This Hàm Rồng victory recognized an enormous contribution of women, which highlighted the heroic tradition of Thanh Hóa women in particular and of Vietnamese women in general
Among the combat forces in Hàm Rồng area, female militia is an indispensable one. With the motto “producing while fighting the America”, the militiawomen teams of Nam Ngạn Village and Yên Vực Village... constantly abreasted battles to fight and support the soldiers. Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hằng was holding a flag in her hand to command the platoon of female militia to detect and hit low-flying aircraft. Ms. Ngô Thị Tuyển carried two ammunition chests that weighed 98kg and doubled her body weight to timely supply for the troops. Ms. Lê Thị Dung was working as a first aid staff while sometimes replacing gunners on cannon platform; she was hit by rocket fragments and heroically sacrificed. Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hiền, a militia of Yên Vực Village, crossed Mã River to carry ammunition for the troops...
Militiawomen of Yên Vực Village at alert unit
Mothers, sisters, and teenagers in such villages as Đông Sơn, Yên Vực, and Nam Ngạn also contributed to the fight in Hàm Rồng. That was Hoàn, a girl/boy who bravely served water for the soldiers and were killed by American bombs right at Hàm Rồng battlefield. Monk Đàm Xuân, abbot of Mật Đa Temple, carried cooked rice and boiled water to the battlefield for the soldiers and used the temple as a place to heal the wounded.
The image of “one hand on the plow, the other on the gun” of Ms. Ngô Thị Tuyển
During the fighting in Hàm Rồng area, volunteer youth were always ready to ensure smooth traffic and thorough communication. They were women in the Nguyễn Thị Định bridge-repairing team, May 19th bridge-repairing team, and Provincial Postal Service team. In order to encourage soldiers, the militia and members of the ensemble also came to the battlefield to perform.
In two days, April 3rd and 4th, 1965, Thanh Hóa soldiers and people shot down 47 American planes and Hàm Rồng Bridge still proudly connected the two banks of Mã River. This victory recognized an enormous contribution of women, which highlighted the heroic tradition of Thanh Hóa women in particular and of Vietnamese women in general.
Thanh Hiền