At the meeting, delegates recalled the glorious history of Hanoi’s reinforced soldiers. On August 1, 1967, the Ministry of National Defense assigned the Hanoi Party Organization, authorities, and Command to enlist and train troops to reinforce combat units in different theaters across the country.
With the determination to defeat foreign invaders, many youths of the capital city wrote letters in blood to voluntarily join the military. From 1967 to 1974, 42 reinforced battalions were formed to fortify combat units.
The reinforced troops of Hanoi took part in different fierce battlefields, including Road 9 – Southern Laos, Binh Tri Thien, Central Highlands, and Southeast and Southwest regions and won various glorious feats-of-arm. Fourteen troops were presented with the title "Hero of the People Armed Forces," while 1,781 were honored for their bravery, and more than 14,500 received medals of different kinds.
In 2011, the Association of Reinforced Soldiers of Hanoi was formed. Over the past more than ten years, the association has been a venue for its members to meet and exchange information. The association has paid attention to paying tribute to fallen soldiers, helping martyrs’ families to search and repatriate their relatives’ remains, and conducting the verification of martyrs’ remains. The unit has organized various activities to educate young generations of national traditions to arouse their patriotism.
In addition, the association has published books truthfully and vividly reflecting ingenuity, courage, and indomitable spirit of Hanoi’s troops and presented them to units in border areas, on islands, localities, and schools across the country.
Speaking at the meeting, the association’s Standing Vice President Senior Colonel Vu Dinh Quy said that in spite of facing numerous difficulties, the unit’s members are determined to be united and maintain practical activities to contribute to the cause of building and protecting Hanoi and be exemplary people for their children to follow.
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Senior Colonel Vu Dinh Quy, Standing Vice President of the Association of Reinforced Soldiers of Hanoi, speaks at the meeting. |
In the coming time, the association will continue completing and publishing the sixth volume of the “Memories of war” book, carrying out gratitude activities, and conducting the search and repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains.
Translated by Tran Hoai