PANO – “During my 10 years of fighting against our common enemy in Lao battles with Lao brothers and sisters, General Khamtai Siphandon, former Defence Minister and President of Laos, was one of my best friends. On July 6th, 2012, we met again comrade Khamtai”, said Major-General Huynh Dac Huong, former Commissar of the High Command of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and military experts in Laos.
Comrade Khamtai warmly welcomed the Vietnamese delegates at his home, a farmstead in Paksong District in the Boloven Highland region.
Khamtai was very pleased to meet General Huong and other old Vietnamese friends who had shared the same combat trench with him. He told Huong that on the occasion of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year, they should not refer to their one-time difficulties. “I tried to conceal my emotion by giving a briefing of Khamtai's biography to other delegates”, recalled Major-General Huynh Dac Huong.
General Huong would remember forever the days when he worked with comrade Khamtai to fight enemies in many campaigns of Nam Bac, Pa Thi and Muong Sui within 10 years. In September, 1969, the Central Military Commission appointed General Huong to be Head of the Personnel Department of the General Department of Politics. Three days later, the US troops, Lao lackeys and Vang Pao’s bandits launched the Cu Kiet campaign in order to avenge their bitter failures in Northern Laos. Immediately, General Vo Nguyen Giap assigned General Huong to return to Northeastern Vietnam to work jointly with the Pathet Laos to crush the enemies’ moves to take over the Urn Field-Xieng Khouang Battlefield.
General Huong set off on September 8th, 1969. While preparing for the counter-attack at the Urn Field, the Vietnam-Laos fighting alliance had to confront a shortage of weapons, equipment and food. Many of the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers had to keep on fighting while suffering from dysentery and beriberi, as the enemy had intensified their raids and massacres of local people.
On September 18th, 1969, General Huong and comrade Vu Lap left for Laos to meet the Urn Field High Command to combine actions. Knowing that Khamtai was waiting for them, they decided to present the Lao brothers a gift. However, they could not find anything because of their deprivations. On the way to Laos, the two Vietnamese officers passed a guava forest and they decided to get some nice guavas to offer their Lao brothers.
Comrade Khamtai was happy to see General Huong and comrade Vu Lap again. Interestingly, he also gave us five guavas. They hugged in tears for happiness as they had the same gifts for one another - an unforgettable memory for General Huong. Khamtai had expressed condolences over the death of Uncle Ho. It was a common immense grief because President Ho Chi Minh is the most respectful and beloved symbol of the two nations’ special friendly relationship.
Khamtai was also very worried about health of the Vietnamese Regiment 174’s troops. Despite a critical shortage of food, they steadfastly and courageously fought enemies. “How rich we would be after the final victory, the Lao people and army would never forget the difficult days and nights of the Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts,” said Khamtai.
Recalling the counter-attack of the Vietnam-Laos alliance at the Urn Field Campaign, General Huong said that immediately after the bombs and shells were silenced, Khamtai called inquiring after the situation. At that time, Vietnamese soldiers called Khamtai “brother Tam”. Referring to the victory in battle, brother Tam said: “Well fed but not very delicious” which means that it is not very good as they could kill more enemy troops than taking them alive. In the Nam Bac campaign, brother Tam was pleased as a large number of enemies were seized.
During the talk, Khamtai also again wondered how could the Lao revolutionary cause have achieved these victories if not for the Vietnam-Laos special fighting alliance, and suggested that the two sides should speed up their friendly relationship
