Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, PCC member, Deputy Defense Minister, and Head of the steering board, chaired the meeting.
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General Vinh addresses the event. |
Nearly six decades ago, under the leadership of the PCC, President Ho Chi Minh and the Central Office for South Vietnam, the Liberation Armed Forces closely teamed with local people to defeat a U.S. advisor-commanded large-scale raid of Saigon army at Ap Bac, Tan Phu commune, Cai Lay district, My Tho province (now Tan Phu commune, Cai Lay town, Tien Giang province). That victory held a strategic meaning in the national resistance war against U.S. imperialists. It was the first time our forces defeated the enemy’s “airlift” and “armor-lift” tactics, signalizing the bankruptcy of the strategy "special war" of the U.S. imperialists and strongly encouraging the fighting spirit of troops and people in the South to implement the movement "Ap Bac emulates to kill the enemy and achieve feats-of-arms."
At the meeting, the steering board’s members agreed on the conference’s theme, organization form and location, and logistic work.
In particular, the conference is planned to take place in late December this year in My Tho city, Tien Giang province. The Military History Institute will coordinate with relevant agencies, units, and localities to give advice on all aspects of the conference. It will contact with speakers to have over 70 presentations, team with Tien Giang provincial Party Committee and Military Region 9 Command to prepare accommodation and vehicles for delegates and other sideline activities.
Addressing the meeting, General Vinh hailed relevant agencies and units for carrying out preparatory work for the conference.
General Vinh underlined the aim of this scientific conference is to affirm and clarify the strategic vision, wise leadership, flexible and sensitive commanding capability of the PCC, President Ho Chi Minh and the Central Office for South Vietnam, heroic, creative, clever fighting spirit of our troops and people, particularly regular troops of the military region, the armed forces and people of Tien Giang province in the historic Ap Bac history.
The conference will also make clear the stature, significance, cause of victory, lessons on the strategic leadership and direction and the development of military art to apply to the national construction and defense cause in the new situation.
To ensure the success of the event, General Vinh asked the Military History Institute to review and edit presentations to ensure the objectiveness and truth of the history, make preparations for the conference, and boost dissemination of information about the Ap Bac victory before, during, and after the conference.
Translated by Mai Huong