A COMB MADE FROM THE WRECKAGE OF AN AMERICAN A3J AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN IN HANOI

On a hot summer day in 2020, we returned to Phu Tho Province to meet and collect memorabilia of veterans who fought on the battlefields of the resistance war against the US. One of the veterans was Mr. Ngo Van Dung (born in 1940), a native of Phu Nham Commune, Phu Ninh District, Phu Tho Province - was part of the generation of veterans who believed in “Putting the pen down to take the gun up”. He personally crafted and kept a special memento, a comb made from the wreckage of an American A3J (RA5C) aircraft shot down on Le Truc Street in Hanoi in 1967.

On April 12^th, 1963, young Ngo Van Dung enlisted to join the army to defend the fatherland when he was in grade 7. He told us he was posted to the 3^rd Company, Regiment 600 and continued his schooling to finish grade 10 before he entered the first course of the Central Public Security School (now the People's Security Academy). He then became a People's Armed Policeman who was tasked to protect embassies and consulates of 12 socialist countries in Hanoi

Between 1964 and 1965, the US expanded a destructive war in the North to prevent the large socialist support forces from moving to the South. On August 5^th, 1964, by manipulating the “Gulf of Tonkin Incident”, the US imperialists launched a war to destroy the North using its air force and navy to crush the fighting will of the Vietnamese people. At the end of September 1967, the US aircraft began to attack Hanoi. During the “Rolling Thunder 55” and “Rolling Thunder 56” Operations, the US mobilized hundreds of aircraft to directly hit key targets such as transportation systems, warehouses, industrial facilities, residential clusters, including Long Bien Bridge and the Yen Phu Power Plant in order to cripple socio-economic activities in the Capital. In that context, the Party’s Central Committee advocated the establishment of Hanoi Air Defense Command, now Hanoi Air Defense Division. On the afternoon of May 19^th, 1967, US aircraft attacked Yen Phu Power Plant to cut off power supplies to Hanoi and some neighboring provinces. 

At that time, Dung and his comrades were on duty in Thu Le Park when they received information by radio that US aircraft were flying into Hanoi. Immediately, they rushed into battle positions. “At about 15.00, we suddenly saw in the sky an A3J attack the power plant but was hit by the anti-aircraft fire of the anti-aircraft artillery companies, causing the aircraft to catch fire and break into two parts. The first part of the aircraft crashed in the area of Tien Bo Printing Factory (Kim Ma Ward, Ba Dinh District), while the tail fell down onto Le Truc Street (Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District). The two pilots were captured alive - one pilot landed on the roof of the chicken coop of the house in No.71 Thuy Khe Street and the other landed in Lane 124 on the same street. After that incident, our 3^rd Company took on the task of moving from Thu Le Park to Hung Vuong Street (Ba Dinh District). On the way, as we passed Le Truc Street and saw many fragments of wreckage of enemy aircraft lying on the road, we picked up some small pieces of wreckage to make personal items”, said Mr. Dung. He and his comrades used hacksaws to make combs, rings and daggers to keep as souvenirs. The silver-gray comb, 14.5 cm in length, is in the shape of an American aircraft and engraved with the letters “USA” and the number 2300: representing the sequence number of American aircraft shot down in the North. During his years of fighting, the comb was always carried by him and carefully preserved as a prized possession.

The scene of the downing of the A3J (RA5C) on Le Truc Street on May 19^th, 1967

© Vietnam News Agency

Being asked about the deep memories of the soldier's life, Mr. Dung remembers the time he was on guard duty at the Romanian Embassy in Hanoi when he received an announcement of enemy aircraft flying over. When he went down to the fortification pit, to oversee and observe the performance tasks to protect the embassy, he did not close the lid. At that time, enemy aircraft fired missiles at the embassy, causing rocks and debris to dislodge and fall on his head. Thankfully, he was safe as he was wearing a helmet. As the enemy aircraft left, he emerged from the fortification pit - despite being covered in dust, he still found the comb in his pocket. His most poignant memory was when he met Uncle Ho when his unit organized the Emulation Warrior Congress in 1965. He was one of the honored soldiers to meet Uncle Ho that day.

Mr. Ngo Van Dung’s comb made of a fragment of A3J (RA5C) aircraft

In 1984, Mr. Dung was discharged with the rank of lieutenant. He kept the comb carefully at home. In May 2020, veteran Ngo Van Dung donated the comb to Hanoi Museum with the desire to spread his memory to the public when visiting the museum.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Da - Director of Hanoi Museum received the memorabilia from veteran Ngo Van Dung

Regarding the A3J aircraft, in the archivesof Hanoi Museum, there are currently 2 artifacts of the wreckage of the A3J aircraft shot down on Le Truc Street. The comb made from the A3J wreckage, and its story, will be featured in the Hanoi Museum's permanent display as a piece of memorabilia of those heroic times.

A fragment of the wreckage of the A3J (RA5C) shot down on Le Truc Street on May 19^th, 1967 currently preserved at Hanoi Museum.

 

 

Kiều Tuấn Đạt