War Vietnam, Owner story. Puppet Armys, Dinh Van Loi, Paris convention
On 2nd March, 1968 the Union of North Korea – America troops – 51 regiment begun a mopping up with the big scale that have never had before to Tra Que foundation with the target killing or arresting Hoi An’s leaders and weapon-armed force (in Quang Nam). They laid down the troops with shepherd dogs to find out cellars… This was unbalanced combat. Mr. Truong Minh Luong – the deputy secretary of city party committee, section head of committee’s security and his comrades initiatively got out of cellars to fight against the enemy, killed some of them and perished in their besiegement. The enemy found some papers that related to inside special task force. With the secret papers, on 10th March, 1968 they attacked Mr. Mot’s wood camp, where inner soldiers were working, arresting Dinh Van Loi – the header of Hoi An’s inside special task force. The 17 years old boy had to suffer the most terribly torture. The inside special task force was established in 1964 that led by Mai – the chief, and Loi was second in command then Mai was arrested and Loi took the place of chief, continuing to set up the force around the Mot’s wood camp – a contractor who had good relation to Puppet Army’s government. His wood camp was a base of revolution and organized some comrades to work for office and private house of important headers of Quang Nam Province. Thanks to the arrangement, they approached various targets and escaped from controlling office’s notice. The force fought dozens of battles, killed an armed forces police squad at the middle of day, fired struggling cars, attacked French intelligent service of sub-area, prevented the 51 regiment’s assault and dozens of small combats inner-city. Loi had ever proposed to Mr. Luong – Deputy province committee Secretary to kill Le Tri Tin – province chief, Mr. Luong said: “The conjuncture is not mature, Loi’s life is equal to a Puppet Army’s battalion”. Then he was not successful to hold alarmed – mine to kill Soan – Quang Nam Quoc Dan Dang’s Secretary (Nationalist Party). Up to the drive named X2 of 4th May, 1968 combat to the head offices of adversary, in the evening of 4th May, the inner – city soldiers divided into small group and co-operated to commando were sent from other places, town’s armed forces (C2), and special inside task force to fight against the enemy. Unfortunately, the enemy scented, took defense measures and rounded up. With the situation, the inner – city soldiers ought to fire killing hundreds rivals, over 10 chief and second in command of army, police officers. Some inside special task comrades were arrested when the enemy supplemented troops.
Army, French intelligence service, secret agents, and other dozens related offices racked arrested comrades. All the torture poured on Dinh Van Loi. They asked: “Are you a communist boy? Are you a member of communist party?” Loi acquiesced then they carried out serial tortures to him. His knees, elbows, shins were beaten to be decomposed. They racked him by electricity, by pouring soapsuds, leaning him on wall to hold his hair beating on his chest till vomiting blood. They hung him on to rack till to be faint. His belly was kicked by enemy’s shoes, sweating blood. They racked him to be exhausted daily during over one week from 7 pm to 5 am. His arms, legs were bloated, all his body was crushed with a block of blood and meat.
They declared martial law in over the city, operated no markets, no schools to find out the rest ones. They hung logo to boast their combat achievement: “arrest a net of Viet Cong”. Some newspapers in Sai Gon with the headline “Republic Viet Nam armed services discovered a net of Viet Cong that led by Dinh Van Loi. Psychological war force tattled “Republic Vietnam armed services have controlled the situation”. In order to illustrate their boast, they forced the men to be half-necked kneeing in junctions and T- junctions in city. The racked bodies could not suffer the burning sunny heat in streets and collapsed. After some days of boasting, they opened military court to try arrested men. They accused Loi of being the header of special task force, the leader of Communist organization. Loi declared to the court: “I fight against America’s invasion to save my country, I’m innocent”. They were filled with terror and want to fire him.
They put him into Hoi An prison. He and other prisoners were against saluting Puppet Army’s flag, some members of nationalist party, agents were planted in prison to act as informers for the enemy. He asked permission of his cell to punish some. His cell assigned him to be commander of healthy men to cover blanket beating some at 3 am but they were severely suppressed when Trai – a member of Nationalist Party informed to police armed force. Some prisoners were wounded, Loi was put in to Sai Gon prison then taken to Island (Con Dao). Reaching Island, he gathered prisoners to saluted Puppet Army’s flag. Jailers took action and carried him to camp 2. They repressed, classified, and took some prisoners who knew wood job to wood camps. He judged the strained situation, joining the wood camps was a good chance to set up movement, found key men for new fights. In 1969, with strong force and highly determination, over 10.000 prisoners in all over 9 camps saluted Puppet Army’s flag homogeneously and key men were repressed, killed, jailed in sties. The men continued to fight and he was pointed to be header of broadcasting group with megaphone made in carton. He stood on his comrades’ shoulders broadcasting toward the jailers to make his speech: “Prisoners have to be free to come back home”, “Prisoners have rights to have bath, wash and eat”. The enemy suppressed again, the situation was more strained and he once again to be pointed the leader of anti-suppressed youth force. He cleaned X ray films’ color, found nylon and khaki cloth to make masks, used wet clothes, pan, saucepans, bowls to fight against grenade, tear gas… He arranged his men to protect at the first round. His broadcast resounded daily and the broadcast also resounded strongly. Sai Gon government sent Nguyen Trung De – lieutenant – colonel with a seasoned battalion to suppress after jailer asking for help.
Police service pointed their guns into every detention room calling for prisoners’ surrender. They enticed: “If you capitulate, you will be enjoyed National Government’s toleration. Inversely, you will be killed”. Loi laid his men to fight against with their two hands, broke the enemy’s megaphones to organize force for coming time. They just stood outside the door to call for prisoners’ capitulation as fear of beating. The sound of megaphone daily made prisoners tired, sleepless, by the chance, the enemy suppressed prisoners’ head by cudgels, handcuffs, fired gas grenade continuous fire, the air was covered by smoke, some could not stand and collapsed. Some Loi’s comrades laid down (there were 18 dead prisoners and 52 wounded ones in his camp). Some prisoners followed the enemy to other camps because they could not stand the hardness. Party organization in prison, in which he was a cell of secretary of Hoi An Branch (Quang Nam), sent some key cadres to strengthen oscillated prisoner’s spirit to continue fighting, preparing for the second general uprising in 1972. After the first general uprising’s effect, jailers were less cruel, Prisoners’ fighting thought rose higher ever before. The enemy ruled the roost outside the detention rooms but no enemy’s informer inside therefore, the enemy could not grasp the situation….He arranged performing art, learning, admitting some prisons to communist party . He was free in Ho Nai, Yen Hoa after Paris convention. February 1974, he joined Loc Ninh battlefield serving for campaign fighting Road 13, he was a member of the five – zone police battalion then was a bodyguard for the five – zone party committee, took part in Quang Nam – Da Nang liberation campaign.
