“King of bomb disposal” Cao Xuan Tho tells the story of Dien Bien Phu

The old 3-room house nestled in a small alley in Trinh Tho village is where “Bomb Disposal King” Cao Xuan Tho (born in 1926) lives with his eldest son.

As the captain of the bomb disposal team of Company 404 (Youth Volunteers Team 40), the unit held a memorial service 4 times before going into battle, 3 times had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho, the “King of Bomb Disposal”, the Hero. People’s Armed Forces Cao Xuan Tho (Trinh Tho village, Hoang Giang commune, Hoang Hoa district) is 98 years old this year. Even though he was at a rare age, with the after effects of war left on his body, Mr. Tho’s ears could no longer hear clearly; He lost 3-4 vertebrae in his back, a bullet was still in his body… but the temperament of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” still shone in his bright eyes.

That day, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, when he was just 19 years old, young man Cao Xuan Tho left his hometown of Thanh Hoa, volunteered to join the Capital Self-Defense Team, vowing to dedicate his youth to the country. . Two years later, Cao Xuan Tho volunteered to fight in the forces of Group 308, then did military intelligence duties in Cao – Bac – Lang and participated in the Fall – Winter campaign. In March 1949, he was sent to China to study military intelligence. After returning home, he joined the Youth Volunteers to participate in the Hoa Binh, Upper Laos and Dien Bien Phu campaigns.

To prepare for the Dien Bien Phu campaign, in 1953, the Youth Volunteer Group was established with the code name XP group. At that time, the group formed a team to destroy explosive bombs and clear the way for the soldiers. Cao Xuan Tho was trusted by his superiors to be the Captain of the Bomb Disposal Team of Company 404 (belonging to Team 40) – in charge of disposing of bombs and clearing roads at Co Noi intersection and Hat Lot underground road (Son La). This is the intersection of the main roads leading to Dien Bien Phu, all activities of supporting forces, transporting weapons, food, and civil servants from Yen Bai, from the Northern Delta to Dien Bien Phu. must pass through this key junction. During the campaign, Co Noi junction and other landmarks such as Lung Lo pass, Pha Din pass… were always weak points where the enemy continuously concentrated firepower to attack. Every day, hundreds of bombs of all kinds are dropped by the enemy in an attempt to cut them off.

In the role of commander, with strategy and courage, Cao Xuan Tho and his teammates were not afraid to rush into the rain of bombs and bullets, carrying out the task of destroying slow-burning bombs, paving the way, contributing to ensuring the smooth passage of the road. bloodline to the legendary Dien Bien Phu battlefield. “At that time, we had not finished destroying this series of bombs when the enemy planes roared in, along with slow-explosive bombs, butterfly bombs, napalm bombs… layer of bombs on top of other bombs exploded, creating smoke. Blinding flames covered the sky. Therefore, bomb disposal is an urgent task at this time. The companies all made up their minds, the young men volunteered, and the traffic flow was still maintained. Also in those battles, many of my comrades heroically sacrificed their lives…” – Mr. Cao Xuan Tho could not hide his emotions when looking back at old memories.

The story of a time of fire and smoke was sometimes interrupted by coughs and because his memory was no longer clear, but the old soldier still seethed with enthusiasm when recalling the time he performed his duties at the Co fire pan junction. Race. Also during those arduous and fierce days, he was memorialized four times by his unit and teammates. During the time a bomb exploded and buried him under a layer of rock, his teammates dug him out and was lucky to be alive, but after that incident he lost 3 vertebrae in his back.

During the entire campaign, Commander of Bomb Disposal Company 404 Cao Xuan Tho directly destroyed more than 100 bombs of all types, had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho 4 times and received his badge 3 times. In particular, for his contributions to the country, in 2014, Mr. Cao Xuan Tho was awarded the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces by the President for his contributions to the Dien Bien Victory. illustrious in five continents, shaking the earth.

After leaving the army, returning to civilian life, Hero of the People’s Armed Forces Cao Xuan Tho always promoted the good qualities and traditions of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, well implementing the Party’s guidelines, policies and laws. of the State, study and follow Uncle Ho. Currently, his children are all grown up and have stable jobs in Hanoi. He himself always lived happily and optimistically, surrounded by the support and love of his neighbors.

Ms. Do Thi Thu, Secretary of Hoang Giang Commune Youth Union (Hoang Hoa district) proudly said: We young people are very proud to live and work in the hometown of Hero Cao Xuan Tho. He is always a shining example for the younger generation to learn and follow.

Today, the war has receded, the Hero of that year has also entered the 98th spring of his life. The memories of a time of fire and bullets, as well as the contributions and sacrifices of him and his comrades will always live forever along with the heroic history of Dien Bien Phu.