On November 26, the Prime Minister decided to rank 6 historical relics as special national relics in the 16th period of 2024. Among them, the Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea, which is associated with 4 localities (including Hai Phong, Phu Yen, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ca Mau), is one of the relics to be ranked.
The Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea is the name of the strategic logistics route on the East Sea, ensuring special military transport missions, secretly carried out by the Vietnam People's Navy and the Liberation Army of South Vietnam on the East Sea.
On October 23, 1961, the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission decided to establish Group 759, called the “Unnumbered Train Group”. This unit was tasked with secretly transporting weapons, ammunition and cadres to support the southern battlefield by sea.
With its location near Can Gio estuary, surrounded by dense trees and creeks running deep inland, Ben Loc An was chosen as the gathering place to deliver weapons to the army and people of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province during the fierce years of resistance against the US.
The unnumbered ships docking here both ensure secrecy and facilitate the release of weapons and goods; and have good combat capabilities, minimizing the possibility of bad situations occurring.
Departing from Cat Ba (Hai Phong) on September 23, 1963, after 10 days at sea, the first wooden ship arrived at Loc An port in the early morning of October 3, 1963, numbered 41, with comrade Le Van Mot as captain and comrade Dang Van Thanh as political commissar; along with 2 sailors Nguyen Son and Thoi Van Nam, fishermen from Phuoc Hai commune, who had opened the way to the North in February 1962. Thereby, 20 tons of weapons were safely brought to the South to supplement the main armed forces; equipping local soldiers and civilians to attack and liberate strategic hamlets, creating a rear base for the Binh Gia campaign...
Next, in 1963, 1964 and 1965, besides the supply shipments, Ben Loc An successfully received 3 important strategic shipments to equip the army and people of the Eastern provinces participating in the campaigns, contributing to resounding victories such as: Binh Gia, Dong Xoai, Dau Tieng, Bau Bang.
Operating until 1975, after 14 years, the Ho Chi Minh Trail at sea transported more than 150,000 tons of military goods (mainly weapons), along with tens of thousands of cadres from North to South. From there, it defeated the US's "Special War" strategy, contributing to the victory of the cause of national reunification.
Along with the unnumbered ships, Ben Loc An has gone down in history, becoming a source of pride and a heroic revolutionary tradition for the army and people of Ba Ria - Vung Tau during the fierce years of resistance against the US. In 1995, Ben Loc An was recognized as a National Historical Relic.
