Memories of age 20 never forgotten
Hanoi boys become liberation soldiers. Hats with ears, flip-flops, blue clothes" - that poem has followed police officer Pham Minh Tan like a source of pride throughout his youth until today.
Before the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, from December 1974, based on assessing the situation between us and the enemy, the Politburo issued a Resolution on liberating the South before the rainy season of 1975, at the latest in 1976.
At the end of March and early April 1975, implementing the policy of the Ministry of Public Security, cadres were urgently mobilized to support the Southern battlefield. In the delegation's composition was comrade Pham Minh Tan - at that time a young soldier of about 20 years old, along with cadres from a number of professional departments of the Ministry of Public Security who were urgently summoned to thoroughly grasp the task before leaving for the South.
He said that he entered the Public Security sector in 1971, studying at the People's Police School under the Ministry of Public Security until 1972. When the US imperialists launched a war of destruction in the North, he was assigned to protect ferries and bridges, ensuring safety for military vehicles transporting weapons and food into the South along Highway 1.
At that time, the aircraft attacked very fiercely, especially at the ferry terminals on the Red River. I was assigned to Thuong Tin ferry terminal (Hanoi) to perform duties, work day and night, ensuring the convoy crossed the river safely" - he recalled.
In 1973, after the US ended bombing of the North, he returned to the security school, codenamed H0573, Hanoi Post Office - a secret nghiệp vụ school with the principle of "living with your stomach, dying taking away". When asked, the trainee only declared that he worked at Hanoi Post Office, and was not revealed to be a police officer.
At the end of 1974, he was urgently transferred to Hanoi, with forces concentrated at 192 Quan Thanh to disseminate the situation in the South and train 10 disciplines of the liberation army.
He said that before leaving, the late Minister of Public Security Tran Quoc Hoan directly instructed: "The mission of supporting the South is a great honor but also extremely arduous, it may be necessary to sacrifice; comrades are liberation soldiers, do not touch the needle and thread of the people; cultivate and train, do not fall into bullets wrapped in sugar". Those words are still remembered and deeply engraved in his mind to this day.
After training, each person was provided with a backpack, tank, hammock, clothes, a handgun, a cat ear hat, and flip-flops. At the age of 20, he set off with the spirit of following in his father and brother's footsteps, not thinking about death, because participating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign was a great honor. He said that the preparation was completely secret, and many people who went to training did not return home.
After that, the force marched to the South. He belonged to the security force of the Ministry of Public Security (K50, TSNT Department), the youngest person in the delegation. In the delegation, there were also many elderly cadres from the South gathered at Department K51, who were transferred to be familiar with the area. The delegation's mission was to march alongside Army Team 559, advancing straight along National Highway 1 to Saigon - Gia Dinh.
When the 2nd Corps entered to liberate Saigon, his forces were already present in the suburbs. On National Highway 1, the image that caught my eyes was scattered with hats, shoes, and clothes of old regime soldiers thrown scattered when fleeing. When entering Thi Nghe bridge, the smell of gunpowder was still pungent. On Hang Xanh street advancing towards the General Department of Police, he still remembered the eyes of Saigon people looking at the liberation army, still strange and hesitantly watching.
Taking over the General Department of the puppet police on the first day of liberation
After the liberation day, in early May 1975, the force proceeded to take over the General Department of the puppet police. The task was to protect documents and records of the old government to serve later exploitation.
At that time, the puppet army and puppet government were still hiding, and the situation in Saigon was still complicated. The Ho Chi Minh City Military Management Committee was established, and the requirement was to quickly stabilize the organization, coordinate with the Regional Security Force (codename T4). The force, together with T4, performed the task of stabilizing the situation, propagating to the people to understand the policies of the National Liberation Front of the South, participating in maintaining security and order, and mobilizing soldiers of the old regime to report to study and reform.
After the Ho Chi Minh Campaign ended victoriously, the South was completely liberated, the Party and State advocated organizing a national-scale victory celebration, scheduled for May 15, 1975. The event aims to express pride in the historical milestone of the nation and to ignite the spirit of emulation to build the country. According to the plan, all cities and towns across the country will hold solemn rallies; especially in Saigon, there will be a military parade with the core force being cadres and soldiers who have just participated in the campaign.
Right from the beginning of May, he and his comrades were assigned the task of ensuring security, welcoming a high-level delegation of Party and State leaders from Hanoi to attend the victory celebration at Independence Palace. To perform the task, he and his comrades had to wear civilian clothes and disguise themselves as reconnaissance soldiers in the context of a still complicated situation.
“In that historic moment, we were both joyful and touched, many people were tearful. Everyone sang the song: “Ho Chi Minh City is brilliant with flags and flowers.... From now on, the country will have peace, independence, freedom, and happiness” - he emotionally said.
He said he always remembers the merits of his father, the heroic martyrs who sacrificed themselves to have today.
In 1977, he was transferred to work at Ho Chi Minh City Police; in 1983, he was transferred to work at Hanoi City Police.
After 51 years since the Liberation of the South and national reunification, he believes that under the leadership of the Party, along with the consensus and belief of the people, the comprehensive renovation will continue to bring the country to develop, maintain independence and freedom. He hopes that the young generation will continue the tradition of their fathers, constantly learn, train, improve their intelligence and bravery, contributing to bringing the country to develop in the new era.
