,

5/ Bui Thi Lung – born in 1954, hometown in Kim Son, Kim Boi, Hoa Binh,

6/ Chu Thi Manh – born in 1956, hometown in Van Lung, Phu Tho,

7/ Ngo Thi Luan – born in 1955, hometown in Tan Long, Tan Lap, Phu Tho: Phu Tho

8/ Hoang Thi Linh – born in 1956, hometown in Tran Phu, Phu Tho,

9 Nguyen Thi Anh – born in 1955, hometown in Thanh Cu, Thanh Ba, Phu Tho;

10/ Le Thi Cham – born in 1955, hometown in Van Don, Doan Hung. Phu Tho

11/ Cao Thi Xuyen – born in 1953, hometown in Hoang Kim, Hoang Hoa, Thanh Hoa,

12/ Tran Thi Loan – born in 1954, hometown in Phu Loc, Nho Quan, Ninh Binh;

13/ Nguyen Thi Thao – born in 1953, from Thanh Lac, Nho Quan, Ninh Binh;

The feats, achievements, especially the sacrifices of 13 officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station are shining examples of revolutionary heroism, forever a golden page in the traditional history of Regiment 134, the history of the Signal Corps in particular and in the traditional history of fighting against foreign invaders of the Vietnamese people in general.

Monument on Road 20 Quyet Thang

Len Ha Cave National Historical Site

Len Ha Cave has marked the silent but glorious feats of officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station in the fight to maintain the communications network; is the place where officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station fought and worked bravely, intelligently, creatively, overcoming difficulties and dangers of enemy bombs and bullets, ensuring timely, accurate, secret, and safe communications to transfer thousands and millions of communications to the Command to direct the resistance war against the US, to save the country, typically the Route 9 – Southern Laos campaign in 1971, the Plain of Jars campaign in 1971, and the Quang Tri campaign in 1972. In particular, this place witnessed the heroic sacrifice of 13 officers and soldiers of the Station on July 2, 1972. They devoted their youth to protecting the communications network in a timely and smooth manner, contributing to the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country. With the above typical historical and humanistic values, Len Ha Cave has been recognized as a National Monument according to Decision No. 1732/VH-QD dated May 7, 2009 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Currently, with the tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source”, at the Len Ha Cave relic site, the Information Command has invested in a master plan: building a memorial stele to record the names of heroic martyrs who sacrificed on July 2, 1972, building a traditional house, an incense offering house and other items to serve veteran delegations visiting the old battlefield, relatives of martyrs’ families and people from all over the country when they come to offer incense in memory. Every year, on July 2, the Information Command, the Ministry of Information and Communications coordinates with departments and branches of Quang Binh province to organize a commemoration of the sacrifice of 13 officers and soldiers of the A69 Base Station at the Len Ha Cave relic site to pay tribute to the heroic sacrifice of the fallen brothers and sisters for the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country.

Quang Binh Monuments and Landscapes