More than 60 years ago, the armed forces of Military Region 4, together with the army and people of the whole country, fought bravely, smashing the escalation of the war to attack the North of the US imperialists, firmly protecting the area and vital traffic routes, and providing human and material support to the large frontline in the South. That victory was created by several factors, including the successful building of logistics-technical posture to continuously and timely support operations, contributing to enriching the art of Vietnamese military.

In the summer of 1964, facing the risk of a complete failure of the "Special War" strategy, the US imperialists switched to implementing the "Local War" strategy, massively sending expeditionary troops into South Vietnam. At the same time, the war was “escalated” by using large air and naval forces to attack the North, in order to weaken our economic and defence potential, and prevent the support of the Northern rear for the Southern battlefield.

Since 1965, the destructive war of the US air force and navy spread on the Northern battlefield and became increasingly fierce; in which, ​​Military Region 4 was the focal area of their attacks. The enemy launched a series of campaigns: “Fire Spear”, “Rolling Thunder”,... focusing the strength of the air force and navy to fiercely attack the area of ​​Military Region 4, especially key points such as: Truong Bon (Nghe An province), Dong Loc Junction (Ha Tinh province), Long Dai (Quang Binh province), etc. in order to “tighten, strangle”, and destroy this “panhandle” land.

The US Air Force conducted air raid against North Vietnam

Faced with the US imperialists' plot to "escalate" the attack on the North, the Party Committee and the Military Region 4 Command closely followed the instructions from superiors, urgently consolidated and developed forces, and carefully prepared in all aspects; in which, focusing on building potential, a solid logistics and technical position to ensure adequate and timely support for combat units. Thanks to the close leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, the brave and resilient fighting spirit, along with a solid logistics and technical position, and flexible transformation, the army and people of Military Region 4 dealt the US imperialists appropriate blows; smashed their plot to sabotage the North, firmly protected the area, airspace, sea, and islands, maintained the vital traffic routes, and provided strategic support to the large frontline in the South. That victory demonstrated the strength of people's war, all-people logistics, and the development of Vietnamese military art, in which the art of building a logistics-technical posture was a prominent feature, demonstrated in the following issues.

First of all, Military Region 4 closely followed the plan to fight against sabotage war, proactively and actively prepared potential, forces, and logistics-technical posture to support combat. Thoroughly grasping the Party's policy on revolutionary tasks in the two regions and grasping the enemy's plots and tricks, from the beginning of 1961, the Military Region Party Committee determined that the military region was a bridgehead, a key point, and could be attacked by the enemy from three sides. Therefore, preparing all aspects to be ready to deal with war situations, including major situations was an urgent requirement. In March 1961, the Ministry of National Defence issued an order for the rear to ensure the defence plan of Military Region 4, identifying major policies for the logistics-technical work of the Military Region. In compliance with the direction of the Ministry of National Defence, the Military Region proactively prepared all aspects, ready to ensure the armed forces against the destructive war of the US imperialists, giving priority to units on the border, islands and coasts. Accordingly, the Military Region established the Logistics Department; the small sections were upgraded to become departments directly under the Logistics Department; the logistics sections of divisions, brigades, and provincial military commands were upgraded to logistics departments and were supplemented with sufficient strengths of wartime establishment. This is an important step in preparing forces and bases to improve the ability to advise, direct, and operate logistics and technical work at all levels, meeting the requirements of fighting against destructive wars.

Along with that, in 1964, implementing the Plan "Securing the rear", the Military Region conducted the planning and construction of the Military Region's logistics and technical bases in Nghia Dan - Tan Ky - Quy Hop (Nghe An province) to ensure coastal defence; expanded the system of warehouses and stations with large reserves, receiving weapons, equipment, and ammunition transferred from the Ministry. At the same time, built a system of warehouses and tunnels along the coastal line, islands from Nghe An province to Vinh Linh, ready to ensure the plan to fight against invasion from the sea. By the end of 1964, the Military Region had completed the construction and arrangement of a system of warehouses and logistics and technical stations on three defence lines: the demarcation line, the border, and the coast, ready to support combat. Main units, anti-aircraft artillery regiments, ground artillery, and local air defence forces were fully equipped with weapons, equipment, and ammunition, ready to enter combat. With careful preparation in all aspects, especially potential, solid logistics and technical position, on the very first day when the enemy attacked the North (5 August 1964), the armed forces of the Military Region together with the army and people of the North shot down 08 planes, causing the enemy to be bewildered and surprised by our strength, at the same time, strengthening the army’s and people’s confidence and determination to defeat the American invaders.

Second, promptly adjusted the forces and position, form a complete logistics and technical network between the coast - sea - islands, maintained the ability to ensure solid and timely protection. In the face of the increasingly escalating attacks of the US imperialists, on 23 January 1965, the Military Region Party Committee issued a resolution requesting the armed forces of the Military Region to enhance their combat strength to firmly protect the airspace, sea, border areas and islands, and prepare to respond successfully in case of the enemy’s large-scale invasion into the area. Based on the resolution of the Military Region Party Committee, the Military Region commanders directed the adjustment of the logistics and technical situation according to the combat plans, suitable to the capabilities, terrain conditions and methods of the enemy's attacks. Accordingly, the Military Region set up logistics and technical facilities in 03 areas: the northern area in Western Nghe An province, the southern area in Western Quang Binh province and the western area in Western Ha Tinh province. The Military Region mobilised forces, in just 10 days, to move hundreds of wounded soldiers and more than 8,000 tons of material to new safe areas. Along with the adjustment, the logistics and technical forces were expanded, forming relatively strong command agencies and logistics and technical units in 03 areas, both ensuring the fight against enemy firepower and being ready to ensure the forces fighting the enemy at sea. On the other hand, to ensure the forces fighting at sea, the Military Region deployed mobile logistics and technical forces. In which, Military Hospital 4 deployed a mobile surgical team to Lach Truong (Thanh Hoa province), down to Vinh (Nghe An province) to collect wounded soldiers of the Military Region and the Navy fighting the enemy at sea.

In fact, the arrangement of the logistics and technical facilities of the Military Region to form a regional security posture was extremely flexible and creative, helping to maximise the security capacity of logistics and technical facilities at all levels, fully and promptly responding to all aspects of the diverse combat operations of the forces in all environments and areas.

Third, closely combined logistics and technical facilities at all levels with people's logistics; flexibly and creatively applied security methods, taking regional security as the main focus. As the capabilities of the logistics and technical facilities of the Military Region were  limited, the forces had to operate in mountainous terrain with rivers, easily separated, isolated, in harsh weather, and fierce attacks by enemy navy and air force during days or nights. To overcome that, the Military Region encouraged the combined strength of all forces in the area, especially the strength of on-site logistics and engineering, mainly implementing regional security methods. Accordingly, along with actively consolidating the battle position, building a system of warehouses and stations convenient for transportation, the Military Region directed the logistics and engineering forces at all levels to flexibly and creatively apply security methods, suitable to the capabilities and practical situation. In particular, thoroughly grasping the Party's viewpoint on people's war and all-people logistics, the Military Region's logistics and engineering forces effectively combined the exploitation of on-site logistics in the area to form a complete regional security. In fact, during the resistance war against the US, ​​Military Region's logistics became a solid support for the Army's logistics and engineering. The Military Region synchronously organised logistics and engineering forces in each area. At the same time, a rear base was built in the Southern Military Region to mobilise local logistics resources, "zone supply" and define exploitation areas for units. It also directed the increase of reserves, limit transportation mobility with the priority for independent combat units and key areas. The close combination of logistics -technical at all levels and the application of flexible and creative methods helped the Military Region’s armed forces to defeat the destructive war of the US imperialists.

Over time, the lessons of building and ensuring logistics - technical posture to combat destructive wars of Military Region 4 still holds value in both theory and practice that need to be studied, inherited, and developed in accordance with the new conditions of the people's war to protect the Fatherland. Accordingly, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the Party's policy of all-people national defence and people's war. On that basis, proactively plan and build the potential and logistics-technical posture of people's war in sync with building the military zone defence posture and strategic defence posture. Build rear bases and logistics-technical bases at all levels, especially in strategic and key areas, forming a solid and interconnected logistics-technical posture, taking military zone logistics-technical posture, provincial and municipal defence areas as the core, people's logistics as the basis, closely combining on-site with mobility, ready to ensure in all situations. Thereby, contributing to improving the overall quality and combat strength of the people's armed forces to firmly safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation.

Major General, Dr. NGUYEN QUANG DUNG, Deputy Director of the Logistics Academy