'Bomb disposal king' Cao Xuan Tho tells the story of Dien Bien Phu

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

As the captain of the bomb disposal team of Company 404 (Youth Volunteer Team 40), the unit held a memorial service for him 4 times before going to battle, and had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho 3 times, the "King of Bomb Disposal", Hero of the People's Armed Forces Cao Xuan Tho (Trinh Tho village, Hoang Giang commune, Hoang Hoa district) is 98 years old this year. Although he is at a rare age, with the after-effects of war left on his body, Mr. Tho can no longer hear clearly; his back has lost 3-4 vertebrae, a bullet is still in his body... but the spirit of "Uncle Ho's Soldier" still shines in his bright eyes.

At that time, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, when he was only 19 years old, the young man Cao Xuan Tho left his hometown Thanh Hoa, volunteered to join the Capital Self-Defense Force, and vowed to dedicate his youth to the country. Two years later, Cao Xuan Tho volunteered to join the 308th Division, then performed military intelligence duties in Cao - Bac - Lang and participated in the Autumn - 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.

In preparation for the Dien Bien Phu campaign, in 1953, the Youth Volunteers were established under the code name XP. At that time, the group established a team to clear unexploded bombs and clear the way for the troops. Cao Xuan Tho was trusted by his superiors and appointed as the Captain of the Bomb Disposal Team of Company 404 (under Team 40) - in charge of clearing bombs and clearing the road at the Co Noi intersection and the Hat Lot tunnel (Son La). This was the intersection of the main roads to Dien Bien Phu, all activities of supporting forces, transporting weapons, food, and laborers from Yen Bai, from the Northern Delta to Dien Bien Phu had to pass through this important intersection. Throughout the campaign, the Co Noi intersection and other locations such as Lung Lo Pass, Pha Din Pass... were always weak points that the enemy continuously focused firepower on. Every day, hundreds of bombs of all kinds were dropped by the enemy in an attempt to cut them off.

As a commander, with his 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 clearing unexploded bombs, clearing the way, contributing to ensuring the smooth flow of the vital route to the legendary Dien Bien Phu battlefield. “At that time, we had not yet finished clearing this series of bombs when enemy planes roared in, along with unexploded bombs, butterfly bombs, napalm bombs... layers of bombs on top of each other exploded one after another, smoke and fire filled the sky. Therefore, bomb disposal at this time was an urgent task. All the companies were determined, as long as the youth volunteers were still there, the traffic arteries would be maintained. Also in those battles, many of my teammates heroically sacrificed themselves…” - Mr. Cao Xuan Tho could not hide his emotions when looking back at old memories.

The story of a time of war and war is sometimes interrupted by coughing fits and by a memory that is no longer clear, but the old soldier is still filled with enthusiasm when recalling the time he carried out his mission at the Co Noi fire-pan intersection. Also during those difficult and fierce days, his unit and comrades held a memorial service for him four times. When he was buried under a layer of rocks and soil by a bomb explosion, his comrades dug him up and he was lucky to survive, but after that time he lost three vertebrae in his back.

During the entire campaign, Captain of Bomb Disposal Company 404 Cao Xuan Tho directly destroyed more than 100 bombs of all kinds, had the honor of meeting Uncle Ho 4 times and received his badge 3 times. Notably, with his contributions to the country, in 2014, Mr. Cao Xuan Tho was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President for his contributions, contributing to the Dien Bien Phu Victory "famous in five continents, shaking the earth".

After leaving the army and 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, implemented the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, and studied and followed Uncle Ho. Currently, his children have all grown up and have stable jobs in Hanoi. He himself always lives happily and optimistically in the care and love of his neighbors.

Ms. Do Thi Thu, Secretary of the Hoằng Giang Commune Youth Union (Hoằng Hóa District) proudly said: We, the young generation, are very proud to live and work in the homeland of Hero Cao Xuân Thọ. He is always a shining example for the younger generation to learn from and follow.

Today, the war is far behind us, and the Hero of that year has entered his 98th spring. The memories of the time of war, as well as his contributions and sacrifices and those of his comrades, will always live on with the heroic history of Dien Bien Phu.