Imagine you are standing where the river meets the sea. This is Bến Lộc An a place of serene beauty and historical significance. We are in Xã Lộc An. This is a story of secret missions. This is a story of wartime resilience.
During the Vietnam War Xã Lộc An became a vital link. It was part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea. After 1960, the revolutionary movement needed supplies. The Party decided to open a sea route. This route would deliver weapons to the Southern battlefields. Xã Lộc An was chosen as a key point.
Why Lộc An? Its location on the Cửa sông Ray offered unique advantages. On one side was Xã Lộc An. On the other was Xã Phước Thuận. Lush mangrove forests connected to the vast northern and northwestern forests surrounded it. This made it ideal for receiving storing and transporting weapons.
But there was another crucial factor. The unwavering support of the local people. The people of Lộc An and Hồ Tràm had long been allied with the transport soldiers. They shared their food and clothing. They protected the soldiers like family. Since the early years of the resistance against the French Lộc An’s coast had been a vital part of the route connecting the Southeast with the North.
In September 1946 a shipment of weapons safely reached Bà Rịa just 5km north of Lộc An. From 1952 the waters of Lộc An were the operational area of Tiểu đoàn 320. Their mission was to transport goods to the southeastern battlefields.
After months of intense preparation the first coded ship arrived on the night of October 3 1963. Đồng chí Lê Văn Một was the captain. The journey was fraught with peril. Thanks to the combined efforts of the receiving unit and the local people the ship successfully docked. This was a surprise to the Diệm-Nhu regime’s secret service. The ship carried over 20 tons of cargo. This included 1500 American rifles with ammunition submachine guns machine guns DKZ guns and explosives. These weapons were crucial for the entire Quân khu.
On December 2 1964 the Bình Giã campaign began. Twenty days later another ship arrived at Lộc An. Đồng chí Nguyễn Quốc Thắng captained this ship. It carried 75 tons of weapons. A main force infantry regiment from Xuân Sơn marched to Phước Bửu. They received and transported 44 tons of weapons from Lộc An. These weapons were used in the second phase of the Bình Giã campaign. They helped defeat enemy units destroy aircraft and tanks.
After the Bình Giã victory soldiers and locals celebrated the new year. On the night of February 1 1965 a third ship entered Lộc An. Captain Lê Quốc Thân delivered 70 tons of weapons. These included AK47 B40 and B41 guns. They equipped the main force in the South and local troops in the eastern provinces and Khu 6. These weapons contributed to victories in Đồng Xoài Dầu Tiếng and Bàu Bàng in the summer of 1965.
Ensuring the supply of weapons was key to the war effort. The Ho Chi Minh Trail on the sea through Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu played a vital role. It directly contributed to the Bình Giã campaign and other battles in the Southeast. Today Bến Lộc An stands as a “red address”. It marks the heroic history of our soldiers and people in the fight against foreign invaders. Here you can reflect on the courage and resilience. Remember the vital role this place played in shaping Vietnam’s destiny.