Proud of the 60-year tradition of Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65

On September 24 and 25, at Buu Long Tourist Area, the Association of Former Vietnamese Youth Volunteers of Dong Nai province held a traditional camp festival to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 (December 12, 1965 - 2025).

Delegates attend the traditional camp festival on the afternoon of September 24. Photo: Nguyet Ha

Even though the boys and girls in their late teens and twenties back then are now grandparents, they attended the traditional camp festival with a variety of activities at Buu Long Tourist Area, which officially opened on the morning of September 25. They were all enthusiastic, reminiscing about a time filled with bullets, bombs, smoke, and fire, as well as the sacrifices and losses made for the independence of the Fatherland. The silent sacrifices and selfless contributions of the former youth volunteers played a crucial role in the Great Spring Victory of 1975, which liberated the South and reunited the country.

Looking forward to the gathering

Waking up at 4 a.m. and traveling a long distance to attend the gathering, Vice Chairwoman of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Loc Quang commune, Tran Thi Lan, emotionally shared: “Being able to meet comrades and teammates at this meaningful event, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the tradition of Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65, I, along with many members of our group, feel deeply moved. Although the journey was long, spending over four hours on the bus, once we arrived, we immediately set up the camp and rehearsed songs to remember ‘our vibrant youth times.”

All sub-camps of youth volunteers at the traditional camp festival marking 60th anniversary of Unit C12.65 deeply embraced the words: “Always remember we are Youth Volunteers – Be proud that we are Youth Volunteers.”

While decorating the Ly Tu Trong sub-camp, Lan and her fellow members were clearly excited. She read to us touching verses from her own poem “Remembering Comrades”, which she wrote and often recited during the association's activities. Some of the lines went: “At twenty, we marked a milestone/ Writing a brilliant page in the history of the country/ The legendary road of the twenties/ Adding the efforts of the youth volunteers…”

Do Ngoc Vi, 66, Chairman of the Xuan Loc Commune Former Youth Volunteers Association, along with other members participating in the Ho Thi Cuc sub-camp, shared: He once served as a youth volunteer defending the Northern border. The unforgettable years spent with his comrades and teammates came rushing back during the traditional camp festival, and the reunion with them brought joy and happiness to every former youth volunteer.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Linh, 69, Chairwoman of the Tan Hung Commune Former Youth Volunteers Association, was filled with joy and emotion at the Vu A Dinh sub-camp. Yet, her eyes still gazed into the distance as she recalled the comrades with whom she once faced life-and-death situations.

Recalling the heroic and valiant times, Nguyen Thi Linh said: “During the war, there were many tragic and moving stories, but what I remember most is carrying my comrade Le Thi Van from a bomb crater along the Ho Chi Minh trail back to Farm 572 under the C30 Youth Volunteer Corps - Ham Rong - Thanh Hoa.”

“My comrade was not fortunate enough to return after the country’s reunification, but that memory, that longing, will forever remain unforgettable to me,” Nguyen Thi Linh recounted.

The bond of comradeship forever remembered

Speaking at the traditional camp festival celebrating the 60th anniversary of the tradition of Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65, Phan Thanh Ha, Chairman of the Association of Former Vietnamese Youth Volunteers of Dong Nai province, emphasized: In the context of the fierce resistance war against American imperialism, in Dong Nai, the Long Ba Bien Provincial Party Committee at that time directed the Eastern Southern Youth Labor Union to assign tasks to comrades: Nguyen Nhan (Ba Nhan), Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union; Vo Van An (Tam Son), Deputy Secretary of the Southeast Regional Youth Union; and the Standing Committee of the Provincial Youth Union assigned comrade Tran Huu Bang, a member of the Executive Committee, and comrade Bui The Ba, Secretary of the Duc Thanh District Youth Union, to establish two working teams to mobilize youth to join the Youth Volunteer Forces.

A former youth volunteer exchanges her views at a camp activity

In the districts of Long Dat, Xuyen Moc, Long Thanh, Bien Hoa, and the communes of Binh Ba and Ngai Giao, from April to December 1965, more than 100 male and female Youth Union members and youth volunteers joined the province's Youth Volunteer Force on an indefinite basis. In hamlet 3 Kim Long, Ngai Giao commune, former Duc Thanh district, most Youth Union members and youth formed a platoon led by the Ngai Giao Commune Youth Union Secretary, Tran Thi Thu, serving as Platoon Commander.

Following the directive of the Provincial Party Committee, the Standing Committee of the Southeast Provincial Youth Union selected hamlet 3 Kim Long, Ngai Giao commune, to establish the first centralized training base for Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 in Long Ba Bien province. After a period of concentration, political study, training in ammunition handling, stretcher-bearer duties, tent pitching, hammock setup, and basic military exercises for combat readiness, on December 12, 1965, in hamlet 3, Xa Mon stream, Kim Long, Ngai Giao commune, the official founding ceremony of Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 was held, during which the unit was presented its traditional flag bearing the inscription “Binh Gia Victory.” The establishment held symbolic significance, marking the time when our army and people launched the Binh Gia Campaign and achieved victory on December 2, 1965, delivering a decisive blow to the "Special War" of American imperialism in the South.

Over nearly 10 years of establishment and operation (December 1965 - April 1975), the Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 - Binh Gia Victory - participated in and supported more than 40 battles. The unit excellently carried out duties such as stretcher service, protecting the injured, ensuring rear-line security, transporting weapons and supplies, safeguarding routes, and eliminating thousands of enemies. The Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 was recognized by the Party and State with 48 martyrs and 4 wounded soldiers; two individuals were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces. The collective was honored with the First-Class Thanh Dong Order, the Military Exploit Order, the Golden Star Order, and the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.

Comrade PHAN THANH HA, Chairman of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Dong Nai province

The Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 - Binh Gia Victory - was part of the Southern Liberation Youth Volunteer Corps. In December 1966, the Regional Youth Committee resolved to merge and strengthen several cadres and members from the Binh Thuan Provincial Youth Volunteer Team into the Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 - Binh Gia Victory, resulting in a force of nearly 200 personnel.

The coordinating unit of the 5th Battalion, 5th Division of the Southern Liberation Army carried out the mission of fighting, serving in combat, aiding in the medical evacuation of the wounded by stretchers, transporting weapons and supplies from the Central Government and the unnumbered ship from the North that supported the South to the port of Loc An, Ba Ria. They then moved these resources to War Zone D for distribution to the provinces in Southern, Eastern, and Southwestern Vietnam. The Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 made significant contributions to combat service, fighting valiantly and aiding in the success of the Southern Liberation Campaign and the reunification of the country.

Alongside those efforts, throughout the years of fighting and serving in combat, the Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 quietly transported wounded soldiers from the battlefield to military surgical stations, completing its missions with excellence. In this battle, the wounded were carried to safety at the rear by the Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65, with members taking turns to care for them, feeding them spoonfuls of porridge and sips of milk. Thus, when encountering the soldiers, members of the Youth Volunteer Unit C12.65 were often told: “When wounded, seeing the youth volunteers means survival; on the battlefield, knowing the youth volunteers are behind us brings peace of mind.” These were also the victories of C12.65 during missions to approach the Dat Do sub-region, Road 23, and Construction Site 5. In another engagement on Ong Dia hill, while retreating to Minh Dam base at dawn, a B52 bombing struck their formation. Fortunately, no one was killed, and only a few were wounded.

Returning to everyday life, the former youth volunteers remain loyal and devoted. The traditional camp festival marking the 60-year tradition serves as an opportunity for each cadre and member of the former youth volunteers to recall the times of bullets, bombs, smoke and fire, to remember their comrades, especially those who sacrificed their lives and could not witness the day of national peace.

By Nguyet Ha - Translated by Huyen Trang, Thu Ha