At the age of 79, veteran Nguyen Xuan Liem (from An Liem village, Thang Long commune, Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province) is still healthy and alert. Mr. Liem said that he enlisted in 1965, in Battalion 53A of the Thai Binh Provincial Army. In May 1972, he transferred to the Armored Corps.
As a brave tank soldier with 4/4 disabilities, Mr. Liem still remember the battles of the past, especially the battle of Phuoc Long town - a historic moment, marking an important turning point in the resistance war against the US to save the country.
The Phuoc Long victory has great strategic significance, creating an important premise for the next campaigns, culminating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, liberating the South and unifying the country.
tank soldier Nguyen Xuan Liem recalled that on January 2, 1975, his unit received an order to coordinate with Battalion 1, Regiment 142, Division 7, Army Corps 4 to attack Phuoc Long town. After taking possession of the outer area of the town, the unit received an order to attack the town, the direction of attack was Tu Hien intersection - Le Loi camp.
"The direction of attacking directly into the center of the town, with the enemy's force focused here very strongly, the battle took place fiercely. Due to the fire of the enemy, our infantry force died a lot.
In that situation, I encouraged the brothers in the car and made a bold decision "There are people, there are cars, and a car also attacks". I said it was also the time when the powerful tank entered the center of town," Mr. Liem recalled.
For tank soldier Nguyen Xuan Liem, those are proud memories because during the battle, his tank team coordinated smoothly and bravely. When surrounded by the enemy, Mr. Liem calmly commanded the driver to fight back, causing chaos in the enemy formation. After being reinforced, our army launched a strong attack, and Phuoc Long town was completely liberated.
After the Phuoc Long battle, Mr. Liem also participated in many other matches such as: Xuan Loc battle, occupation of Bom Station, Bien Hoa airport... With outstanding achievements and feats, he was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.
After many consecutive years of service in the army, in 1987, Major Nguyen Xuan Liem retired and returned to stay and contribute to his homeland.
According to Mr. Duong Hong Hai - Chairman of the Veterans Association of Thang Long Commune (Dong Hung District), in his hometown, veteran Nguyen Xuan Liem is a shining example of patriotism, strong will and courage to inspire the next generation.
