THE RESISTANCE

THE RESISTANCE

By Van Nguyen

The North Vietnamese Communists took over Saigon on April 30, 1975. The Republic of South Vietnam collapsed in an instant. The fall of the regime drew with it the disintegration of all the institutions of the suprastructure and the dissolution of the entirety of the infrastrure base. The new regime instituted in their place intricate systems of political and economic institutions with ideals and values that were totally foreign to the people of the South.  They reared a new order destined to destroy the old regime’s centuries-old political systems and cultural and moral values. Prior to the Communist invasion into the Central Highlands in Spring 1975, leaders of religions, political parties, social organizations, and prominent personalities from various walks of life had foreseen that disaster would prevail if the Communists successfully defeated the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam. They called for a war of resistance against the communists. They urged on the then President Nguyen Van Thieu to form a front uniting all the religious, political, and social forces in the South, preparing for firm military self-defense, establishing resistance war zones, and making use of all national potential spiritual and material sources to resist the invaders, regardless of whether or not the United States abandoned Vietnam. Plans to form defense lines along the western provinces in the South were in preparation. All proposals were nevertheless negated by the president himself.

   On Aril 30, 1875, General Duong Van Minh, who assumed power conferred upon by President-designate Tran Van Hong, appealed to the Armed Forces of the Republican his own initiative to lay arms and surrender to the invading forces.

The situation throughout the South was in total chaos. In the western provinces, the reactions of the military authorities were multifarious. A number of military units deserted their positions; others sought to leave the country, but the majority of the elite troops resolutely committed to resistance. The latter elements regrouped and retreated to the Hoa Hao stronghold at Tay An Co Tu (Tay an Old Temple) where Hoa Hao’s Bao An Security Guards were reactivated for military service. They and other unflagging military elements of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam put together forces to determinedly hold back the North Vietnamese invaders.

It is generally believed that strongholds from Can Tho to Lomg Xuyen would be like the Maginot fortifications. The communists would not be able to spread their   forces to occupy all over the territory of the South. The same situation was true with other military zones in the Central Highlands and the Center, in Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phan Rang. The communists could only overwhelm the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam where the resistance was weak, the leadership was poor, and the determination was ephemeral. Strategies and plans without support and cooperation from the central government came to no avail. The resistance elements fought in vain against the invading forces. The stronghold at Tay An Co Tu, Long Kieng Village, Kien Giang Province, fell to the communists. The headquarters of the Hoa Hao Security Forces were under siege and was then overwhelmed by the invading forces. On May 1, 1975, a congress of military and political leaders of Hoa Hao was held under the chairmanship of Lt. General Lam Thanh Nguyen and Honorable Phan Ba Cam, Secretary General of the Social Democratic Party of Vietnam, discussed war developments. Military leaders from various regions decided to leave the Holy Site. Armed units were given orders to retreat to secret war zones in the mountainous region of That Son where they resisted until the 1980’s.  

  Witnesses reported that following the defeat of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam in 1975, separate units of various army divisions and regional troops retreated to forests and mountainous regions to resist the aggression of the Northern military might. Lines of pockets of resistance, in particular, were formed along the provincial route of Saigon–Vung Tau, in the areas bordering Saigon River from Ngoc Ha to Lam Son in and around Trinh Mountains where the regional troops under the command of Captain Giang Van Be resisted recently against the North Vietnamese. Numerous officers regrouped their troops and engaged the Northern aggressor’s right in the heart of Saigon and the neighboring districts. The resistance did not last long due to short of military equipment, provisions, and medical supplies. Upon disbandment, most of these fighters sought to evade to their home provinces or neighboring foreign lands. Others committed suicide to keep their honor and dignity intact, expressing loyalty to the Republic of Vietnam. 

   Three years after the collapse of the Saigon government a significant resistance force--possibly numbering several thousand men--continued to operate in the Mekong Delta province which was headquarters for the Hoa Hao Buddhism. McArthur mentioned the fact that the Hanoi radio quoted the district commander, Captain Dang Huu Trinh, saying that in Cho Moi District, An Giang Province, the "remnants of the puppet army, here, total tens of thousands, and a fairly large number of diehard officers have evaded reeducation. Therefore, maintaining combat readiness is a matter of constant concern to the local armed forces and militia and self-defense forces..." The troop commander of the district, identified as Hai Man, said that "there are 23,000 puppet army and administration personnel, here. Many of them have stubbornly evaded reeducation. Some have finished reeducation but are unwilling to work honestly for a living. Reverting to their old ways, they have continued to oppose the revolution and the people. Therefore, standing ready for combat in Cho Moi District is one of our permanent tasks."  McArthur further noted: "the emphasis of the broadcast made clear that the military preparedness was largely directed against 'remnant forces' and not incursions from Cambodia, although these have taken place." (George Arthur, Los Angeles Times, January 1978)