(HBO) – In 1965, when its special warfare strategy failed disastrously, the US sent large numbers of troops to the south of Vietnam while extending the war to the north and conducting sabotage. In Hoa Binh, which was viewed as one of the important localities for providing support for the Lao battlefield, during only a short period of time, the US conducted 69 bombings to destroy local residential areas, economic premises and roads.
Bui Van Kenh, a resident in
Tha hamlet of Thu Phong commune, who directly commanded the fight as deputy
head of the commune’s militia force.
In
particular, it launched continual attacks on locations across the province from
early 1966. To cope with new plots and ruses of the US imperialists, the province
ordered its communes to make plans for dealing with the war of sabotage,
instruct locals how to take shelter from air raids, dig tunnels, build lookout
towers, and stay ready to shoot down low-altitude fighters.
One of the most successful battles of the militia
of Thu Phong commune was the downing of an F105 fighter of the US on July 20,
1966.
Recalling the battle, Bui Van Kenh, a resident
in Tha hamlet of Thu Phong commune, who directly commanded the fight as deputy
head of the commune’s militia force, said he was on guard at the commune’s
administrative committee at about 3pm on July 20, 1966 when two F105 fighters
flew in from the northwest. Above Cun Slope on Road 12B, they dived and fired
at an automobile of the Hoa Binh transport company that was parking on the top
of the slope. Kenh immediately called on militias to move to the trench behind
a warehouse of the Nam Son Cooperative to ready the combat formation.
Observing the enemy fighters’ direction, Kenh
ordered the first volley to be fired, but the bullets missed their targets. The
militia team shortly learned from this and waited for the two aircraft to lower
to focus their attack on the front one. Braving a rain of bullets from the
enemy fighters, the militias still calmly waited for the planes to come within
the suitable range.
When the leading fighter just entered the right
range, under Kenh’s command, the team focused firing on it. Being hit by
bullets, the fighter burst into flames and crashed onto Cun Slope, causing a
big explosion that shook the entire mountain and forest, Doan Duc Tinh, a
member of the then Nam Son Cooperative’s militia team, recounted.
Not only being heroes in combat, the populace of
Thu Phong also helped safeguard many central agencies that evacuated to the
commune while actively working to ensure livelihoods and support the "great
front” in the south.
In peacetime, they have worked hard to develop
economy and enrich the homeland. In 2019, the local per capita income
approximated 31 million VND (over 1,300 USD at the current exchange rate), and
the household poverty rate was brought down to 3.9 percent. The commune has met
all criteria for a new-style rural area while people’s cultural and spiritual
life has also been improved continually./.
Over recent years, the Farmers' Union of Mai Chau district has implemented numerous specific programmes and activities to support its members in developing products under the One Commune One (OCOP) programme. These efforts have contributed to enhancing local agricultural branding, increasing goods value, and improving incomes and living standards for residents.
Since 2022, the Hoa Binh Department of Education and Training has provided advice for the provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 219/KH-UBND on November 17, 2022, which outlines the implementation of a project titled "Enhancing the application of Information Technology (IT) and Digital Transformation in Education and Training for the 2022–2025 period, with a vision to 2030.” As of now, the local education sector has made significant progress in IT adoption and digital transformation.
Hoa Binh allocated over 30 trillion VND (nearly 1.18 billion USD) to develop infrastructure systems in ethnic minority and mountainous areas during 2019 - 2024. Priority was given to transport and irrigation infrastructure; markets; schools; medical stations; communal houses; and power grid, telecommunication, radio, and television systems.
The Hoa Binh provincial organising committee for anniversary activities on December 17 held a ceremony to unveil a ceramic mural on the local military-civilian ties and release a book on the Party and political work of the provincial armed forces during 1947 – 2024, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival.
In recent years, Hoa Binh has allocated significant resources to foster cooperative economy, helping ethnic minorities capitalise on their potential and advantages to escape poverty.
As a mountainous district still facing numerous challenges, Da Bac has made notable progress in advancing administrative reforms across various areas. The district has prioritised reorganising and streamlining its administrative apparatus, operating "one-stop-shop” units, and applying information technology (IT) in the handling of administrative procedures. Efforts have also been directed toward upgrading infrastructure and equipment to enhance service quality for residents and businesses.
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