VietNamNet Bridge - Thirty-three years have elapsed since the historical moment when the Saigon puppet government’s President Duong Van Minh declared unconditional surrender to the Liberation Army. However, that eventful day is still fresh in the minds of witnesses.
Sen. Lieu. Gen. Professor and People’s Teacher, Hoang Minh Thao: When Duong Van Minh declared his surrender, I was deputy commander of the Fifth Military Zone, in charge of Infantry Divisions 968 and 324, a reserve force for comrade Le Trong Tan.
I was so happy that my eyes filled with tears. Sitting next to me, Major General Lu Giang, commander of the southern section of Military Zone No5 and Colonel Thanh Sơn, commander of Division 968 had the same feelings. We were deeply moved as we had been 30 years before when the August 1945 Revolution succeeded. At that time I was in Nha Trang city. I wanted to go to Saigon immediately to see how our people lived there and then return to the north to rejoin my family.
I thought after reunification Vietnam would rapidly advance forward to socialism. Unexpectedly, our country went through a very difficult period after that.
Lieu. Gen. Nguyen Hung Phong, former political deputy commander and Secretary of Military Zone No1 Party Committee: In the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign I was deputy political commissar and chairman of the political committee of Military Zone No1. Our task was to launch a direct attack on the Saigon General Staffs headquarters after liberating Thu Dau Mot town, and also their military bases in Phu Loi, Tan Yen, Lai Khe and Ben Cat (now in Binh Duong province).
At the historic time of 11.30 on April 30, 1975, Nguyen Chuong, commander of Division 312 and I were in the newly-seized Engineers School listening to the BBC news bulletin. Upon hearing of our victory on all the battlefields and the takeover of the Independence Palace we jumped up and down with joy, embraced each other and cried. We had been awaiting this historic moment for such a long time. As if to compensate our great losses, we spent all night talking and enjoying ourselves.
Lieu. Gen. Doan Sinh Huong, commander of Military Zone No 4: At that time I was chief of Company 9 which belonged to Armoured Brigade 273 in the 3rd Army Corps. We had just attacked and seized Tan Son Nhat airport and the Puppet regimes General Staff. We hugged each other, shouting and crying with joy.
After that I sat alone in the tank and thought of my companions in arms who had laid down their lives in battle, and my parents, brothers and sisters. I honestly thought about what I would do after the war. I could have gone back to my village to work on the farm or work as a factory worker. I could have also gone into sport or singing for which I had a gift and wanted to do when I was at school. I didn’t think of staying in the army. At that moment I wished I could go back and see my parents so I bought two packs of candy as a present to them and a hairpin for my girlfriend.
Maj. Gen. Nguyen Minh Long, former deputy chief of the War Department, the General Staff: In the Great Victory of Spring 1975, I was deputy commander of Division 324 in the 2nd Army Corps. We liberated Hue city on March 25, 1975, and then joined the campaign to liberate Da Nang and other southern provinces. In Binh Thuan, our division was appointed to be the mobile reserve force for the Army Corps and the General Staff.
At 11.30 on April 30, 1975, we were stationed in Cam Ranh Bay to watch for enemy reinforcements landing. Comrade Chu Huy Man told us that our armed forces had seized the Independence Palace and liberated Saigon, we burst into tears out of happiness. We had won the war and regained independence for our country. However, we felt sad as we had no chance to directly participate in the last battle of the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign. At that time, we all wanted to go into battle to contribute to the nation’s victory.
Professor Phong Le: At that time I was Sub-editor of the Literature Magazine under the Institute of Literature. We were listening to presentations by German Professor Hans Kotum and Doctor Dichter Cris when the Voice of Vietnam radio announced the news of victory. The meeting hall resounded with thunderous applause. We poured into Tran Xuan Soan street, passed Hom market and Hue street to Hoan Kiem lake. We walked and sung the song, "As if Uncle Ho were with us on the day of great victory." The two German professors accompanied us. We were very happy and all shops offered as free food. We spent the evening watching fireworks display over Hoan Kiem lake.
On that joyful day I remembered the starvation in 1945 and the success of the August Revolution shortly after that. Peace had returned and our country had become completely liberated 30 years later. I thought my work would surely change after the country’s reunification.
Poet Anh Ngoc: On April 30, 1975, Ha Dinh Can and I, as reporters of the Quan doi nhan dan (People’s Army) newspaper, went from Phan Thiet to Phan Rang to make a report. While we were on the road, suddenly some people ran out and cried, "Saigon is liberated!" To be frank, the news didn’t surprise me because we had anticipated it.
On the following day, May 1, 1975, a truck from the air defence force gave us a lift to Xuan Loc. And then we took a lambretta to Saigon. That night we stayed in the USAID headquarters. I had a very strange feeling on the first night in the city. It inspired me to write the song, "Hanging up a hammock in Saigon". | 
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